It's All Chic to Me | Houston Fashion Blogger | Style Blog - It's All Chic to Me - A Houston-based fashion and lifestyle blog, Fashion Blog by Shelbi Lynne, Houston Fashion Blog, Houston Blogger

The Frustration with Blogging

October 10, 2016

Fall transitional look: bodycon dress + duster + booties

Dress: Similar | Duster: Similar | Booties: Similar (under $30) | Purse: Similar | Necklace: Charming Charlie

Photography by: Banavenue

Hi friends! Last week I shared with you all a little bit about how the blog started and where the blog name came from. I love sharing fashion on a budget, but unfortunately sometimes that comes at an inconvenience when it comes to blogging because I am not always able to provide links to my exact outfits. I’ve had several people question that I (along with other fashion bloggers) have been linking “similar” options instead of what we are actually wearing. So today I thought would be the perfect time to share a few reasons why this might happen since I was not able to link the exact items for almost my entire outfit.

First and foremost I do want to establish that yes, that this is one of our jobs as fashion bloggers to provide outfit links for those interested in purchasing the outfit. You come check out a blog post, love a certain article of clothing that I am wearing, and want to know right then and there how you can buy it. 9 out of 10 times that exact piece will be linked and you can just click on the link to take you to where you can buy it! Pretty neat-o right?

But that 1 out of 10 chance that you do not see the exact piece of clothing linked but instead see something similar, you might wonder “Now why did she do that?” Before you get your panties in a twist let me give you a few reasons on why this might happen.

1.The item might be old– Just like you, I recycle my clothes and like to get as much use out of them as possible. Unfortunately most clothes are only available online for a certain amount of time before they run their course. Another problem with being a fashionista on a budget is that I haunt sales and discount stores. By the time an item is on sale in the store, there is a good chance that it is no longer available online. Win for me, lose for blogging.

2. The item might be sold out– Online shopping is a wonderful gift but just like stores can sell out of a certain size or item altogether, so do online shops. If we (fashion bloggers) get lucky, the shop will restock the item but this is not always the case. If I ever have an article of clothing that becomes available again, I will always try to let you know!

3. The brand might not be a part of Reward Style (or some other affiliate program)- While a brand does not have to be a part of Reward Style for me to link to them on the blog, they do have to be for Liketoknow.it (this is their Instagram link-up feature). If you are someone that mostly gets your outfit inspiration from my Instagram and receives Liketoknow.it emails, than this is an issue for you. The good news is, is that there is now a feature on the blog that lets you shop my Instagrams without being signed up for Instagram or Liketoknow.it (you can get to it here). If you do not know what Reward Style is, it is a third party that connects bloggers and brands. This is a service that allows me to link up each article of clothing that I am wearing. Brands have to go through a registration process in order to participate. Most large brands are a part of Reward Style but many small brands and boutiques are not. Also outlet or discount stores, such as Marshalls are not a part of Reward Style.

There could be many other reasons why an exact article of clothing is not linked. I just wanted to let you know that there is always a reason behind a “similar” item being linked. It’s annoying for all of us I can assure you. It requires more time for me to search for similar options. Believe me, if the item was available online from the store I bought it at, it would make my life 100 times easier and you a lot less frustrated!

While it can be frustrating to not find the exact piece that you were looking for, providing similar items it is a way to still be able to recreate my look. My hope is that the majority of my outfits that I post spark inspiration for what might already be in your closet or similar pieces that you might already own. On the off chance that you want to recreate the look and do not have the means to do it, than that is where my handy dandy links come in! As a side note- you can always find these links right under the last picture of the blog post as well as the small pictures below my signature at the very end of my post. All of these are clickable links that will take you directly to the item that you are wanting to buy!

Sorry for the long post, but I did want you to know that I am not linking similar items because I am lazy or can’t find them, it’s because that item really isn’t online! Thank you for understanding and following along!

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Outfits

Why the Blog Name?

October 5, 2016

NYFW Street Style: Pink fringe dress + sneakers

Dress: Asos | Shoes: Johnston & Murphy | Clutch: Charming Charlie | Earrings: Similar | Lipstick: MAC (Diva)

I can’t believe I have been blogging for almost an entire year and I have yet to share with you how the name came about! Maybe you’ve wondered about it’s meaning, maybe not, but I wanted to clear the air on how and why I picked “It’s All Chic To Me”.

True story- it took me almost 6 months to decide on a name. I didn’t choose my blog name on a whim. I knew I wanted something that fit my style and personality. I wanted something catchy and not too long (somehow I still ended up with a 5 word blog name- #FAIL). I had an entire notepad full of ideas before I narrowed it down to this one.

Before actually starting the blog, I wasn’t entirely sure what it would be about. I knew it would be fashion based but I wanted it to be more than that, so I left the blog name open ended to encompass more than fashion. I knew my strengths when it came to fashion. My main strength being your girl knows how to ball on a budget. I’ve been doing it my whole life and frankly have always been really good at finding “steals”. All of my friends knew not to ask me how much I got something for because majority of the time it would be something crazy inexpensive while still looking super cute and trendy. (P.S.- find more tips on that here)

Ok now have you ever heard of the saying “It’s All Greek to Me”? Well, my family used it a lot growing up and after going to Greece last year and trying to come up with several punny Instagram captions- this phrase was engrained in my head. For those that don’t know, if someone uses this phrase they are meaning to say that they do not comprehend what you are talking about. It’s like you are speaking another language that is not understandable. Basically this is how I feel about boys and cooking, but fashion is another story! Fashion, I never had a hard time figuring out.

So if you have made it this far you are probably thinking- “Can she get to the point already?”. I’m almost there, I promise! I had been wanting to incorporate the word “chic” in some way and when I realized that chic and greek sounded very similar, the rest was history! I immediately knew that “It’s All Chic To Me” had to be my blog name. It fit so perfectly with my style and my views on how to go about fashion. Something does not have to be designer or expensive to be chic and that’s what I wanted to share with other women. I wanted to bring budget friendly options “out of hiding”, share my gift of finding those great “steals”, and show other women how to make (almost) anything chic!

So there you have it… “It’s All Chic To Me” and I’m hoping after reading my blog you feel the same way 🙂

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Outfits, WWW

Work Wear Wednesday: Leather + Peplum

September 28, 2016

Business chic style: leather pencil skirt + peplum top

Photography by: Banavenue

It has been way too long since I did a Work Wear Wednesday post! Today I wanted to bring you all one of my favorite outfit combos for work: the pencil skirt and peplum duo. It’s not new news that I am a fan of peplums. I think they are so flattering for all body types and add extra dimension to any outfit. I specifically love peplums paired with pencil skirts for a few reasons.

You don’t have to tuck any material into your skirt! GENIUS. Any other type of top that you wear with a pencil skirt will require you to tuck in your shirt. The less time I have to spend in the morning getting ready, the better. I think we all know how long it can take to get your tuck just right. You then have to pull a little out, make it look a little less straight laced and not so proper, you all know the drill. I’m telling you, peplums are the way to go, friends!
A little extra room. Who else loves a top that you can hide a food baby in? You would be lying if you said no! Peplums add a little “fluff” in the belly region so after lunch food babies are a worry of the past!
Great all year round. Peplums work for more than just a cute Summer top. For cooler temps (or a chilly office), peplums pair great with a light sweater or cardigan. My office is usually pretty cold so you would find me pairing this look with a cardigan, similar to this one.

Ok now let’s talk about this faux leather skirt for a minute. I’ve had serious doubts if leather is appropriate for the office. My answer is yes but hear me out. Moderation and feminism is key. My simple rules of thumb are this. 1) If you would consider wearing your outfit out to a bar, it is not appropriate for work. 2) It cannot be tight or short. Like at all. If you are still scratching your head after those two rules, I promise I will have a more in depth post up about wearing leather to work at a later date!

As always, feel free to add a pop of color into your outfit with your accessories. Since my top and skirt were both neutral colors, I knew that this purse would be the perfect pop of red. A big thanks to Macy’s Backstage for gifting me my purse and heels. Macy’s Backstage is such a great way to get designer items for a steal! Y’all must check it out if you have not heard of it yet.

I should be back with another work wear post in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I would love to hear from you what all you would like to hear about concerning anything about business. I love sharing my office outfits with you, but I also love sharing and tips and advice that I can as well. If you think of something you’d like to read about, please let me know! Have a great day, friends!

*Thank you Macy’s Backstage for making this post possible. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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NYFW, Outfits

New York Fashion Week – Day 4

September 26, 2016

NYFW street style: fringe skirt + choker top

Top: Express | Skirt: Similar (under $15) | Shoes: Johnston and Murphy | Earrings: Kendra Scott | Sunglasses: Similar

Our 4th and final day of the trip was possibly the busiest of them all. Gotta go out with a bang right? We woke up early to take pictures because lord knows you take as many pictures as possible when you’ve got that pretty New York skyline backdrop. Several outfit photos later and it was time to pack up all of our luggage. Considering it looked like a bomb went off (and that is putting it lightly) in our room, the fact that all 4 of us were able to get everything packed up and cleaned up in under 20 minutes was a NYFW miracle.

11 am: Bauble Bar showroom appointment– Bauble Bar is a jewelry company that I have always loved. Their jewelry is always so on trend and full of personality. After visiting their showroom, I’m convinced it is what pink dreams are made of. The cutest set up I have ever seen and I even got to bring a couple goodies home with me! I picked out these tassel earrings and blush choker.

12 pm: Irina Vitjaz fashion show– This show was so much fun to experience. The collection had such a whimsical appeal and I loved how each piece brought movement into the garment. From puffy sleeves and skirts to deep V necklines, the collection had a broad scope of beautiful pieces.

1 pm: Verdad presentation– This was our only presentation of the trip. The good thing about presentations is that they are usually for a lengthy period of time and you are free to come and go as you please. We were able to see the Verdad collection up close and personal which was really cool considering we had only been to fashion shows before this and those you don’t get to get as close and personal with the clothing. The Verdad collection consisted of a modern spin on denim so almost all of the pieces included some cool way to incorporate denim into a high fashion garment. I think it’s safe to say that denim will never go out of style!

3 pm: Leanne Marshall fashion show– We definitely saved the best for last. The Leanne Marshall show was hands down my favorite show to attend. Leanne Marshall was the season 5 Project Runway winner. Her collection consisted of bright colors, crop tops, flowy materials and sheer dresses. I loved how feminine and truly gorgeous each piece was. There were many other shows that we saw that I liked a handful of the collection, but I can honestly say I loved every single piece from the Leanne Marshall show! Especially the finale dress. O. MY. GOODNESS. Carrie Bradshaw would own that dress for sure.

4 pm: Charming Charlie appointment– I have been working with Charming Charlie for months now and wanted to finally be able to put a face to a name so this was one of my most important meetings. We had to reschedule multiple times throughout the weekend but I am so glad we got to meet the PR ladies and check out the huge New York shop. It was AMAZING! 2 stories full of clothes, purses and jewelry! I was in heaven 🙂

I can’t forget that we also had to make a pit stop for lunch at Shake Shack (yes, that’s 2 days in a row). I made sure to get a burger WITH meat and fries to make up for the day before. If you are in New York, you have to add this one to the list!

After our last meeting of the day, Britt and I made our way back to the hotel to grab our things and race to the airport. Racing around seemed to be a reoccurring theme for New York but we somehow made it out alive. We barely made it onto the plane before both of us passed out from exhaustion. Mouths wide open and sweet dreams of the past 4 days filled our minds as we dove into a deep slumber.

NYFW was hands down a dream come true for my fashion-loving heart. I grew up watching Project Runway, sewing my heart out (pajamas being the only successful thing I ever made), playing “dress up”, and wearing high heels for as long as I remember. I’ve always had a love for fashion and putting clothes together. It’s an art and I am so fortunate to have been able to witness first hand where all of the magic begins. From runway shows to brand meetings and let’s not forget meeting some of my favorite fashion icons, NYFW went well above any expectations I had going into the week. I’ve said it once before and I’ll say it again, if you are a fashion lover and you don’t have NYFW on your bucket list, your dreams aren’t big enough!

Thank you SO much for reading my NYFW recap series. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to relive each day through these posts. I will be taking a short break and then will be back for my tips and tricks to attend NYFW so that you can be with me there next year 🙂

*Thank you Johnston & Murphy for making this post possible. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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NYFW, Outfits

New York Fashion Week – Day 3

September 23, 2016

Photos by: Laurel Creative

Andddd I’m back! I decided to give y’all a little break from the New York Fashion Week madness before sharing the rest of our amazing trip. Day 3 was definitely different from the rest, mostly in part to the date – September 11th. We had to wake up early this day to be in the city. The streets were completely quiet and now that I think about it, we didn’t run into a single person until probably 10 o’clock. Nobody was on the streets and the sun was not shining yet. It was almost an eerie feeling compared to the normal hustle and bustle that we were used to over the past couple of days. We stopped by a flower shop and all I could think about was where I was at 15 years ago on this day. The feeling of not completely understanding what was going on, but knowing that something was terribly wrong. Well 15 years later and this city and our nation stand strong. We will never forget.

Being that it was the 15th anniversary of September 11th and a Sunday, you could say that day 3 was much more calm than the rest. That being said, we still managed to squeeze in a photoshoot, hair appointment, fashion show and getting lost in Times Square. I may have said calm, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t still a fun and busy day!

9 am: Photoshoot with Laurel Creative– Margret, Britt and I met up with sweet Lauren to take a few photos because lord knows we didn’t already have enough! I am so happy that we got to connect with Lauren because these pictures are some of my favorite from the trip! I’ve always wanted a picture on the streets of NY with a taxi in the background and Lauren made my big apple dreams come true 🙂

12 pm: Lunch at Shake Shack– Yes, I am putting lunch on today’s itinerary because it was THAT good. So good we ate it twice. Literally. You will see that it will appear on day 4’s itinerary as well. If you get a chance to stop by while you are in New York, make sure you do! PSA- just know that the mushroom burger does not in fact contain meat. Total letdown.

2 pm: Explore Times Square– Britt and I had a few hours to spare so we took off in search of Times Square. We stopped by Hershey’s long enough to take a picture with a life sized Hershey bar and then made our way to Radio City Music Hall.

4 pm: Caravan Stylist Studio– Britt and I headed here to get our hair and make-up done. To say it was an experience would be the best way to put our appointment (long story!). My hair turned out great with a super cool, braided updo. You can see more of it here. One takeaway from NYFW this week was to definitely put more effort into booking hair/make up appointments next year because they are so much fun! What girl doesn’t like getting pampered… fo free!!

7 pm: Rosenthal Tee show– This show was located at the pier and was the only show we had at this location. We had hoped to arrive a little early to take pictures but of course we were running late so that was a fail! I had a great time and loved the entire collection! Rosenthal Tee’s line was the perfect mix of feminine, floral and modern.

Britt, Dede, Riane and I ended the night by going to The Smith for dinner and indulging in a few cocktails and truffle gnocchi. This was by far the best meal of the trip and I was so sad because I didn’t even put a dint in my gnocchi.

We had every intention of going out on the town after dinner but after a few cocktails and blistered feet, our LAKE pajamas sounded far more appealing than a bar. I was VERY easily persuaded to call the night early.

If you missed my day 1 and day 2 recap, be sure to check those out, especially if you are interested in attending NYFW in the future! I will have one more post up for my 4th and final day of the trip on Monday and then all of my tips for you fashionistas that are wanting to go one day, so be sure to check back!

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