Style Barometer: Halloween Edition

Happy Halloween, ghouls and gals! Halloween may be one of our favorite holidays as we really can't even say no to the opportunity to dress up in something outrageous, whether it be scary or fabulous! But as it is our favorite holiday, we have some developed some loves & loathes so we've ranked them up on our newest Style Barometer. 

We RFers have also started the tradition of Halloween nail art and Miriam's creation above will be hard to top this year. If you're looking for some Halloween nail art inspiration we recommend the following YouTube tutorials below that will surely bring out your Halloween drear~ 

Nail Art for Halloween: The Ultimate Guide by cutepolish

Halloween Witch's Brew by ArcadiaNailArt

Spider Web Nail Art by StefiBeauty

As referenced above, Take Back Halloween, will definitely be our newest resource for tutorials on inventive costumes. How about you, dear readers? What will be your costume this year or how will you celebrate? Lets us know if you have any Halloween-themed loves or loathes in the comments below. (cue eery music, lightning and cackling witch sound effects here!)

Halloween Work Wear

We believe that you can never be too old for Halloween celebrations, but one of the things that sucks about being an adult is not being able to wear the McCall's-pattern-mom-made Belle dress out in the daylight on October 31st. 

You may have to wait til the weekend to fully unfurl your costume designs, but as Halloween falls on a Thursday this year, we encourage fellow Halloween lovers to inject some ghoulish glam into their everyday work wear.

1. Me & Zena Spider Web Necklace - If Arachnaphobia still gives you nightmares then this necklace might not be for you, but we think this Black Window jewelry is a beautiful touch of dark glamour and surely Elvira-approved!

2. Barry M Halloween Green Polish - Orange and Black are the go to Halloween shades but we feel Frankenstein and the Creature from the Black Lagoon deserve some color love. You can Monster Mash your keyboard with your monster green digits. 

3. Polly Sock Halloween - These Jack Skellington-esque socks would look absolutely rad with a pair of prim and proper pumps and a midi skirt. If you feel that bones on show on too much for your workplace you can always hide them securely in a pair of booties and just be warmed by your secret Halloween love. 

4. Burgundy Ladder Tights - These ladder and lace tights evoke the image of cobwebs and the beautiful wine color will lend itself to many Autumnal outfits. 

5. Full Midi Skirt in Patent - Give off a wicked witch vibe in this PVC skirt that hits so many F/W seasonal trends -- gothic & 90s (Yes, we remember that pleather jacket you rocked on the playground.)

6. Lazy Oaf Kitty Pass Case - Some people believe that black cats bring bad luck -- but according to superstition, it's only if they cross your path. Keeping a black cat is actually good luck! So bring yourself some much-needed luck on your morning commute with this Black kitty cat pass case.

7. MAC Lipstick in 'Hang Up' - Vampy lips are everywhere this season and we love it! It's a great excuse to channel your favorite character from The Craft.

8. Bella Feather Jacket - As soon as Halloween hits, the temperatures drop. You'll need some faux fluff to keep you warm, you might as well look like a glamorous evil queen. Don't forget your pointy heels, extra arched eyebrows and an apple in your lunch bag. 

Girls Keep Singing

We don't think it's our conjoined imagination - it really does seem as though ladies are taking their rightful place in the charts; Solange Knowles, Haim, Lorde, Janelle Monae - here are well dressed women, relying on their singing rather than stripping ability. Is this the dawn of a new day? Is a lioness cub being ceremoniously held up to the sun? We're not sure, but we do so hope that we that the days of gyrating, dead behind the eyes girls is over (their presence only adds to the pornification of our culture and to be honest, we don't really think that the world needs any encouragement to further debase women) and we welcome the arrival of these stylish songstresses...

The girl who dethroned Miley Cyrus from the top of the Hot 100 is bringing a different sort of buzz and at just 16 already has a strong sense of style, favouring long skirts, trousers and eyeliner flicks that could launch a thousand ships. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Lorde said that when choosing clothes to wear on stage she has “to feel strong and feel like I can command attention”, a very refreshing change from the vulnerable look favoured by some – we like her, we like her a lot, but can’t help but wonder, how can someone so young be so wise?

Janelle Monae is bringing back the funk to 2013 and her newest album "The Electric Lady" will not disappoint R&B fans who love the funky stylings of other artists such as Prince or Erykah Badu (in fact, they are both featured on this album!). Janelle's style is monochromatic and tomboyish with clear inspirations from the 1960s and also the fantasy cyberpunk world of 'Metropolis' which is where her concept albums take place. We adore how she stomps around in all-white and a pair of suspenders /braces (gotta keep it real for you US or UK people) and combat boots during her shows.  

Who on earth could cope with the pressure of being Beyonce’s little sister? Solange, instead of trying to be a mini–Bey, came out with a totally different style, both musically and aesthetically. Clearly disregarding Tina Knowles’ style advice (it was the Knowles matriarch who was responsible for some of the worst offenses committed by Destiny’s Child on their 16 year fashion-crime spree) this summer she was the queen of clashing prints and has continued to wow with her super cool look which incorporates many a man repelling element.

We have already waxed lyrical about our love for the HAIM sisters (peep some HAIM-inspired clothing here!), but we can't over-gush how much about this stylish trio sets our hearts and ears a-flutter. The sisters definitely have their own distinct style, which makes them all the more the exciting. And if you ever need to tell them apart, Alana wears the awesome leather vests, Danielle wears the cute high-waisted jorts, and Este always rocks bright red lips. Their easy styles aren't glam, but it makes them much more relatable than some other pop sensations who practically take naked baths in diamonds.

Print Psychology

Do you ever look through your wardrobe pieces from 2008-2011 and wonder how you managed to pull off that much grey and black without looking like a cloud of dreariness? Now, there is nothing wrong with excess amounts of black in one's wardrobe, but around 2012, bright colors and peppy prints were re-birthed by the fashion womb and held up the sun like little Simba. 

Speaking of the Lion King, have you ever wondered WHY leopard will just not go away? Or why we call some plaids 'ladylike' and others 'grunge'? Or maybe wondered why Mary Katranzou's intricate prints leave you hypnotized? Well, head on over to Zero Magazine and check out an article I (Siobhan) wrote about psychology and printed textiles! 

I can only prove the headiness of this piece by a recent conversation with my mother, who is DEATHLY afraid of snakes.

Siobhan: So that's why people like predator animal prints.

Siobhan's mom: I have 3 snake-skin print blouses!!! What am I doing?? 

Have you ever wondered why people are so obsessed with a certain fashion item? (Ummm, Jeffrey Campbell Litas?) Let us know in the comments below!

Haus of Deck Ear Cuff Giveaway!

It doesn't feel so long ago that us RF girls were wandering around the Shareo underground mall in Hiroshima city when we stumbled upon some enchanting ear cuffs at our favorite jewelry store. As with every new fashion trend, we debated whether to include this in our jewelry box but we ultimately passed. Since then, we've been haunted by the ghost of unwise decisions past and have seen ear cuff jewelry explode. But like a merciful fairy, we were contacted by fashion jewelry boutique, Haus of Deck, and they offered to send us some ear cuff jewelry to review and also sponsor a giveaway for our wonderful readers. Once we saw their outrageously beguiling pieces, we jumped on the chance! Forever forgiven for our mistakes, we say thanks to Haus of Deck.

Check out our review of their jewelry and below that will be the rules for the giveaway! Enjoy, loves!

Miriam's outfit:
Kimono jacket - River Island
Leopard print jeans - Whistles
Sheer blouse - Zara
Satchel - ASOS (stolen from Little Sis)
Stompy boots - Topshop

Miriam's review: As lovely as it was having an ear positively brimming with sparkle, I couldn't quite shake the feeling that the ear-cuff was in fact a relic from some dystopian future and that I was no longer master of my own thoughts. If you can get over that, it really does make a very pleasing addition to an outfit and is a nice way of making an effort on an otherwise lazy Sunday.

Siobhan's outfit:

Floral chiffon blouse - Forever 21

Black necklace - Urban Outfitters

Leather jacket - H&M

Black Skinnies - Topshop

D'orsay Flats - Chinese Laundry

Siobhan's review: As soon as I donned my golden leaf ear cuff, I did feel the spirit of Daenerys Targaryean enter my body. It hooked easily behind my ear and did not slip or slide once it was on. With other ear cuffs that I've tried, I always had trouble with my ears either being too big or too small, but this ear cuff hooked perfectly. I found this ear cuff looks best with side-swept doo or an up-do. I tried to keep it casual for this look but I think ear would look marvelous with a top knot, red lips and a simple black shift dress, to truly let the golden glory glow. I was impressed about how light the piece was when I initially put it on. But 2 hours in, my ear did ache. I'm looking forward to dressing this piece up for a night-out look, but it fun experimenting with a day-look for this dramatic ear jewelry.

Now onto the giveaway! All that is required to enter this giveaway is to "like" our new Remotely Fashion Facebook page. Use the form below so that you are counted for the giveaway. If you already are a fan of us on Facebook, just verify using the form below and you will be entered.

You will receive the 'Golden Fan Ear Cuff' that Siobhan is wearing above, and perhaps the spirit of the Mother of Dragons will also enter your body. You can also up your chances for winning by tweeting about our giveaway, following us on twitter or leaving a comment on this post. This giveaway is open internationally and is open from 24th October until All Hallows Eve (Mwah Ha Ha). The winner will be announced up here after they have been selected by a rickety old tombola. Best of luck, RF readers! 

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Get Your Coat Love, You've Pulled

1. Checked coat - NW3 by Hobbs 2.Vintage cocoon coat - ASOS 3. Ovoid coat - Topshop  

4. Intersection coat - Antipodium 5. Francesca coat - Monki

One of the best things about the winds increasing and the temperatures dipping is that it signals the start of winter coat time. For years the coat was an after thought, worn exclusively for practical reasons, but not anymore - this year the coat will take centre stage in your winter wardrobe, so make sure you get one that you love.

Here are our favourite cosy cover-ups, because remember, Winter Is Coming...

Lady Mary Crawley

Ever cheerful, it is a rare silver lining that we ever miss, so while most of the world (did we mention that we're fond of hyperbole) is mourning the loss of Matthew Crawley, we are just happy that Lady Mary's grief has her back to her very best - cold, distant and perfectly poised.

And so, with Downton Abbey careering into the roaring 20s, we would like to present the following selection of Lady Mary inspired stuff.

Clockwise - Fringed bag: Coast, Lip and cheek tint: Benefit , Diamond ring: Annina Vogel,

Patent shoes: Zara, Headband: ASOS, Lace kimono: Topshop