Mrs. Tomasi-Hill is one of those women whose beauty supersedes her fashion sense, and that’s saying a heck of a lot. Beyond her doll-like features and shock of perfectly red locks, her style embodies a sense of confidence and singularity I’ve rarely seen. Between rocking mixed-up proportions, a seemingly endless collection of crazy-awesome necklaces and some of the finest footwear around, our Taylor’s become the Athena in the pantheon of street style goddesses.
Style blogging (specifically, personal style blogging) has this really interesting way of not only showcasing an individual’s aesthetic successes, but also shedding light on our less-than-stellar pasts. Upon initiating myself into this world of semi-regular outfit posts, I had no concept of how this self-awareness would develop into a near-constant evolution of my fashion preferences. I’ll be honest, there are times I’ll go back towards the beginning of F&F and think, “Why did I wear that? It’s not me at all,” or, most frequently, “Why am I making ‘model face’?” Nevertheless, there’s also some joy in seeing how much I’ve come into my own and developed my own unique brand of style; I only hope that evolution continues.
That being said, I thought I’d show some photos of top bloggers when they first started out. This isn’t to poke fun as it’s evident these ladies have always had style, but it’s fascinating to see how they’ve honed their looks over the years.
Aimee Song of Song of Style
The California-cool, designer-darling Aimee of today is a far cry from whence she came. Just a few years ago, Miss Song’s wardrobe was borderline average, giving the rest of us hope that we, too, may curate such an awe inspiring wardrobe.
Rumi Neely of fashiontoast
I’m almost certain I’m not alone in my opinion that Rumi has one of the most specific looks out there. I render it apocalypse-chic, or else a quasi-minimalist, largely monochromatic take on fashion that makes us all feel a lot less cool. But I have to say, I feel a heck of a lot better when I look at some of her outfits from ‘08-‘09; I don’t think she’d be caught dead in a printed peasant dress nowadays, but Rumi does occasionally surprise us…
Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere
Although her style differs from mine quite a bit, I can’t stop following this girl. There’s nothing really crazy or groundbreaking about her style, but she lacks the “I’m-cooler-than-you” attitude most top bloggers tend to possess. She mostly goes for classics, but also has a sharp eye for lasting trends and unique ways to lend subtle edge to her looks. That being said, I’m pretty sure she’d be pretty embarrassed to see the first two photos of the pre-NYT best- selling-author version of herself. Are you feeling inspired yet, people??
Kelly Framel of The Glamourai
Kelly has maintained a fairly consistent style aesthetic over the years, but I will say her current look has a more quiet, self-assured vibe. For example, she’s always been a pro at mixing prints, but her earlier days (see first photo) reveal a more over-the-top approach. Since then, her picks are less contrived and seem better suited to her lifestyle.
A couple weeks ago I showed some behind-the-scenes snaps of my photo shoot with Her Magazine, and I’m so happy to finally be able to share the finished product.
The concept and tagline was “cool-girl street style meets authentic urban wear”; by mixing higher-end boutique wares with vintage pieces and beautiful, impactful jewelry & bags from Voguevert, the team and I played heavily on street style pioneers like Jak&Jil. I wanted the images to reflect the current state of fashion, which is, in a phrase, ‘anything goes, as long as you’ve got the confidence to match’.
Thanks to our awesome (and freezing) models and talented photographer, I feel confident we achieved these aims. I’m excited to provide creative direction for future projects, and in the meantime, I’d love to hear your feedback!
Check out more photos from the shoot at Her Cincinnati!
What can be said about this tiny Russian powerhouse (and former editor of Russia’s Harper’s Bazaar) other than the fact she embodies that ever-elusive ‘it-factor’ which separates the cool girls from…everyone else. In a world of Amazonian models, Ms. Duma stands out as she lets her style—not her height—speak for itself.
Last Saturday, I had my first shot at providing creative direction and styling for the March issue of Her Magazine. If you’ll recall, my initial rendezvous with this line of work came in the form of Project Style. In that instance, I loved piling clothes onto a Saks rolling rack, but my favorite part was conceptualizing the look—creating a story for my muse to embody (which she did SO well). Of course, no fashion story would be complete without the clothes, as was true for this particular shoot. My concept revolved around the intersection between ‘cool-girl street style’ and ‘authentic urban wear’—ideas that are by no means new, but will hopefully appear fresh and energized in this unique portrayal. You can judge for yourself once the issue hits stands in a few weeks, but until then, here’s what I took away from the experience:
Be flexible and DON’T freak out.
I’ll admit, I started to go slightly bizerk when Saturday’s weather forecast proved to be devastatingly accurate. Our ‘spring’ shoot was supposed to take place outside, but several inches of snow forced us into a downtown parking garage. While it wasn’t what I’d planned, I was swiftly put in my place by a team of creative, energetic individuals who made the shoot awesome, even if the location wasn’t ideal.
Allow extra time for hair and makeup.
Initially I had only allowed one hour (HA!) for our dear models’ beautification, but luckily our editor was wise enough to back it up an extra 60 minutes. Sometimes curls won’t set, sometimes you have to change lip color 10 times, and don’t forget those last-minute brows! Plus, when you’re virtually clueless about hair and makeup like this girl (meaning me), you’ll need more time to experiment with different looks til the perfect one is achieved (read: blue lipstick FTW).
Take a minute (but just one) to soak it all in.
Between placing necklaces just so, re-rolling a shirt sleeve or perfectly half-tucking a shirt, it was nice to take a moment to observe the team in action. I’m sure it doesn’t always happen this way, but I genuinely enjoyed working with everyone; positive vibes and energy were high despite the frigid temperatures, and I’m really grateful for that.
Enjoy it.
I mean, duh. Sure, this sort of job has its share of stressful aspects, its awkward moments (i.e. carrying a model five feet so the bottoms of her shoes aren’t compromised), but what isn’t awesome about creating something beautiful and engaging for people to peruse and enjoy?
Thanks again to the team for making this real—I hope to work with all of you again!
[Editor: Maija Zummo//Photographer: Jesse Fox//Creative Director & Stylist: Betsy Wecker//Models: Ashley Dunsing, Maddie Mroz, Sierra Rayniece & Terrance Smith//Hair & Makeup: Cecili Robison, Brant Dutle & Megan Middleton at Paul Mitchell]
*All photos were taken with an iPhone 4.
