Fashion – Page 5 – Ensemble of Elan

Good Fashion Is Meant to Be Shared

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There are two types of people in this world: Those who don’t want anyone to copy their look, and those who want everyone to copy their look.

We can easily say we fit into the second category, but what about you? Let us know in the comments!I’ve seen a lot of other industries starting to share more and more (think AirBNB or Uber), so I asked myself, how could the fashion industry incorporate more sharing as a way to save money and the environment?

It seems wasteful for everyone to build their own fully comprehensive wardrobes with every style and every trend, especially when most of us get tired of looking at the same old clothes day in and day out anyways.

What’s the answer then? Renting clothes instead of purchasing them. To use this type of service, you do have to get over the fact that a lot of other people are going to be wearing not only the same styles as you, but the same exact pieces as you.

You may have heard of Rent the Runway, Le Tote, or AirCloset, which allow you to rent stylish clothing items from their enormous (and amazing!) collections. One quote from a clothing rental company CEO (Satoshi Amanuma of AirCloset) that stuck out to me was:

“I want to offer people, especially busy women who don’t have spare time to buy clothes, more opportunities to encounter new clothes and apparel brands, and to enjoy fashion more.”

By renting clothes, you effectively get a brand new wardrobe every month without having to put much thought or effort into it.

No unwanted clothing gets thrown away because every item gets enjoyed for the first time over and over again.

The only catch? You have to share it.

This could be the next big transition in the fashion industry, and I am excited to see where it leads.

-H

I for one see someone copying me as the ultimate compliment.

I’ve never been one of those people who, if you ask me where I bought something, refused to say because I didn’t want you to have the same purse/boots/whatever as me.

If I love that piece and it brings me joy, I want to share it with other people, so they can experience the same happiness that item has given me.

There are plenty of people out there who do not feel the same, and when I ask them where they bought something, they hesitate to tell me. That’s fine if you feel that way, but for the record, there is plenty of amazing fashion going around, so there is no reason to try to hoard it all to yourself.

You probably noticed that Hannah and I are wearing the same ankle boots in this shoot. A lot of fashionistas would cringe at the thought of wearing the same shoes as someone else for a photoshoot, but we DGAF.

If Hannah finds an amazing pair of earrings, or I find the perfect pair of jogger pants, we actually encourage the other to go out and buy one for themselves.

I truly believe that one of the reasons we are such good friends is because we share this approach to fashion, and I think this mentality is crucial to making it in the fashion industry.

Good fashion is meant to be shared.

-S

Hannah’s Wearing:

Sabrina’s Wearing:

Photography by: Rainwater Reflections Photography

Editing by: H+L Creations

What to Wear For Fall When It Still Feels Like Summer

Pumpkin spice lattes and leather jackets are taking over Instagram once again, but if you live in the south, you know it feels less like fall and more like mid-July right about now. It’s t-shirt weather from sunup to sundown most days, which can be incredibly frustrating for us cold weather-loving ladies.

But, we can’t let that deter us from rocking the latest and greatest fall trends right alongside our favorite bloggers and Instagrammers! We just have to find those select few pieces that make us want to eat some warm pumpkin pie instead of feeling like we’re baking in the oven right alongside it. Here are our favorites:

The Kimono

If you want to feel like a real-life fashion superhero, step out onto your city streets (the sidewalks, actually) wearing a pair of sky-high heels and a billowing kimono.

You will fall in love with the kimono, not only because it makes you believe for a split second that you are literally Wonder Woman, but also due to the fact that this trend works in all seasons.

In the summer, you can throw a kimono over a mini skirt and a tank top, and in the winter, you can wear a long sleeve blouse under it and add some skinny jeans. It’s the perfect layering piece!

Velvet

And if a kimono makes you feel like a superhero, velvet makes you feel like a queen.

Velvet was a breakout trend last season and it is well on its way to taking the top spot this season. From ankle boots to bodysuits, you can find virtually any clothing or accessory item in velvet!

This fabric instantly makes you look glamorous, and it’s actually more breathable and comfortable than you might think.

The Mini Skirt

Mini skirts of all shapes and sizes are taking over 2017, which we love because this piece is subtly sexy and can be styled in nearly endless ways.

We personally love wearing our mini skirts with kimonos and heeled shoes, but you can also wear yours with tights, a sweater, and over-the-knee boots when cooler weather finally graces us with its presence.

Embroidery

Is it too soon to call embroidery a classic?

We dearly hope that embroidery sticks around forever (or at least until the end of our lifetimes) because if there is one trend that guarantees you will receive a ridiculous number of compliments, it’s embroidery.

Particularly embroidered footwear. (AKA the holy grail of fashion.)

An embroidered pair of ankle boots adds a fashion-forward edge to any look without also having the heat-retaining properties of embroidered jeans or an embroidered sweatshirt.

What are some of your favorite trends to wear during the transitional months?

Hannah’s Wearing:

Sabrina’s Wearing:

The Fashion, Friendship, and Feminism of The Bold Type

Fashion Outfits: Gray Tee, Black Hat, Striped Pants, and White Clutch

We love The Bold Type because it doesn’t hide its femininity.

Unlike a lot of other shows and movies, this one does not portray liking fashion and makeup and manicures as a weakness.

Rather, The Bold Type uses classically feminine ideas as a vessel to show that badassery can come cloaked in Givenchy.

Despite the somewhat predictable plotlines and borderline cheesiness, this show passes with flying colors when it comes to the three F’s:

Fashion, Friendship, and Feminism.

(Like seriously, is that our perfect slogan or is that our perfect slogan?)

Statement Purse Strap and Off-The-Shoulder Top

Fashion Ideas: Striped Pants, Gray Tee, and Black Hat

Off-The-Shoulder Top and Statement Earrings

The Fashion

Sometimes we have to ask ourselves: does Scarlet have hallways or runways? With Jane, Kat, and Sutton strutting down them in leather pants and thigh-high boots, we sometimes feel as though we’re in the front row at a fashion show rather than a high-rise Manhattan office building.

We were hooked on The Bold Type as soon as we saw this trio dressed to the nines, holding hands, and screaming into the passing subway train in the opening scene. We were confused, but we were hooked.

J, K & S are bold in their love lives, their careers, and their fashion. And obviously it helps that they don’t exactly have to follow an “office dress code.” We will never forget when Sutton walked into work wearing a plunging, form-fitting jumpsuit; it gave us goosebumps (and near heart attacks).

When we were putting together our own outfits for this post, we constantly asked ourselves if we were being “bold enough.” These three are always ahead of the fashion curve, so we did not want to settle for anything less.

Wide Leg Pants, Strappy Heels, and A Floppy Hat

Off-The-Shoulder Top and Statement Purse

The Friendship

The always-have-your-back brand of friendship in this show feels like a breath of fresh air after decades of being fed stereotypes about selfish, backstabbing female friends.

No matter what life throws their way, Jane, Sutton, and Kat always show up for each other.

When Sutton was afraid to take a position as an underpaid assistant to further her dream of having a career in fashion, Kat offered up her own apartment where she could live rent-free to put her financial worries at ease.

When Jane faced her fears and got tested for the BRCA gene mutation, Kat and Sutton dropped everything to come with her and hold her hand, both while she got tested and while she learned her results.

And when Kat started to question her feelings towards Adena and own sexuality, Jane and Sutton helped her accept herself as she was, even if she didn’t fully understand it.

Fashion Ideas: Statement Strap Purse and Leather Pants

Neutral Outfit Inspired by The Bold Type

The Feminism

We could write an entire post about the feminism in this show (and we probably will eventually), but for now we will focus on one facet: Jacqueline Carlyle.

Jacqueline is the Editor-In-Chief of Scarlet magazine, and she turns the “Miranda Priestly” character on its head by coupling her authority with compassion and vulnerability, particularly in the season finale.

(We won’t ruin it for you, but it is a must watch).

Women in power are often portrayed as “bitchy” or “unlikable,” but Jacqueline is neither. She knows what she wants and how to get it, but what sets her apart is that she pays as much attention to the means as she does to the ends. She listens, she apologizes when she makes mistakes, and she welcomes fresh ideas, even if they are not her own.

Jacqueline demonstrates exactly how the ability to empathize is a competitive edge.

We want a boss like Jacqueline. We each want to be a boss like Jacqueline. And so, we will leave you with one of our favorite quotes from her, which perfectly captures what many of us see as the essence of the female experience:

“I expect you to have adventures. I expect you to fall in love, to get your hearts broken. I expect you to have sex with the wrong people. To have sex with the right people, to make mistakes and make amends, take a leap and make a splash. And I expect you to unleash holy hell on anybody who tries to hold you back.”

Sabrina’s Wearing:

Hannah’s Wearing:

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To Save Money, Splurge on What You Really Want

I know what you’re thinking after reading that, but hear me out.

For my entire life, I’ve been a fashionista on a budget. That means that after I browse Pinterest and stumble upon the dress or purse of my dreams, I usually scour the internet to find an acceptable substitute to save money.

Yet, nearly every time, I’ve found that the substitute doesn’t quite curb my craving for that piece. Then, I either throw my hands in the air and splurge on the item I originally wanted, or I toss the substitute into the back of my closet, never to be worn again.

I recently—finally–came to the conclusion that it would be better for my happiness (and my wallet) if I just bought the item I really wanted in the first place.

Otherwise, I will have completely wasted my money on something that I don’t even like, or I will have spent my money on the cheap substitutes PLUS whatever the original piece costs.

For example, I’ve been coveting these vintage, high-rise Levi’s for months now, and I’ve done my best to find a pair of jeans that fill the “vintage jeans void” in my wardrobe. I never really found an affordable substitute that had all the features I wanted, so I ended up paying $98 for this pair from Revolve.

To many of you, that may not sound like a lot of money to spend on a pair of jeans, but for me, it is. I typically find my jeans at TJ Maxx or thrift stores, so I had a difficult time hitting “complete order” on this one.

Yet, I’ve never been so glad that I did. These are absolutely everything I ever wanted out of a pair of jeans, and I know I will no longer need to shop for substitutes because I am finally satisfied.

Because I’m starting to splurge on the clothing and accessory items I really want, I’m not able to buy quite as many clothes, but that’s alright. I’m much happier with my fewer, better pieces than I ever was with my cheap substitutes.

So, even if you have to wait a couple months to save up the money to buy that Prada bag or that Beach Riot swimsuit, do it. Don’t buy the cheap knockoff.

I promise it will be worth it, and once you have that piece in your arms, it will leave you wanting for nothing.

-S

Sabrina’s Wearing:

Photos by: Durrell Green and H+L Creations

The Weird Off: Zara vs. Goodwill

Lately, the two of us have been in a “weird off” of sorts when it comes to choosing outfits for shoots. Our taste in fashion has definitely gotten funkier, so we can’t always find what we’re looking for at stores that mostly focus on basics, like H&M or Express.

We each chose statement tops and eccentric footwear on our trip to Nashville this past weekend, where in between watching the eclipse in the band of totality (life-changing) and eating at the Cheesecake Factory (SO good), we noticed that one of us was all decked out in Zara (H) and the other in Goodwill (S).

The realization that these are the two places we most commonly turn to for quirky clothes made us ask the question of who is weirder: Zara or Goodwill?

The outfit I’m wearing is almost entirely from Goodwill, which is quite a change for me because I’m usually the one in the all-Zara outfit. But, Hannah has lured me into her thrifting ways, and now I’m completely addicted to hunting for the strangest pieces I can find hidden in the overcrowded racks of secondhand clothing stores.

Goodwill is the place where people donate anything and everything, and as a result, you can find literally anything in there (I once found a Christian Dior shirt that I will not shut up about). You do have to hunt for those pieces, though, because most of them will not jump out at you from the moment you walk in the store.

You need to filter through every single piece on every single rack sometimes to find that one piece that takes your breath away. But rest assured, when you do find that one silk top with the puffy sleeves that tie back to the days of the Revolutionary War (like this one), it will give you chills because you know you will likely not ever meet another person who owns that shirt. As someone who loves to stand out, I can’t beat that.

-S

I think if there’s one thing we can rely on when it comes to being fashion forward, it’s the element of surprise. From fishnet socks to statement earrings (like Sabrina’s here), this year has been one for the books when it comes to odd fashion trends.

First, let me say that I have always been–and always will be–the thrifting queen. Until recently, I only ever used to shop at secondhand stores like Goodwill whenever I was looking looking for unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. Yet in the months since we started Ensemble of Elan, I’ve become more and more enamored by online brands that are known for their out-of-the-box, statement pieces.

The one place I can always find the on-trend, Pinterest-worthy pieces is none other than Zara. Every time I visit their site, I fall in love with everything from their funky flare pants and open back button downs (and then get my heart broken when all of the clothes in my cart go out of stock, because they’re so popular)! I snagged this off-the-shoulder top and polka-dot mini skort during one of Zara’s amazing sales for under $30.

Thrift stores will always have a special place in my heart for finding unique vintage pieces, but there is also something about Zara that makes my heart flutter.

-H

Geometric Sunglasses & Statement Earrings

Goodwill and Zara are odd in each of their own magnificent ways, and honestly, we cannot choose whom to award the title of “The Best Place to Find Weird Fashion.”

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

Hannah’s Wearing:

Sabrina’s Wearing: