Fashion, Trends & More

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Is She Back?

Hello! It's been a few years since I've written anything for Fashion, Trends & More. I stopped blogging for a variety of different reasons. There's a lot of complexity within my reasoning to call it quits back in 2018, really far too much to delve into within a blog post. After blogging for 9 years, I truly thought that I would never give it up. But with the influx of fashion "bloggers" on the internet, the impact of $$$ and sponsorships within the blogging realm, the disappointing ethics of many fashion retailers, the disingenuity of it all... ugh, not something I felt any desire to remain a part of. Fashion blogging changed tremendously from the time that I launched Fashion, Trends & More, it became very commercial instead of very creative and it felt gross to me, it made me feel gross. I didn't want to be associated with the whole fashion blogging community. Being in the spotlight became harder for me; at one point, my serious ex-boyfriend cheated and the girl he cheated on me with me messaged me and told me that she read my blog. How do you process that? A lot of factors pushed me to my blogging retirement; I decided it was just better to move on from Fashion, Trends & More.

I stopped blogging in June 2018 at the age of 22. I didn't know what I wanted then, I'm 26 and I still don't know what I want now. I've had 7 different jobs in the past 4 years, clearly I'm not sure what I want. My creative passions have always guided me; I launched my first Etsy shop selling handmade goods when I was just in middle school. In the many years since then, I've dipped into photography, styling, modeling, sewing, writing, reselling vintage fashion and many more creative past times. I feel that utilizing my creativity is my calling. But damn, it's hard being an "artist," or a "creative." The pathway to ~making it~ as an artist isn't clear; and what defines ~making it~ as an artist anyways? 

Anyways, you're probably wondering why I'm here, why I'm writing this post. Well, I've missed writing, I've missed sharing my style and my outfits with a broader audience than my Instagram following.  I enjoy sharing my perspective, my creative point of view. So, I'm back... kind of. I don't think that Fashion, Trends & More will ever exist as it once did; there will not be daily outfit posts, there will not be sponsorships, there will not be quite as much of my face in your face. I want to keep the name... I mean, after 11 years, "Fashion, Trends & More" feels kind of sentimental. And I certainly will still be sharing fashion but I intend to use Fashion, Trends & More as my creative diary of sorts, sharing either weekly or monthly blog posts. Still figuring it out, kind of like I am with my life... I plan on filling my future posts with casual snapshots of my recent looks, creative advice, what projects I'm working on in my home studio and other snippets from my ~artist~ lifestyle. I've launched my textile art into a small business, turning secondhand textiles and vintage fabric scraps into beautiful new items such as patchwork blankets and accent pillows. I don't know exactly where I'm headed, but I'm excited for the future. I can't wait to share more with you all soon! 

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

8 Style Suggestions for the 4th of July

Hello! Out of all of the holidays, I'd definitely list the 4th of July as my favorite holiday to dress for- by far. It gives us a reason to play around with patriotic, red-white-and-blue color combinations and also gives me another excuse to refer to Wet Hot American Summer and the 70s for styling inspiration. I have a fondness for vintage fashion- styles from the seventies in particular- so it should come as no surprise that I love to experiment with retro seventies Americana styles. Patriotic red, white and blue fashions trended in the seventies for several reasons; a major reason being our 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1976. You can find many gorgeous vintage pieces from the 70s with major Americana appeal that are perfect for wearing on the 4th of July; I recall a red, white and blue zig zag striped dress from the seventies that I thrifted a few years ago in particular. 

I enjoy rocking red-white-and-blue aesthetics all year long but I know that not everyone shares my appreciation for the patriotic style. So I decided to round up a list of 8 style suggestions for the 4th of July- these tips will keep you fashionably festive- without feeling tacky- keep reading to check them out: 

Photo by Nicholas Von Throwerl

1. Tie a red, white and blue bandana around your neck. Gotta love this easy, effortless style tip! You could also tie your hair up in the bandana or tie the bandana around your purse. 

Photo by Diego Bustamante

2. Style a denim dress with red accents. A chambray denim dress makes a great choice for the 4th of July; style it to feel more festive with accessories in red hues. I paired a red belt, purse, sunglasses and bandana with the dress here for a patriotic appeal.

Photo by Nicholas Von Throwerl

3. Go all-American with a classic pair of blue jeans. You can't go wrong with blue denim! I love deep blue bellbottoms but you could also rock light blue denim shorts or distressed boyfriend jeans. Select a pair in a high-rise style for added retro appeal. 

Photo by Diego Bustamante

4. Swipe on a fierce shade of red lipstick. Easy! I actually really love Wet 'N Wild's lipsticks because they are extremely (!) affordable as well as impressive; the color stays on well, they're easy to apply and they look nice. Most of my lipsticks are from Wet 'N Wild. 

Photo by Nicholas Von Throwerl

5. Break out a piece of red vintage lingerie. I styled a red-hot, lace trim vintage camisole for this all-American look. A vintage navy nightgown or red bodysuit tucked into a pair of jeans would also work perfectly. 

Photo by Diego Bustamante

6. Wear red sunglasses. This is another easy style tip that will make any look feel more celebratory for the 4th of July. Rock a pair of red sunglasses with your bikini at the pool or with a pair of denim cutoff shorts and a white cropped top for a backyard barbecue. 

Photo by Nicholas Von Throwerl

7. Incorporate a pair of star-shaped sunglasses into your look. How fun! How could you turn down the opportunity to rock a pair of playful sunglasses like these?

Photo by Diego Bustamante

8. Accessorize with pops of red. Voila! 4th of July ready in a matter of minutes. 

Look #1:
Denim bellbottoms: Free People
Red top: Vintage
Yellow star-shaped sunglasses: c/o Giant Vintage
Platform heels: Jeffrey Campbell via Poshmark
Budweiser bandana: Vintage 

Look #2:
Red sunglasses: Thrifted (for just $1!)
Red purse: Vintage
Red belt: Vintage
Budweiser bandana: Vintage
Golden watch: Vintage 
Denim dress: Ashby


Photos by Nicholas Von Thrower (look #1) and Diego Bustamante (look #2.) Hover over photos for credit. 

Check out women denim pant trends. 
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