Beyond the Racks and the Register

At Top Buttons we have two main programs. The first program is our Boutique Program through which we serve ALL women in our community. We provide a beautiful environment with quality clothing items at low cost for anyone to purchase during public shopping hours. The items we offer would not normally be accessible to many who come shop with us. We strive to provide designer thrift items which are both clean and current for women to choose from for any occasion. It is not uncommon to have families of the girls enrolled in our Wearing Confidence Program come in and shop with us during public shopping hours. We love these opportunities as they enable us to pour into an entire family! We are often asked, “Who is your target market or the main demographic served through the retail side of Top Buttons?” When asked, we take great pride in saying, “As a nonprofit, our goal has never been to be a retail operation. However, we love that we are serving women of all economic backgrounds through our times of public shopping.” It is our hope that as a community, everyone has a way to both give to and receive from Top Buttons. The mission comes full circle as women donate clothes, volunteer, and shop with us. We love providing opportunities for all young women to volunteer. It teaches both job skills and helps many obtain community service hours through our Boutique Program and our Wearing Confidence Program.

Our Wearing Confidence Program is also facilitated through our boutiques and has two components. We offer education on contextual modesty, how to dress on the job, self- compassion, and most importantly - understanding identity in Christ. Through our Wearing Confidence Program, in addition to the educational sessions, we offer boutique sessions. Large groups of girls from our enrolled organizations come to us for private styling sessions. The sessions include styling services, free wardrobes of proper fitting attire, hair and makeup up touchups, free makeup (if age appropriate), professional photoshoots, and a mini devotional or educational piece. It's important for you to know that our stylists are not necessarily fashionistas, they are young women who want to give their time, love on, build up, and encourage girls in our community. Stylists are matched one on one with a program recipient where they shop our stores and talk about style preferences and clothing needs. Modesty really has so much to do with context even more than a specific set of rules. We look to prepare our girls with appropriate attire for school, the work place, and every day/casual options as well! It’s not about creating little GAP models. That’s why having nice thrift clothing is so helpful. We have an overwhelming amount of style options for our girls to mix, layer, and get out of their box with when it comes to their individual clothing vibe. It’s fun. Being together with other young women talking fashion, life, and faith makes for a great combination to connect and grow together. If you want more information about volunteering with us email info@topbuttons.org.

How To Wear The Collar Necklace

Are you a secret admirer of the collar necklace trend? Have you wanted to rock it but, didn’t quite know how? Well this is the article for you! Here are a few tricks to styling this popular statement piece. 1. Collar necklaces look great paired with crew necks. They give the illusion of being a collar, hence the name “collar necklace.” They can transform your average t-shirt or sweater from plain to chic.

2. Collar necklaces look great worn under a collar. They can be the statement piece that you were looking for to add that “little something” to your button up blouses.

3. Collar necklaces look great with layers! Pair a collared shirt with a crew neck sweater and add the necklace under the collar. Top it off with a blazer and it looks even more sophisticated!

Collar necklaces come in a variety of colors, materials, and patterns. Having a couple on hand to mix and match with your outfits is a great investment. They are an inexpensive accessory that have the ability to truly “make” an outfit. Want more collar necklace inspiration? No fear, I created a pinterest board devoted to the trend on our Top Button’s Pinterst account here. Enjoy!

Happy Styling!

Rebekah

*A similar necklace to the one pictured above can be found here.

Kansas City Fashion Week

Kansas City Fashion Week is a fashion packed five day event with a kick off party on Wednesday evening and shows Thursday through Sunday. I attended Sunday’s student designer show, which showcased the work of nine extremely talented, young designers.

I was particularly impressed by two, both in their teens: Elda Doamekpo, age 15 and Josh Herman age 17. At such a young age both presented entire collections of gorgeous garments on the runway. According to her bio on KCFW Elda says, “I hope to bring the idea of true beauty back to women all over the world and bring their confidence to a whole new level.”

The fashion on Sunday was a mix of classic glamour and urban chic. Each designer had a different presentation which showcased their unique design styles. Michelle Kleineweber of Little Shell Designs showed a number of dresses that were light and airy. Her polka dot dress was a favorite of mine.

I particularly loved Yan by Hannah Cusack.  It was full of lace and feathers. Her designs were beautifully constructed.

Kaity Rathman had glitz and glamour and it was divine. Every designer did a phenomenal job.

As one who appreciates the art of fashion, being on the front row of an event like this is truly inspirational.  No doubt this is the first of many more that I will attend!  Fashion Week is full of lights, high heels, breathtaking styles, interesting clashes of color, talented people, and a runway of stunningly beautiful people.  As with many fashion sources, there will be looks that might not fit with the Top Buttons Style.  But I left with tons of ideas from these talented young designers that I look forward to incorporating our Top Buttons Styles into.  These designers are making an impact, and at such a young age!  Many of you reading this article are young as well.  Don't think that your too young to influence culture. It is so true that no matter what your age, you can begin to walk in the direction of your dreams. Excellent job KCFW!  KCFW was a success and caused me to walk away ready for the next event.

Article by: Rebekah Miura  Photographs by: Reagan Miura

Erin's Closet Remix

Meet Erin, a DIY enthusiast from Kansas City, Missouri. Erin wanted a new look without breaking the bank. I was happy to jump in and help put together an outfit made up of her own wardrobe along with a few new items.

While chatting with Erin about what kind of a look she wanted, she said that she loved her summer dresses and would love to find a way to wear them in the cooler months. With this in mind, I went through her closet and pulled a dress, leather jacket, tights and some fun wedges.

Her outfit needed some polish so we hit up our local H&M in search of some accessories where we found a statement necklace and a fun, unexpected purse. We completed the look with a couple trendy bracelets and a gold watch.

For Erin’s hair, we gave her some loose curls. For her make-up I kept it light and playful. I did a cat eye, pink cheeks, and a nude lip.

Erin looks great in her new look! She had all the right clothing, it was just a matter of pairing them correctly and adding the right accessories. Erin is excited to get her summer dresses out of storage and back on the hangers.

*Below are links to similar items worn above.

Dress  |  Jacket  | Tights  |  Shoes  | Purse

Article by: Rebekah Miura  Photography by: Reagan Miura

How To Wear Patterned Leggings

Patterned leggings are everywhere this season! They are a fun and colorful trend that are definitely worth trying. Here are some tips on how to style them.

1. Think of leggings as tights, not pants. If you want to rock patterned pants, there are a ton of options on the market to choose from. Leggings, however are meant to be worn under clothing.

2. Pair them with a long top that covers your backside. Chambray shirts, blazers, blouses and boyfriend sweaters are great options.

3. Pair them with solid colors. Mixing too many patterns can look busy.

4. Keep accessories to a minimum. Let your leggings be the focal point. Too many accessories can be overwhelming.

5. Leggings can be worn with a number of different types of shoes. Boots, flats, and heels all work.

Leggings come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Have fun and be creative when styling them. For more inspiration, check out our "All About Leggings" board on our Top Button's Pinterest account.

If you already have a favorite way to wear leggings let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you!

Happy Styling!

Rebekah

*Below are links to items that are similar to the outfit shown above.

Shirt  Leggings  Shoes  Watch  Bracelet  Purse