'Frenemies' take a fashion field trip in NYC

[January 12, 2012]  NEW YORK (AP) -- It goes with the teenage territory: Girls gush over their friends and each other's wardrobes.

But maybe that BFF should wear just a few more casual outfits. Right back at her with, "You should wear more skirts."

Hmmm, sounds like the "Frenemies" are at it.

A new Disney Channel movie called "Frenemies" debuts Friday night, casting real-life fashion fans and best buds Bella Thorne and Zendaya as style watchers who want to turn their blog Geekly Chic into a magazine.

Of course, their friendship is put to the test when they have to compete for the editor job. In the end, though, they go together like a pair of great shoes, doing their best work as a team.

Both girls star in the Disney Channel TV series "Shake It Up," where they play outfit-obsessed best friends who get a gig as background dancers on a local TV dance show.

Thorne is 14. Zendaya is 15; her last name is Coleman but she prefers a one-word name like Madonna or Beyonce. Zendaya doesn't really go anywhere without heels on, and one of Thorne's favorite outfits ever was a Betsey Johnson party dress with combat boots and funky socks.

Zendaya says she's learned a lot about shoes from her friend. Thorne is much more into music and dance thanks to Zendaya.

In an hour-long fashion field trip to an H&M store in Manhattan, the girls dreamed up new fashion-forward combos, described their signature looks, and listed must-have items for their purses (phones and headphones for both, but Zendaya also needs her lip gloss).

The girls say they wish they could swap clothes more often, but, alas, while they are cut from the same cloth, they are not the same size. Here are some other tidbits from their visit to H&M.

AP: What's your style?

Zendaya: I like to be dressed up. I'm pretty neutral, not very funky. I like neutral colors, and black and white. I need to wear more color. .., I could sit in the closet a long time and be very happy and think about what to wear. I have a definite interest. I study ads in fashion magazines, and I'll cover up the labels and guess if I know the designer. I quiz myself.

Thorne: I don't do a stylist because I like the unexpected. I will make up a whole outfit, picking the shoes first. ... I also really like leather.

AP: How would you describe each other's style?

Thorne: If I were going to buy something for myself, I'd get the hot pink, and I'd get the black for Zendaya. She's sophisticated.

Zendaya: Bella likes to mix it up. She'll wear frilly with studs.

AP: What would you like to see each other wear more of?

Zendaya: I would like to see her more casual, in jeans and some kick-back Converse.

Thorne: She never wears skirts. (To Zendaya:) You should wear more skirts. I'd love to see her in a bubble skirt and a comic T-shirt.

AP: Your biggest obsession?

Thorne: I love to shop shoes. I turned a room into my house into a closet -- I made it my shoe closet.

Zendaya: I have a closet full of blazers, and I love shoes. I wear the blazers with shorts, and then I'll try on all of my shoes.

[Associated Press; By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL]

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