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.

4 Easy Steps to Cultivate a Closet of Modern Wardrobe Staples

A 1957 ‘Shop Talk’ column from The New York Times observes, “Fashion classics, unlike their literary counterparts, are never shelved to gather dust. They go on year after year as the backbone of every woman's wardrobe.” Sixty-three years later and…
By Nicole Kliest

19 Earrings Trends That Will Define This Season

It's been a good year for sweatpants and statement earrings. Zoom meetings and FaceTimes with friends continue to be a normal part of 2020 vernacular and a pair of earrings to jazz up your time on screen still holds weight. The top earrings trends…
By Nicole Kliest

How to Shop For a Leather Jacket, According to Experts

Investing isn't just for Wall Street. The notion of saving up for a new pair of shoes, a bag, or a coat that's well-crafted and long-lasting is one that's both timeless and important. The investment's significance lies in the fact that when you buy…
By Nicole Kliest

How To Style A Sweater The French-Girl Way

If ever there were a year to embrace a relaxed attitude toward dressing, 2020 would be the one. And while you can't travel to France for the foreseeable future (le sigh) you can adopt an effortless French approach toward your wardrobe. As you're…
By Nicole Kliest

10 Halloween Costume Ideas Strictly Reserved For Fashion Fanatics

Halloween has always been a particularly challenging holiday for fashion lovers. Predictable costumes that come pre-packaged in a bag (talking to you, witches and nuns) just don't sit right if you live for putting together a killer outfit. If…
By Nicole Kliest

3 Expert Tips For Revamping Your Wardrobe The Sustainable Way This Fall

A new season offers a ripe opportunity to audit your wardrobe. It's a metaphorical reset button that, after a year of change and uncertainty, everyone could make good use of. A byproduct of 2020 is coming to terms with the fashion industry's…
By Nicole Kliest

These Sneakers Are The Secret Weapon In Every Minimalist's Wardrobe

It's the era of sneakers. The comfortable footwear staple once reserved for athletics and lazy weekend errands has evolved into a staple that's now a mainstay in even the most high-end designer collections. Balenciaga's bouncy Triple S sneakers…
By Nicole Kliest

This '70s Trend Is The Easiest Way To Refresh Your Fall Wardrobe

Corduroy is the kind of trend that gracefully toes the line between timely and timeless — it always feels special and it's perennially in style. This sturdy fabric is woven together with vertical stripes that are formed by extra crosswire yarns and…
By Nicole Kliest

This Must-Know Bag Trend Was Outside All The Best Spring 2021 Fashion Shows

The beauty of street style lies within its innate uniqueness. In contrast to a runway collection where an overarching theme is envisioned by one designer, two women attending a show could style the exact same piece in wildly different ways. Ipso…
By Nicole Kliest

The 7 Bag Trends That Matter Most From The Spring 2021 Runways

Runway trends are often challenging to distill into everyday life. Ornate gowns or logo-print bodysuits don't realistically translate to the office or a weekend meal with friends. However, an item that you can seamlessly draw the dotted line from…
By Nicole Kliest

110 Years Of Iconic Chanel Fashion Moments That You'll Want To Revisit

The house of Chanel is the kind of storied label that requires no introduction. Since its founding in 1910, the Parisian brand has become a household name thanks to its era-defining designs, signature fragrances, and highly-coveted accessories — not…
By Nicole Kliest

10 Outfits That Prove A Corset Is The Only Trendy Piece You Need This Fall

A corset is probably not a priority on your fall shopping list right now. This often-constricting underpinning doesn’t have the shiniest track record when it comes to comfortability. Its history of placing a tad too much emphasis on slimming down a…
By Nicole Kliest

Why Diane Keaton's 1970s Style Is A Must Try For Fall 2020

First there was Katharine Hepburn during the 1940s, taking an antiquated mold of femininity and spinning it on its head for the first time wearing suits and silken trousers when dresses were the norm. During the 1970s, Diane Keaton's androgynous…
By Nicole Kliest

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