The Zoe Report

Nicole Kliest

Bio

Nicole is a New York-based freelance writer and editor who focuses on fashion, travel, and lifestyle. She studied Journalism and Creative Writing at Pepperdine University and her work has appeared on sites such as Who What Wear, Cools, Popsugar, Seventeen, and more. When she’s not writing about the latest designers to shop or destinations to adventure off to, she’s probably doing yoga or riding her bicycle (with a helmet!). You can contact her via email at nkliest@gmail.com and follow her Instagram @nickliest.

6 Fall Outfit Ideas Carrie Bradshaw Perfected 20 Years Ago

Carrie Bradshaw once remarked, “There is a time of year in New York when, even before the first leaf falls, you can feel the seasons click. The air is crisp, the summer is gone. And for the first night in a long time, you need a blanket on your…
By Nicole Kliest

3 Flat Shoe Styles To Ditch Your Heels For

There seem to be fewer and fewer occasions that justify a pair of heels these days. Maybe it's because there's something jilting about a face-covering paired with high heels for an outdoor dinner, or simply that 2020 is the year of returning to…
By Nicole Kliest

Serendipitous Project's Sydney Ziems On Her Art-Inspired Jewelry

Sydney Ziems didn't always love jewelry. "I used to be a minimalist,"the Serendipitous Project designer shares on a call from her home in New York City. She jokes that the fabled Coco Chanel quote ("Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and…
By Nicole Kliest

The No-Effort Sweater Trend That Will Make You Feel Dressed Up

Anything overtly matchy-matchy is often regarded passé, but there's something about a sweet and cozy sweater set that makes the coordination more sophisticated than stuffy. And the cardigan sets for fall 2020 are an especially enticing reason to…
By Nicole Kliest

The Stats Are In: Baggy Jeans Will Be Fall's Most Popular Style

In many ways, 2020 feels like a parallel universe. Careers, homes, financial stability, relationships, and just about everything else nodding to normalcy looks different. At times it can feel futile to search for silver linings, but in the spirit of…
By Nicole Kliest

How I Packed (Safely) For My 3-Week Road Trip

Thelma and Louise. Jack Kerouac. Easy Rider. The American road trip is one of those rare and universally beloved archetypes that span the literary and cinematic genres. The open road in all of its mystery and infinite potential is a motif that's…
By Nicole Kliest

The 2003 Trend That's Creeping Back Into the Spotlight

The neckline of a top or dress is one of those constructional details that can transform the entirety of an outfit's aesthetic. Take, for example, a Victorian-inspired ruffled neck — it instantly adds drama and elegance. Other silhouettes up top are…
By Nicole Kliest

Solange Franklin Predicts the Future of Styling Post-Pandemic

The Zoe Report's Best Dresser is a series that profiles top stylists, diving into everything from how they got their starts in the industry to their proudest fashion moments to date. For this installment, meet Solange Franklin. "I'm actually pretty…
By Nicole Kliest

The Floaty, Romantic Top That's All Over Instagram

There are few self-expressions more personal than what you dress yourself in. Fashion as a form of identity is an ancient concept, one that's steeped in politics, class divides, and artistic groups. Throughout history, fashion has mirrored these…
By Nicole Kliest

What Is The Slow Fashion Movement, Exactly?

Good things take time. Research, trial, error, strategy, execution: Creativity is a nuanced process. The advent of fast fashion and social media has cultivated a society that craves immediacy in place of nuance, often at the cost of originality, the…
By Nicole Kliest

Why This '90s Trend Is Back On The Fashion Radar Again

For many, seeing the Yin Yang symbol on clothes and jewelry feels like a nostalgic nod to childhood years. If you grew up around the '90s then you likely recall the iconic black and white symbol as a temporary tattoo or on an adorned choker from the…
By Nicole Kliest

Rachel Green's Favorite Hair Accessory From 1997 Is Cool Again

Just when you think the entire gamut of '90s trends has been resurrected, another makes its way to the surface. Welcome back, cute claw clips. This hair accessory — a simple plastic clamp that fastens tightly around your locks — was ubiquitous…
By Nicole Kliest

In Your 30s? Here's How To Wear Denim Cutoffs

If there's one fashion-related topic that most people can collectively agree upon, it's that there shouldn't be rules. Whatever age, body shape, or gender you happen to be, everything is on the table — period. That said, there are some styles that…
By Nicole Kliest

Your Definitive Guide To Bike-Riding Outfits

One of the (very few) potentially positive outcomes of the Coronavirus pandemic is a monumental shift in the way many people get around. Despite public transportation reopening, many individuals are understandably concerned about the community…
By Nicole Kliest

What Will Street Style Look Like After Coronavirus?

Fashion is reactionary. Historically, style mirrors cultural shifts, whether it be the flamboyant Roaring Twenties flappers or the psychedelic hippie garb that reflected the political and social upheaval of the anti-Vietnam war youth. 2020 has…
By Nicole Kliest

How 2020 Reshaped the Way LGBTQIA+ Members Celebrated Pride

Pride celebrated its 50th anniversary this past month, but celebrating this half-century marker looks starkly different than the years that came before it. New York City was scheduled to host this month-long celebration that culminated in the Jun.…
By Nicole Kliest

I Was A Blue Light Glasses Skeptic — But This Changed My Mind

I've sustained an on-and-off-again relationship with blue light glasses for the last five years. Like many modern employees, my workday consists of hours spent staring at a computer screen. And though my vision is 20/20 (for now) I wasn't opposed to…
By Nicole Kliest

This Is The 2020 Way to Wear Flip Flops

Regardless of your proximity to a stretch of sand, flip flops can and should be repurposed as a legitimate footwear option. Over the course of the last few seasons, designers have incorporated thongs into their collections including versions from…
By Nicole Kliest

Good News For Sci-Fi Junkies: Space Jewelry Is Everywhere Right Now

The June launch of SpaceX's Dragon shuttle heralded the arrival of a newly designed space suit. But, for non-astronauts, space-inspired jewelry is a trend that nods both to futurism and peoples' long fascination with our solar system. The…
By Nicole Kliest

9 Buzzy Asian-American Designers To Shop This Month

In the age of social media, consumerism (or putting your money where your mouth is) is one of the best approaches to supporting the diverse people that are both in your network and beyond it. May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and one…
By Nicole Kliest