Blog: Crossroads Style

Fashion is used to express oneself and often gives insight, whether consciously or not, to where our lives are. Jenn Rogien, the costume designer for the Emmy award-winning HBO show Girls, has the difficult job of curating a wardrobe that tells a story about the characters as the script itself does. If you’ve been watching Girls since the first season, you may have noticed the style evolution each character has gone through as their lives have changed.

From left to right: Hannah, Jessa, Marnie, and Shoshanna

Hannah
Hannah (Lena Dunham) is known as being a mess from the very first episode of the series, arguably going through the longest quarter-life crisis a twenty-something can have. The show is rounding out its fifth season, and we’ve seen Hannah evolve professionally and romantically. Her wardrobe has gone from ill-fitting and unflattering with haphazard mixed prints, to a cleaner but still quirky look that often incorporates an academic, somewhat preppy twist.

Jessa
Bohemian-chic Jessa (Jemima Kirke) has always had the most consistent style throughout the series—until this current season, where we’ve seen her pull back. Her life has slowed down and become more stable, and her wardrobe is beginning to reflect that by also settling down while still keeping her unique flare alive.

Marnie
Marnie (Allison Williams) is the one friend we all have: she bases her identity on her romantic relationships or what she is currently involved in. One of the most “together” girls at the beginning of the series (in life and in style), Marnie had a classic look with a casual elegance. As the series progresses, Marnie seems to constantly be scrambling to put her life back together. Currently fronting as a singer-songwriter, Marnie’s style has transformed into indie scene hipster.

Shoshanna
Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) is your friend who’s always up-to-the-second on trends, celebrities, and gossip of any kind. She is extremely concerned about fitting in and being liked, and her style showcases this concern with the use of every fashion trend and rule at once. Though Shoshanna is still innocent and impressionable, she is also independent and confident, and her style has noticeably toned down and evolved to be still playful but more adult-appropriate.

From left to right: Hannah, Jessa, Marnie, and Shoshanna

Share

Festival season is officially upon us, and whether you’re headed to Coachella or watching from home, you’ll want a hairstyle that’s both gorgeous and functional. Chances are, you’ll be dancing and sweating up a storm, so effortless beauty is a must when considering festival hairstyles!

Here are my favorite ways to style your hair for the season’s music festivals.

1. The Messy Braid
Throw together a traditional French braid and gently loosen up your strands before securing your ‘do with a clear elastic. For extra texture, spray a dry shampoo into your roots and massage it in with your fingers. This is one of my favorite styles to master for a long weekend!

2. The Half Updo
Feature full waves and tons of volume while keeping your hair out of your face by pulling the top half of your hair back.

3. The Milkmaid Braid

Looking to keep your hair off your face and your neck? The milkmaid braid is perfect for sweaty weather.

4. The Topknot
Go uber chic and sophisticated with a sleek bun at the very top of your head, or go relaxed and effortless with a loose and messy topknot. Either way, you can’t go wrong!

Share

If you haven’t been watching the new HBO show Vinyl, block out your weekend for some serious bingeing. The music industry-based show is not only written well, its ’70s era fashion is downright enviable, especially in a time when the resurgence of these trends can’t ignored.

Vinyl has been a style inspiration since the series premiere in February, and it’s no wonder why. The show’s costume designer, John Dunn, who has previously worked on shows like Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire (both with perfect vintage styling too), has recreated the era’s fashion with brilliant execution; the looks are gritty, glamorous, and rebelliously rock and roll. You can learn more about how Dunn has been able to revive the ’70s for HBO here and here.

Check out my top 10 favorite looks from the series so far!

Share

A simple yet stylish slip-on constructed with canvas and finished with a comfortable rubber sole. What’s not to love?  Better yet, these are available at Crossroads this week for just $10.50.

And they’re unisex! These canvas shoes look great on everyone. Jason is wearing the Camo Slip-On:

Jessica wears the Mineral Wash Slip-On and our Powder Blue Backpack ($25), coming soon!

I went for the pink pair because it’s spring!

Naturally, Solana went for the Grey Slip-On.

And Orion grabbed the Matte Black Slip-On.

Assorted colors and sizes available in stores now!

Share

I was delighted when Style Council member Micaela of Oh My Drifter told me she had been working on her own organic and gluten-free line of body butters.

I’ve been switching up my own beauty, health and meal routine to make sure I’m putting only the best onto and into my body—so naturally, I had to get all the info! I asked Micaela to sit down and talk about everything from her products’ ingredients to why Drifter Organics will change your mind about what you put on your skin.

S: Tell us how Drifter Organics came about. What’s the number one reason you developed your own skincare line?

M: We started Drifter Organics in 2014 when I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, as well as a bunch of other arbitrary food intolerances. I learned to not only be careful of what I ate but also to be mindful of what I put on my skin. Whether you ingest it or massage it in, it’s getting absorbed by your body one way or another! That was a huge eye-opener for me. My mom and I spent countless hours online and in health food stores trying to find skincare I could use. With the amount of time we invested in trying to find allergy-friendly skincare options, we figured we might as well make them ourselves!

S: You talk about putting “things you would eat” on your skin. What kind of ingredients can be found in Drifter Organics?

M: Drifter Organics is made with a base of shea and/or cacao butters, various carrier oils, such as jojoba, safflower, and sunflower, and scented with essential oils. We are launching with three body butters: Blushing Ambition, Serenity Now, and Neutralizer. Blushing Ambition has uplifting and floral notes, Serenity Now has calming and grounding properties, and Neutralizer is a muted, everyday staple scent.

S: Which body butter do you use the most of the three you are launching first?

M: I use Serenity Now every night before bed. The scent helps me sleep better.

S: What is your favorite base oil and your favorite essential oil in the lineup?

M: My favorite base oil is sunflower oil. It is very light and dries in fast, leaving no greasy residue. My favorite essential oil is Helichrysum, which can be found in our Serenity Now body butter. It has so many healing properties, smells incredibly soothing, and I absolutely love the way the name sounds!

S: I bet there was a lot of trial and error while creating the recipes for your skincare line. How long did it take you to finalize the list of ingredients for each product?

M: Ironically, the scent was the easiest part. It took us about two months to get three solid scents. The hardest part was getting the texture right. We have so many reject body butters that are perfectly fine to use, but the consistency is too oily or too hard or too gritty. We ended up having to consult with a cosmetic chemist to get the texture the way we wanted it.

S: I love your tagline “Nature looks good on you.” How did you come up with it?

M: Thank you! I had been racking my brain trying to come up with a catchy tagline that was cute and quirky but not so abstract that no one could understand it. I went through so many iterations that didn’t flow or were too obscure. I call my fruits and vegetables “nature’s candy” because they’re so vibrant and flavorful on their own. Our body butters contain the oils from fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers and other plant matter. One of my ideas was, “nature’s candy looks good on you” but that didn’t flow well. That led to “nature looks good on you” which really stuck.

S: What does holistic beauty mean to Drifter Organics?

M: There are a lot of misconceptions that with holistic beauty you can’t be glamorous or stylish. We endeavor to prove that idea wrong. You most definitely can live a holistic life without sacrificing style. Natural beauty doesn’t mean living off the land in a cabin in the woods. It just means giving a little more thought to what we put on our skin.

S: I think it’s so cool that you are teaming up with your mom on this project. Is it all fun and games when working with family?

M: My mom is my best friend, so our partnership came about very organically. For years, we’d been working a lot together on my blog, Oh My Drifter, since she takes most of my outfit pictures. I tend to sweat the small stuff, whereas my mom tends to not be so crazy (LOL), so it’s a good balance between me and her. She’s the yin to my yang!

S: When can we expect your full line to launch, and where can we buy Drifter Organics?

M: We’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign which will help us raise the necessary funds to produce our body butters on a grander scale and get the certifications we need to be organic, gluten-free, and vegan. The campaign will run until April 28th. Our e-commerce site will launch in the summer of 2016.

If you are interested in helping Micaela and Dawn Marie fund the production of Drifter Organics AND be the first to try their products at discounted pricing, head over to their Kickstarter page and help take their project to the next level!

Thank you Micaela for educating us on your blossoming line of products and Drifter Organics!

Share