About Amber Mortensen

In less than 3 years of writing about fashion from her own perspective on Painfully Hip, Amber Mortensen’s writing and wardrobe styling has been featured by print and electronic publications across the country. Her resume boasts interviews and mentions by BUST Magazine, Elle.com, Urban Outfitters.com, and Flair Magazine along with publication by Lucky Magazine, N.E.E.T. Magazine, Buffalo Exchange.com, The Printed Blog, and in national print ads for Crossroads Trading Company, the vintage retailer.

Amber is currently residing in Tucson, AZ where she writes, designs, models, and runs a fashion photography collective. She has been busy filling her portfolio with editorial collaborations with established photographers in Tucson, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Vancouver, BC. At any given time, she is contributing to local publications, organizing several projects at once, and plans to one day be styling and art directing editorial shoots for several international glossy magazines.

In October 2010, Amber is embarking on a several month long, Painfully Cheap European Backpacking Tour. She plans to find out exactly what she can’t live without while visiting Europe’s most fashionable cities. Please contact painfullyhip@gmail.com with your product or sponsorship ideas.

My style tips:

1. Balance is key with a well-styled ensemble. If your outfit is plain, “excess-orize.” Balance casual with dressy, masculine with feminine, sexy with frumpy, and vintage with modern.

2. Get yourself a bad ass tailor.

3. Unexpected color combinations are an easy way to add some style to an otherwise “safe” outfit.

4. Vintage is becoming a must-have part of every wardrobe so raid your local thrift stores. Just make sure it fits.

5. Express yourself with your clothing. Style is art, so go ahead and rock it. Otherwise, sneer, strut or simply grin, and no one will question your style choices ever again. Besides, who cares if they do? They call it personal style for a reason.