A Leather Pant, Really Hallie??

Ok, ok… I know, you might be bristling at the idea of leather pants. There’s something that feels very Sons of Anarchy, biker chick about them. But hear me out. As I was doing my own outfit planning this season I kept feeling like I was missing a key piece.  That my wardrobe needed that fun outfit for going out that was NOT jeans. But I also didn’t want anything as serious as slacks. What was I yearning for? That in-between pant that’s not too dressed up but not too casual either. My answer was a leather pant.

Now, when I say a leather pant, I do not mean those Spanx leather leggings that all of the 20-year-old bloggers are raving about. I am fine with those if they’re paired with a tunic and boots or even sneakers. But they are definitely a legging, NOT a pant. I don’t personally wear them either. Because I think they’re a pain in the a** to take on and off. I almost passed out just trying them on in the dressing room, it’s such a production. They’re kind of thick and tight, so you’ve got to shimmy them up and jump and wiggle.  And I drink way too much water to be futzing around every time I goto the loo.

What I was looking for was a real pant – a trouser style, but made of leather, or faux leather or even waxed denim that gives it a leather-like look, but at a friendlier price.

After A Lot of Searching…

Especially for our Cleveland Peeps…

This post originally ran a few years ago and has been one of the most popular, probably because it’s chock full of super useful info, especially for our CLE peeps – Cleveland spots we swear by to keep you and your “things” looking good. Literally like once a week someone calls or texts asking about a cleaner, bra shop, microblade artist… you get the gist.  So, we’re running it again and rounding up a few more reccos too…

Here are the spots we swear by in the #216…

EVEREVE is a store for Mom’s – But in a good way…

EVEREVE is NOT a maternity store. And it’s not your mother’s kind of mom store either. Meaning when folks use the term “mom fashion” it’s often meant as being comfortable and practical but looking dowdy and frumpy. But I can tell you that’s not what my readers want and it’s not what my clients want and thankfully that is not at all what EVEREVE delivers.

Maybe I’d describe it as a cool, casual mom vibe. Current and put together with a little bit of interest or edge. And age-appropriate, no crop-tops or thigh-high slits, but with just a touch of sex appeal. The chain founder, Megan Tamte, calls it “wholesome sexy – mom sexy… Hot and wholesome”

Think jeans, a graphic t-shirt, and a cozy cardigan. Or a cute cami and a leather jacket with a bootie.  But there are pieces for work, and going out too. A few dresses but not special occasion wear. Really the store is stocked with pieces that work for everyday life. Outfits to take you from carpool to a meeting, then to the grocery and straight to a sporting event and then to dinner out. Clothes that take you through your day and therefore through your life.

J Crew, Classics with a Twist

A couple of weeks ago our local J Crew asked me to come in and do some styling on the spot.  As a J Crew junkie that fell out of love during the last few years, I was excited about it for a few reasons…

1. I love meeting all of you guys IRL (in real life)

2. I’m in my zone when I’m styling someone or there’s a fashion challenge that needs to be fixed (like what do I wear with this?? or what do I wear to my high school reunion, a funeral, a work presentation, my kids’ soccer game – you get the idea)

3. And, I was able to get all up close and personal with J Crew’s latest collection – it’s the first collection with new head designer, Chris Benz (who originally worked at J Crew under Jenna Lyons back in the day). 

Like J Crew Back in its Heyday

I’m happy to say this new collection gives me all of the classic J Crew feels, but updated for 2020. For a while, after Jenna Lyons left, it was like J Crew lost its identity, and quite frankly the quality seemed to plummet as well. But, this collection is back on track. Yay for us all!

A Woven Bag  – Your Most Versatile Accessory This Summer

Back in the spring, I ordered an adorable little woven bag from Shopbop and I took it to one of our blog and IG photoshoots. I was surprised, but not really, how that woven bag went with almost every outfit we had planned for the day!  It was neutral and fresh and it felt like it lightened up each outfit we put it with.

Fast forward to today, and I am still wearing it, like daily, along with one other woven bag I received from Causebox. Basically, it’s just the two of them on repeat. That’s my summer bag uniform.

When I add a woven bag to my tried and true outfits from last summer, like my army green pants and white top or my goto day dress – the bag makes my old stuff feel new!! Now that’s what a great accessory is meant to do!!

Why a Woven Bag is so Great…

Sephora Sale – Now’s the time to Stock up and SAVE

Sephora is having a BIG sale! TRUE FACT – Makeup rarely goes on sale at your local beauty counter. But, this week, NOW THRU MAY 6, at Sephora it does!  Yeah, you might get a freebie from your beauty counter to stack in the back of your drawer. Or, maybe a pretty bag that you end up giving to your kids or grandkids, but do you actually really use the stuff? We vote NO because 9 times out of 10, those are the bags we recommend a client donate when we do a closet cleanse. So now’s the time to take advantage of an actual sale at Sephora. And save on products you’ll use.

How it Works…

The Beauty Products We Swear By

I am not a total beauty product addict but I’m also not a wash my face with a bar of ivory soap and walk out the door girl either. Call me a moderate beauty junkie. I like products that offer good results and if I am being honest, I’m a little vain. Meaning, I like to look good and I put effort into trying to look my best. Not my best to one-up someone else but my best so I feel good about me. I like it when my skin is smooth and clear, I like it when the concealer I use covers my dark circles and I looooove it when my hair products stop my hair from frizzing out. Extra points if it’s quick, fairly priced and eco-friendly too.

Elana and I have been swapping beauty product reccos with each other, and with our clients for a while now – it’s one of the many fun parts of spending 3 hours in a closet together. And we thought it was time to get you guys in on the action too… so we’re sharing some of our most loved beauty and hair products with you and in return, we hope you’ll comment below and let us all know some of your favorites too.

Our If I Was Stranded On An Island I’d Take…

We used the “If I was stranded on a desert island” method to narrow down which products to recommend – but what surprised me…

Alo Yoga-The Exercise clothing brand you NEED to know about.

I’m not much of an exercise person, although I am trying to change that for 2019. But, I know many of you are waaaay into fitness as well as exercise clothes, so it’s been on my “to blog about” list for a while now. And then, the other day Elana showed up at my house wearing THE CUTEST workout outfit – and her butt and thighs looked really good in the leggings too… I was obsessed and promptly placed an order.  Of course, you guys need to know about this brand and why it’s so great too. So Elana is taking over the blog this week to talk all things ALO…

Elana’s favorite exercise clothes

Wearing gym clothes outside of the gym wasn’t my thing.  I’d constantly worry that my butt might look too big, or the flab that hangs over my sports bra was showing. I’m good at hiding all of that under my regular clothes, but in exercise clothes I never found it to be so easy.  So, in the past, if I was buying clothing, I’d generally prefer it to be everyday stuff like jeans, sweaters, and t-shirts. This is the kind of stuff I felt good in. Which meant my exercise wardrobe was really lacking. I needed an update, like ASAP, so I turned to some pros.

Inhabit-Our Favorite Sweater Brand.

Sweater season is here! And to celebrate, we’re sharing our favorite sweater brand with you AND a 40% off savings just for TWC readers with code HALLIESPICKS! We’re in love with Inhabit sweaters. Seriously you guys, they are good! Not just good, SO GOOD! They’re a fave of celebs like Alessandra Ambrosio, Katie Holmes, Emma Watson, and Jessica Alba to name a few…

So when the awesome ladies at Inhabit reached out to collaborate with us, we yelled “YES” from the rooftops. Hallie has had an Inhabit sweater for years and years and it’s withstood the test of time both in wear, and style, and in the compliments department, too. So this collab was a total no-brainer because we were already loyal fans of the brand. And you know we only share stuff here that we fully believe in, because we are NOT salespeople – we’re matchmakers between real people and fabulous, tried and true finds!!

Inhabit sweaters are luxe, and delicious, (yes delicious as only a sweater can be), and can be worn in multiple ways over the long, long winter. (IF you live in the CLE you know what we’re talking about.) And since there are so many cold winter days (are we sounding glum?) we wanted to share sweaters that are cozy, warm and can be worn over and over again different ways for both work and play.

Inhabit = Effortless Style.

Not only are these sweaters beyond toasty,  but they have an effortless style that never goes out of style. (Just like the one Hallie has had for years and years.) They’re classic with extra little details that make them so special. Inhabit adds inverted seams, pin dot holes, interesting sleeve, shoulder, and neck details that give the extra oomph we love so much when putting outfits together for clients and ourselves.

Each sweater is totally cool and effortless on its own, and can easily be worn as a basic with pieces you already own too. When you invest in a sweater like this, you want it to function for all parts of your life, work and play, girls night out and kids soccer games. It’s that cost per wear thing we’ve spoken about in the past. It becomes worth it when you can reach for the same piece again and again and wear it in multiple ways.

We totally get that, so we’re going to show you HOW TO STYLE 6 DIFFERENT SWEATERS FOR WORK AND PLAY…