How-to: Wear Trends

I've been talking to some people recently and they've all brought up questions on how to wear certain things. For example, how to wear skinny belts, when it's okay to wear a pair of gladiator sandals, how to wear hats, etc. So I'm going to explain some ways to try out certain trends. There's no right or wrong way to experiment with trends, so these explanations are how I feel or what I, personally, would do.

Ok. First, skinny belts. I got a specific question about them, and it went something like this: Can you only wear skinny belts with high waisted things or can you wear them other ways?

Here's the dealio. I love love love skinny belts. I wear them with jeans, skirts, high waisted items, and on my hips. But if you're ambitious, you could try wearing two or three together. To do this, you would have to have them on your waist, because a bunch of belts on your waist would look more awkward than fashion forward. 

Gladiator sandals have been around for a while, and I love them. They're a type of shoe you either love or hate. They go well with just about anything, which is great. However, some styles go above the ankle, and those types would go best with a dress or skirt if it you have long legs. Otherwise, they will make your legs look short. They could also go with a skinny pant and go over the pant. 

As far as hats are concerned, you have to try them out on yourself to see what looks good. They look lovely with flow-y summer dresses, shorts, jeans, anything. This trend works truly according to personal preference.

Another thing I've been asked about are feather hair extensions and whether or not I've tried them. I liked them way back before they became the cool thing to have, and contemplated getting them but was wary of having something glue-fused into my head. I think they work on some people, and go better with straight hair.

Also, please remember that trends are not meant to be worn all together. That's just a mess and a sadface.

Thanks for the questions! And keep them coming either in the comments or to my e-mail!

Fashion for Beginners: Marc Jacobs

This man is a genius. This man is also the love of my fashion-filled life. This man is none other than MARC JACOBS.

Marc Jacobs looking dapper in this stunning black tux.

Photo Credit

Before becoming a renowned name in fashion with his own collections and his slightly less expensive Marc by Marc Jacobs line and creative director for Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs worked in retail and dabbled in knitting and design to familiarize himself and begin to understand the world of fashion. He later attended Parsons, where he studied design and prepared to become one of the most renowned designers in the industry.

His designs range from practical to whimsy, yet all are beautiful. He really plays on simplicity. Many of his pieces are simple and traditionally structured, but he has a way of adding his own flair to every design that makes them special and unique. You may recall his simple, quirky and sometimes eerie, but always fantastic ads in several magazines.

At New York fashion week in February 2010, he had one of the most brilliant shows. It was a very simple staging, with the models weaving in and out of the square, box-type stage to the tune of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Not gonna lie, the guy singing sounds a bit creepy, but it definitely does not deter from the overall brilliance of the show or line. Rally and truly, it was brilliant, stunning, and true to Marc Jacobs' style.

Below is the uncut version via Chic.tv's YouTube channel!

How-to: Choose Neutrals

Neutrals. You're probably thinking to yourself, "I know what colors are neutral. That's black and tan." If you're thinking that, you're probably thinking right. And you're also probably thinking wrong. Neutral colors go far beyond black and tan. There are a multitude of colors that may be classified as neutrals.

A quick definition of neutrals: colors that go with EVERYTHING. Except maybe each other. Sometimes.

And now, an actual list of the colors:

• navy (my personal fave)
• grey (my other fave)
• brown
• nude/tan/khaki
• taupe
• gray
• black
• white
• olive
• and, the wildcard...denim. Which, in fact, is not a color, but a fabric. One which happens to go beautifully with everything.

Like I said, neutrals go with just about any color, and are a great way to tone down something bright. A mixing of some of the neutrals tend to look awkward, for example, brown and olive or navy and black. In some instances, these may look all right, but only if done correctly. By that I mean if they're blended in a patter with other colors or something along those lines, your outfit will look fine. 

I hope this quick little lesson in neutrals was of help to you! And, as always, comments and suggestions are welcome!

Wishing you love and fashion inspiration,

Elise

Shoe Update

So, not everyone in my life was exactly feeling the wild print, so I went another route. I got two pairs for the price of that single pair, and they're pretty practical. And by practical, I mean in the most Elise way possible. So, really, not very practical at all.

 Not the best quality pic, it's from my phone, so...yeah. And also, my feet look huge. Wow.

This one, again from the phone, but a bit better quality.

Overall, these are more practical and versatile than the crazy wedges, without sacrificing fabulosity.

Wishing you love and fashion inspiration,

Elise 

Yay or Nay?: Shoe Purchase

I was romping around the mall the other day, when I came upon these lovelies in Aldo's window display. (Oh, how cute, I rhymed!) I'm strongly considering purchasing these but I wanted input from you, our lovely readers. Even though these slightly veer away from the shoes I typically go for, I'd love love love to know your opinions. So comment away and I'll update you with my decision!

Shoes! by ess912 featuring aldo shoes

Aldo shoes
$90 - zappos.com

Aldo shoes
$90 - zappos.com



Much love,


Elise

Blog Updates

So with this new summer series and with the whole being home from school for the summer sitch, we've been pretty busy here at the Frock. And with all this posting, it seems like a good idea to go ahead and connect this blog to twitter.

Follow us @FrockItOut

Here, we'll tweet links to posts and other fashion-y findings! Also, you can tweet questions or fashion musings at us.

Wishing you love and fashion inspiration,

The girls of the Frock

Fashion for Beginners: J. Crew's Jenna Lyons

So excited for the first designer/stylist/creative director profile of the series! Even better, it is one of my favorite creative directors ever, Jenna Lyons!

It's really no secret that I love J. Crew. I shop there all the time (and their 15% in store discount for college students is really propelling my addiction). My favorite items are skirts and their amazing cardigans! But even more amazing than the items is the brilliant mind behind the brand, creative director Jenna Lyons (oh, and her super fab closet!).

Lyons started her work with J. Crew as an assistant and eventually worked her way up to creative director. The line embodies aesthetics that are both preppy and classic, and the pieces are amazing quality.

Her closet takes up an entire room in her home and it's absolutely amazing!

Photo Credit

She has floor-to-cieling shelves for shoes, and everything is beautifully organized. If only I could have such an amazing closet!

Overall, I love Jenna Lyons' taste and she has a wonderful eye for style!

To learn more about Jenna Lyons and her work with J. Crew, take a peek here or watch a couple videos from her April 2010 interview with Oprah here!

Wishing you love and fashion inspiration,

Elise

How-to: Build Your Fashion Vocabulary

There are some terms or concepts that may be unfamiliar to some of you fashion beginners. Rather than list the numerous terms and definitions here, I am posting a link to a glossary of fashion terms.

Enjoy! And happy learning!

How-to: Develop A Wardrobe

I'm very excited to present the very first how-to installment for my Fashion for Beginners series! I'm going to start with developing a wardrobe. This sounds like a herculean undertaking, I'm sure but it's quite simple when we go back to basics. 


Basic necessities for any wardrobe:

• Plain t-shirt in white and back
• Plain long-sleeved shirt in white and black
• A white blouse
• Camisole-type tops in white, black, navy
• Cardigans in several colors
• A nice jacket
• A few good pairs of jeans in varying cuts (I suggest skinny, bootcut, and a crop for summer)
• At least one pair of dress pants, preferably black
• A little black dress
• Ballet flats, sandals (heeled, flat, it's all up to personal preference here), dress heels
• A well-structured handbag in a neutral color

Some extras to spruce up the above items:

• Blazers in black, tan, navy
• Skirts of any variety that flatters your shape
• Dresses either patterned or solid
• Jewelry

Basics should be of good quality as they are the building blocks for your wardrobe. Most of these items are worth investing in. All of the above are suggestions, but can be very useful in building a wardrobe and using with whimsy pieces to test out trends. 

Anything I forgot? What do you think of these suggestions? Let me know! And don't forget to keep the ideas and questions coming for future posts in this series!

Also, I will be beginning an e-mail list for this series. If you would like to receive these posts via e-mail, shoot me a quick e-mail (address is on the Contact Us! page) with Fashion for Beginners in the subject line. And don't forget to follow me on twitter @esabak!

Wishing you love and fashion inspiration,

Elise

Fashion for Beginners: A How-to Guide

A question I get all the time is "How do you come up with ideas for outfits?" It's kind of funny because a few years ago, I was the one asking that question and at times I still find myself musing upon that same thing. So I'm going to put together a little summer series called Fashion for Beginners. It'll cover stylists/designers who have impacted the American fashion aesthetic, designers who have revolutionized the world of fashion, how to pick out what you like, what goes with what, etc. And if I can convince myself to get over my fear of being on video, a vlog post (or video tutorial) may be coming your way.

This series will include posts entitled either How-to or Fashion for Beginners. The how-to posts will include a how-to lesson, obv, and the Fashion for Beginners post will include a lesson on a designer or stylist!

Be sure to let me know what you think of this idea! Questions or suggestions for posts are also welcome, as I want you, our lovely readers, to be involved in this little undertaking so you can get the most out of it!

Much love, and looking forward to your questions,

Elise

Fun in the (Scorching Hot) Sun: Outfit Post

So I'm going on a little outing today, and it is SUPER hot outside. Like a high of 96 degrees hot. In the mitten. So I was thinking of something light and comfy and put together something similar to the outfit posted below. Because I'm a college student and have like, no money, I've posted accessories that I wish I could be wearing right now. For example, the Proenza Schouler bag, which is beyond fabulous. I like my actual bag, a navy and grey number, but I adore the tan color and the supple leather of the one pictured.

Also pictured is my regular Starbucks coffee order, an addiction fueled by the all nighters and papers ever present in a college student's life. Plus it's cold, and is a perfect remedy to the heat! And incase you were wondering, its a grande nonfat iced caramel macchiato. Try saying that one five times fast!

Random Outfit by ess912 featuring hardware bags

Rag Bone camisole tank
$80 - net-a-porter.com

Dorothy Perkins shorts
24 GBP - dorothyperkins.com

Christian Louboutin wedge shoes
325 GBP - matchesfashion.com

Proenza Schouler hardware bag
$1,595 - lagarconne.com

Kendra Scott filigree jewelry
$90 - stefanibags.com

Jamie wolf jewelry
$2,150 - barneys.com




Wishing you love and fashion inspiration on this scorching, but lovely day,


Elise

Getting Schooled in Beauty

Between working on my writing portfolio, TVFU application, and getting ready to interview, I've been doing bunches of reading, both things in print and on my eReader (which, I absolutely love, although it doesn't replace my love for books made of paper with pages and ink and love).  And one of my most recent reads has been Bobbi Brown's 2010 beauty book called Beauty Rules. I have it both in print and on my nook and it's a fabulous read full of pictures and step-by-step instructions for cosmetic techniques. Though some of the tips and instructions may seem elementary, the products of Bobbi's work are fabulous. Additionally this book contains small interviews with dermatologists, models, and even Jenna Lyons of J. Crew!


If this topic piques your interest at all, you can purchase the book at bn.com!


We also did a similar post about Four Fashion Must Reads a while back, so be sure to check that out for some fashion/beauty book inspiration as well.

With love and fashion (and beauty!) inspiration,

Elise