The Curly Pledge

Siobhan's outfit: Tank top - Madewell, Loose Printed Trousers - Zara, 'Easy Does It' Flats - Chinese Laundry, Rings - River Island, Anklet & Necklace - Etsy, Tote Bag - Forever 21

Miriam's outfit: Speckled T-shirt - Topshop, Eagle necklace - Topshop, Basket bag - H&M, Gold Wedge Sandals - Office, Boyfriend Jeans - H&M

August 14th marks the world's first Wear Your Hair Curly Day and being naturally curly haired ladies, we had to jump on the bandwagon! For those with naturally straight strands, it may be a bit confusing as to why curly haired women would even need a day to wear their hair in their own natural state but anyone with curls, coils, or kinks knows that it's not so cut & dry. Many of us have made our straightening irons a psychological crutch during the 2000's (blame Gwyneth Paltrow) but recently curls have made a huge comeback and we think they are here to stay. Not just about a look, embracing one's curls is also about feeling confident in one's natural state which also may be a societal zeitgeist of the moment. Indeed in the past, we have reserved our curls for those close to us, but now we are more willing now to show our follicular versatility.

But maintaining pretty curls is a learning process and it took us years to refine. My hardest lesson was learned when at 8 years of age, I attempted to get rid of my frizzy halo by gleefully snipping off sections of my mane. My mother was suitably horrified and I'm just glad she didn't put me in a straight jacket. Anyway, here are our hard-earned tips. 

Miriam: 

•  I only comb my hair in the shower with my hair soaking wet. After my hair is fully detangled, I follow up with another rinse of water to encourage the curls clumping together. After squeezing out the excess water with a towel, I allow my hair to air dry. 
•  Since my hair is fine, I stay away from heavy styling products and simply apply Argan oil to moisturize my hair. 
•  Once a week I slather my hair with Argan oil and sleep it in overnight, washing it out the next morning. Argan oil is one of the only oils that can fully penetrate the hair shaft and moisturize the hair intensely. 
•  Up-dos and side-swept styles are my go-to show off my curls while also keeping them from going too Mrs. Rochester a la Jane Eyre. 

Siobhan: 

•  My hair drinks up conditioner, so I only use deep conditioner after I'm done shampooing with a sulfate-free shampoo. 
•  I also use a wide-tooth comb when my hair is wet, but not every day. Sometimes not detangling my hair allows my curls to better clump together and thereby reduce frizz. 
•  I apply a creamy leave-in conditioner (Mixed Chicks Leave-in Conditioner) and holding product (Tigi Curls Rock) in my very wet hair and then put my hair up in a towel to dry. 
•  I usually air dry but will use a diffuser on medium heat to speed the drying process. 
•  Never ever, ever allow a hair dresser use a razor to 'thin' your hair. Like punch them in the throat if they even suggest it. 

We challenge our dear readers to take the pledge as well and wear your hair curly tomorrow! By pledging your name on the Garnier Fructis website, you can also enter to win a trip to NYC and also send deserving girls to 'Rock Camp'. Sounds pretty rad to us. Happy curls!

Summertime Sadness

Maxi Dress - H&M (similar here)

Ankle Boots - Jeffrey Campbell 'Roscoe'

Crystal Ring - Urban Outfitters

Gold Pendant Necklace - Brandy Melville (similar here)
Hat - Urbant Outfitters (stolen from RF Ken doll's wardrobe)

As I was recently catching up on the upcoming fashions for Fall/Winter 2013, I do admit I felt a twinge of pain at the inevitable death of summer. Don't let my smile in the images above fool you! As I am now writing this in sleeveless top, I am to happy report that it has not arrived yet. But now I feel almost frantic to do ALL the summertime things! (In a very Hyperbole and a Half fashion) So a couple weekends ago, I attempted to do something decidedly British and I finally went punting along the river with the RF Ken Doll and some friends. The outfit above was what I wore on the blazing hot day (well, by English standards). My incredibly thrifty H&M maxi dress served me well and symbolizes my mourning for the death of summer. However, I can console myself -- I think about how some of the best clothes are for when you're shivering in your ankle boots and beanie. 

Sheikha of Hearts

American Embassies might be closing here, there and everywhere across the Arab world, but for us there is a beacon of style drawing us to the Middle East; Sheikha Mozah (or Queen Banana) is  impossibly glamorous, perfectly put together and never puts a foot wrong as she walks the tightrope of dressing fashionably yet modestly. Actively involved in politics and listed as one of the world's 100 most powerful women -- never have we wanted to wear a turban more.

Clutch Bag - Nancy Gonzalez,  Eyeliner - Dior, Earrings - Arman Sarkisyan, Turban - ASOS

JP! Digital: Holy Trinity

Art, design and photography loving readers, hear hear! Remotely Fashion is now a part of the Just Pirez! Magazine's bloggers network and we would like to share our love of the core of fashion -- art. JP! Digital's newest issue definitely has got our creative juices flowing so bad that we might just start an organic juice bar (flavors will include: 'Purple Drank' and 'Mountain Dew Muse'). 

Just Pirez! Issue four, Holy Trinity, has an overarching theme of perplexing, detailed images that elicit a range of emotions from awe, sympathy, disgust, to curiosity. One of our favorite features in the issue is Andy Rudak's remarkable architectural photography project that depicts a variety of international locations made entirely of cardboard. The realism is amazing and we adored how baby woodland animals randomly appeared in the cityscapes. Another feature that made us look a little harder were the detailed illustrations from Rachel Walsh. Her artwork will make you inspect every detail like when you were a child searching for Waldo. The issue has many more intriguing works from a variety of talented and emerging artists from diverse genres. Be sure to check out the latest issue over here!

RF Style Barometer

Welcome to our new fortnightly feature; here we will celebrate those things that have made us as happy as unicorns galloping through a field of bluebells and shame those that have made us throw-up in our mouths. Items on the up and up on the left and items on the right... well, shield your eyes. 

Cat Eyes

Speckle Roll Mini-Dress - Topshop

Leather Jacket - H&M

Roscoe Boots - Jeffrey Campbell

Black Cat Phone Case - Etsy

Sunglasses (similar here) - Urban Outfitters 

Do you have an obsession with dressing your gadgets? I certainly do. Maybe it's remnants of my maternal days as a Tamagotchi owner (R.I.P. Turquoise & Yellow Gen 1 Tama, Tamagotchi Angel, Nano Pet Puppy, and even Giga Pet Little Mermaid) that I feel I must treat my tech with respect and decoration. And I openly admit I am drawn to anthropomorphized electronics -- sometimes I wander down the toy aisle in those mega stores and wonder what my life would be like if I only had a Furby. A downy-haired, chirpy-voiced, glassy-eyed Furby of my dreams. And then I shake my head and move it along.

However, when I found this black cat phone case for my Samsung S3, I pounced like a feral kitten. Love my Samsung, but cool cases are not readily available in real life marketplaces. And so like a new proud parent, I matched my outfit with my new case. But it's not just in the outside that counts -- I am quite particular about my home & lock screens. I recently found this lovely website, Poolga, that has beautiful and artistic options for your phone backgrounds. Now I must know how you baby your tech, readers! 

Into Distance by Ricky Meehan, Your Delirium by Joanna Gnaidy, Crystal Horse by Laura Rymer

Dreamy Reality

Clockwise: Gold Clutch - New Look, Orbit Sunglasses - Karen Walker, 

Sand clutch - See by Chloé, Round Sunglasses - ASOS.

Sometimes what you dream of can be a little out of reach and when it comes to affairs of the heart we would never (could never) condone settling for a substitute, but with accessories, maybe it's okay (we also think that in lieu of a unicorn, it is perfectly acceptable to tie a cardboard horn to the head of a white horse, but that's another matter entirely).