Fashion – Page 6 – Ensemble of Elan

The Best Place to Find Chic, Affordable Office Wear

Gray Striped Dress and Statement Earrings

As someone who has spent most of their life thrifting, investing in high quality pieces can come with some personal challenges because the prices are usually quite a bit higher than what I’m used to. I was apprehensive when we went shopping at the Banana Republic Factory Store because this brand is known for quality clothing and slightly more expensive prices. I told myself to tread carefully because I didn’t want to end up spending my entire paycheck on a pair of pants!

Yet, I was happily surprised to find that almost everything in the store was 40% off, including the clearance section (my fave), which made their clothes very affordable. I loaded up my arms with at least twenty pieces before heading to the dressing room, so obviously I loved their sense of style. It was incredibly hard to narrow it down because they had so many cute pieces, but in the end, I decided to go for a sleek pair of gray, patterned pants, a white blouse with statement sleeves, and another plum and black lace top!

I was able to get all of these pieces for $100, which may sound like a lot to my fellow thrifters, but if you consider how long these pieces are going to remain in good shape and in style, it’s really quite the bargain!

-H

Gray Banana Republic Pants and White Top

The #1 question I get asked by fans is: “Where is the best place to find chic, affordable clothes for the office?” I have several places in mind that I usually tell them, but one of my new favorites is the Banana Republic Factory Store. Here, you can find all the same high-quality pieces you’ve come to know and love from Banana Republic, but you can get them at a fraction of the original cost (and you know how fond we are of that!).

I think it’s smart that Banana Republic tends to stick to fairly classic styles and silhouettes, but throws in some trendy details, like statement sleeves, open shoulders, and fun floral prints. This makes it easy to find pieces that will be in style for years, but still feel modern and fresh!

While we were shopping here, I found so many tops and pairs of pants I wanted to buy, but it was love at first sight when I put on this dress, purse, and sunglasses. The versatility of this dress drew me to it because I can pair it with loafers in the summertime, and throw on a pair of ankle boots and a cardigan for the colder months. I still cannot believe I got this entire outfit for $100, and I know these staple pieces are going to serve me well for years to come.

-S

We will be hosting the Friends & Family event with Banana Republic this Saturday (the 19th) at their Little Rock Outlet location, where you can get 40% off your entire purchase and enjoy some complimentary styling assistance from us!

We hope to see you there and can’t wait to help you look and feel your best!

The Brunette Salad: Making a Style Icon Accessible

If you know anything about anything in fashion, you know who Chiara Ferragni is.

But, if you are a fashion novice, it’s essentially our civic duty to fill you in. Chiara Ferragni started the world’s most popular fashion blog, The Blonde Salad, and over the past eight years, turned it into a fashion empire (Harvard Business Review even did a case study on her success story!). She also started her own Chiara Ferragni collection and boasts over ten million followers on Instagram.

Sheer Pearl Top, Denim Skirt, and Velvet Sneakers

Basically, she is blogging badass #1. As such, her eccentric sense of style can feel a little out of reach for us normies. But as your resident fashion gurus, we are here to help you appreciate her sense of style and even make it your own.

Let me start by saying that until about six months ago, I did not really care for Chiara Ferragni’s sense of style. I thought her looks were strange, and I did not understand how she gained millions of dedicated followers. But then we started this blog, and everything changed. Having to put together intriguing outfits on a daily basis has pushed my creativity beyond my wildest dreams, and it was then, and only then, that I could truly begin to appreciate Chiara’s sense of style. (And now she is my fashion muse.)

I love Chiara because she puts pieces together that should not work, but she makes them work. She is willing to take some daring fashion risks, and honestly, they don’t always pay off! But that makes me love her even more because she is willing to go that far outside the box and put in the effort to constantly evolve her style. And when her outfits do work (which is like 98% of the time), they absolutely blow me away.

When I’m looking for fresh outfit inspiration, I usually go to her Instagram feed instead of browsing Pinterest. When I’m out shopping for new clothes or putting together outfits in front of my mirror, I ask myself, “Would Chiara buy this?” or “How would Chiara style this?”. The key to putting yourself in this mindset to not try to copy her looks exactly. Just look for specific elements that she frequently wears, like I did with these platform sneakers, a sheer top, and a mini skirt. Chiara is all about getting creative, so it would be a disservice to everything she stands for if you simply recreated one of her looks. Choose an element (or two or three), put your own spin on it, and run with it!

-S

I have a confession. I am currently obsessed with turning shirts and dress backwards. Weird, right? Well, that’s exactly what I did to this dress. I found this velvet, vintage dress at Goodwill and loved the beautiful colors, but I hated the neckline. As I was trying on this dress at home, inspiration suddenly struck, so I turned the dress around and unzipped the zipper a bit to make it a bit more sexy like Chiara’s style, and viola! It was like an entirely new dress with a different neckline!

I’ve always loved thinking outside of the box when it comes to fashion, which is why I’m so inspired by Chiara Ferragni’s style! Her eccentric, weird outfits get my creative juices flowing because she puts so many odd elements together that normally wouldn’t go together, but they always somehow complement each other.

Being daring in your style takes bravery, and Chiara Ferragni is the epitome of that. She is never afraid to wear outrageous, crazy pieces, but she ties it all together through her styling. I chose to be a little more weird with my styling by doing space buns and going for a pair of mule loafers instead of heels (which is hard for me because I love heels with dresses!). What I’ve learned from Chiara Ferragni’s style is that it’s okay to dress sexy and wear whatever the hell you want.

Sometimes we forget that everyday you get to choose how you present yourself to the world, so rock those silver metallic loafers or that completely see-through dress. When it comes to style, just be yourself.

-H

“My secret has always been to be true to myself.”

-Chiara Ferragni

Sabrina’s Wearing:

Hannah’s Wearing:

The Art of Putting Together a Great Outfit

Putting together a great outfit truly is an art form. It takes a while to develop the skills to throw on anything in your closet and fool people into thinking you spent hours in front of the mirror perfecting your look.

To help you out a little, we’ve come up with some tips and tricks that we personally use when creating outfits:

For all the girls out there who are sometimes late to class or (even ditch going) out of fear of being seen in an uninspired, boring outfit, worry no more because this one’s for you. Many of us, myself included, have two types of styles in our closet: the most trendy, funky styles and the classics. When I stand in front of my closet in the morning and inspiration fails to strike me, I immediately turn to classic styles.

The great thing about classic styles is that they compliment more “of-the-moment”, trendy pieces, like how these raw hem distressed jeans complement this clean, airy top. I always tread cautiously when it comes to trends (can you blame me, anyone remember hair feathers?), but the more I’ve started branching out as a fashion blogger, the more I’ve realized that mixing trends and classics is one of the keys to putting together a great ensemble!

Lastly, I’ll leave you with a tip. I’ve always had my closet color-coded and grouped together efficiently, but recently I’ve gotten a bit lazy and started simply throwing my clothes in there wherever, and I honestly think it’s been for the better. Making a rainbow out of my clothes was fun and all, but it was poor in promoting creativity in fashion. Sometimes I let the closet do the work for me by hanging anything anywhere and disregarding order. I have found outfits I would have never thought of just because they were side by side in my closet.

-H

Believe it or not, I never used to be much of an accessories person. I carried the same purse every single day, never wore jewelry, and didn’t see why women got so carried away about shoes. But, a few years ago, I realized my outfits could only be so good if I didn’t pay attention to the accessories. Lo and behold, shoes and handbags and stackable rings are now my favorite things to shop for.

I’ve come up with a couple rules for pairing clothing items and accessories to make it easier to create a great outfit. Rule #1: Do not just stick to basics. Resist the urge to wear your black flats every day because they “go with everything.” Mix it up by pairing some fun shoes with your outfits, and you will soon start to see the light as to why women are obsessed with footwear.

Rule #2: Create a color scheme. (Anyone who knows me knows that I love creating color schemes.) Pull some colors from your clothing items; for this one, I focused on the pink from my dress and paired a matching choker. Even doing this for one color will make your outfit feel more cohesive. Then, choose whether you want to wear primarily gold or silver (you can definitely mix the two, but one needs to be the primary metal). I wear gold 90% of the time because my skin has warm undertones, but I still like throwing a silver ring or two in there to add a modern twist.

-S

Hannah’s Wearing:

Sabrina’s Wearing:

Mastering the Edgy Cool Girl: Happily Grey

Mary Seng of Happily Grey has long been one of our favorite fashion bloggers and Insta-girls. We love her edgy, yet feminine sense of style and how she can make anything from leggings to ruffle dresses feel effortlessly cool!

Here’s our take on how to emulate her fashion sense and photography style:

Delicate Gold Necklace and Emerald Dress

What I love about Mary Seng’s blog and Instagram feed is that even though she wears a wide variety of styles and colors, it all feels cohesive due to the nature of her styling and photo editing.

When I was choosing an outfit for this shoot, I went through several of her favorite styles in my head: ankle boots, statement sleeves, funky footwear and more before I settled on wearing a pair of white, wide leg pants with a feminine, floral detail.

I didn’t want to make this outfit too girly by adding ruffles or a colored top, so I stuck with a simple black cami and added a mesh bomber jacket to give this outfit the sporty edge it was lacking. I finished off this look with these pale blue, strappy mules because Mary Seng is not one to stick to neutral, basic footwear.

If you want to create a look inspired by Mary Seng, I would suggest you pair clothes that you wouldn’t normally think to put together. Wear a fun, off-the-shoulder dress with tennis shoes or layer a top with statement sleeves under a dress or overalls. Mix and match styles, but remember to not try too hard because if there’s one thing that sets this fashion blogger apart, it’s that even though her outfits are unconventional, they always look natural.

-S

So Mary Seng’s blog, Happily Grey, is literally my favorite blog in the world. My role model, my icon, my inspiration to start a fashion blog all comes from this fashion influence in Nashville, TN. I was drawn to her because I was surprised that such an edgy, modern presence like Mary could come out of the rootin’ tootin’ south. It made me believe that I could make my footprint on the fashion industry too.

What I love about Mary Seng’s style is how she is never afraid to break the rules. Her style is the epitome of the edgy cool girl, but she also breaks out flowy dresses and skirts from time to time, which is how I chose my ensemble (see what I did there). I leaned towards Mary Seng’s more feminine side with this emerald green dress, which I paired with black heels and gold accessorizes. I even styled my hair in the famous Mary Seng low, messy bun!

One of the reasons I think I was so drawn to this blog was the photography. I found Mary’s photographer, Alaina Mullin, on Instagram, and I must say this woman knows how to take some damn good photos. There is always so much movement in her photos, and the editing is incredible. They keep a pretty unsaturated background, usually urban and grey (hence Happily Grey), but they keep the subject in bold color! The skin tones are pretty dark, so if you were trying to edit similarly, I would suggest keeping the exposure down and bringing that contrast up to the moon, baby.

-H

Mary is relatable because unlike many fashion bloggers who take some truly daring style risks that don’t always work, her style is always easy to love. We adore her, and we think you will too!

Check out some of her looks at http://www.happilygrey.com.

Sabrina’s Wearing:

Hannah’s Wearing:

Using Fashion to Craft Your Personal Brand

There is so much buzz right now around crafting your “personal brand,” whether it’s for the purpose of getting a new job, promoting your own business or craft, or simply giving the world an accurate idea of who you are and what you stand for.

As three creatives, we love using fashion to promote our personal brands because how we present ourselves to the world is quite important in each of our lines of work. Here are our thoughts on how we use fashion to bolster the world’s perception of ourselves and how you can do it too:

To use fashion to cultivate your personal brand, you first have to figure out what your personal brand is. Do you want to be seen as a logical woman who has her head on straight? A free-thinking creative? I personally want to be known as the girl people can turn to for advice or assistance with any of their personal style woes, even if their preferences differ from my own.

We will soon be launching a styling service (stay tuned for more details on that coming within the next few days!), so it’s important to me to instill a sense of confidence in my potential clients. That means even though I love risky, out-of-the-box styles, I know not everyone does (and I don’t want my clients to think I’ll be dressing them all in high-waisted referee pants and lace crop tops!), so I need to make an effort to reflect a variety of styles within my own personal style so clients trust that I can meet their own fashion wants and needs.

This is why I chose a relatively simple look for this shoot. I realized a while ago that I almost never wear jeans in photo shoots, and I don’t think I have literally ever worn a t-shirt for a shoot, so I figured I would give it a try and make those seemingly simple pieces feel fashion forward! There are a lot of women out there who live in jeans and t-shirts, so I needed to make myself relatable and my style accessible to them.

So for you, what do you want to reflect? What do you want people to know about you before you ever even open your mouth? Keep your personal brand in mind when choosing outfits, and it will not steer you wrong.

-Sabrina Runge

As an independent musical artist, I choose how I am represented. I don’t have a record label telling the world who I am, and I like that.

As a natural performer, it’s easy to perform on and off the stage… to try to be something I’m not in order to feel “good enough.” I had to learn how to stop performing, and, as a dear friend put it, “just be.”

This year, I’ve begun to take that mindset on and off the stage; to do what I love because I love it, not to fulfill others’ expectations. It’s a privilege to “fill the air, the silence” (as my boyfriend says it) with whatever I choose and to remember that people show up to hear me and let me be myself with them. Nobody likes false advertisement, and with that in mind, I use style to visually represent my true self.

I prefer minimalism and consistency in my style. If I go a little out of the box from my day-to-day for a show, it’s because I want to use style as another way to express my creativity. However, with that exception, I usually prefer to let my personality and music do the talking. Choosing a simplistic, neutral-based style allows room for interpretation. It doesn’t make such a statement that others can automatically have a definitive opinion about me before actually knowing me. I desire to know others and be known truly, not superficially. I’m not saying I wear plain, homely things in some sort of “stick-it-to-the-man” mindset against our society’s focus on image. I do enjoy many trends in our culture, and I love expressing myself visually, but I do not depend on it.

All that being said, my style usually consists of mostly black, flowy pieces. I wear a lot of black because I view it as a confident color. (Honestly, I love any outfit that feels like pajamas.) I’ve come to love my nearly shapeless body, and I try to not deceive anyone into thinking it’s anything else. If my shape disappears under a flowy dress, that’s okay with me because in this heat, I’m just happy for cool clothing. As far as accessories, it’s safe to assume that I’ll almost always be wearing a key necklace that says “BE” on it to remind me to be real, along with the same gold studs, my mother’s ring, and black booties. I value consistency and simplicity. My style is constantly swaying between simply confident and confidently comfortable. That’s the mindset I try to live in as well. Confident but not conceited; comfortable and content with myself.

–Tiffany Lee: Musical Artist, Nap Queen, and Plant Mom

Whether you are a business owner, lawyer, or fashion guru, you are your brand. So, as your brand, the way you present yourself is the way you display your business. As a fashion blogger, photographer, and soon-to-be stylist, I use fashion as an avenue to make a good impression on others, thus creating a good impression for my business. Even if I’m simply running to Kroger to buy more Halo Top ice cream at 11pm, I still try to make an effort to dress nicely and look my best no matter the occasion because I never know when I’m going to run into a present or future client.

Always looking presentable and approachable instills a kind of trust with my clients. I’ve branded myself so they know they can trust me to always do the best work I can for them because I put that same kind of effort into myself (almost) everyday. Jogger pants, loafers and a chic, silk cami is one of my go-to outfits because it’s effortless yet sophisticated for wearing out, and I can still go home, plop down on the couch, and spend the day working and editing photos without ever having to change clothes!

When I started out branding myself as a photographer, I dove in headfirst and told people I was up for anything, from newborn sessions to weddings. Yet, I realized this wasn’t what I really wanted to do, so I began focusing on what I loved: fashion photography and portraiture. As a fashion blogger myself, I see both side of the lens, so I have a unique perspective when it comes to fashion photography, which sets me apart in this field and aligns with who I am as a photographer and a person.

It’s a lot easier (and more authentic) to cultivate your personal brand when you are honest with yourself about what you want to do. It’s no surprise that I didn’t get booked for many newborn sessions because my heart wasn’t really in it. Once I created my personal brand that aligned with each and every one of my passions, I began to see a lot more success in each of those fields, and you will too.

-Hannah Lewter

Black Maxi Dress, Black Jeans, and Graphic Tee

Hannah’s Wearing:

Tiffany’s Wearing:

Sabrina’s Wearing: