ACL Apparel

Austin City Limits should be on everyone’s to-do list. The music is incredible, the food is delicious and the fashion statements are always a hoot!

Every fall hot artists come to Austin and sing their hearts out on stages set up in Zilker Park. Thousands of fans crowd the park to jam out to their favorite bands and hang out with fellow music fans.

I’ve gone to ACL a few times and it’s always a fantastic time. The Eagles, The Black Keys and Vampire Weekend were a few of my favorite acts in Fall 2010. A bunch of my friends and I packed towels and water bottles and headed out for two straight days of awesome tunes.

ACL has bands and performers that attract a multitude of different audiences, but your typical festivalgoer is most likely the artsy, Indie type. I noticed a plethora of tattoos, piercings and converse during my stay.

The term “Indie” refers to a music genre of independent artists and has now become a token word for a certain kind of fashion style. Popular indie themed articles are ripped jeans, band t-shirts, and layered bangles.

Some people don’t rock the indie look, but don’t sweat it. Really anything and everything goes for ACL fashion. Except heels. I love my stilettos, but not when I spend hours on my feet, walking around in the mud and grass. I recommend comfy flats or Converse. Converse are so cute paired with jean shorts and a flowy tank. The ambience of it all alludes to a kind of free spirited, chill person while still looking fabulous.

    

 (Image found at http://www.stylefemale.org/images/2012/02/Converse-One-Star-Shoes-1.jpg)

                               I own a grey pair and a white pair and they go with everything! 

The most important thing to remember while dressing up for the music festival is the weather. More often than not it’s super hot outside so shorts and tanks are probably your best bet at being comfortable and not looking like you just came out of the swimming pool when you’re actually covered in sweat. 

JBrand has a large selection of shorts that are flattering for anyone. They are a bit pricey, but they’re totally worth it. They’re super comfortable and you’ll be able to wear them for years without them falling to pieces or anything like that.

While preparing for your musical endeavors, check out Free People or Urban Outfitters!! These stores stay true to indie fashion and they always have very reasonable prices. Forever 21 also has incredible deals, although you’ll probably have to do some hunting to find an appropriate outfit. That store is huge and it’s not exactly the most organized so you’ll need to dedicate a good chunk of time for your wardrobe search in there.

Another observation I made was that people were decked out in accessories. I witnessed so many headbands, jewelry pieces, belts and scarves! Urban Outfitters and Free People carry all of this stuff so you can kill two birds with one stone here! Accessory Auctions is an online-based company, catering to customers via Facebook. I’ve purchased a handful of stuff they have to offer and I would recommend the site to anyone. Just go to their Facebook page, “Like” them and log in every Monday at 8 for their auctions. 

This is me at ACL! Notice the flats (comfy!) shorts and tank (to stay cool) and necklace (from Accessory Auctions)! I really do mean all these tips on this blog! Go forth and rock on, my friends!!

Longhorn Wear

It is my opinion that the population of The University of Texas at Austin demonstrates an elite level of support for their sports teams. The Longhorns players always seem to draw an extremely large crowd of supporters decked out in burnt orange gear.

This is a photo of my friends Madeline, Jayne, Aubrey, Lauren, Rachael, and myself before attending a UT Football game 2011. 

I’ve attended a copious amount of UT sporting events and I’ve taken note of appropriate fashions donned at each of them. There are trends that remain consistent throughout the seasons, like the obvious burnt orange color or the always-appropriate cowboy boots, but each season, and therefore each sporting event, has different styles associated with them.

Football season, no doubt a fan favorite, brings out the most spirit in Longhorn fans. For summer and early fall games, girls should wear something like burnt orange skirts with a nice white blouse or a white skirt with a burnt orange top. Accessories are always appropriate!! My favorite color for these accessories is a beautiful turquoise. I love the Danielle earrings by Kendra Scott! I always see so many girls rocking them with their outfits. For late fall and winter games, blouses should consist of more material and skirts should be swapped out for jeans! Keep the accessories the same.

(Kendra Scott's turquoise "Danielle" style earrings. Found at http://www.kendrascott.com/)

Cowboy boots are always a must! Guys and girls look fabulous in a good pair and the boots really evokes a sense of Texas state pride. Allen’s Boots on South Congress offers a great selection of boots for males and females for very reasonable prices. I recommend checking it out! If you’re interested in spending a little more money on a higher quality pair of boots, check out the Lucchese Cowboy Boots line.

Basketball season usually means chillier weather for fans. Gals, grab your skinny jeans, sweaters and your burnt orange Pashmina scarves. This way you’ll still stay warm on your trek to the arena and still be able to represent your beloved Longhorns. Cowboy boots are still entirely acceptable, but riding boots or wedges also look great with skinny jeans! Steve Madden is my favorite shoe designer and I can always find exactly what I’m looking for in the stores.

The weather gets a little warmer for baseball season, so fashionistas can leave their scarves and jeans in the closet for games. The wonderful weather makes it possible to break out the springtime white. I love seeing girls wearing the eye-catching white shorts or white jeans with orange tops. The white color is crisp and refreshing and looks good on everyone.

Go Longhorns!! –Love, the fashionistas in the stands displaying our Longhorn pride in our burnt orange Ella Moss tops and J Brand or Pleasure Doing Business bottoms.

                     (Image found at: http://www.sports-logos-screensavers.com/)

Round Up your Fanny Packs!

Neon! Neon! Neon! Neon! Neon!

It’s that time of year again! That’s right; Round Up is here! Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines and get ready for a wild ride.

For those of you that don’t already know, Round Up is a weekend-long celebration in which Greek life hosts a multitude of parties. Fraternities have beer and performers come to entertain all Round Up guests. Sororities host philanthropy events in which anyone can obtain whatever food is being served at the house for a $5.00 fee.

This year performers include Sammy Adams at Sigma Chi, Lil Flip at Zeta Beta Tau, and many more. Theta Pancakes at the Kappa Alpha Theta House and Kolaches with Kappa at the Kappa Kappa Gamma house are among some of the philanthropy events.

Round Up related events begin this afternoon, Wednesday March 21 and end this Saturday night. There are bar tabs, crawfish boils, foam parties, etc. and each event calls for a certain uniform.

For the bar tabs and “late nights” people should dress up. Girls should wear something along the lines of white jeans, wedges, nice top and appropriate jewelry. Guys should wear khaki shorts and a polo shirt with Sperrys.

All of the daytime events are vastly more exciting and parties become a neon blur. Each sorority orders Round Up gear and members often splurge and order excessive amounts of tanks, croakies and fanny packs with the sorority name embellished on them to hand out to guys to wear for the weekend.

   (http://alcalde.texasexes.org/)

Yes, I did say fanny packs and tanks. It’s probably not the most flattering look, but anything else is simply unacceptable. The more neon, the better. I’m talking tangerine tank, pink shorts, green fanny pack and white tube socks!

I’m a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and this year our gear includes four differently designed tanks, four t-shirts, fanny packs, sweatbands, croakies, tube socks, neon hats, wind shorts, and various accessory pieces. I ordered an excessive amount for all of my guy friends to spread the Theta pride!

                                               Kappa Alpha Theta Round Up gear 2012

Each sorority has different order lists, but they all orbit around the same idea. Items are always brightly colored, covered in Greek letters, and don clever phrases like “Think Theta” or Kappa’s “Bleed Blue” to catch everyone’s attention.

The tanks and shorts are perfect for the parties because they keep you cooled down and comfortable while day partying (dartying if you like) for hours on end. The accessories like koozie necklaces and visors are fun pieces for entertainment purposes.

For Round Up, go over the top. Label yourself with Greek letters and represent your favorite sororities!! Be safe at the parties because alcohol will be more heavily present than water and don’t misrepresent the sorority you’re wearing. 

                                         Marianna, Madeline, Ben, and myself at the Sig Ep 

                                               Fraternity house during Round Up 2011.

Style on Sixth!

Everyone in Austin knows the significance of 6^th Street. Downtown Austin is an area full of unique bars and people looking to have a good time. It seems to bring out a wild side in everyone, especially when it comes to what people choose to wear while exploring the bars.

From: http://www.austin360.com

Dressing for downtown typically requires a bit more effort than an average night out with friends. From personal experience, I have learned that going downtown means dressing up in the most attention-grabbing pieces in my closet and spending extra time on primping and accessorizing.

Downtown outfits are often edgy, sexy and chic. They are a physical demonstration of inner fierceness and esteem. They evoke a sense of pride and power in the wearer if they are styled properly.

My friends and I make the trek downtown at least once a week (usually Thursday) and each new adventure requires a perfectly constructed outfit. 6^th Street is our version of the red carpet; it is where we show off our most valued and extravagant ensembles.

Popular clothing choices are short, bandage skirts, vibrant tops, colored skinny jeans, or intricately designed dresses. Patterns and bold colors are a must when creating a downtown wardrobe. Also, heels are always appropriate! My favorite shoe designer is definitely Steve Madden because the heels are tall, bold, and reasonably priced.

(From: http://www.swa-rai.com ) 

These are my favorite pair of Steve Madden shoes! I wear them every chance I get!!

Subtle, restrained, or understated outfits should be left at home. This means no white blouses with boot-cut jeans, ladies! The bars on 6^th are crawling with fashionistas and you will not be catching any eyes whilst donning “mom” jeans or a plain t-shirt.

Staple clothing pieces like skirts or tops are not the only items a nighttime wardrobe needs. Accessories can also make a big statement and help a girl stand out in a crowded room. Kendra Scott has a lot of bold designs and colors in her jewelry to show off a girl’s style. Her stones are extremely trendy and an admired choice amongst my friends.

Makeup is also an important element to think about in while getting ready to go out. When my friends and I get ready to go downtown, we usually wear heavier makeup than we do at any other event. This does not mean cake it on! It only means that red lips or cat-eye eyeliner adds extra fierceness to our going out look.

           Remember not to go overboard! A striped top does not look good with polka-dot bottoms and no one should ever over-accessorize. Choose an element or two to focus on and pair them with plainer choices. An example could be a hot pink dress with a chunky bib-like, turquoise necklace and studs instead of chandelier earrings.            


            Keep the shoes simple too and have a more neutral tone like nude or gold, depending on the color of the chain. Choose whether to accentuate your eyes or your lips because you don’t want to look like Bozo the clown!

Have fun downtown! Go forth and show off your gorgeous self in your high heels, skinny jeans, and sparkly tops.

This is a photo of a few of us before going downtown last week! I'm in the middle! By the way, I'm wearing the aforementioned sparkly black heels from Steve Madden!