Arlene and I are suckers for a great street style blog, so imagine my pleasant surprise when I stumbled upon copenhagenstreetstyle. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure, please do check it out. There’s a giant Acne logo on their page, for crying out loud, so they’ve definitely got some street cred. They’ve also got a whole lot o’ wacky going on, but these Scandinavians definitely know a thing or two about cold-weather style.

There’s way more to see… check it out here.

Dear Ball Skirt,

You have the most amazing transformative power to instantly make me feel beautiful. Whenever I wear you, I get the most enthusiastic compliments, although I must admit that you do give me a little extra spring in my step and I’m sure I exude fabulousity! So, thank you. Thank you for being there for me on my thin days, my fat days, my showered days, my sloppy days, my high heel days and my flip-flop days. You will always be first in my heart (and in my closet).

Love,

Brandon

Fendi S09, McQueen F03 and F08, and Willow F08 via style.com

top image - Gail Sorronda via Style Bubble

We have become so enamored with all of the amazing stylists out there in the blogosphere. There are women all over the world sharing their love of fashion and their talent for style with all of us. We’ve been lucky enough to get to know some of these lovely ladies and have even asked a few of them to “guest style” for us. We’re SO excited about this new addition to the site. We’ll keep you posted as things develop, but in the meantime here’s a little taste of what’s coming your way…

The adorable “xs” fromextraskinny.com styled this lovely Opening Ceremony bustier and then had her fab photog boyfriend, Moostache Man, take these incredible shots. Man, don’t you just love the world wide web??

These gorgeous pieces of work are even individually numbered.  Suno designed by Max Osterweis is a line created from a collection of vintage textiles Max, himself, procured over a span of a decade.  The textiles are transformed into the art that it is at a fair trade workshop in Kenya.  How can you not appreciate that?  And that pattern mixing?!  Get out!

And, no, we’re not talking about Blake Lively. We’re referring to one of the greatest fashion traditions in Chicago. Owned and operated by Marilyn Blaszka and Dominic Marcheschi, Blake has been a fashion-lover’s destination for 25 years.  The couple have an uncanny eye and a deep love of and appreciation for the artistry of fashion. You will not see any pictures of their amazing store and you cannot shop online –this is a store that you truly have to visit (what a great excuse to come check out our awesome city!) Among the racks in their impeccably merchandised store, you will find the very best of Dries, Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Roland Mouret, Marni, Chloe and 6267. While we cannot show you the pieces as they would merchandise them, we can at least give you a taste of their fabulous assortment. And the accessories are just the tip of the iceberg..

Dries Van Noten…

Maison Martin Margiela…

Ann Demeulemeester. This necklace was my favorite thing in the whole store. Pictured here on the runway in both black and white, you cannot even believe the drama of this thing in person. Mind-blowingly beautiful. Running it over and over in my head — how can I get my hands on this thing????

And behind all of this brilliance…

Blake is located at 212 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago 60610

with long-standing Chicago Boutique, Clever Alice!!  Now at her new location in Bucktown and into her thirteenth year, owner, Tammy Chaponot, still lays claim to one of the best edited and wonderfully affordable boutiques in town.    We quickly fell in love with Eternal Child, shown above, as well as with her cozy, chic space on Damen.  Great indie lines that are similar in design to Mayle, Vanessa Bruno, Complex Geometries….best deal in town, love the prices!!  Thanks Tammy!!

want more….stop in:

Clever Alice

1920 N Damen

Chicago, IL 60647

I just recently discovered the fabulousness of Sandra Suy via Allure~Allure.  I am just fascinated with her illustrations. Sandra fully infuses the beauty of fashion into her images…romance, life, and all the great details.  The “lightness” quality of her work captures the whimsy and effortlessness that I enjoy so much in fashion. 

Many thanks to Allure~Allure

So, I actually posted this blog earlier, but I had an internal battle with my confident self and my unconfident self — the unconfident me won and unpublished the post. I received a lot of flack from my business partner, Arlene, and our amazing intern, Amanda, who both pointed out that what I personally find most alluring and stylish is confidence. I have an intimate and intense struggle with confidence. I definitely am willing to put myself out there, but a picture of me putting myself out there… well, that’s a different story entirely.

I seem to have a lot of arguments with myself.  About myself.  Apparently, according to me, I am not thin enough, I’m a little weird, I’m overly perky, and I have no sense of style.  We fight about other things, too, but these are the big ones. I also seem to always be in the middle of one of those pesky identity crises. But through all of this confusion and these unending bouts with my self-esteem, I have come to realize that the only person I can be is me. So, here I am. In all my glory…

Arlene would call this look “everyday fashion/Monday”

I am certainly no Anna WIntour, but I have learned that I do have a sense of style. I am a woman who knows what she likes, knows what looks good on her, and isn’t afraid of a little attention. I live my life playing dress-up and it makes me the happiest girl on earth. My motto is Be Yourself. I mean after all, isn’t that the only thing that separates you from everyone else?

hat: Goorin; sweater: See by Chloe; dress: Vanessa Bruno; jeans: Loomstate; shoes: Loeffler Randall Margo

Arlene and I were tooling around the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago today and were reminded of one of the main reasons we love our town: the neighborhoods! Broadway on the North side is a very unassuming, off-the-radar, socially neglected, adorable location with a thriving retail scene. We drove in to get soup from one of our all-time favorite lunch joints,Soupbox. (Delish. If you’re ever in town, stop by for a bowl.)

As we were driving down Broadway, we noticed the Threadless store and were ashamed to admit to one another that we had never been in. It’s a pretty fabulous Chicago success story and we love to support our local entrepreneurs. Sooo, after picking up soup to take back to the studio, we decided to head back up the street and check it out. But…

Spare Parts

…we got sidetracked by the serious cuteness of Spare Parts. I was gobsmacked by a leather elephant in the window and we just had to go in. So glad we did! After more than 20 years, this fantastic little shop is better than ever, featuring a variety of goodies in a variety of price points for a variety of customers. Arlene got a piece of artwork and a great tie for her husband, all for under $50! And I am definitely going back for the elephant! 

         artwork by Adam Kaplan                                   Flying Fish necktie by Josh Bach  

So, back on our quest to visit Threadless. The quick 411 on them: it’s a t-shirt company that started as an online competition — the winner had their shirt produced and sold. And now… it’s HUGE.

The first floor is all t-shirts, each with its own video screen displaying a close-up of the shirt’s design as well as shots of it on both men and women. Super cute. And as if that wasn’t enough, we ventured up to the 2nd level expecting more of the same, but instead what did we find? An ART GALLERY. Seriously? Those guys are insane. And some very cool stuff, as well…

So, back to the car, to soup, to work.

Passed this along the way…

I’m sure I’d appreciate it even more if I actually did anything physical, like biking. 

Also passed this along the way…

Well not exactly, but we did indeed get flashed. That’s right. A lovely homeless man wearing an old-school plain grey sweatsuit lumbered uncomfortably close to us and then proceeded to lower his pants and show us his penis. Never thought I would utter that sentence in my life!

All in all, a pretty interesting day.

On a side note, I’d like to give a big THANK YOU to Crystal of Plush Palate for featuring us on her blog. She did a lovely story, so please be sure to check it out here. Thanks, Crystal!! We’re so flattered!!!

We were so excited, honored and flattered to find ourselves on the pages of the June issue of Lucky Magazine…

Top Retail Sites! Woo hoo! Thanks so much for the shout-out, you guys!!