SubscribeBrooke Moreland
Fashion 101: Purse Theory
As women, we simply cannot get around the fact that we will always have to carry a purse. Sometimes I try to challenge this theory by stuffing everything in my pockets, just as a man would. However, I always, ALWAYS regret it. Pockets are just not enough to house what the modern woman needs. I mean, I would love to see a pair of jeans that could hold my phone, wallet, keys, compact, lip gloss, In Touch Magazine, a hardback novel, phone charger, breath mints, hand sanitizer, emergency flip-flops — but I don’t think they exist. More »
Fashion 101: How Not to Look Pregnant
I was standing on a crowded bus the other day, clutching the handle with one hand, and my cup of takeout coffee with the other, as the bus swayed and bumped it’s way down the street. You can imagine my surprise and sheer delight when a young man got up, gestured towards his seat and said, “here, why don’t you sit?” I stared at this man in shock for approximately three seconds before jumping right into the seat. I was… More »
Fashion 101: Fall Transition Fail
In theory, we are supposed to keep pieces from our summer wardrobe and slowly phase them out as the weather gets colder and our sweater stock accumulates. Every year I read about the “fall transition wardrobe” and begin to strategize how I’ll effortlessly marry my cotton sundresses with my mohair sweaters. But I’m going to let you in on a dirty little secret: your summer clothes are finished and have no place in your fall wardrobe. More »
Don’t Know If Your Outfit Looks Good? There’s an App for That
I can’t imagine living alone. Who would tell me that those shoes just don’t go with that dress? Or that those earrings make me look like a whore? Or that my dress doesn’t pass the “bend over” test (you know, the one where if you bend over and your ass hangs out, the dress is probably inappropriate. Unless that’s what you were going for, of course). More »
Fashion 101: 10 Items That Will Make the End of Summer Bearable
Labor Day is officially over and today is the first day of the rest of your life. It also happens to be the first day that you can’t wear white shoes until April 2011. Bummer. But as you dump the sand out of your bag and set the DVR for your fall shows, remember; the end of summer isn’t all bad. It is not all bad … because of the clothes. Fashion Week is just around the corner, back to… More »
Fashion 101: Pain Is Beauty
I love high heels. Not in the Carrie Bradshaw “walking 40 blocks in $400 shoes” Manolo fetishist kind of way, or anything. I just love them. I love that they are pretty. I love that they are womanly and glamorous. I love that they make me taller. I love the way my legs look in them. But most of all, I love that they make me feel powerful. I love my high heels, but they do not return my love. In fact, they turned on me.
A few weeks back, I noticed soreness in my foot; I ignored it. I began walking with a limp; I still ignored it. It got so bad that last week, after a lovely dinner with girlfriends, my friend Ana had to literally carry me home on her back when we couldn’t get a cab because it hurt too much to walk even a few steps. So I broke down and went to the doctor. And it turns out I have a stress fracture. More »
Fashion 101: Waistlines, Or ‘If You Like It Then You Should Have Put a Belt On It’
“Put a belt on it.”
That is the one phrase I see every single day on Fashism.com, the community fashion advice site that I run. The belt, it would seem, is the silver bullet of fashion advice. As humans, we are naturally curious about the waist to hip ratio. Research shows that our health, our attractiveness and even our intelligence are all positively correlated to this magic WHR number. So it is only natural that we humans want to define and… More »
Fashion 101: Everything You Wanted to Know About Personal Shoppers
In the realm of careers in fashion, the role of a personal shopper has got to be one of the most hands-on and fun. You are a stylist for the common woman; dressing people not for photo shoots and runways but for real life. (This is what I had imagined, anyway.) Also, not only is it fun to shop for others, having someone shop for you can be pretty enlightening. Personally, I love looking good. But I have often dreamed… More »
Fashion 101: What Exactly Does a Fashion Social Media Consultant Do?
Yes, there really are people who get paid to be on Facebook all day. You hear the terms ‘social media consultant’ ‘social media expert’ ‘social media guru’ and, my personal favorite, ‘social media ninja’ thrown around a lot, but what do they mean? Well it depends. There are varying degrees of expertise and skills required for this job. But for someone with a keen interest in a subject, and a knack for communicating online, this sort of job could be… More »
Fashion 101: The Myth of Business Casual
Dressing for work has become harder. Gone are the days of men in ties and women in pantsuits and pumps- for many industries anyway. More and more offices are opting for a more comfortable, casual dress code. At first blush, it seems like a more lax dress code would make things easier, but this is not the case. This shift towards the casual carries with it an entirely new set of challenges for dressing for the office. How exactly does… More »
Fashion 101: The 5 Dresses Every Woman Should Know
Do you know your A-line from your fishtail, or are you a total dress newbie? Here are the basic dress styles as well as a how-to-wear guide…. More »
Fashion 101: The New Preppy
I have never been preppy. When I was growing up, being labeled a ‘prep’ was almost as bad as being referred to as a ‘poser’, i.e. the uncoolest thing that could happen to you. I avoided being preppy at all costs. Much better to be an individual, punk, retro or unique, I thought. And, for the most part, I still follow this basic rule.
However, there is just something about that preppy look. “Fashion is about how you want people perceive… More »
Fashion 101: How to Rock Cute Workout Gear
I love working out. Love it. It makes me feel good, look good, relieves stress and puts me in an awesome mood. Why is it, then, that I exercise only about once a month on average? Well, it could be because I am lazy. Or that I am too busy with work. Or that I would rather spend my evenings sucking down pints of Blue Moon instead of waiting in line for a free elliptical machine. I’m sure many of… More »
Party Favors: Masturbating Will Probably Not Kill You
That said, it possibly killed a 30-year-old British woman who had a heart attack while using her vibrator. Terrifying! – The Frisky
TheGloss columnist Brooke Moreland and her website, Fashism.com, are featured in a New York Times article about “sites that offer public feedback on your clothes.” We’re obviously biased, but it’s a great read. – NYT
Remember the Freshman Fifteen? Well, now there’s a “Twenties 20.” Wait, are you trying to tell me I can’t live off of pizza, beer, and… More »
Fashion 101: 9 Reasons Why Belts Are the Best Accessory Ever Invented
Belts are the best. Seriously. Whether cinching an oversized t-shirt, accentuating a tailored natural waist, or merely keeping your drawers from falling down; belts perform an invaluable service to us. They have the power to transform and change entire outfits. They are also an inexpensive… for the most part. A belt can be best way to breathe new life into a stale old ensemble. A good rule of thumb is, before ruling out an outfit entirely, you should always ask… More »
Fashion 101: 8 Iconic Movie Bathing Suits and Where to Get Them
Summer is in full effect and if you have still not found the perfect bathing suit, your time is running out. But don’t panic, I have scoured the internet and, using inspiration from the most iconic bathing suits from the movies, have found 8 suits that are worthy of the silver screen. Or the small screen. At the very least a reality show on VH1.
So check them out and get to the beach. We will be wearing orange sweaters, raking… More »
Fashion 101: The Quest for the Perfect Jeans
I received a package in the mail the other day that I am afraid to open. It’s still sitting there, right on the kitchen table, and what’s inside may or may not be the answer to all of my jean-related prayers.
About a month or so ago I read about Indidenim.com, a company that lets you design your own jeans on their site and then constructs them to your exact specifications. Sick of the hours spent shopping and trying on jeans… More »
Fashion 101: The Return of the Trucker Hat and 6 Other Things You Can Put on Your Head this Summer
Now that the winter is behind us, we are spared the burden of having to look for head accessories that serve some sort of practical purpose like keeping our heads warm and dry. We are now freed up to focus on the glamour, the frivolity and the decoration of our hats, clips and headbands. Ok, so some summer hats can help shield your delicate face from the sun, and I guess that counts as practical, but don’t hold that against… More »
Fashion 101: 8 Steps to Sexy Shapewear
For as long as women have been wearing clothes, we have been pushing and prodding, sucking in and squeezing, lacing up and stuffing in, and basically forcing our bodies into unnatural shapes to entice the opposite sex. This is nothing new. However, nowadays we have state-of-the-art knitting machines, microfibers, and well… Spanx! So, yes we are still trying to cheat nature, but at least we can accomplish this task without whale boning, corsets and circulation-killing girdles. Are we still slaves… More »
Fashion 101: How to Look Cool In Hot Weather
I just spent the entire Memorial Day weekend wearing nothing more than a salsa-and-beer-stained string bikini, flip-flops, and a smile. And while this is perfectly acceptable backyard grilling attire (at least in my family), the height of summer fashion it is not. Now, left with tan lines, a hangover , and ballooning beer belly, I think it may be time to have a serious conversation with myself about summer fashion. I’m talking serious hot weather fashion. Like hot, humid,… More »
