Sisters Marie: Behind the Closets of BISTM

Meet Kaitlyn

Hello! In addition to creating closets on BISTM, I also work in Communications for a creative design company. We design exhibits and marketing materials for the beauty industry, so I can't say that I mind the hair and makeup swag I frequently bring home (score!) My fiance and I are in the midst of planning our Summer 2013 wedding at the Shedd Aquarium and as great as that day will be, I'm most excited to spend the rest of my life with this amazing person (Must be all kinds of amaze to put up with my constant picture taking and fashion policing with Lisa).

Meet Lisa

Hi everyone, nice to meet you ;) I have had the honor to be a stay-at-home mother for the past 4 years (before that I designed and assembled jewelry for Erin Gallagher's Gem Bar). I have a blog called Stilettos and Diaper Bags that I started in January 2010. I have 2 amazing children and am the wife to my best friend Ryan. My family is my entire world! I love everything fashion and have a mild obsession with jewelry. (Okay, a big obsession with it!) BISTM is just the next step in loving all things fashion and Kaitlyn is more then just my sister (in-law), she's a great friend!

And what's the story behind

...Kaitlyn & Lisa, two sister-in-laws from the Chicago suburbs, have a big problem.

“We both have a shopping addiction!” exclaims Lisa, wife & mother of two. “I started a blog last year targeted at fashionable moms & quickly realized I wasn’t alone in that I wanted to stay ahead of the latest styles & trends while trying to stick to a family-centric budget.”

While Lisa saw an opportunity to build-on, Kaitlyn, a twenty-something working her way up in the marketing world, experienced the limitations of what was currently available. “I started gauging interest levels – at conventions when I travelled for work, getting feedback through social networking & talking to my girlfriends who are in similar financial situations. Girls loved the idea of trading & selling clothes with each other – directly – and they didn’t want to go through resale shops that were often only accepting certain brands and that offered little buyback value.”

In order to feed their “addiction,” the duo created their own solution – one collective online closet with a social networking edge. BISTM will present an abundance of clothes in styles & sizes as varied as the women selling them & the stories behind them.

“It’s not just about selling & buying clothes” assures Lisa. “We’re meeting lots of females out there – especially today – that are on budgets for a variety of reasons – family, school, the economy. They are bold, creative, & want to look great without paying premium retail prices.” “And the fact that friendships & social circles are being formed along the way,” as Kaitlyn points out, “that just may be the best part.”

“We decided that the time is right for BISTM, because every female deserves an outlet for her shopping addiction and - let's be honest - we shop too much."