The End

Hey guys! Isabelle here but speaking on behalf of the three of us, so the term is coming to an end and unfortunately that means the inevitable end of this blog. We’ve had loads of fun posting and taking pictures and talking to super rad people (yes I said super rad, sue me). I really hope you enjoyed this as much as we have and I hope you liked taking a small peak into our personal closets. So I guess this is it until whenever you see us again! By the way here are some of the failed pictures we took, just as a parting gift from us to you!

Goodbye for now! Happy Styling!

– Isabelle, Emma, Elena

SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH LARZ!

We were lucky enough to interview the amazing Larissa “Larz” from “Livin’ Like Larz” ( livinlikelarz.com ) , Larz runs her own fashion and lifestyle blog which she has had since the beginning of her freshman year at college.  She also writes for other online publications, and she is a partner for the online store Dressometry. She’s an entrepreneur determined to help people connect around the world.

Read more about her fashion and blog experience in these following questions!

How often do you travel or go to events because of your blog? I like to seize as many opportunities as possible, whether that means interning at a PR firm in LA or hitting the red carpet at the Emmy’s. I recently went to two different Teen Vogue parties, one in NYC and the other in Chicago.

When did you realize you wanted a career in fashion? I started blogging on tumblr around my freshman year of college. Then I packed up and headed to LA for the summer. I started meeting photographers and other people in the fashion industry, and eventually landed an internship at Sincerely Jules.

Where do you picture you career in 10 years? I want to be a full time freelancer, maybe sell my startup, and I want to open my own creative agency. A creative agency represents the stylists and photographers, the talent behind the picture. I want to be the boss and make things happen.

Who influences your style? My style really reflects my experiences. From when I went to prep school to Nashville, to LA, to Paris, and back. I really dislike shopping, but I love stumbling upon one of a kind pieces in places like vintage shops and my grandmother’s closet. Nothing ever comes from the same place.

How has  your style evolved? In middle school I was so preppy; I went to a prep school, and I felt like I had to dress the part. I also went through a Juicy Couture jumpsuit phase. By senior year I was coming back to myself, and when I moved to Nashville my style become more boho. Now, after time in Paris, my style is a lot rougher and harsher.

What are your closet staples? I’m always on the go, so I always have on a pair of sneakers. I’m also love my metallic headphones, lipstick, and favorite black leather jacket.

What’s your advice for starting a blog? First, you have to believe in yourself, or no one else will believe in you. Then you have to reach out as much as possible. Meet people, ask for help, and don’t take no for an answer. I’ve had a million lattes from the amount of times I’ve taken people to lunch. It’s so important to reach out and go to events.

We hope you enjoyed this interview and make sure you visit Larz’s blog at livinlikelarz.com

Love,

Emma, Isabelle and Elena

Red Boots

I love comfortable clothes, and it doesn’t get much better than this outfit. Everything I’m wearing is soft and keeps you feeling warm. I love how versatile all of the items I’m wearing are. Doc Martens look just as great with boyfriend jeans and a top as they do with a cute dress; boyfriend jeans can be dressed up or down; this moto jacket can go over anything for protection from the cold. Check out all the links below to find the same, or similar, items to what I’m wearing here!

Best,

Emma

Boots: http://bit.ly/1xRHqHw

Jeans (similar): http://bit.ly/1xtX3WI

Graphic tee (similar): http://bit.ly/1BzHray

Moto jacket (similar): http://bit.ly/1xRILOB

Lace bra (similar): http://bit.ly/1ymxjPL

Wool socks: http://bit.ly/1xtYnZz

Hello again! Today I put together an outfit a bit different to last time but still appropriate for the low temperatures. The main pieces of the outfit are easy to find at many stores but I will give suggestions on where to buy them individually.

The most prominent garment of this outfit is definitely the military jacket. The military jacket gives it an edgy look and to enhance this I picked the ripped jeans. I purchased this jacket at Zara a couple of years ago but I know they still sell them during most seasons at stores like Topshop, Macy’s, Free People and others.

Under the military jacket I wore a basic black tank top from Forever XXI which cost about 5$ and they sell them all year round at the shop.

As I mentioned before, the military jacket gives it a kind of feeling, I’m not sure if edgy is the right word to describe it but sometimes I hear people saying they look edgy. The ripped jeans are an item I love to combine with leather jackets or like in this case, a military jacket. These specific jeans I bought at American Eagle Outfitters for about 30$ and I am sure they still have some similar ones, if not the same ones, at the store.

And finally, I chose simple shoes to not overwhelm the strange feeling of the outfit and I wore my low top white converse.

I hope you found this post helpful and interesting!

Elena x

Skinnys and sneakers

Well hello again, Isabelle here. I look a bit different than I did last time huh, but then again thats kind of the point to a blog like this. As I said before, music is a huge inspiration to me, hence the band t-shirt (yes I know its from Brandy Melville ssshhh). Anyways, about the outfit. So I know not everyone is all about the all black scene, and that’s totally cool, you do you. However, I am definitely a person seen in all blacks and greys at least twice a week. Honestly its more of a comfort thing, black goes with everything (except navy in my opinion but thats another topic), and you don’t really have to worry about accenting it perfectly or getting too pristine with the outfit. It’s a win win. Also, if anyone ever rags on you for owning converse, kindly dismiss them then go order another pair online. They’re possibly my favorite trend of all time right now. Finally shoes that are a) in style b) comfortable and c) you can wear in any season. My black converse are my best pair of shoes right now, they sell for about 60 dollars straight from Converse. But they’re well worth the money. Despite mine being drawn upon, dragged through dirt, water and mud, and worn across a ridiculous span of miles, they’ve yet to fall apart altogether. Can you say that for your shoes? Enough about my shoes, if people wore just shoes everyday it would be a very weird world. As I said before my shirt is actually from Brandy Melville (yes yes I know let the basic white girl jokes commence) but it was for 21 dollars so who’s the real winner here? Not going to lie my real purpose for buying it was for a music festival, at least that’s what I told my mom, who promptly told me I looked like a thug. But hey, have you ever met a stylish person without critics? And then my jeans, oh my beloved black skinny jeans, are from Lucky Brand from about a year ago. From a foggy memory they’re about 70 dollars, my mom says 65 but we can’t honestly remember, either way, great jeans relatively low cost. If you’re like me and you wear skinny jeans nearly every day, then you know the struggle of trying to get in and out of them every morning and evening, heres a tip (that you are probably going to know but I didn’t): Don’t dry your jeans. They shrink fade and get stiff, there is no logical reason to put denim in the dryer. As for the jacket… well you might want to ask Elena about that one, oops! Goodnight stylish people! I’m done for tonight! – Isabelle

Interview with Sonia Dara

Our course for this January Term has introduced us to more amazing people than I can count. This past week Emma and I got the opportunity to talk to Sonia Dara (Sports Illustrated, VogueIndia, Elle, and way more that I don’t have space to add), in person. Other than being super pretty (I mean she is a model), Sonia is ridiculously smart, working at Microsoft after a modeling career and attending Harvard, and extremely personable. We were able to snag her from working with our class for a 10 minute interview.

What would you say your Personal Style is? How has it evolved?

“Well a lot has changed, I mean growing up in Atlanta it was more of the southern fashion, stuff that is kind of preppier and trendier. Clothes like Ugg boots and Hollister, but being in school in the 2000s, it was not exactly the most fashionable era. When I moved to Boston my style became more preppy chic, I liked that it was comfortable and functional, it was one where you worse ballet flats in the winter. You didn’t have to worry about wearing heels, I mean in Boston you’ll break you leg walking in heels on the ice. Then I moved to Seattle and the style there in the Pacific Northwest is much more outdoorsy and functional. Usually though, my style is influenced by where I am, and I start with the basics of an outfit and then add accents to it.”

Did working in fashion help you and your fashion sense?

“Working in the fashion industry has definitely helped. I learned a lot in terms of good pairings and fits. When I was younger I was much taller than most of my friends and they would buy these cute jeans and I would ask to try them on, and they’d come up to midcalf. Also, my style has benefited from the fashion industry but nothing life-changing, just little tips here and there like makeup tips or how to do my hair.”

Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

“I never thought I would say this but I definitely want to stay in the Pacific Northwest, I really enjoy living in a city like Seattle with a lot of potential that’s kind of on the rise. I went in not knowing anyone and I started from scratch there, so I’d like to stay because I think it would be super exciting. Microsoft has a lot of opportunities and I’m pretty open but I’d definitely like to stay at least on the west coast.”

Daily Routine?

“It really depends on the weather outside, usually though jeans and a pair of boots, then I’ll find a top depending on how hot it is. But if it’s nicer out, like in the summer because out there, there’s not as much humidity, you can wear a dress and be fine. I like pairing things with short boots, not exactly Doc Martens but sometimes a similar style. It’s really a comfort thing and I think it makes it look more rugged. I like pairing masculine things with feminine things, like I wear this necklace but then I want to wear my leather jacket with it. Or I have a very girly, flowy shirt and I will put a blazer on top. I like the combination where its never purely feminine or never purely like grunge, but I do like the grunge area.”

Do you have a favorite/go-to makeup product or piece of clothing?

“Probably concealer from Laura Mercier, and I’m an Eyeliner person. But usually I don’t do the top I’m just a bottom eyeliner person, but if there are days where I’m feeling a little more glam, then I’ll do the top.”

If you were a food what food would you be?

“Ooh if I could be a food? I would probably be velveeta shells and cheese with broccoli!”

I hope you enjoyed our interview with Sonia as much as we did! Sorry for the length but hey, rather get the details right?

See ya later – Isabelle

Stairways

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great long weekend. I’ve spent the past few days filling out applications for summer internships and binge watching episodes of Parks and Recreation. Anyways, here I’m wearing a super comfortable Free People dress, over the knee boots, black panty hose, and a felt hat. Click on the links below to find each item 🙂

Best,

Emma

 

Dress: http://www.freepeople.com/clothes-dresses-day-dresses/dreamy-daze-print-dress/_/PRODUCTOPTIONIDS/0B6E9CAD-A8F4-4CCF-8A37-466219F4EA95/

Boots: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/steve-madden-tyga-suede-over-the-knee-boot-women/3919181?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=BROWN+SUEDE&resultback=439&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_2_B

Hose: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/donna-karan-ultra-sheer-control-top-hosiery/3036023?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=NUDE&resultback=357&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_2_D

Hat: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/bp-braid-detail-wool-hat-juniors/3718106?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=3537&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_10_A

Hi everyone! Today I decided to put together an outfit that is simple and easy to find. It is getting very cold outside so this warm outfit suits the cold weather.

This outfit consists of a grey thin sweater, with a jämsä design and a colourful pattern in the centre of it. This thin sweater can be bought at the Billabong website (billabong.com) or at Pacsun stores for 20$. This thin sweater brings colour and a vivid touch to the overall outfit.

I combined the light grey sweater with black pants because those two colours are common I wintery outfits. The black jeans with a rip in both knee can be bought at polyvore (or other websites for example http://wheretoget.it/link/1286704 ) and are also available at many other stores for example Forever XXI and Topshop.

I decided to add timberland boots to this look. The ones shown in these pictures are the “Women’s 6-Inch Premium Waterproof Boots” and range from a price between 90-120$ depending on where and when they are purchased.

Finally, I complemented the outfit with a denim jacket. I personally wear denim jackets quite often as long as I am not wearing denim jeans. The denim jacket can be combined with multiple colours and I see this “black pants and denim jacket” look quite often.

I hope you enjoyed this look and I am looking forward to showing you more of the outfits we have planned out!

Elena x

Socks and Sweaters

 

Well hey I guess, Isabelle here, writing to everyone who decided to click a link or type in our address. So, I have a few comments on my outfit, as you would in fact expect from a style and fashion blog. My outfit, as most of mine are, is pretty influenced by the music I listen to and the kind of people I think are relatively stylish. Most of my Pandora stations are full of late 90s to mid 2000s bands like Mayday Parade and All Time Low and even bands like 5 seconds of summer and yes, One Direction. A lot of their styles were based off of 90s grunge and pop punk, which leads way to crop tops and knee socks and crazy boots and hats. At least thats what it does for me. My sweater is actually dug out of my moms closet which she must have harbored from college days in the 90s. I’m not complaining. Sweaters like this can be found in vintage stores or even in your moms closet if you look hard enough, but the prices vary, luckily mine was free from inheritance. My skirt is pretty classic though, the style being especially popular now, being its so versatile. I got mine from Madewell for about 80 dollars (Christmas present). As for my hat, some people may say its ridiculous, and I will nod along right with them. However, if you don’t have at least one ridiculous hat in your closet I have serious concerns for you. My wonderfully ridiculous hat is actually another stolen item from my moms closet who bought it from JCrew a few years ago and you can buy something like it for about 200 dollars. Or you can do what I do and whenever you’re at a sports tournament or music festival walk around the vendors and you can find one for about 15 dollars. The boots are actually mine, and also came from Madewell a few years ago, the age giving them just enough grit to count as alternative and just too little to be able to wear them with nice dresses and skirts. Nowadays they can’t be found in Madewell but I am 99% certain you can find some just like mine in a department store like DSW, Nordstrom, or Macy’s. The same goes for the socks, you can get boot socks like these in a Target and they’ll last you pretty well. That’s it for now! Hope you enjoyed, stay tuned for more from me, Emma, and Elena later!

Welcome!

Welcome to Style Contrive, a blog by Isabelle, Emma and Elena! Style Contrive features a number of daily outfit suggestions with products from many different stores.

We created Style Contrive because we are huge fans of  “How Two Live” “Views of Now,” “Two for Two,” “Livin like Larz,” “Platinum and Penniless,” “Style Bubble”and “Fashiontoast”. We admire these blogs because of their unique style, these people dress differently and we want to experience the process of putting together a style of our own.

In Style Contrive we will show pictures of daily outfits, combining many different products. The products will have a description in which you can find information on the clothing item.

If you guys want we have a twitter that you can follow us @StyleContrive and an instagram @StyleContrive !

These are our main objectives and we hope to learn a lot from putting together this blog.

Also if you are interested here are some pictures of the people who inspired us to create this blog.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.