Month: August 2017

Hurricane Harvey Update

It feels wrong posting about anything fashion or otherwise “normal” blog related topics when so many of my loved ones and neighbors are losing their homes. The amount of destruction that Hurricane Harvey has already done is unfathomable and we aren’t out of the woods anytime soon. Since last Friday afternoon, Houston has been hit with over 40″ of rainfall in such a short amount of time. Even with breaks in the rain, it is not enough to let the city drain. There have been at least 12 tornados touch down and thousands of people who have already lost their homes. We need a miracle and fast.

For the past few days I have been glued to my phone waiting for friends and family to give me updates on the rising waters. Checking social media and news outlets constantly to see the damage. Every new picture that I came across more shocking than the one before. We knew this storm would be bad but seeing each and every person that I personally know go through losing their home and their belongings is absolutely heart breaking.

My sister and I do not know how our townhouse is faring in the Heights as both of us fled to higher ground on Friday. Surrounding areas are completely flooded but we are hoping for the best. I am thankful to report the rest of my Houston family (parents, aunts, uncle) have not had any water in their homes. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for SO many of my childhood friends. My parents are having to rescue people from our old neighborhood on jet skis as their homes are taking on so much water.

I made the tough decision Friday to continue on with my girls weekend reunion trip to Fredericksburg, Texas (aka Texas wine country) knowing there was a good possibility that we could get stuck here. Welp all of my wine dreams came true and we are officially stuck here for the foreseeable future as the majority of Houston including all of the major roadways are flooded under several feet of water. I am forever thankful to the sweetest AirBNB host for allowing us to stay well beyond our intended stay free of charge. As much as I wish I was in Houston able to help those in need, I am thankful for a dry place to stay until the weather and flood waters calm down and even more thankful for sweet souls that are wiling to help in any way possible.

People from all over Texas are coming together to help one another and as bad as things are getting in Houston, it is heart warming to see. There are strangers helping complete strangers through rescue boats, donations and offering up their homes for safe refuge. Houston will rebuild but we have a long road to get there. If you are wondering how you can help, there are a few ways.

  • Monetary Donations

    • American Red Cross – Text HARVEY to 90999 and you’ll have made a $10 donation, which you’ll see on your next phone bill.
    • Salvation Army – The Salvation Army has been responding to the storm to help those in need and is accepting donations specifically for Harvey victims here.
    • JJ Watt Houston Flood Relief Fund – There is already over 500k raised. Donate here.
  • Physical Donations

    • Local food banks: Affected areas include Houston Food Bank, Galveston County Food Bank, Corpus Christi Food Bank, Southeast Texas Food Bank, and more. They recommend contacting a food bank directly about their need and what you can do. Find the closest one to you here.
    • There are so many organizations that will be accepting clothing and other necessities. If you are stuck inside with nothing to do, now is the perfect time to gather up and donate old clothing, unused toiletries and canned food.

Continue to pray that the rain stops, flood waters recede, and for everyone affected. Hurricane Harvey is still very much a threat for the next few days. It might not seem like we can do much but what we can do is pray and donate to the disaster relief.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out checking on my family and I. We are so thankful for such a supportive community and are trying to help in any way that we can. If you are or your family have been affected by Hurricane Harvey, please let us know how we can help whether it is through prayers, a dry place to stay or donations.

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Shein Bow Tie Dress

Dress: Shein (less than $25) | Shoes: Sam Edelman | Bag: Charming Charlie

Since I always get SO many questions about Shein, I wanted to remind all of you that I have an entire post on what you need to know before buying anything from their website. The post can be found here.

Long story short, the answer is YES- they are reputable. That being said, make sure you read my post before purchasing anything just so you know what you are getting yourself into. I have several pieces from Shein that I absolutely love. Most of you think of Shein when you are wanting trendy, weekend wear pieces, but I’m here to tell you that they are also great for work attire if you aren’t wanting to spend an arm and a leg. I have several dresses, pants and tops that I wear to work on a regular basis. My one tip for work wear since the quality is not the absolute best is to try to wash the garments as little as possible aka only when actually needed.

If you like this dress as much as I do, I encourage you to check out some of the other Shein dresses that I own or are on my wishlist for work below!

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New York Fashion Week Tips

I’ve said it so many times but I want to start this post off saying it once more, anyone can go to fashion week! Whether you are a blogger, work in the fashion industry, or it has just been on your bucket list for years, anyone can go to New York fashion week. That being said, you definitely will have to put in some grunt work to get into fashion shows and parties. Since I’ve been around the block, hopefully these tips will get you ready for fashion week too!

BEFORE NYFW

  • Be proactive with fashion show invites– No matter your size, there is a show for you. Some fashion shows will be invite only, but some are open to the public. The key is that you have got to put in the work and reach out to as many fashion shows and event contacts as possible because they are not going to come to you.
    • When should I start reaching out? Start reaching out about 3-4 weeks in advance. Brands and PR firms will not confirm attendance to shows until the week of so this gives you plenty of grace time. I suggest reaching out in order of importance. For bigger brands or parties, I would reach out first as these will fill up faster. For smaller brands, reaching out 1-2 weeks in advance is plenty of time as they will be looking for people to fill their seats.
    • How do I know who to reach out to? When in doubt, email everyone you can find a contact for. Utilize your good friend Google as well as LinkedIn. Each brand’s website should have a PR or marketing email. Contact them. There is an official NYFW show list that is published. I highly suggest going to down the show list, hitting up Google for each brand’s contact and emailing them your pitch. If you can find more than one potential email per brand, even better! If the brand is represented by a PR firm, even better. Contact the PR firm and let them know that you are interested in going to that brand’s fashion show/party.
    • What do I say in my pitch email? I suggest having one generic email for brands and one for PR companies. That being said you should personalize these for shows that you really want to go to or have a connection with. Tell them why you want to go to their show. Have you featured them in a blog post? Link to that exact blog post in your pitch email. For both instances, state the dates that you will be in New York and ask for an invitation to any shows or events that they might be coordinating. My typical email goes something along the lines of this; “Hi my name is Shelbi and I am the fashion blogger behind the blog, It’s All Chic To Me. I will be attending New York Fashion Week September 7-12th and would love the opportunity to attend any shows or events that you are coordinating for ____”
    • Follow up– Make sure to follow up with brands that might not have gotten back to you. They are receiving hundreds if not thousands of emails a day concerning fashion week so if you get to be a week out and you still have not heard from them, send a follow up email. Also, if they come back and say that there is not room, ask to be put on the waiting list. It can’t hurt and chances are people will back out and you will get a spot!
  • Share, share, share! –  Odds are you probably know several other people going whether they are local or far away. Connect over social media and share those contacts! My biggest piece of advice is to divide and conquer. Once you start getting responses back from shows, share the yes’s with your friends and vice versa so that you will know somebody else going! Nobody wants to go to shows alone and this way you gaining hopefully just as many contacts as you shared with others. Win-win!
    • Start a community google doc – My friends and I did this last year and it was GOLD. If you know people going, get a community contact list started early so that you can have all of your contacts in one place. We made sure to add the brand’s name, contact name, RSVP and who all was going to the show.
    • Facebook groups – If you are not already in several blogger or fashion Facebook groups, now is the time to join! If you search “New York Fashion Week” or “NYFW” on Facebook, several should come up and this is where people will be sharing their plans and contacts. If you are already in groups that have bloggers, strike up a conversation to see who is going and if people want to start sharing contacts. This should be a huge tool for you!
  • Make sure you have these tools– If you are not already signed up for Fohr Card and Fashion GPS (download on the app store), go ahead and do that NOW. Fohr Card is a website that brands use to see what your rank is as an influencer. Fashion GPS is an app that brand’s use to send out invites. This makes it super easy once you are there because all of your show invites will be in one place. Each show will also have a ticket barcode that is listed in the app and you will have to pull up in order to gain access.
  • PR firms are the way to go– I cannot stress this enough. While everyone is all hyped up about all of the fashion shows during fashion week, do not forget about PR firms. I’m talking about ones that you have worked with as well as ones that you might have just connected with for fashion week. If you get the chance to set up a meeting with a PR firm that you are currently working with, take it! There is nothing better than putting a face to a name and making a real life connection. This can only help you grow your connection with that firm and hopefully establish a long term partnership.
  • Packing tips
    • This is your time to dress a little crazy– There are street style photographers EVERYWHERE and the more “out there” you dress the better. Still stay true to your brand but don’t be afraid to wear something you might not normally get the chance to. Now is your time to get creative! You might just find yourself on sone major fashion website 🙂
    • Wear comfortable shoes and bring flats – My #1 piece of advice is to wear comfortable shoes. You will be walking a TON and WILL get blisters so just prepare yourself. Bring bandaids on bandaids because you will need them. If you plan on wearing heels, bring a pair of flats to change into between shows. Something that can fit into your purse is best so that you don’t have to carry your shoes around in your hand (#fashionfauxpaux)
    • There is no need to bring more than 2 outfits per day- From experience, it is best to pack one “day” outfit and one “night” outfit. Chances are the day will be filled with shows and/or meetings all over the city so wearing something that is both cute, functional AND (most importantly) comfortable is a necessity during the day. Do NOT wear heels during the day. You will have enough blisters as it is. As for what to wear for your “day” look, you will see everything! Jeans are certainly not too casual but don’t be afraid to rock a dress or skirt with sneakers. For reference, I will be wearing sneakers with every single “day” look. For night, this is when you can dress up and throw a pair of heels on! Make sure they are comfortable though.
    • Partner with showrooms or local brands– Almost every brand during fashion week will have a showroom that will let you borrow clothes, wear them during fashion week and then return them. This is HUGE y’all for multiple reasons. This way you don’t have to by or pack as much stuff. Less money spent and less crap to lug around! Also, if you have worked closely with any brands back home, ask them if they will let you borrow clothes for fashion week. Odds are they will say yes if you agree to tag in your social media while you are there. This is great exposure for them!

DURING NYFW

  • Getting around town– Most people will use Uber which is why the surge pricing and traffic is INSANE. It might seem like a hassle at the beginning but I promise the subway is the way to go. My first year I spent close to $400 on Ubers alone if that tells you anything. Unfortunately fashion week events are ALL over the city. You will save SO much time, money and stress by using the subway. We asked a local every time we used it which way to go. They are more than happy to help you out. And if you absolutely must use an Uber, grab a few friends to ride with and then use the “Split Fare” function directly in the app.
  • Bring an extra battery– Even if you think you have the longest lasting phone battery there is, bring an extra. Make that two.
  • Arrive to fashion shows early– Even though every fashion show starts at least 15 minutes late, plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before show time to ensure that you get a seat. Chances are if you have a priority standing ticket and are early enough, you will get a seat! If you do have a seat and notice 5 minutes (or less) before the show starts that there is open seating in closer rows, go ahead and snag the seat!
  • Uploading to Snapchat/Instagram– Since you will obviously be sharing your NYFW experience on social media, a quick tip to the wise so that you actually enjoy your experience and don’t piss anyone off. Instead of uploading directly to Instagram/Snapchat during a show/party, take pictures and videos sparingly during the event and then upload everything at once after the event is over. This will ensure you make the most of your time and don’t miss anything! Pro tip: I used my time in Ubers or the subway to catch up on posting to social media.

If I missed anything or if you are just wanting more information on NFYW, including what I’ve worn in the past or how to get invited to shows or brand meetings, the easiest way to find NYFW posts I’ve done in the past, is to type “NYFW” into the search bar on the side bar of my blog or click on any of the below links. If I didn’t answer one of your questions or you would like to ask anything else, leave me a comment or shoot me a DM on Instagram and I would love to help you attend NYFW too!

2017

INSTAGRAM ROUND-UP: NYFW OUTFITS

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK 2017: DAY 1

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK 2017: DAY 2

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK 2017: DAY 3

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK 2017: DAY 4

AN END TO NEW YORK FASHION WEEK 2017

THAT’S SO 70’S DENIM JUMPSUIT

NYFW BLOG TAKEOVER + BEST PHOTO SPOTS IN NYC

2016

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK – DAY 1

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK – DAY 2

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK – DAY 3

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK – DAY 4

 

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Cozy Chic Bedroom with Cstudio Home

Pajamas: Topshop | Bedding: Cstudio Home 

Photography by: Banavenue

This blog of mine is coming up on two years and I have yet to let you all into my home. This is probably for a few reasons, number one being that my place is a disaster 99% of the time (busy girl problems) and number two is that I am totally and completely decor challenged. The funny thing is that I can confidently say after 2 years of trying to get my room “just right”, I think I finally nailed it. Of course this all comes together when I am set to move at the end of the month. I have a feeling that I might add a few more things but for now I am so happy with my cozy chic bedroom.

My college bedroom decor was a bit childish- think flowers and way too much color. It was time for an upgrade. Post-college me knew I needed a more sophisticated room but also something that was still equal parts girly. I opted for a subtle shade of pink (the actual shade is called Quartz) and grey. I quickly noticed a theme when choosing my bedroom look and it is quite similar to how I shop for clothing. If you have followed the blog for even a little bit, you have probably heard me talk about my 3 C requirements: cozy, chic and preferably cheap 🙂

Cstudio Home’s bedding is just that all in one. After years of purchasing comforters, I have found that I am 100% a duvet girl. After experiencing the comfort of my new duvet, I feel bad for the 24 years I lived without one. Boy was I missing out on some of the best nights of sleep of my life. You know you’ve hit the jackpot in the bedding department when you wake up already counting down the minutes until you are back in bed.

If you are in the market for a bedroom facelift, I would highly suggest checking out Cstudio Home for all of your bedding needs. The quality and comfort is hands down the best that I have ever owned and that is saying a lot for someone as finicky as me. No matter what your style is, Cstudio has something for everyone and at every budget. Make sure to check them out!

*Thank you Cstudio Home for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own*

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Back to School Shoes with Academy

Dress: Nordstrom | Jacket: Nordstrom | Shoes: Adidas  

To this day I still remember going back to school shopping as a kid and I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was the sole reason why I actually wanted Summer to end. Crazy I know but maybe that’s why I became a fashion blogger so that shopping could be acceptable year round 🙂 While it was particularly my favorite time of the year, I’d venture out to say it was probably my parents most dreaded. If you didn’t know, I have 2 sisters so back to school shopping was not a cheap endeavor. You wouldn’t catch my Dad dead in a shopping mall but when it came to taking us to get new tennis shoes from Academy Sports + Outdoors, he was more than happy to take us and get a pair for himself as well. His one girl Dad deed of the entire year!

It was probably in everyone’s best interest that Academy was the only store Dad took us to because he’d have a heart attack if he actually knew how much we spent each year! Every time we came home I remember him asking, “You girls didn’t spend more than $100 right?” and in unison we would all say “NOPE!”. I’ve come to find out over the years that Mom let him take us to Academy because she knew that 1) they offer the best brands for less – a lot less and 2) they have something for all ages (including the not so fashion forward Dad).

Back to School shoes with Academy Sports & Outdoors Back to School shoes with Academy Sports & Outdoors Back to School shoes with Academy Sports & Outdoors

I love a good pair of Adidas sneakers just as much now as I did in the third grade, possibly even more now that they come in so many different styles and colors! These adidas Cloudfoam Advantage Clean Court shoes are perfect for everyday wear. For a girl that loves fashion but more importantly comfort and functionality, these are a must for any activity with their sock liners and memory foam cushioning. They are currently on sale at Academy for just $49.99! You can grab them here or in store.

Back to School shoes with Academy Sports & Outdoors

Tank: Nike | Leggings: Nike | Shoes: Nike

Back to school always meant back to sports as well. For me, I was always involved in cheerleading and golf as weird of a combo that is! With that being said, a new pair of tennis shoes each year has always been a fun tradition in my family no matter how old you are! Nike has always been my personal go-to when it comes to tennis shoes and active wear. I’ve ventured out to other brands but always find my way back to Nike because of their quality clothing. These Nike Women’s Flex TR 7 Training Shoes are perfect for kids, teachers and moms alike and provide flexibility for all activities with breathable mesh uppers that allow your feet to stay cool. They are currently on sale for just $59.99. You can grab them here or in store.

Back to School shoes with Academy Sports & Outdoors

Back to School shoes with Academy Sports & Outdoors Back to School shoes with Academy Sports & Outdoors

Photography by: Banavenue

If you didn’t grow up going back to school shopping at Academy Sports and Outdoors like me, I can assure you they have something for the entire family and also carry a wide range of hunting, fishing, camping equipment, patio sets, BBQ grills and just about anything and everything sports and recreation related. If you hadn’t already guessed it, one major perk if you have boys in the fam is that they will be set for HOURS which makes for more shopping time for the girls 🙂

*Thank you Academy Sports and Outdoors for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own*

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