Celebrity Hair Inspiration for Spring 2015

Spring is in full swing and summer is just around the corner. We are turning to celebrities for the scoop on this season's hottest hair trends with an emphasis on styles that are fun, care-free and easy to manage. Last summer, we highlighted the long bob, and are happy to report that it's still trending this season. Celebrities like Lauren Conrad, Lucy Hale and Emma Roberts are all successfully rocking this look. We especially love how they tuck one side behind the ear, which adds a little edge and  shows off their statement earrings.

Taylor Swift was recently spotted at the iHeartRadio Music Awards with a change to her long bob: thick, choppy bangs with lots of volume. Her awards for the night included Artist of the Year and Song of the Year with "Shake it Off" among others. Taylor's music and looks are adored by fans and this night was proof that she still has it.

We haven't forgotten about the long-haired beauties! For long hair, it's all about long layers and subtle ombre (aka, 'sombre'), illustrated perfectly by Minka Kelly (above). 'Sombre' is taking the trendy ombre hair color and making it more subtle and blended by adding layers to frame the face and brightening the ends with a natural color.

Kenza Zouiten is a great example of how long layers combined with subtle ombre can create a care-free, beautiful style for long hair. Bangs blow-dried away from the face matched with a deep side part can help achieve this look.

To get another great look inspired by Taylor Swift, check out our tips here.

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Written by: Katy Abramowich

Still Trending: Floral Pants

Ladies, there is no need to look both ways before crossing the street in an eye catching floral look! This edgy take on a floral pant will have people clearing traffic as if the streets were a runway! With Spring on the horizon, patterned and floral pants are taking their place as the latest fad. Even though florals are rooted with a feminine touch, playing with colors and textures can take a once girlie print to an edgy style with spunk. The floral pant shown here is paired with a solid scoop neck and faux leather vest. A cap sleeve tee works just as well as a long sleeve, especially if you live in a warmer climate and the faux leather vest gives the outfit just the right amount of texture. Accessory wise, pick your pleasure: gold, silver, gunmetal, rose gold, etc. Any metal will look great against a floral, just be sure to stick with one type of metal. Add a crossbody in one of the hottest colors for spring such as blush, with an ever so classic Mary Jane pump to your look, and you are ready to take on any sidewalk or street... as if it was your own personal runway.

Vest  | Scoop neck | Floral pant | Mary Janes | Blush cross-body | Ring

Makeup Artist: Melissa Kinsey

Photo credit: Moments by Jen

A SHOPPING SPREE WITH PURPOSE

The team would agree that our favorite part of the Top Button's Project is being able to Give Back.  In addition to providing cute and modest clothing styles online for young ladies to get ideas from, we take young women on shopping sprees who would not otherwise be able to do so for themselves!  As our organization continues to grow, we look to offer the Top Buttons Wardrobe Makeover opportunity for young women across the country- and more often.  At the bottom of this post are details on how to collaborate with us on this project if interested.

This month we partnered with The Core; a youth group from Epic church in Lakeland, FL.   Anastasia Malone, the host who nominated the teen chosen to be on this shopping spree, began as a leader for The Core a little over a year ago.  She shared a bit about why she volunteers to mentor youth by saying, “I do it because I have a passion for young ladies between the ages of 12-16 to see, understand and grab hold of what God has called and purposed them to do! I just love that age in general, so why not take time out of my week to just love on them!”

As we have done with shopping sprees before, we took Deni into a shop and filled 2 carts full of clothing!  Choosing clothes for Deni to try on was a fun-filled, group effort.  As the shopping progressed, the “no’s” turned into “maybe’s” and the “maybe’s” turned into “YES!”  We did have to convince her to step out of her box a bit to try on a couple items, but once she put them on, the smile of satisfaction on her face told us how pleased she was.  We enjoyed sharing ideas on how to wear different pieces in a way that would express her personal style, work with her body type, and keep her essentials covered.  After a morning of power shopping, Deni went home with several items to create a new wardrobe with!  This sweet young lady came out of the store radiating with positive energy.

And off to Peterson Park we go for Deni's photo shoot in one of her new outfits...

When asked what her favorite part of the day was, Deni said, “picking out the clothes!”  She shared how she felt honored to have been nominated, and we felt honored to have been able to provide her with this experience.

Anastasia Malone is seen below on the left, then Kenady (our TB teen team member), Deni (shopping spree winner), and Anastasia Jones (our TB Give Back Director).

All shopping sprees are funded through donations given to our non-profit organization. If you are interested in donating funds or services to provide deserving teens with a Top Buttons Wardrobe Makeover, please contact Anastasia Jones-Downing at anastasia@topbuttons.org.

Written by: Anastasia Jones

Photo Credit: Shelby Danielle

Top Buttons Funny Valentine's Video: If All Else Fails, Just Eat Chocolate

This video was filmed while having our TB Valentine's Party!  The girls were asked to share about how they would be spending their Valentine's Day.  It turned out so funny that we just had to share it!  Hope you had a good Valentine's Week!  

FOR THE PETITE: BUYING NAME BRAND DRESSES FOR LESS

Anyone who knows me [Katie] knows that I adore a cute, girly Lilly Pulitzer dress. Lilly dresses can be expensive but if you’re shopping on a budget and don't mind waiting for the sales, they can be affordable. My secret is buying the junior girls dresses. These dresses can be $100.00 to $200.00 dollars cheaper than the women’s dresses. Not all of the junior girls dresses work for my body type, it is important to make sure they’re not too short, but when I find the right one I make sure to add certain accessories that I know will complete the look. Personally some of my favorite accessories are my monogram necklace, bubble necklace, Michael Kors watch, and Tory Burch flats. Now I know these accessories I chose are not cheap, but if you shop the outlets, you can save a bundle, or shop for cheaper accessories that will look just as great!

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If junior girls dresses don’t work for your body type then Lilly Pulitzer has 2 major online sales per year with certain boutiques participating: the New Year Cheer sale and the Endless Summer sale. During these sales dresses can be up to 75 % off. It can be difficult to wait for these sales but if you have your eye on an expensive dress, it is well worth it. In saying that, not every Lilly Pulitzer dress is as expensive as others, they have cute t-shirt dresses that are under $100.00. The t-shirt dresses are functional because you can dress them up or down by simply changing your accessories. They are great investment pieces for all seasons.

So if you are a petite young women, you might want to keep this idea in mind for your next purchase! Just watch out for the issue of length... Personally, I work to keep the dresses and skirts at least to mid thigh.

Have a great day,

Katie

TWO TEENS WHO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE

At a young age, high school students Elizabeth and Delaney have decided to put their talent and passion for capturing moments on film to use for a greater purpose.

We've introduced you to Delaney before, but were excited to share a little more about her the characteristics that make this young woman so interesting. She is a high-energy junior in high school that has been captivated by film-making since the first grade. "I am a storyteller, Delaney confessed." She enjoys making stories come alive on screen, to entertain and educated others.

As far back as she can remember, she has been involved in video production. Delaney is a student at a performing arts school where she studies cinematography and video production. With this training she has gained skills in screenwriting, production, and editing, which she says has made her a well-rounded student.

“When thinking about my future, I’m not sure what I want to do. I know I love film, but I’m not sure if it’s going to be my career.” Delaney is a determined young lady, and with that focus and determination comes interests in many other things, which she says makes her future career decisions difficult. “No matter what I end up doing, the skills I’ve acquired thus far will translate into any career,” shared Delaney.

The lack of boundaries in the way women dress is often an issue that arises while working in the filmmaking, confessed Delaney. “But it's all about leadership. You have to work with so many different people in order to accomplish the vision for the film. I see this as an opportunity allow my actions to speak louder than my words. Modesty has a lot to do with respect for myself, but more so for my God.” Delaney shares that she believes that modesty is more than what you wear. It is an attitude of modesty and humility that is imperative in working with people, especially in the area of film and media.

She is prepared for her future as either a creator or connoisseur of film and will carry on her ideals to encourage modesty in young women in whatever field she ends up in.

Elizabeth is new to our Top Buttons team and she has a similar passion as Delaney. But hers is for photography. At the age of twelve she became fascinated with picture taking after her father received a camera for his birthday, but neglected to use it. Elizabeth took her Dad's camera and capitalized on this opportunity to photograph everything she could find. "I had no formal training," shared Elizabeth, "I looked online and taught myself about composition, depth, varying angles and camera settings." Elizabeth started out taking photos of friends and family, and developed her skills for capturing the moment.

Her desire is to capture moments and faces that people might not notice with a natural eye. "I just feel like it's natural when I'm taking pictures."

When asked why she wanted to be involved with Top Buttons, Elizabeth shared about her family values that have been instilled in her from a young age. In her family, she and her sisters have always been encouraged to have reasonable, but distinctly different boundaries of dress than the typical cultural standards of the day. She describes her view on modesty in media by saying, "There is no filter; It's challenging and near impossible to find modesty in photography."

Elizabeth is still deciding her future goals and desires, but would like to see herself owning a photography business on the side while being a mom and a physical therapist. “I will always be taking pictures, shared Elizabeth.”

Delaney and Elizabeth have combined their passions into one common cause. In a culture that expresses themselves in a way that demands attention for a false sense of self-confidence, these young women see the bigger picture. “We are excited to be a part of Top Buttons, and to have this platform to influence young women in a positive way,” they shared. They agreed that they feel empowered to be an example to teen girls who read the blog, and allow them to see that modesty can be fashionable and attainable with a little extra effort.

Photography: Jennifer Duarte

MODUGLY

Fabric that is big, ugly, unflattering, and sweltering hot… Does this come to mind when you think of modesty? In 2013, we'd love to take this old term and give it a new definition. But where do we look to define Modesty? Who should define it? Should cultural standards impact our decision? Should we encourage young women to be set apart from society in how they dress when the options for such are so limited? Should we even have a blog promoting modesty, when “modesty" itself is based on the lack of self-promotion? There are many noble causes, should the way young men and women dress even matter in the grand scheme of things? The answers to these questions vary from person to person. But within the fabric of our society is a thread of faith. Faith should inspire growth, change, and healthy standards of behavior in many different areas. Modesty in conduct, which includes the way we dress, is a Christ honoring principle AND a healthy behavior choice.

How then do we determine what is and what isn’t modest?

There is more than one dictionary to define words and phrases. The Webster’s Dictionary was once the place to look; now ANY online site claiming to be a reliable source is used. The Urban Dictionary is quite crass at times, but I found their definition of the word “modesty” to be humorous and thought-provoking. It states, “Modesty is the art of enhancing your charm by pretending not to be aware of it.” This is a secular view which implies people who aim for humility are really actors striving to draw more personal attention. Why does secular society see a humble or modest expression, reflecting one’s desire to honor God and others rather than oneself, as pretentious? This social media, “like my post,” driven society is desperate for attention. We are so desperate that we buy what we can’t afford, pretend our life is what it isn’t on Facebook, and work to gain a following to feel like we “are somebody.”

Here's a valid thought…Wouldn’t young men and women wear styles that are more modest if their music and television role models dressed in more modest clothing? I believe they absolutely would. The need for ATTENTION we all have, gets a strong fix from shock value. SHOCK VALUE occurs as a response to loud and obnoxious opinions, “in-your-face” behavior, and “I’ll wear what I want” styles. This cycle of attention fulfilled through shock value promotes selfishness and more risky societal behavior.

What to do? We can’t redefine modesty in totality because it represents an ever changing principle influenced by the culture, faith and upbringing of its time. It isn’t a term anyone can give absolute guidelines on.

And the look of a modest woman has changed so much over the years. At Top Buttons, we debated whether or not to even use the term “modest” at all, because of the disgust most teens have when they turn the term over in their mouth. It appears that modesty makes most young people think of layering big ugly clothes and gives the feeling of "being controlled." We discussed whether we should use the word “classy,” but that infers “rich” by many people. We do like the phrase “fashion with extra fabric,” but this is a bit long to replace “modesty” with. We also know some other religious communities might be offended by our standard of the term which does not reflect their own. While we respect modest style expressions, at Top Buttons, we recognize that extreme modest styles could be impractical and not easily attainable for young women who do not sew their own clothes and want to dress in a way that doesn't alienate them from their peers.

In 2013, we resolve to talk about, encourage, and redefine this principle with all who are interested. We would love to have you weigh in on the matter. Is it possible to redefine modesty? Or should we throw it out and use a new term? Can we help young women to see this term in a different light? We’d like to know…what do you see when you think of modesty by today's standards? Do you feel it's reasonable to encourage young men and women to have some boundaries in their clothing styles? Why or why not?

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Garrard

Written By: Sarah Powers