Beauty & the Blog: Kaitlyn's OOTD

For our Lake & Country Magazine shoot, we were photographed in two different settings: Romantic daytime for the "ladies who lunch" theme and everyday, an invitation to share our personal style. 

The photos were shot in January so it was slightly difficult to find blush tones and Spring styles but my search came to an end when I consulted ASOS - I ordered two different dress options because I knew I would need a backup and of course, I ended up loving them both, but promised my husband I would stick to my word and send the one back that wasn't being used ;) 

Look 1:

Dress: ASOS (on sale!) | Shoes: Jennifer Lopez (similar) | Earrings: Forever 21 | Bracelet: Francescas

For our second outfit, we were asked to bring something that defined our style as bloggers - a look that we felt most comfortable in and served as a good representation of our daily life. I didn't think twice about this -- When it comes down to it, I am definitely and jeans and t kind of girl and in the cooler months, I almost always gravitate towards a leather jacket to dress things up (or down). This is a weekday look I would wear to work and with the necklace and booties, could be dressed up for evening drinks or dinner. 

Look 2: (photos by Anna Urban Photography)

Jeans: LOFT | Top: LOFT (similar) | Jacket: BISTM | Booties: Just Fab 

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Necklace: T+J Designs (on SUPER sale!) | Lipstick: Butter London

What do you think of these looks? 

What do you consider your everyday style?

Back in Black

I'm all for soft colors, delicate materials and feminine cuts but sometimes, wearing black on black just makes you feel like a bad ass and we all need that now and again. I styled this look around my shoes and beanie with Sincerely Jules as the inspiration. 

I've talked before about how I admire her ability to style pretty much anything with sneakers and still make it look chic (also, here and here) To me, there's just something so "cool girl" about this kind of look that comes off as approachable yet completely confident. High heels provide a certain tenacity as well but when you can rock gym shoes and make an impact, that's when I'm impressed.

Jacket: BISTM (Mary's Closet) | Striped T: Old Navy (similar) | Jeans: Old Navy

Shoes: DSW (similar) | Bag: Shopbop | Hat: ShopLately

Glasses: Ray Ban | Necklace: E Street Denim | Ring: T+J Designs

Plaid PINspiration

Women (and men) alike are all about plaid this season and we are no exception, as some of our favorite daily accessories include plaid flats and blanket scarves. Can we talk about how handsome men are in plaid flannel (especially when paired with leather or shearling and 5 o'clock shadow..."hey girl," are you drooling yet?) 

For your weekly outfit Pinspiration, check out some of these plaid combos:

Shop these items and more on Because I Shop Too Much & Because They Grow Too Fast

What are your favorite go-to plaid items this season?

Snow Many Layers

Hello, winter wonderland! Where was all this beautiful snow for Christmas, Midwest friends? Once the holidays have passed, my feelings about the big white flakes typically change from excited to anxious (I hate driving in it!) but this was our first big storm and it looked absolutely beautiful adorning the woods that make up our backyard in Wisconsin. 

When there's no schedule or plans for the day, a fresh coat of snow is welcomed with open arms...the perfect addition to pj's and my current read. But if you must venture out, layers are key...enter the turtleneck & leather jacket combo:

P.S. I am loving this Sole Society bag of Lisa's...she got me a similar one for Christmas and I can't wait to make the switch. I am NOT one of these people that can switch purses every day, I would lose my life contents in the transition but I do get excited when it's time to move everything over and try a new style :)

Jacket: Mary's Closet | Turtleneck ($10!) & Jeans: Old Navy | Tank & Glasses: Target

Booties: Just Fab | Bag: Swap w/Lisa | Necklace: T+J Designs

Boyfriend Style (With a guys POV!)

When it comes down to it, us Midwestern kids just want to be comfy and cozy during the polar vortex months. As opposed to summer crop tops, instead we choose over-sized sweaters and anything that feels “lived in.” A sweater with a little extra room paired with distressed boyfriend denim is the “basic” winter uniform…just throw in a Starbucks red cup for Instagram, please ; )

But like so many other fashion choices, this one leaves us wondering what the guys think...We THOUGHT they didn't think anything baggy was cute, but we decided to ask our husbands, just to be sure…

Ryan (Lisa's husband): I've always thought the idea of a girl wearing my old t-shirt, or sweater was pretty attractive, in kind of a "college sleepover" kind of way. As for a girl wearing my jeans, I think it could work with some of my tighter, more-tapered jeans, but maybe not so much my more-relaxed, "weekend" jeans, ha.  Lisa, you may start  to find more of my clothes "laying around" the house (well, more than usual, at least). Maybe you should try some on!

Lisa: Will do, babe! I never do think to borrow from your closet, but I bet I could get some use out of quite a few items. The wheels are turning...I, however, am obsessed with this style. I love relaxed/boyfriend denim paired with cozy knits and heels. It's great for everything from everyday wear to weekends and even dinners out.

Mike (Kaitlyn's husband): I'm not a fan of the boyfriend jeans. Girls generally look more put together than us men, and wearing those, you would look like you woke up and threw anything on - in this case, however, I realize you would have put much thought into getting that "I woke up like this" look. The sweater is fine with me - it looks comfortable and I'm not one that needs a woman to wear tight clothes to look attractive. Plus, it balances nicely with the girly shoes.

Kaitlyn: Can we just talk about how my husband references heels as "girly shoes?" I think that's both cute and endearing. I also enjoy that you're on board with comfort because this girl isn't worried about showing skin in Chicago temps!

Thanks to our men for sharing their thoughts! Stay tuned for the next guy's point of view...

Blog of the Month: Diary of This Girl

We first started interacting with Megan a few years back over Instagram and immediately fell in love with her quirky sense of style and sweet nature. She was quick to compliment our work (especially our rock & swap features) which always brought a smile to our faces. Since then, we have become big fans of her blog and sincerely wish Seattle was our next door neighbor so we could be besties. 

Here is a little bit about Diary of this Girl:

This little blog details my life after college. I'm adjusting to life as a montessori preschool teacher,  finishing school, living on my own, and spending as much time as possible with friends. please introduce yourself and send me the link to your blog! I am always looking for something new to read. let's be blogging friends!  More about me? I am a frozen yogurt addict, avid reader, volunteer, shopaholic, lover of red lipstick & toms, and am slightly obsessed with nail polish, denim shirts & my dachshund, bailey.

You can shop Megan's style in her online closet, but for now, here's some of our favorite looks:

Who are your favorite style bloggers and why?

Shop, Lately?

1. "Wait, what is the hash tag?!"
2. "We gotta do the Ellen selfie! .... "Yes! I love that everybody calls it that!"
3. "What's your phone number? I only have your social media handle in my phone..."

Conversations like these are just routine when #ChicagoBloggers get together for a photo shoot. These fun opportunities are just one of many reasons why we feel so lucky to be part of such a supportive blogging community. We have met so many sweet girls and it's like worlds collide when we can collaborate together in order to blend everyone's unique style and ideas. 

We were really excited to team up with ShopLately to showcase a few must-have wardrobe staples for all the festivities over the next few months. ShopLately is a marketplace that gives designers and brands the opportunity to showcase their products to an audience, so it's similar to Etsy but specifically fashion focused...Yes please!?

Here is my holiday look (perfect for NYE or cocktails with the girls):

Dress: JC Penney (similar) | Blazer: Piperlime (similar on sale!) | Boots: GILT | Purse: BISTM 

Necklace: Shop Lately | Rings: c/o Shop Lately | Bracelet: LOFT | Lipstick: Kate Spade

Back Row: Love Zahra, Myself, Stilettos & Diaper Bags

Front Row: Defining Tabitha, Hallways are my Runways, The Naked Canvas, 101 Things I Love

Let's take a much deserved moment to address this necklace from Lily Wang (currently sold out, but here is a very similar piece). I have a vast collection of neck wear but this one was placed in my regular rotation immediately, especially with holidays coming up. I think it works great with this dress for an evening look but I also love the idea of wearing it with a simple white t or knit, taking something from very basic to super chic...they don't call them statements for nothin' ;) 

You can shop more of our holiday picks here...it's refreshing to find a selection so unique and it makes me feel good to know everything is coming from entrepreneurs fulfilling their passion.

Have you browsed Shop Lately? Let us know what you think!

P.S. The answer to number 1 is #ShopLatelyBloggerHoliday...now you can see all of our Instagram posts!