gussied up: September 2014

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

kcfw: friday night look



















shirt: express (old) similar here and here | skirt: windsor | belt: bcbg (old) similar here  | shoes: dsw (sold out) similar here | earrings: bauble bar | bracelets: j.crew, stella and dot, j.crew | nails: jamberry | ring: david yurman 

sweater: sheinside (old) similar here | pants: j.crew 

this weekend was full of fabulous fashion shows at kansas city fashion week! to kick off the friday night show i was invited by megan from chasing davies along with andrea from style my way and erin from pretty, polished, perfect to meet up at the new halls to get our make up done and have a drink at the new h bar. it was an absolute blast! i got my make up done at the bobbi brown counter and fell in love with the new "smokey nudes" eye shadow palette and the rich lip color lipstick in cosmic raspberry. like i loved it so much i bought the lipstick and wore it the rest of the weekend. it's pretty amazing! it's a really pretty bright fuchsia that made my teeth look super white (awesome). and the smokey nudes are the perfect palette. great deep browns and light nudes with sparkles that can work for day and night! 

after we got our make up done we got all dressed up and headed over to the h bar for a complimentary cocktail. i had a glass of rose and the girls sipped on champagne! we gabbed about our blogs and a few tips and tricks we've all learned along the way. i really love getting to chat with my blogger babes about well, pretty much anything. 

okay can we talk about my look for a moment. i totally had two different looks pulled together for this weekend with the white blouse paired under a dress, and this tulle skirt paired with a crop top (too boxy on). that i decided why not go with a totally classic look with the white button and tulle skirt together! i love the way this look came together. when in doubt go with a classic combo. my favorites black and white. i loved how i felt in this look, totally chic and confident! oh and if you've every just for a second thought about buying a tulle skirt (who really needs a reason, right!?). the one i'm wearing is only $35. yep. oh and it comes in a few other colors too! you should definitely grab one, and just wait for the right moment to wear it. that's what i did! haha 

hoped you loved this look! stay tuned for lots more fun kcfw recaps this week!

xo,
cait

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Monday, September 29, 2014

kcfw: trunk show










blouse: j.crew (old) similar here | skirt: ann taylor (old) similar here
shoes: off broadway shoes ℅ | purse: windsor (sold out) | ring: david yurman
nails: jam berry 

last thursday night i had the honor of attending the kcfw trunk show. it was a very intimate event full of wonderful kcfw designers. the event showed off the designers previous collections along with little sneak peaks of their collections they presented at fashion week. it was a fun night and i was excited to put together a look that was both casually cool and comfortable. the silk top is from j.crew and i bought it many moons ago, but the link above is one that i think you will love too. i paired it with this structured stripe skirt from ann taylor that i'm obsessed with. it holds me in and flatters my waist all at the same time. oh and these shoes, i die for them. i'm obsessed with how bright they are i'm so excited that there is a new off broadway shoes opening out south (more to come on that later). but i have to say this event was a very fun way to get to know the designers and their thought behind their designs and brands. i loved getting one on one time with each designer to really understand their points of view. what do you think of my look? would you rock it?

xo,
cait

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Friday, September 26, 2014

black & white






top: j.crew (sold out) similar here | skirt: target | booties: ross (sold out) similar here | purse: shopbop c/o | sunnies: ralph | ring: david yurman | necklace: j.crew, nashelle, stella and dot, dog-eared

the skirt i grabbed from target last spring when it was on clearance and i'm sure glad i did. i love how comfortable the jersey is and the black and white stripes made a great statement. i paired it with a great silk tee and a new pair of lace up wedges that will be great for fall. i love pieces that are easy to wear season to season, don't you! 

what are your favorite pieces you love to wear season to season?

ps go enter the kansas city fashion week giveaway! it ends today! 

xo,
cait

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Thursday, September 25, 2014

shopbop: leopard obsessed

shopbop: leopard obsessed

1. leopard print sneakers

2. leopard print coasters

3. leopard print flats

4. leopard print dresses

5. leopard wine stopper

6. leopard clutch

7. leopard pumps 

you know i'm a little bit obsessed with leopard print! so i thought i would put together a list of my favorite pieces available at shopbop! if you love to shop online (i mean, who doesn't its so easy) you need to download the shopbop app. it's crazy easy to use, and you can do it from your smart phone. cool right. well try it out and let me know what you think. and tell me what your favorite leopard accessories are too!

xo,
cait

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Wednesday, September 24, 2014

très chic: track pants


this month's tres chic is focusing on the track pant trend. i'm pretty obsessed as you might remember from when i talked about them here and here. so andrea and lauren and i thought it would be fun to show you how we would all wear them for this month's post. 

1. you can find all my outfit details here. i paired my fav pants with a great printed sweatshirt that i can't wait to wear over and over again. 

2. lauren's look is adorable of course! i want to wear her track pants every day - they just look so comfortable, don't they? i love that she paired them with the summer bootie, they are one of my favorites to wear! be sure to check out her blog for all her outfit details! 

3. andrea's track pants are amazing right! she found them on gilt, and i am so jealous. i love the gray fabric with the leather paneled front. easy to wear, but look impeccably chic, right? also who doesn't love a great denim jacket (especially a vintage one). i adore how she funked up the look even more with great accessories! read all about her look here

what do you think about this month's tres chic post? did you like our trend? let me know what you think we should talk about next month!

xo,

cait 

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Tuesday, September 23, 2014

woke up like this










top: fortuity | denim jacket: fortuity | pants: fortuity | purse: windsor | booties: j.crew (old) similar here | necklaces: nashelle, stella and dot, dogeared | earrings: bauble bar

well, i wish i did. i've been loving these 'woke up like this' tees from fortuity so i was excited to style it for their blogger styling competition. yes, i need your help - but i'll get to that in a second. fortuity asked me a few of my favorite (there's so many) kc bloggers to stop in an create their favorite look. then, fortuity will blast the pics all over their social channels (starting tomorrow 9.24) and the blogger with the most likes by the end of day friday, 9.26 wins a giveaway for their blog! okay - fab! that means you could win something (like maybe this tee)! so here's the drill, they want some love and here's where you can share it, by liking them, on everything! oh, and then liking my pics when they share them tomorrow. yep, you've got a little sneak peak:)

fortuity kc: instagram, twitter
fortuity ku: instagram, twitter
fortuity ksu: instagram, twitter

so fortuity just opened on the plaza early last summer and i'm so super glad they did. they have two locations already, one in lawrence and the other in manhattan. i've shopped their stores a bunch and am so excited i finally get to share them with you today. 

what to know what's really in it for you? a sweet little promo code for mano's wine - they are a new kc company that specializes in customized etched wine and they just launched their site (yes, they come with wine inside). this week any custom bottle (normally $70.00) is at a promotional price of $39.95 for launch week. and the promo code is: blog20. and yes, that will take an additional 20% off of the $39.95 price! how does this all tie together? fortuity sells the bottles at their store - of course! 



so love on fortuity, buy some pretty wine and go enter the kcfw giveaway if you haven't already! 

xo,
cait

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Monday, September 22, 2014

kcfw: lauren bander giveaway






it's that time again to for kcfw! yes. kansas city fashion week is back! i can't wait to attend the shows, talk to the designers, and see their new collections. you might remember how much fun i had last spring, here, here, and here. lauren bander is definitely one of my favorite designers from the spring shows. she stood out to me last year with her carrie bradshaw meets goth girl collection. i adored her effortlessly layered tutu looks with cozy hand woven shawls. we teamed up together to get you all excited about kcfw and her presentation, by bringing you a great giveaway! be sure to enter the giveaway for one of lauren's amazing hand woven scarfs. a winner will be picked on friday, september 26th and announced on instagram and twitter. i thought it would be awesome to learn a little bit more about lauren too. so i've asked her a few questions so you can get to know her!


1. how excited are you about presenting at KCFW this year??

I am SO excited to be showing again at KCFW!  This quickly became one of my favorite shows to be a part of and I look forward to the opportunity of coming back each season.  KC now feels like my home away from home and I love being able to come back each season to show everyone my newest collection.  It makes it even more fun & exciting (and sometimes even makes me a bit nervous) that I have so many people excited to see me back and can't wait to see what I've been working on.
I enjoy working with everyone that's a part of this show so much and love that I have become friends with so many.  I've been very lucky too because a lot of my girls (my models) have been with me since my first season at KCFW and they are a huge reason as to why I look forward to coming back each season.  I couldn't ask for a better group of girls, or to be a part of a better, more giving show (they are always giving back to their community, and this season have even partnered with the Make-A-Wish foundation).  I definitely feel honored to be able to show with them and cannot wait until Saturday.
2. how many years have you presented at KCFW? 
This is my 4th season with KCFW.  My first show was in the Spring of 2013. 
3. how would you describe your new collection?
The best way to describe my new collection is that it is very me.  Spring collections are usually a little more difficult for me because I'm not a very colorful person and a lot of people expect to see brighter colors and bold prints on the Spring runways.  I personally like neutrals, especially black and other dark colors.  So that tends to make creating these collections a bit more difficult.  This time though I decided I wanted to do a spring collection I would really love, so I'm taking a slight risk and there won't be any color on my runway.  The designs though stay true to me and what I always do: pieces with an abundance of fabric, lots of movement on the runway, feminine...That part won't change, it's just that it won't be your typical spring/summer color story.  
4. what inspired this collection?
My inspiration for this collection was photos of Paris.  They have sort of an eerie feel, mysterious...but I think they're really beautiful photos.  They're a bit dark but still beautiful, sort of what I was going for with this collection.  
5. who inspires you the most?
As a designer one of my biggest inspirations has always been Christian Dior.  I love his feminine styles and the large amounts of fabrics he used.  His gowns have always been an inspiration, and what I look towards when I fall into a creative block. 
6. what is your favorite piece from the collection?
My favorite piece in the collection....this is a difficult question.  My favorite always tends to change. I'm partial to ball gowns, I would wear one everyday if I wouldn't get such crazy looks lol so those are always some of my favorites and the reason I usually have more than one in the collection.  But another of my favorite is a long, black chiffon strapless dress.  Its super simple, but I think that's why I like it so much.  I tend to like the really simple pieces, because I like to be able to layer them or change looks just by changing accessories.  
7. when do you present at KCFW?
8. where are you from?
I am from St. Louis, MO
9. how long does it take you to create your lines for KCFW?
While I'm constantly thinking of new designs and what I'll do next, the actual process of creating a collection (from the idea stages and mood boards to the completion of samples) usually takes me about 5-6 months, depending upon the number and complexity of the designs.  But it is also not unlike me to throw out some pieces and start almost completely over just weeks  before, you just can't ignore when inspiration hits lol 
10. who are your top three (i'm sure you have more) favorite designers?
So of course my favorite designer is Christian Dior...but I also really love The Row (designed by Mary-Kate Olsen & Ashley Olsen) and Alice+Olivia.0
be sure to follow lauren bander:

i look forward to see you and lauren bander at kcfw! if you need tickets you can get them here.

xo,
cait

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Saturday, September 20, 2014

the chick event at park place











you know how i love park place. i mean what's not to love, good food, good entertainment and it's super close to were i live! so last weekend i was invited to attend the chic event. it was the first of many and i enjoyed every minute of it. a ton of my favorite local retailers were there, my husband loved getting to chat with katy from sandlot goods about their wallets. it was a pretty cool moment for sure. we had a great time checking out all the tents and talking to the vendors about their products. i was blown away by all the talented artists and designers that attended. i pretty much wanted one of everything! the fall decor signs i loved! i mean how stinkin' cute are they!? that burlap pumpkin is adorable, wanted that for the casa. the watercolor on canvas painting blew me and hubs away. the baby moccasins and printed pants had me swooning (no babies yet). the colors of the abstract painting were beautiful! the vintage jewelry and bags i was literally dying over, there's an art deco necklace that i'm still thinking out. the music and food was amazing!! oh and those homemade soaps - killer, my favorite was a mint and lavender mixture. see what i mean, everything at the chick event was awesome! and i can't wait to go again. to learn more about the event check it here

have a great weekend! and if you're in kc - head down to the plaza and enjoy the plaza art fair!

xo,
cait