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NYFW A/W ’19 Recap Part One

March 7, 2019

This post (NYFW A/W ’19 Recap Part One), contains affiliate links. Clicking on them or making purchases through them may provide me with a small commission. This post is brought to you in part by VB Studio, Valley NYC, DreamDry, Pucker, SuperJeweler, and Atrium Dumbo. All thoughts and opinions are, as always, my own.

Well, hello, loves!
Let’s cut right to the sparkly pink elephant in the room. Yes, NYFW took place almost a month ago, and I’m JUST NOW getting my posts up. If I had known how much stress I would be putting on myself by planning a wedding almost entirely solo, I probably would have skipped it altogether. That’s real talk! All of the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes in to a successful NYFW trip is no easy task! But regardless, I went, I had lots of fun, attended some amazing shows, and I’m so thankful that I was able to be part of all of the magic that is NYFW.

I’ve decided to just do two posts to include my time in New York, partially because I’m sure y’all don’t want 4 lengthy posts documenting what most of you have already seen on stories. Also because half of the designers whose shows I attended didn’t get back to me with pictures of their collection. I digress..

My first day was a logistical nightmare. I landed at LaGuardia at 11 AM and after a half hour of password-resetting attempts, my phone wouldn’t let me log in to Juno (an NY-only based ride sharing service). It’s cheaper than Lyft and Uber, but I ended up having to book one of them. I plugged in the address of where I was planning to store my luggage temporarily, and we were on our way! A few minutes into the ride, I got an alert that the location was closed. Long story short, the driver told me he couldn’t change the destination and let me out of the car basically at the freeway offramp somewhere in Brooklyn. I had to call another car, and finally made it to Williamsburg to the new storage spot. Cute area, great bagels, moving on..

I took the train into the city, grabbed the house key from my roommate for the week, and took the train back to get my luggage. Another Uber, and I landed at my temporary home, in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn. Side note, I had NO idea how big Brooklyn actually is. More on that later. I steamed all my clothes, settled in, showered, and got ready for dinner. I wanted to treat my roomies to a nice dinner, so we headed to Peaches. So good, highly recommend them. But easy on the shrimp and grits, it’s half cheese and made my tummy hurt from trying to eat it all, so definitely split that with someone.

The next day, I took the “Q” into the city and met up with my girl Alyssa from @lifeandstylebyap. We’d planned on doing 90% of things together, and I was SO happy to see her lovely face! We grabbed coffee, and headed to our first appointment of the day at VB Studio. Super cute, no frills spot. We were treated to blowouts (and champagne!) and Alyssa made an appointment to come back later to get her extensions re-done. The weather unfortunately took a toll (it was drizzling) and my hair was flat about 30 minutes after we’d left. My hair HATES humidity, and never holds curl or volume when it’s around. Not the salon’s fault, just crappy timing.

Outfit details:
Coat (under $100 and one of my faves of the season) & Dress (doesn’t the dandelion print give you all the Gossip Girl vibes!? Just me? OK…)
Bag (linking similar) / Loeffler Randall // Booties (I sized up to a 7.5) / Target // Necklace / Kyle Chan Love Initials

A quick walk and train ride later, we were at Valley Nails. Their space is SO adorable, and I was finding something new and pretty to stare at in every corner. My tech did a great job at applying the gold holographic foil. Y’all know I love my gold everything! Over the next couple days though, I noticed staining, chipping and peeling. Alyssa had a similar issue, but was able to go back to have them fixed. Apparently, her second set didn’t stain and lasted a lot longer, not sure what happened with that first round! I’d try them out again, just maybe go for a darker color.

Ring (comes in a set of 3) / Gorjana

Yay, onto our first show! And I have to say, one of my favorites of the season. Jiri Kalfar opened with legendary supermodel Paulina Porizkova (said in my best Tyra Banks voice), and continued on with such energy, and truly beautiful designs.

We learned a sneaky little trick, since the next show was at the same venue… We hopped to the front of the newly formed line to go back in, instead of going outside and waiting for check-in to start again. Hogan McLaughlin was the next designer to have his pieces come down the runway, and while the clothes were stunning, they were a bit high concept for me. I still appreciated the art of his designs, and it was another great show.

Off to the final fashion event of the evening, a presentation by Celestino Couture. They gave the incorrect address on the invite, and Alyssa & I, along with 6 other guests, were wandering around for 20 minutes before we learned of the new location. Gorgeous, intricate designs, breathtaking embellishments and embroidery, and a show-stopping pink gown as the highlight (it’s saved to my, ahem, highlights). Worth the hassle of finding the spot ? Most of the designs I felt had a vintage, almost time period quality to them, but made current for wearing today.

Alyssa was off to dinner with friends, and I was supposed to head to a shopping event, but your girl’s feet were done. Like bleeding ankles, done. I hobbled to the train after chowing down some pizza, and got off a couple stops from home to walk around Target barefoot until I found my favorite new (lifesaver) pink sneakers on the clearance rack. Oh, the glamour….

Friday was probably my most stressful day of the trip.
Blowouts at DreamDry and makeup at Pucker were exquisite, as always, and I will continue to work with and support them. The artists are always so talented, and actually work with you to create the vision you dreamed of.

The details!
Lightweight Trench / Nordstrom // Midi skirt (also comes in plus) / Nordstrom // Bodysuit / Free People // Belt bag (under $30) / Steve Madden //
Necklace / Kyle Chan Design // Earrings / vintage // Sneakers / Target (yay!) // hand warmers / Alpaca farm in New Jersey

After that, we headed to the Fashion Hong Kong runway show, and even though we arrived 15 minutes before the show started, we were 6 people deep in the standing section and couldn’t see a thing. Like not even a sliver of the runway. Hey, it happens sometimes. We decided to leave so Alyssa could get to her extension appointment, and I went home to change and rest. I believe this is when I learned that the “Q” train would now be down for maintenance the rest of the weekend, causing me to take… alternate means of transportation.

We met up again around 4 to shoot near the Manhattan bridge, to mixed results. About 30 other bloggers and their photographers had the same idea, and the sun was already pretty far set. Earlier is definitely the way we’ll go next season! Oh, and it was trash day. And windy AF.

Those deets!
Bodysuit (super comfortable to wear and under $60) / Nordstrom // Skirt / TopShop // Bag (sold out, linking similar) / Zara // Bracelet c/o SuperJeweler // Booties / Forever 21 // Ring / Aurate NYC // Earrings / vintage

On to dinner at Atrium Dumbo. I didn’t know if I was going to mention this or not, but I think it’s important to share, for any bloggers out there reading this, how important being accountable is. When you commit to a business or brand, it’s your, and sometimes other’s reputations on the line. I hate to sound like I’m scolding people here, but I spend hours planning meet ups so bloggers and influencers can connect in person, and also to bring exposure to awesome restaurants, and when people don’t show, it’s like a slap in the face!

So Alyssa and I planned on meeting three other bloggers there at 5:00 for a dinner I’d coordinated. One of them even said she was currently getting in a cab after stopping by her apartment to change, and was on her way. Alyssa and I waited until 6:00, and no one else showed. I also learned that even though we’d finalized a lunch for the following day at another restaurant more than a week prior, those girls had no intention of showing to that meet up either. We were disappointed, embarrassed, and hungry, to be honest, because they were waiting for the rest of our party to arrive before serving us. We explained the situation to the manager, offering to pay for the cheese plate we’d picked at, and he was very understanding and invited Alyssa and myself back another time. I think for future meet ups, I will require a deposit to hold people’s spots, which hopefully will have them actually respecting everyone’s time by showing up!

I will say that the space is stunning, the service was attentive, and the vibe was unpretentious and utterly romantic. Alyssa and I both remarked that it would be the perfect spot to be proposed to!

We then headed to Ciccio for wine and for something to eat (they forgot to ring in my food, even after being reminded when Alyssa’s food arrived, so annoying!), before meeting up with a large group of fellow bloggers at Bar Hugo. Such a cool space, and they actually let us enjoy a complimentary drink and private space so we could all chat and FINALLY see each other in person! I talked to @girlmeetsbow, @miss_alk, @payt_reed, whom I’d never met before, along with @kristinacatherinemcinnis and fellow Chicagoan @caitpatton. So many fantastic ladies in one place! So I will say that the night did end on a high note.

Stay tuned for the rest of my NYFW experience in Part 2!

And don’t forget to check out my past NYFW coverage from last season, and last year!

Brand Wins & Flops of 2018

January 8, 2019

Hello, loves! TBH, I was hesitant to sit down to write this post.
The past couple weeks have been pretty emotional for me. I am consistently really hard on myself, and I felt that I just didn’t deliver this past year. I set so many goals for myself and didn’t reach a lot of them. I don’t want this at all to sound like a pity party, because I’m also really proud of what I DID accomplish. So check out some of my brand wins & flops of 2018!

Wins!

I worked with some new AMAZING, dream brands that I was able to share with all of you and my Instagram family.

I attended NYFW twice! I still am reeling from the opportunities I was given to attend fashion shows, meet with some of my favorite brands, and explore New York.

I hosted two brunches, attended by some of my favorite bloggers. I coordinated everything from the restaurant, to the goodie bags, to tracking content deliverables. I truly enjoy connecting creatives and really think I could pursue a career in PR/events some day!

On that note, I co-hosted a shopping event at LOFT in Chicago. We had a great turnout, everyone enjoyed themselves, and I got to meet so many Chicago bloggers and followers.

I continued to work with some of my favorite brands on an on-going basis, (PinkBlush, StitchFix, Eliza J, Maybelline, to name just a few!)

I left all of my engagement pods on Instagram at the beginning of the year. You’ll get this if you’re a influencer, but it was really important to me to keep my Instagram engagement authentic. I also was so over spending 2 hours a day “catching up.”

I joined my now partner to form It Girl Marketing, which partners brands with influencers. We’re doing really well and have already completed several campaigns! It’s so fun seeing the collaborations come to life.

Flops

I’ll just start with one of the most nagging ones first.. I did not reach 10K followers. Which was also one of my goals for 2017, so it’s doubly humbling. I sometimes feel that everyone else is just sprouting up around me, and my following is stagnant.

I actually organized three brunches, but ultimately had to cancel the last one. Four of the ten influencers who had confirmed that they would be attending backed out THE DAY BEFORE the event. The restaurant decided it was best to reschedule, since I had promised them a certain exposure. We ended up moving cross-country the next month, so it didn’t work out, and I felt embarrassed, promising things to different people and not being able to deliver. It made me think twice about trusting people to follow through.

I was in a really uncomfortable position to leave a local networking group I’d invested half a year in helping to grow, or stay and continue to be bullied, talked about behind my back, put down to my face, and vastly under-appreciated. In addition to my full-time job, and my blog, I spent 4-8 hours A DAY working on brand outreach, organizing events and brand collaborations, planning a 5 day schedule for 5 girls for NYFW, along with receiving notifications from our text chain on an hourly basis. So much time put in, but in the end, I decided it was best to part ways. I’d been degraded by the founder in public, over text and in phone calls, and was told I wouldn’t be paid until there was a half million in the bank account. All of which, I was the only one contributing to, through the brand collaborations. That was the final straw. The good thing that came from my 6 months in the group, was some indelible friendships. I’ve kept in touch with so many of the girls, and we chat all the time via text and DM, and I’m so grateful for their support.

Instagram content.. I’ll be honest, I’ve posted some things I’m not entirely proud of. The worst are ones where I feel that my creativity didn’t come through, usually because I ran out of time and resources. Especially after moving, I have to take most of my pictures myself, because I don’t know anyone in my immediate area to help, especially not photographers. Mark is amazing, but works during every hour of daylight this time of year. I really hope to connect with more photographers, and continue to improve the quality and creativity of my content.

I had several posts denied by brands. These are posts that I put so much time, thought, and money in to. They’re posts I’d envisioned in my head, gone out and purchased items to help create them, spent time shooting, editing, creating a caption for, etc. All to be told by a brand they didn’t meet the brand’s vision, because I actually needed to be standing in front of a mirror and not in a bathtub, or that the product couldn’t be shot outside. All things that would have nice to know before signing on to a campaign, and I hate how much re-shoots squash my creativity and are quite disheartening. Adding this to my list of goals in 2019… I will charge for re-shoots if the brand changes their mind after the content is shot.

I didn’t post on here nearly as many times as I would have liked. I really enjoy writing. It was my major in college, and I feel that it’s such a great creative outlet for me. Definitely something to improve on in 2019!

I think it is really important to create a goals list, and I’ll be doing that as well, but keeping it private for now. Maybe, I’ll share on here when I meet one of them!
I’ll say again that I didn’t mean for this post to be such a downer, and now you can probably see why it was such an emotional year for me!

I’d love to hear about one win and one flop that you encountered last year, or a goal you’re setting for yourself!

Sweater c/o Pink Blush // Leggings / Halogen (Nordstrom) // Booties and bag / Target // Earrings / vintage // Rings / Gorjana

LOFT Winter Collection Try-On

December 6, 2018

This post (LOFT Winter Collection Try-On) was sponsored in part by LOFT on Fremont. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Welcome to my very first in-store try-on session! I’m so glad that it happened at LOFT, a brand I know and trust. I was able to squeeze these shots in before a recent event I co-hosted. I literally could have shopped for hours, because there were so many cute new pieces! Here are just a few of my favorite looks. Side note, their sale has now increased to 50% off with code NEWNOW. Get these winter-perfect pieces while you can!

For sizing reference, I generally wear a size 32 in jeans/pants, XL in tops (sometimes a Large), and a 14 in dresses. I have a small bust, small waist, and wider hips, and am 5’7″ tall.

For sizing, in the sweater, I tried on an XL, which I’d say is the perfect oversized slouchy sweater fit. Size down if you want a more fitted look. The pants are a 32, and true to size.

This sweater I wore in a size L, so I’d say that it runs a bit large. I’d size down in it, as the Large was still plenty roomy on me. The pants I tried in a 32, and ended up sizing down to a 31 to take home with me. They’re a little snug, but was told they’d stretch out up to a half size. The waist of the larger size was too big and gaped a bit.

LOFT Winter Collection Try-On Session - Striped Sweater and Polka Dot Jeans

In this sweater, I tried an XL and would say that it’s a fitted TTS. The pants in a size 32 fit like a dream.

I’m wearing the pants as above in a 32 (size down), tank in XL (size down if you have smaller-set hips, and blazer in a 14 which ran true to size.

I wore an XL in this cardigan, which ran true to size for a slightly slouchier fit (how you’d want it), and would size down in the tank (I’m wearing an XL), again, if you have smaller-set hips. It was plenty roomy in the bust, but was just right in the hips for me.

Ahhh, totally regretting not getting this coat now. SO toasty! I wore it in a size 14, and could fully zip it up. The sweater is a more fitted style and true-to-size as an XL.

I also took home this sweater in a size XL, which fit true-to-size. It’s also one of the softest things I own.

And I threw in an extra one of me and this cutie. He was one of our photographers for the evening and my favorite party companion! ❤️

Finding Fall Favorites with Stitch Fix

November 9, 2018

This post was created in partnership with Stitch Fix. I will always share with you my honest thoughts and experiences. Clicking on links in this post and/or purchasing items through them may provide me with a small commission. This is part of what keeps Dressed for Time going. Thanks for support brands that support this blog! 😀

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you’ll know that my relationship with Stitch Fix is nothing new.. (check out some of my past fixes here, here, here, here, here, here, here, to name a few!) This month marked my 34th fix! I truly enjoy the opportunity to try out new brands, exclusive styles, and that it feels like Christmas every time I get home and find my fix waiting for me. This time, I was a bit of a ding-dong and spaced on providing some feedback for what I was looking for.. It worked out in my favor though, because my stylist knows my tastes pretty well by now, and can almost predict some of the pieces that were lacking in my wardrobe. Fall in Chicago is pretty much the same as winter in Southern California, so I knew I needed to update some key pieces for the transition. Read on to see how I’m finding fall favorites with Stitch Fix and how to get your very best fix!

Sweater & jeans c/o Stitch Fix

Jacket, sweater, jeans c/o Stitch Fix

Hooded sweater, jeans and bag c/o Stitch Fix

When I first opened up this fix, I was a little taken aback at first by how much pink there was! Not a typical color for fall, but I’m actually really liking the blush tones. They’re unexpected, and less overtly pink than bubblegum or hot/neon shades. The fur-trimmed jacket I’ve fallen in love with! I’m slightly shy to admit that after not having much of an opportunity to work out over the past couple months, I’ve put on a few pounds and not all of my coats that I brought with me still fit. This one does! I’d also wear it over t-shirts, and if I wanted to get really adventurous, some burgundy-hued denim.

My fave of the fix is definitely the grey sweater. It’s the softest stretchy fabric, and feels just like a cloud. I’ll be pairing it, and the black hoodie, with leggings or joggers for a more athleisure vibe. Perfect looks for running errands and meeting friends for casual coffee dates.

If you’ve read this far, and are thinking, “What the heck is Stitch Fix?” Let me break it down for you. Stitch Fix is a personalized styling service that sends you highly curated items to integrate with items you already have in your own closet. You fill out a detailed styling quiz, (be honest!), which includes what styles you know you like, and what you’d be interested in trying. I also like that you can share what you don’t want any of. My no’s include anything yellow, orange or wool (too itchy!). I also have enough shoes to fill a boat, so I’ve requested no footwear in my fixes.

One of the great things about the service, as I mentioned I forgot to do this round, is to leave a note for your stylist. Here you can request specific pieces you’re looking for, like if you’re attending a wedding or going on vacation soon. Also, if there is a trend you’re wanting to try, like a jumpsuit or leopard jacket. They have pretty much everything you could ask for in their arsenal of styles. Especially when starting out before your stylist gets to know a little more about your body type, adventurousness with trends, and what pieces are missing in your closet, I highly recommend being detailed in this note.

Stitch Fix works with amazing top brands and is very size-inclusive, with selections ranging from 0-24W, and even has expanded into maternity and styles for men! Mark actually found one of his favorite button-downs through a fix. Another thing I can’t stress enough is to be honest about your budget. The pieces range from $28-$298, and I usually state to go as cheap as possible. You do receive a 25% discount when you purchase all 5 pieces, which I’ve been known to do on a pretty frequent basis!

To learn more about Stitch Fix, or to sign up, you’re welcome to use my sign-up link. There is a $20 styling fee that applies to your fix, but it’s redeemable towards anything you purchase! I am always able to find at least one item that I fall in love with, so my credit doesn’t go unused. You can cancel at any time, and receive boxes as frequently as every couple weeks, or just once a season.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, if you’ve used Stitch Fix before. If not, what should I request in my next fix?