Thursday, October 25, 2012

Three Ways to Wear the Classic Burnt Orange Shirt

By Thuy

The versatility of this classic Burnt Orange Top will quickly make it a wardrobe staple. This shirt can be worn on gamedays and on every day in between!

Burnt orange is a tricky color to incorporate into your daily wardrobe. It pairs well with neutral colors such as navy, cream, grey and black. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also add a wildcard color with metallic, eggplant, turquoise or teal accessories.

Outfit 1: Shopping with friends

For a sweet daytime look, pair the Classic Top with a printed skirt, simple belt and colorful flats.


Longhorn Fashions Classic Burnt Orange Top and Spade Earrings,
Maison Martin Margiela Purple Loafers, and John Lewis Print Skirt


Outfit 2: Dinner with your special someone

Layer this top with a printed scarf, skinny jeans and ankle boots for effortless style.


Longhorn Fashions Classic Top and Horsebit Bracelet,
Becksondergaard scarf, Rachel Comey boots


Outfit 3: Night on the town

This top goes perfectly with a metallic skirt, a statement necklace and “look at me” heels. You’ll be the toast of the town!


Longhorn Fashions Classic Top and statement necklace (no longer available),
120mm teal suede heels (no longer available), Herve Leger metallic skirt

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Scallop Print Dress for First Thursday


Today we are linking up with Lilly of Pancakes & Beet Juice for What to Wear..Where? Arts Night Out Edition.



One of my favorite Austin events is First Thursday on South Congress. This block party type event is a great way to check out all the local shops, food trailers and street vendors that South Congress has to offer. There is often live music by street performers and you can stop at the historic San Jose Hotel for cocktails. All of the shops stay open later than usual (10pm) so you don’t have to rush to get from spot to spot. Feathers, a vintage boutique, is a must-go and the little open air market close to South Congress Cafe is filled with unique jewelry, beautiful prints and more.



It seems like this event has grown over the years and every time I go I seem to find a new artist or merchant that I adore. The last time that I went I rocked my jorts, burnt orange top, sandals and Costa Rica purse for a laid back (aka last minute) look. I found two new prints for our duplex for $10 each and an Austin coaster with an image of our happy place, Alamo Drafthouse, on it.



The next First Thursday is on November 1 and I can’t wait to hit it up with Corey and our pup, Toby, or my girl friends. More than likely we will catch happy hour at Guero’s beforehand, best queso in town for sure! I may try to look a little bit more pulled together for the next one. I am thinking a cute, yet casual dress paired with comfortable flats, a cross body bag and fun accessories.

Probably something similar to this:


Arts Night Out




You can click on each image above for more information on the product. 

If the weather cools down next Thursday night, I may opt for tights and boots (or booties!) instead. Those green flats are such a great deal (only $19 at Urban Outfitters) and they have them in a variety of different colors. I don't own that Rebecca Minkoff leather purse..yet, but I am currently lusting over it. Seems like it is the perfect size and I love the hardware. It may have to go on my Christmas wish list if I can't find something similar for less soon. The scallop print dress is my new favorite because it is flattering (love the length, cut and how it comes in at the waist) and unique. Polka dots are a big trend this fall and it is nice to see them included in a different way.

Have a great outfit for an arts night out? Link up with Lilly at Pancakes and Beet Juice today!





Monday, October 22, 2012

Longhorn Fashions Launched in August 2010


Longhorn Fashions launched in August 2010 with the vision of bringing cute and affordable burnt orange and white clothing to fans all over the United States. The goal was to make it easier for busy students and young professionals to find high quality, stylish burnt orange apparel for less. I wanted to sell apparel that could easily be worn to the office, out on the town, or to class this year and many years from now. 

Before launching the store in August 2010, I interviewed other companies who started their own business, took internships and jobs in online marketing, and worked retail to gain the experience I needed to make my dream of opening a store a possibility. Although I was very young, I knew I had the passion to make Longhorn Fashions successful with a very small loan. I grew the brand over the past three years by putting my all into it. My all included taking Photoshop classes at Laguna Gloria to expand my skills, working a full time job while running the store so I could use my second paycheck for advertising and additional inventory, spending my weekends renovating the Trendy Trailer, and pulling all nighters to get orders out. Most importantly, it included and still includes putting my heart and soul into Longhorn Fashions every day. The hard work and dedication of the past three years started paying off and I am so proud to say that the third football season is the best one yet.

Therefore, I am saddened to see a company who makes millions of dollars a year use my business name to market the new non-branded apparel that they launched this fall. Sure, there is a chance that it is not on purpose and I know as the owner I am probably overly defensive of my business, but when I see posts such as the following it makes me wonder:









I have been a fan of the University Co-op for a long time and was actually honored when I saw that they started following all my Longhorn Fashions social networks last year. I have blogged and posted on Facebook several times about how much I love their student government boots, and I have directed traffic their way for UT branded T-shirts, accessories and more, so if this is on purpose, it is very disappointing. I have had dozens of customers ask me if Longhorn Fashions is now selling to the Co-op, so I want to take this moment to let you all know that no we are not selling to the Co-op and have never been approached about working together, something I would have been open to.

I believe that with the huge UT fan base made up of many different people, there are plenty of opportunities for many kinds of companies who want to cater and market to the Longhorn Nation. This post isn't supposed to speak negatively about the Co-op or make you feel like one store is better than the other, but I've worked hard to be open with my customers about the growth and plans for Longhorn Fashions and would not want you to be confused or think we've partnered with a company when that is not the case.

Austin, TX is often named the best city for small businesses because of the overwhelming support that this remarkable town gives to entrepreneurs. I am so grateful to live in Austin and can’t thank you all enough for the constant support.

A huge thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Tessie

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Fall Longhorn Fashions


Fall Longhorn Fashions Trend: Zig Zags
By Thuy

Congrats to the Longhorns for coming out on top and beating Baylor on Saturday! It wasn’t exactly a pretty win, but we sure felt pretty wearing our new zig zag print dresses!

Zig zags are our current obsession because they manage to be laid-back and put together at the same time. Missoni’s signature zig zag patterns inspired us to test drive this bold print.



Missoni Fall 2012 Runway
(Photo via Fashionologie.com)


Jump on board the trend with our new Scallop Print Dress and bohemian Zig Zag Maxi Dress. Zig zag patterns create a bold statement, so allow these dresses to stand out by pairing them with minimal accessories in neutral tones. Our print dresses are perfect for a poolside barbeque, dinner with friends, date night and game day!




Thursday, October 18, 2012

Sweater Weather


Sweater Weather
By: Thuy

Any temperature below 70 degrees is pretty chilly for a Texas girl, and this week the weather will begin to fall in the “pretty chilly” range. So I’m prepping for winter and unpacking all of my sweaters, scarves, and boots!

There is nothing more exciting than bundling up and layering on the clothes. Sweater-weather means hot chocolate, fireplace cuddles, and it means that the holidays are just around the corner! (I know it’s not even Halloween yet, but I’m already anticipating the holiday season.)

Stay comfy and cozy in our great selection of burnt orange sweaters. These sweaters are so soft, you’ll want to wear them on game day and while bumming around the house!
 


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Date Night Outfit!


My husband and I just got married in May and man oh man has life been crazy (in the best way possible) since then. No, we don't have any children yet, but we do put in very long hours at our jobs, spend any extra time exploring our passions/hobbies, and consider our pup, Toby, an integral part of our daily routine. There definitely never seems to be enough hours in the day!

We are lucky to have a great group of friends in Austin who we make a priority to see Friday or Saturday night, so Sunday night becomes our night. If it isn't pizza, wine and Homeland on the couch, we venture to one of our Austin favorites, Maiko. Maiko has an awesome Sunday special with half off sushi and wine, so we have no problem indulging in the Scorpion roll (my fav) and the Texas Monster Roll (Corey's favorite). We normally finish off the dinner with our mutual love, the Rocky Road Dessert, seriously y'all it is amazing!

I try to keep the outfit pretty simple after a long weekend of dressing up to meet friends and work in the Trendy Trailer by Longhorn Fashions. It is either a dress I can throw on and easily accessorize or skinny jeans, a top and booties (my new obsession - how did I not own booties before this fall?!).

Here is an example of an outfit that I may wear to Maiko next date night.




Date Night Outfit!




Have a great date night outfit? Link up at  I Pick Pretty!


Wednesday, October 10, 2012

For the ACL Crowd


By: Thuy

Why do they do this to us? Scheduling ACL on the same weekend as the TX/OU game is outrageous!

I’ll be heading to ACL all weekend, but will keep track of the game score on my ESPN app. Tessie, the awesome owner of Longhorn Fashions, is braving it and attending both ACL AND the TX vs OU game.

With the amazing 2012 lineup, it’s hard to choose which bands to see. I’ll have to elbow my way to the front of the crowd to see my favorites Florence + The Machine and the Alabama Shakes. I’m also looking forward to The Lumineers, Jack White and Two Door Cinema Club (just to name a few).

The weather in Austin will range from 88º to 67º all weekend, and thunderstorms are possible on Sunday. For an easy festival look, tuck a simple white top into a pair of high waist tribal shorts. Complete the outfit with the orange spike necklace and ankle boots.



Longhorn Fashions top/ Longhorn Fashions necklace/Bank tribal shorts/Cheap Monday boots

It’s going to be an amazing weekend whether you chose ACL or the TX/OU game!

If you can’t make it to the festival but don’t want to miss out on your favorite bands, watch the Official ACL Festival 2012 Webcast live on YouTube.

Monday, October 8, 2012

TX vs OU Weekend Guide by Longhorn Fashions



We are soo excited for the Texas/OU game this weekend! Nothing tops the tradition of the Red River Rivalry and the great divide between burnt orange and crimson.
GAMEDAY TIPS
Kickoff is at 11 am. It is always difficult to wake up for the morning games, so here are some tips to prepare for that early wake up call.

·         Don’t forget to set your alarm! You don’t want to miss the game by accidentally sleeping in!
·         Have your outfit laid out for the game. That way you don’t risk running late because you were debating which shoes or accessories to wear.
·         Purchase tickets and coupons ahead of time and have them mailed to you. Avoid the long lines with this easy step. (https://your-ticket-order.com/statefairoftexas/)
·         Print your tickets the night before.
·         Carpool. Each parking space is $15 so gather some friends and carpool to the game. Then you’ll have more money to spend on food!
·         Hydrate. Between late night partying and walking around the fair grounds, you’ll need to drink plenty of water.


WEATHER
This crazy Texas weather is hard to plan for! Luckily, it will warm up by the time we get to Dallas on Saturday. The forecast is partly sunny, breezy, and humid with a high of 85º and a low of 65º.


WHAT TO WEAR
It may be chilly in the morning when you arrive at the Cotton Bowl, so layer a classic jean jacket over the Burnt Orange Skater Dress. This dress is comfortable and figure flattering no matter how much fried food you consume! Complete your outfit with statement earrings, enamel bangles, and a pair of fabulous cowboy boots.



WHAT TO EAT
No one will deny it.... (fried) fair food is the best part about TX/OU weekend! The Texas State Fair is defined by the fried food that is served up every year. This year, keep an eye out for the 2012 favorites: Deep Fried Jambalaya and Fried Bacon Cinnamon Roll.

Other notable fair foods this year are:
·         Deep-Fried Divine Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
·         Chicken Fried Cactus Bites
·         Deep fried Mac-N-Cheese Slider
·         Fried Mexican Fire Crackers (a tasty mix of chicken, cheese, and jalapeno wrapped in crispy dough)
·         Fried Pork Wing
·         Picnic on a Stick (fried chicken, tater tots, and pickle complete with your choice of sauce) Oh my goodness, we can’t wait to try all of the heart-stopping goodness!

Images from dallasnews.com
Have a great weekend, and BEAT OU!

Written by: Thuy