In high school we spent some of our years (me more than Emma) at a private school where our dress code was to wear long dresses (past our knees) every day except for Fridays. We've always loved dresses! And because we're freaks and not normal people, we loved this restriction and got super creative with our dresses and skirts. We had to be creative in order to make dressing fun. It was that or wear a long denim skirt to school every day. The horror. Haha!
Also, sidenote: I sure am glad we're "allowed" to wear shorter dresses and skirts these days. Makes for more fun tights selections.
To this day, I regret cleaning out a lot of my old high school staples (hoarder tendencies, I know…) and wish I could have back my purple crushed velvet maxi skirt and my 1950s butterfly dress. At least I saved my Mary Jane Dr. Martens (with added glitter- ha!).
Now I have a pretty awesome stash of memory clothing from my twenties. I fully expect that my love for weirdo clothing will skip a generation, but someday someone will appreciate it. I just know it.
I love the memories that clothes can create. I think about it often when I see my grandma's glittery 1950s Lucite reading glasses sitting on my bedroom table.
When I look back through the archives of this blog, I'm both horrified and extremely sentimental about all the things I've worn throughout the years. So many extremes, so many changes, so much fun. I love it! I regret absolutely nothing (not even owning three pairs of crocs- don't ask).
I think when I was younger, I would have assumed that by the time I entered my thirties I'd be done with experimenting and settled into a normal (boring?) style. Young Elsie was such a dumb-dumb because that's not the case at all.
I mean, don't get me wrong– I LOVE "boring" clothes. But I also feel like it's still exciting to try something new each and every season. And I'm beginning to see that's a feeling that will be with me my whole life. And I love that.
We worked with one our oldest, dearest partners and supporters Ruche and their newest collection on this Sister Style.
Emma is wearing: Dress, Boots, Hat
Elsie is wearing: Dress, Ring, Clutch, Shoes
Cheers to new dresses, old dresses and trying new styles every season! Happy Frocktober. xo. Elsie
Credits// Author: Elsie Larson, Photography: Sarah Rhodes.
84 Comments
beautiful pictures!
That makes me feel better. I’m 30 and I still love putting on colored eye shadow. Random shades of lipstick, and wearing a t-shirts with various super heros on them.
I love this photoshoot! cute dresses and nice touch of pink! very cute
http://wideseanoanchor.com
I wish I still had my Dr. Martens! 😀 -Jacki
Amazing pictures! So much fun!
http://www.julialundin.com
People at work always notice me for the way I dress and I love it! I love all my quirks! Wouldn’t trade them for anything! <3
xo Trisha
http://www.trishasales.net
Awesome photos!!!
Pay With Polka Dots
Awesome photos!
http://www.paywithpolkadots.blogspot.com
Haha!
xoxo -E
These are such amazing photos!
http://thatsmagsforyou.com
These photos are so cool! Love the smoke, adds a super cute effect 🙂
http://www.skinnybelle.com
Wow!!! Awesome photography!! 🙂
http://lifebetweenhats.blogspot.com
How cute are the patterns on these dresses! They’re gorgeous cuts as well. I love how one of you styled them with short boots, the other with tall, so we can get an idea of what they both look like.
Cat
http://oddlylovely.com
Beautiful photos, the outfits are great!
Absolutely love the photos, so stylish!
This photo-shoot look super fun… Love your dress, Elsie..and you look so pretty… and i love the memories that instantly flashes before you when you look at an old dress.. i am in my twenties, and my style is changing every day.. love it!
xo
agoldentulip.blogspot.com
Photos are lovely as always!
https://www.marjorievie.blogspot.com
I have a little hoarder inside of me that fears letting go of certain pieces that I know will make a comeback! So it’s totally justifiable.
This is so pretty, you both look amazing x
holljc.blogspot.co.uk
You two are extremely adorable and I love the style! What are the smoke things you’re using for these photos? 🙂 My photog would love to snap some pictures with these!
Thanks!
Shanna
http://www.redheadfixations.blogspot.com
Coolest photo shoot ever!
http://everydayingrace.blogspot.ca
You two look so great! Would love to do a similar photoshoot with my own sister!!! http://meowemily.blogspot.com/
Beautiful shoot!
What brand of smoke grenades did you use here? I’ve been looking to purchase some and I haven’t seen any as pretty as these.
Thanks!
http://www.rubyraestudio.wordpress.com
Loving these photos so much
This photography is amazing! Really need to incorporate some of that magical colored powder into one of my next blog shoots!
xoxo Sara
http://www.restlessnomads.com
Love the post! Did you know in Australia there is a movement where women wear dresses everyday of Frocktober to raise money and awareness for ovarian Cancer? http://www.everydayhero.com.au/event/frocktober
Elsie, you look lovely in your blue dress 🙂
Emma, I want to add all the items from your outfit to my closet 🙂 Especially, the hat!
Happy Thursday, A Beautiful Mess crew 🙂
http://lovecompassionatelee.squarespace.com/
Those pictures and outfits look great! What product are you using to make the smoke? I am soooo ready for tights season.
I feel like with all this reminiscing, there should be a few high school throw-backs thrown in here 😉
love both prints on the dresses you girls look great 🙂
Love these dresses ladies http://sadityinthecity.com
Love this photoshoot!! I was wondering about the details of the shoot. Where did you get the smoke bombs and how did the photographer don’t get it on the lens??
I love this photoshoot! So fun! I was just wondering where
You got the smoke bombs and how did the photographer protect the lens of the camera??
You guys are so fun! I just love how sentimental you are about things. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Too much fun! I had this outfit I would wear that matched my sister – black velvet skirt, light pink shirt, and pink bow. I remember wearing this like it was yesterday! I’d love to see it again. I totally get your sentimental feelings and am right there with ya!
XO Chloe
A Latte Lipstick
This looks like such a fun photo shoot! I wish my sister was in on my blog! Love you girls!!
Xx,
Jackie
http://thejedition.blogspot.com
Where did you purchase the smoke bombs? I’d love to experiment with them since they look like so much fun! Beautiful photos, as always.
Love your outfits, ladies! I’m totally a girly girl, although my love for dresses hasn’t always been there (hate tights). I think that though our style preferences do change over time, our attitude towards style does not. As an adventurous and experimental person you’ll always be inclined to try new things, and id you’re more of a classic gal like me, you will always end up with the classics, no matter how hard you try to go a different route. Cheers to Frocktober!
Wow, really amazing photos.
http://www.fashiondenis.com
Stunningly beautiful pictures!
And I absolutely love the hat.
I love it when you tell personal stories Elsie. I am one of those readers who has been reading for years (throughout all the fashion choices). Obviously your blog has grown tremendously in so many different ways, which I think is super exciting. But I also still love whenever you share little backstories like these 🙂
This photo shoot looks so fun! Lovely pictures x
SUCH a good idea for photos – they look brilliant.
Love the side swept bangs!
Great pictures! Love the detail with the coloured smoke. Awesome 🙂
Regards from Copenhagen,
(Life)style blogger, Anne del Socorro // http://www.thecopenhagendiary.com
Ahaha funny photos,
i like the blue floral dress, so cute!
These pictures are insanely beautiful! You should frame each and every one of them, congrats Sarah!
I struggle a lot with my clothes at the moment. When I was a student, I had a style that was seen as excentic in my school, though I thought it wasn’t. Well, actually it wasn’t comapred to Parisian fashionistas, but compared to the casual jeans-shirt-sneakers that some (most?) of the girls in my school wore, it’s true that I looked crazy in my flowered dresses and kimono and feathers earrings! But now I feel so uncomfortable wearing these clothes again and I crave for more simplicity (maybe becoming an “adult” and having a real job explains this?), but I cannot part with my student’s clothes because I still love them… I guess I have to find a compromise between my hippie and boring style 😉
Amazing photos. So much fun and colour. You girls look FABULOUS!
C x
Floral dresses are amazing!!!
Beautiful photos and outfits! 🙂
aniqadreams.blogspot.com
I am afraid i regret some of my old outfits, rememeber 90 and starting 2000… no ask , buff!!!
http://mykitschworld.blogspot.com.es
These shots are too sweet! Love your dresses! So so fun!
http://sometimesgracefully.com
I just turned 30, just got married and I’m still using my colorful converse, bright nails and a mohawk on my head, though some stuff in my style have changed, some haven’t and it looks like they never will. Can’t help it, the heart wants what the heart wants :p
I fell in love with Emma’s dress so I just had to order it. 🙂 Cool photoshoot!
OH MY GOSH I’M IN LOVE WITH THIS SHOOT!!!!!! Seriously! The coolest! I’d love to try this out sometime too (wedding photos? yep!).
xoxo
Taylor
Absolutely love the photo shoot, and yes I agree with Shanna, I’ve got to know what those smoke things are; way too much fun!
I also agree with your thoughts on style: I’m only 22 but sometimes when I put on a crop top or something a little more fashion forward, I always think, “Is this really what a 22 year old should wear?”
The correct answer is yes. Always yes! What’s that old addage… Trends come and go but style never fades? (something like that 😉
The shots with the blue smoke really stand out to me! Very cool style segment.
Kindness is the best accessory,
Rebecca
Love the smoke! Amazing pictures <3
-E
http://www.emmamarting.blogspot.com
first off–these are the COOLEST and so so beautiful, as always. Emma, that hat is to die for, ugh.
also, I was just thinking that I would love to know what kinds of playlists you guys put together for your work day, for autumn, for the weekend, cooking, anything! might be a fun feature xx
Looks so fun! Gorgeous photos.
Love the concept of this shoot! So fun and colorful, like ABM. I also am really digging Elsie’s floral frock. October is my favorite month and I can’t wait for the exciting things to come.
Love this post…my first thought was, “Oh my goodness! Will the smoke bombs stain their clothes?!” They made for beautiful photos even though I know you said they didn’t taste too great. lol You girls are the best!
❤Sara
sunny blonde studio
GORGEOUS photoshoot! I looove the smoke bombs. What a fun thing to incorporate into a style shoot!
You two are stupid amounts of adorable. And omg what a clever shoot! So good!!
These photos came out so fun!
xo Kenzie
easy, lucky, free
I wish I still had some of my old high school clothes too, that 90’s fashion is really in now. Love the coloured dust in these photos, what are they?
Lauren
livinginaboxx
Love the pictures!!! I love smoke bombs , just not the smell. Pew. Looks like you have a blast!!!
I love this super cute and creative photo shoot! You both look adorable! 🙂
Tamara
http://www.trulytamara.com
This sister style is one of my favorites! Did you have to do anything special with your camera settings to get these shots through the smoke bombs?
you ladies are so beautiful! gorgeous gorgeous pictures.
Lorna | http://www.studsanddreams.com xx
These photos are incredible!! The smoke is so cool looking! Sarah- How do you get your images so crisp and clear?!
What’s that colored smoke stuff? It’s really cool! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
Girls, you two are beautiful!!! This photoshoot is amazing! Elsie, I love your hair and dress!!! Emma, you are cuteee as always!!! 🙂
love these photos! where did you get the smoke bombs from? I’ve been looking for some of those! xxx
gorgeous photos!
xxoo,
nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
The last photo of Emma is absolutely stunning.
That blue dress! I love it!
I did nothing but wear dresses when I was younger, now I wear nothing but pants. I think it’s some sort of rebellion. Every now and then I will get the itch again and wear one. I need to get back into it. Jeans are getting tired. 🙂
Gorgeous photos! And it looks like so much fun!!
Love your dress Elsie it’s gorgeous!
xoxo
Melodie
http://www.sevenlivesandmore.com/
What are the smoke things?
They are smoke bombs that we found online 🙂 -Jacki
I love the flares that you used, really neat effect! Where did you get them?
I love the smoke bombs! So cool!
Hey Elsie,
I really like your clutch. And the colourful dense smoke.
What makes this colourful dense smoke?
Best, Luu
Pretty dresses! I love them both!