Cold Weather, Color, Daytime Look, Fall/Winter, haley hoover, Real Talk

What Am I Even Wearing?

WELCOME FALL. You are here now. You have officially taking up the roost and shooed my darling summertime away. It’s fine, I’m just a little stressed is all.

With cooler temps upon us, the next wave of trends is rolling in, too. I’ve been in a conundrum for the past two weeks as I feel a nip in the air when I walk to the train. One question pounds around in my cranium all morning as the J train inches towards Manhattan: “What am I wearing this season?” I’ve been pestering my friend Kate for months about what the new, hot boot will be, but she always shot me down saying it was too early and too hot to talk about fall. She was right.  But fall always got me buggin! I’ve never felt adequately wardrobed for autumn, it’s my worst season. I’ve never loved jeans and growing up, my corduroys always “swished, swished, swished” in such a way that I grew to hate most pants in general.

Determined to get it right, I start my research early. This year was tricky because things in the trend cycle are starting fresh—only the most daring and fabulous are in the know. We all knew to buy off the shoulder tops for summer this year, because only the coolest of the cool were wearing them last year.  At this point, I’m keeping my eyes on the stars. Thankfully, all of those glittering fashion plates are gathered at fashion weeks across the globe, so I found it fitting to report on what to wear through the eyes of the most talented street stylists—and photographers—out there. Here’s what to shop to nail Fall 2016 and spoiler alert(!)—if you’re a 90s baby, you’re in for a treat.

TREND 1 – EAT SPAGHETTI 

spaghetti

Photo Cred: VogueRunway.com / Phil Oh

I wasn’t kidding about 90s swag; it is back and it is alive. I vividly remember having a purple tee and lime green tank combo that I rocked in the 4th grade (circa 1994?) and envisioning a grown-up version of that ensemble on my now is still a little hard to swallow. I’ll dip my toe via the most 90s establishment out there: The Gap.

Quick take = Zara Tank + Gap Tee

 

TREND 2 – BLACK AND WHITE AND PRINTED ALL OVER

patterned-blouse

Photo Cred: VogueRunway.com / Phil Oh

Praise The Lord for a great printed blouse, a statement piece all on its own. Tuck it into jeans on your way to Sunday brunch or trousers when you’re running late for work on Wednesdays. Pick up stress-free wearable ones from Zara or JCrew Factory or find treasured, glossy (read: high maintenance) ones at Equipment and ALC.

 

TREND 3 – COLD CLAVICLES 

eva-ots

Photo Cred: VogueRunway.com / Phil Oh

Get ready to keep freezing those shoulders off, babies, because the off the shoulder blouses and sweaters ain’t going anywhere! Trust, your arms will be warmed because crazy sleeves are all the rage too (see below). I’m looking at knits to stay cozy, but would be swayed for bright or ruffling versions when Saturday nights come a calling.

 

I’ll just leave these here for everyone to digest. Ready your wallets, ladies! It’s time to shop; I’ll be back later this week with a little more food fashion for thought.

Happy Monday, y’all.

xx – Haley

Standard
Real Talk, Spring/Summer, travel diaries

June – According to my iPhone

I hate to admit it, but Labor Day is an unwelcome earmark of time in my life. As much as I protest and persistently point out the sun’s warmth and my ability to wear shorts well into September, it’s hard to deny that the last long weekend of the summer does, in fact, mean that summer is over. The last two summers in the city have left me wanting a little more. Hectic and weird work schedules meant that a getaway looked like one or two train rides to Far Rockaway or, if we were lucky, a long weekend in Connecticut. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love doing both of those things, but 12 collective hours in the sun does not make for a summer glow.

Thankfully, this year was a little different! Earlier in the spring, I mentioned that I had multiple trips lined up and darling, I did not lie. Pardon my absence over here, but with all this travel, I accidentally took summer sabbatical.  Below is the month of June, according to my iPhone

Here’s what I learned in June:
– Weekend 1: The Hamptons is a beautiful place. It will make you feel poor while simultaneously making you feel like a rockstar. Andy Cohen really is the King of East Hampton and the Surf Lodge is too big for its britches. Uber Helicopter is a thing. And the Clam Bar has amazing ‘Lobby’ Rolls. When we went to the Hamptons, Ryan and I represented American amongst 12 Australians. I’m keen to do it again.

-Weekend 2: I feel just as passionate about Nashville as I do New York City. Barista Parlor is the most pretentious coffee shop I’ve ever visited and gives any Brooklyn roaster a run for its money. Although drastically different since I left, you can still improvise a photo shoot on a flatbed truck, which means that maybe Nashville really hasn’t changed much at all.

-Weekend 3: Weddings in Connecticut are beautiful. Also, good friends are the ones you can see once or twice a year and always pick up right where you left off.

-Weekend 4: Having visitors every 6 weeks or so really helps Ryan and I see all the lovely touristy things New York has to offer. In one day alone we brunched at Junior’s, traversed the Brooklyn Bridge, paid our respects to 9/11, explored Central Park and Grand Central Station, ate fresh guacamole, made a new friend or two, and watched the Braves beat the Mets at Citi Field. In New York, you really can do it all—as long as your friends are in town for 72 hours, that is.

-Weekend 5: Going to swanky NYC nightclubs will make you realize that there are entire subcultures in this city of which you know zero things. Also, nothing makes you feel older than hearing the words: “The reservation is for 11:15pm. See you tonight!” If your initial reaction to those words was a giant GULP, then you are old too.

June-baby, you were ages ago and boy do I miss you. We’ll always have Memorial Day weekend…oh, and all these pictures.

xx – Haley

Standard
Color, Daytime Look, haley hoover, Real Talk, Shopping Guide, Spring/Summer

Bare Boned

I’d like to start out by giving a nod to The Bachelor for keeping me in the know of what cool girls are wearing in fashion.  Ever since our move to New York, I’ve been pursuing an NYC look; streamlined, darker, cool shoes. But every now and then, I find it wise to look west to our rivals friends in LA and see what they’re wearing, especially in summertime. In this case, I found my LA-inspo via Bachelor Ben’s gaggle of lovely, *mostly* mild-mannered honies (ps, there’s some debate on how to spell the plural form of Honey, but per urban dictionary this is right). Sure Lauren B and Amanda had some incredibly Cali Style, but I loved Jojo (of course)—she’s from Texas so we are kindof southern sisters and she continually rocked amazing off the shoulder tops. I’d seen shoulder baring tops here and there at the tail end of last summer, but once the girls on America’s Reality Show starting wearing them, I knew we’d be inundated with options this summer, because nothing says, “It’s summer. Let’s date.” like a pair of suntanned shoulders and collar bone.

Wanna climb aboard the trendy train? It’s so easy this summer! I love the off the shoulder top vs. the crop tops and deep v’s of days past because a) everyone has shoulders and b) almost always they are worth showing off  and c) you can show them off in a decent, classy way. You can pop this little top on over cutoffs or distressed jeans or dress it way up with a fitted skirt and heels. I posted a picture of me in this outfit a few weeks back and someone commented that this is the “ultimate flirty outfit.” To that I say thank you, first off, and also I don’t disagree.

haleyhooverofftheshoulder3

A little shoulder goes a long way.

HaleyHooverofftheshoulderhaleyhooverofftheshoulder4

haleyhooveroffhteshoulder5

I love how this top floats; it’s so easy to pair with whatever!

haleyhooverofftheshoulder6

haleyhooverofftheshoulder2

This is me thinking about how many times I’m wearing this top all summer.

I think this style has longevity. Get ready—I predict designers taking the off the shoulder look far into cooler months because it’s just so dang fun to wear. Plus these tops are flying off the shelves; retailers everywhere are thanking their lucky stars for The Bachelor, probably. It’s like they always say: Shoulder Sells.

Wanna get in on the action, but not sure where to start? I’ve pinned TONS of tops, outfit ideas, and dresses right here on my new Pinterest board to get ya going. Like seriously, there is so much to see.  Click over and get to shopping. Don’t forget to email me if you have questions!

 

xx – Haley

Key Pieces: Top – Zara // Earrings – J Crew // Shoes – Sam Edelman // Nails – Be There in a Prosecco, OPI

 

 

 

Standard
haley hoover, Holiday, Spring/Summer

First Saturday in May

 

Many days, lately, go by without me thinking once about the little farm where I grew up. City life is busy; balancing a full-time job, business on the side, marriage, friendships, fitness, ministry, etc., often take precedent over my old Kentucky home. But when the weather turns warm and the grass smells sweet (you know, before the infamous New York summertime trash smell overtakes), I start listening to a little more country music on Spotify and begin to reminisce over Thursday riding lessons and weekends schooling my Thoroughbred over 4-ft jumps across rolling hills.

Last year when nostalgia set in, I invited as many people that could fit in my apartment over so we could watch The Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May. Eager to introduce all of my buddies to what life was like back home, I cooked and baked every dish that even so much as nodded towards southern hospitality: pulled pork, Kentucky Caviar, sweet tea, strawberry salad, Mint Juleps, and Kentucky’s own Derby Pie (you must make this pie, it’s divine). The Derby is all about tradition, so I preemtively wrote “First Annual” on the invitations. You can imagine how excited I was when the first glimmer of spring rolled around and I received a text asking if I was having the party again. Duh.

This year our party roster was comprised of new and old friends, a fresh menu: ribs, chicken and waffles, Hot Brown Sliders (an actual sandwhich type—see above), and some crowd pleasers: Juleps! Pie! We crowded in our one bedroom and all became racing experts for about 20 minutes.

I highly recommend overspending on food and drinks and fresh flowers, just once a year. Draw names out of a hat and scream at the TV. And give everyone pie. Pro tip: after the race, take a camera and all of your friends up to the roof to watch the sunset.

IMG_7262IMG_7241IMG_7223IMG_7230IMG_7253IMG_7248IMG_7270IMG_7265

One time, my husband had an interview in which he was asked, “What is the fabric of you?” We laughed hysterically afterwards because #WUT. The joke’s on me though, because I’ve realized that the South is in the fabric of me. That’s why I always look forward to the first Saturday in May.

See y’all later! – Haley

Standard
Award Show, Night Out, Recap

It’s Heating Up

The 2016 SAG awards have come and gone leaving nothing but some great memories, a few forgotten sequins, and, of course, updates to the HiHaleyannie Fashion Bracket! For such a subdued award ceremony—seriously, compared to the Golden Globes, the SAG awards are like a child’s birthday party, so thankful and G-rated—the stars really brought laid it out on the red carpet.  There were a few twists this round, but in all honesty, I was quite pleased with the results. Take a look at the standings:

full bracket 2

Our final two for the ladies are:

Alicia Vikander

Screen Shot 2016-02-11 at 10.40.43 PM

Photo Cred: Vogue.com

I’m not going to lie. I didn’t want her to win and I didn’t want her to be a frontrunner. I wanted her out the first round. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of her “films”, but Alicia’s red carpet run with Louis Vuitton has been too good to ignore. She did kick off the season at the Critics Choice Awards in Mary Katrantzou’s striking beaded gown, and now, this LV shift throws us for a loop. At first glance, it’s an unassuming number, but turn to the side and BOOM, that sky-high slit gives the perfect amount of leg. *Insert Leg Up On The Competition Joke Here*

Brie Larson

Screen Shot 2016-02-11 at 10.42.44 PM

Photo Cred: VanityFair.com

As previously mentioned, sometimes the red carpet is inconsistent. Where was JLaw at the SAGs? I had her slated to win, but then she has the nerve to NOT SHOW UP to the SAGs?? Did she not consider my bracket?! The great news is that Brie Larson very much DID show up, and very much DID slay in this grecian Atelier Versace gown that loops, dips, and drapes in all the right places. Shout out to JLaw for tagging BLar back into the bracket. I may just grant you a pass card back into the bracket if you show at the Oscars. We’ll talk later.

And our final two for the men:

Eddie Redmayne (& Hannah Bagshawe)

Screen Shot 2016-02-11 at 10.42.17 PM.png

Photo Cred: Vogue.com

Eddie wore his Dior tux like it was his first, last, and only tux. He stunned. But really, his expectant wife, Hannah, was super clutch. It’s been said many times that behind every great man is an even greater woman. But in Eddie’s case, she’s right next to him, and she’s wearing high-impact, floor-length sequins.

Ryan Gosling

Ryan-Gosling-SAG-Awards-2016-1.jpg

Photo Cred: Popsugar.com

I hate to say that Ryan Gosling has this in the bag, but like, he’s got this in the bag. The Gos is so confident in his looks that he doesn’t feel the need to rock the red carpet these days. Cheer up, shy guy, we’re all still staring at you in that Gucci midnight blue suit anyway.

Clearly, this isn’t over yet. Literally, it’s not because The Academy Awards are not until February 28th. Happy Valentine’s Day y’all, I’ll wrap this up in March!

 

Cheers,

Haley

Standard
#BYOC, Real Talk, Recap, Shopping Guide

On to the Next

“On to the Next” is one of my favorite phrases. A few years ago, my little brother and I graduated high school and college the same year, and I convinced my mom to get the Walmart bakery (I know, classy) to write it on our cake for the graduation party. Those blessed artisans at Walmart delivered—”On to the Next” was written in neat cursive; everyone at the party smiled and simultaneously tilted their head in confusion when they passed by our white cake with white icing and red accents. I didn’t care because a) I weirdly like doing things that throw people off and b) I was so ready for life beyond the textbook. This isn’t a plea to millennials to not go to school. Go to school, millennials. You don’t need a year to “pursue your YouTube channel full-time.” 

As I shake off 2015, I’m staring down the blank slate that is 2016. I’ve made personal resolutions which include using my camera more, running more miles—the typical stab at being more creative and getting skinnier. (I’m toasting 2016 with a glass full of green juice.) But here’s what’s going on in THIS space, you know, just in case you’ve been wondering:

IMG_0765

I’m calling this my to-do list, rather than my resolutions, because everyone knows that resolutions never get completed and to-do lists, well, do, more often at least. Let me break it down for you.

  • More #BYOC – Bring Your Own Coffee is coming back! I’ll be highlighting more go-getters, more NYC ballers that I’ve crossed paths with over the past year.
  • More Shopping – Sorry guys, kindof forgot this was a style blog, not just a collection of pretty pictures. More posts featuring actual clothes you can buy.
  • More Closet Basics – I’m excited to be walking everyone through my closet basics, all the the things you should ABSOLUTELY have in your closet for no-fail, always-chic outfits.
  • Find affordable faux leather pants that are decent and look legit. DONE! I found these, they’re here. Go buy them.
  • The Big Hihaleyannie Project – this last one is still a bit secret, but it’ll be big and super fun when it happens. Stay. Tuned.

4 out of 5 things left to do. Are you ready to start shopping again? I am! On to the next…

Cheers,

Haley

 

Standard
Cold Weather, Daytime Look, Holiday, Real Talk, Recap

Best & Worst of Times – 2015

Hoovers (12 of 31)

I’ve always liked the little newsletters that come in Christmas cards. Maybe I’m nosy, but I like knowing what’s going on in people’s lives. I like the context, I guess. This is my last post of 2015 and a long overdue one at that. So, in honor of the season I thought I’d write my own newsletter.

In January I was thrilled to interview for an editorial position at the magazine I had always dreamed of working. (Think: Devil Wears Prada). After a—no joke—8 minute interview I learned the position I was interviewing for had been filled already. I was crushed.
In February I went through 3 weeks of casting for a well-known fashion reality show and learned why they say acting is not for everyone. I also learned that reality TV is for SURE acting. After just barely missing the final cut I stood weeping in the kitchen in Ryan’s arms. Crushed. Again.
A dear friend moved away in February and after watching two dreams slip through my fingers by what seemed, at the time, by my own doing, I felt like God had tricked me. Life didn’t feel fun.
In March, through a series of unexpected events, Ryan’s company shuttered and he very quickly (thankfully) started working at that same magazine I had interviewed with 3 months prior. I struggled to juggle  my genuine happiness for my husband finding his place and panicked anxiety —why I wasn’t good enough to land that job in January? The year wore on and I continued to look for work that excited me but nothing came.  During my 26th birthday weekend, while watching the sun set over Brooklyn with some of my dear friends, I decided I had to let go. It was time to love myself fully and to trust the Lord’s plan for me fully-er.

Hoovers (11 of 31)

That’s when things turned. When you open your palms up to God’s way and just stop trying, amazing things can happen. Honestly that statement is more deserving of a full essay, or a compilation of them, than one, trite sentence. It has truly taken me 20 years to arrive at this realization.

Hoovers (16 of 31)
Here’s the rest of the story –
In July, Ryan and I opened a business back home with our friends. Although it’s a random field in the entertainment industry, we’ve enjoyed six very good months of business with our three counterparts. Come to find out,  a new business keeps one very occupied, so you can imagine my surprise when it was the end of October and there was still no change to my full-time work scenario. I began to question how to move forward in my career. Should I freelance again? Should we move back home? Should I quit writing on the side? Was I wasting my time? No sooner did Ryan and I begin to pray about next steps when I received a call from the publishing company that I had interviewed with in January, this time for a different position at a different magazine.
After three rounds of interviews, I tearfully happily accepted a position in a role that seems to have been designed perfectly suit to my skill set.  Here I was, at the culmination of everything, towards the end of the year and finally my context arrived.

Hoovers (8 of 31)

So of course, the moral of the story is that it all works out, but more so, the moral of the story is that I just walked through a year that seemed so wrong for so long only to be peacefully led into a place that is perfect. I learned how to love myself, realized that “not now” doesn’t translate to “not enough,” and that all those bumps in the road shouldn’t load up as chips on your shoulder, but rather, boosts to stand higher on.
I wasn’t joking about my impatience. The struggle is SO real. And your twenties are SO weird. But God is good. I’m overwhelmed by His grace and abundant love. I’m thankful for one of the hardest years of my life. When I think of how He loved me hardest when I felt rejected, I about go weak in the knees. I’m most thankful He gifted me with my kind, patient, best friend of a husband, who, by the way, totally rocked out this year. Seriously, Ryan is the best.

So if want, you can fold up my newsletter and put in in your back pocket or you can throw it away. As for me— I’m boarding a plane to fly to my family’s home in Kentucky and I couldn’t be more excited to watch what unfolds in 2016.

Merry Christmas,

Haley

KEY PIECES: Sweater – Banana Republic // Boots – DSW // Vest – Intermix // Ryan’s Jacket – Jack Spade // Ryan’s Boots – Billy Reid // Ryan’s Glasses – Warby Parker

Per usual, all photos taken by Julia Hembree. Isn’t she great?

Standard
NYFW, Recap, Spring/Summer

Fashion To Go – NYFW

The invasion has begun. My instagram feed is flooded with pictures of my favorites spots around town, but now by out of towner bloggers. Blacked-out windowed Escalades and Suburbans are hunkered down in front of the hotels Mercer, Crosby and Trump. When I walk home from work, my route is a little less direct as I swing by these spots to try and spot/restrain myself from tackling a celebrity. Fashion’s bi-annual Christmas has begun –

WELCOME TO NEW YORK FASHION WEEK.

Sadly, I’ll be missing many of this season’s shows due to an overly hectic personal schedule, but I’m following along via that oh-so-helpful, yet FOMO inducing social media. If you want to bone up your fashion intake this week, I highly recommend checking into Vogue’s site VOGUErunway.com (RIP STYLE.COM – you will be missed!)

If you just maybe want to know what’s hot and what’s not this NYFW, I’m your girl. Today is all about the quickest Fashion Week rundown ever.

Let’s jump right into Hihaleyannie’s First-Ever Fashion To Go!

The Favorite – Public School

photo cred: vogue.com

photo cred: vogue.com

Right now, these two designers are the hottest thing out there. Between their much adored line and manning the helm at DKNY this season, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne are honing their A game and bringing it hard. Passionate lovers of the city, it’s easy for us all to pull for the street-style guys whose line’s style is a little goth and a little prep and very, very clean. Not to mention, their ready to wear items sell out faster than you can say,”Where do you keep your Public School shorts?” As my friend, Russian GQ photographyer, Volodya Timchuk, would say, “They are cool, Soho boys.” Yes they are Vlad, yes they are.

Most Instagrammed – Givenchy

photo cred: @VogueParis

photo cred: @VogueParis

The inception of the Givenchy show began and concluded on Instragram. Last week, Givenchy announced via Instagram that they would give away 425 +1 tickets to whomever signed up in time. Givenchy’s acclaimed designer Ricardo Tisci was thrilled to be presenting in NY for the first time and wanted the world to see it happen. Well we all signed up and the site crashed several times and yours truly is proud sad to say she did not land a ticket. BUT good ol up-to-the-nanosecond Insta was there for us. Snaps of Kanye and Kim finding their seats flooded my feed, along with the gorgeous West-side sunset glowing in the background while cream colored ladies with bejeweled faces stoically walked the catwalk. I feel like I was there! But not really.

Most Runwayed – Gigi, Kendell, Cara, Karlie and the rest of the PYT Squad

photo cred: Vogue.com/Getty Images

photo cred: Vogue.com/Getty Images

Fashion’s darling girls are only gaining momentum this season.This group of gorgeous, barely-of-age ladies will walk in almost every show imaginable.  You can’t swing a stick in Manhattan without hitting one of these doe-eyed, long-legged vixens. And they’ll be walking every show from DVF to Tommy Hilfiger to Oscar de la Renta. I mean you can for sure swing a stick without hitting one of them. But it’s so crowded in the city lately that you can’t really swing a stick without hitting someone. Also, where would you find a stick? #nonature

Most Under The Radar Runwayed – Anna Ewers

photo cred: vogue.com

photo cred: vogue.com

She’s the face you’ve seen but just can’t place it. But Anna walks in hundreds of shows a season and no doubt this season is no different. Her face is strong or soft or sexy or whatever mood a designer is attempting to create. She’s the ultimate muse to any artiste and we’ll continue to unknowingly see her face in ads for many seasons to come.

Back At It – Lauren Conrad

photo cred: @lclaurenconrad

photo cred: @lclaurenconrad

If you are my mom, you may actually recognize this name! Everyone’s favorite Kohl’s designer is back at it with a new line. LC didn’t quite graduate from soft sweetness, but hey, you do what you know. And yes, there’s a time and a place for girly girls and that place is a place where girls where bows in their hair (that means you, the South!) and bikinis on the reg (heyyyy California!).

Hot Colors – Just take a look at the most recent shows showcased on Voguerunway:

photo cred - Voguerunway.com

photo cred – Voguerunway.com

Hard to say as today really dives into the deep end of the shows, but I’m saying we’re coming back to bright, bold color and lightness in general. Yesterday, Idan Cohen sent his models down the runway in bright, candy-colored and beaded gowns. At Givenchy last night, Ricardo Tisci sent his girls down his highline runway in white silk slips and cream colored jackets. Better up your spray-tan budget for Spring 2016.

Hot Trends

photo cred: voguerunway.com

photo cred: voguerunway.com

I’m calling for another round of off the shoulder tops coupled with high-slit skits. This season will be about showing skin in new and exciting ways. Less cutouts, more slits.

Keep your eyes peeling and your ‘liking’ finger ready because now you know. Next week we’ll recap shows and drool over all the pretty clothes. Merry Fashion Week to us all.

xo

Haley

Standard
Casual, Daytime Look, Real Talk, Sporty, Spring/Summer

Weekend Warrior

My week days start at 6:30 am with a 3 mile run (only if I’m really on it, 7:20am and no run, if I’m not) and they end at 12:30am with me putting the finishing touches on a blog or a tweet or a post or something that requires brain power that I usually don’t possess at that hour. I fully work full time. Day to day outfits are skirts and dresses and heels and intentional outfits – attempts to subliminally make people respect me and think “hey, she should probably style our next campaign.” But the weekend is when the magic happens.

smp (10 of 121)

Weekend warrior. That’s what I am. Rather, that’s what my new summer obsession called THESE OVERALLS are. Only recently have I started experiencing this thing called “weekends” and, glory be, those two days off in a row are life changing. Saturday and Sunday lay open before me and my closet. So here I am, with two days of adventurous, city-life bliss up for grabs and this denim hero. You better believe I am wearing them TO EVERYTHING. Beach trip – over my bikini. Day at park – make it french, opt for a Breton striped shirt. Concert in Brooklyn – racer back tank and platform sandals. Fourth of July Weekend in Connecticut – still not sure, but will report back about this on Monday. I think my husband is a little over the ‘alls, but I honestly can’t stop. I feel younger and cuter, I feel patriotic, I feel gutsier, I feel this weird mix of nostalgia and the pride you get when your outfit is actually ‘on-trend.’

smp (20 of 121)

smp (40 of 121)_2

smp (44 of 121)

smp (54 of 121)_2

smp (47 of 121)

I guess if I had an Independence Day wish for you, I would wish that you find what I’ve found. Whether it’s overalls, a vintage army-green jacket, or a sundress that just won’t quit, I hope you stop thinking about what you need in your wardrobe so much and just buy what makes you feel happy. Make my July 4th wish come true (please, sorry mom) – shop these pieces I’m loving and experience the Overall Attitude life change. Be the weekend warrior you’ve always dreamed you can be. And then let that bleed over to Monday.  Deal? Deal.

OVERALLS

Hoping God blesses you, your closet & our lovely country this weekend.

Happy 4th ya’ll.

– H

Key Pieces // Overalls – Forever21  | Top – JCrew | Watch – Skagen

Fabulous images by Julia Hembree

Standard
Real Talk

Let’s Begin

W E L C O M E to my new Z O N E.

You came! You made it! I made it. It’s been a little bit of a journey to get here and I have that weird feeling of tentative success that one might feel when hanging the first picture up in an otherwise empty apartment wall. This could look terrible or amazing, but it’s honestly too soon to tell.

I decided that it was time to launch a new space for myself largely for selfish reasons. I want a space that reflects me and hopefully acts as a little emotional vehicle for me to ride around in while this weird, weird time called my mid-twenties is happening. This is my house, my space; we are gonna get honest and thoughtful and hilarious up here.

For me, writing (and blogging) has been such a satisfying way to navigate life, share what clothing and trends I’m completely in love with (or scared of – that means you, crop tops!) and enlighten others about the wide world of fashion. This industry has a way of transforming lives and totally shaping the way a person views the world. If you’re in the industry – you either fully accept this (moi) or are totally oblivious to this bubble in which you reside. If you’re NOT in the industry, you  most likely think we’re all crazy to consider investing a small fortune on bags/shoes/denim and simultaneously have no idea what we do on a daily basis.*

*This part is dedicated to my mom. I know she has no idea what I do for a job.

I won’t be alone in this enlightenment process either. THIS IS WHAT I AM MOST EXCITED ABOUT. Each month, I’ll be grabbing coffee with a comrade in the fashion or entertainment industry to learn more about what their little slice of pop culture contribution looks like. I can not give you internet coffee, but I will definitely be reporting on the conversations had at said coffee meetings. Wait til next week – you’re going to LOVE my first guest interview, seriously, it’s gonna be good. smp (111 of 121)

smp (101 of 121)

smp (85 of 121)

smp (121 of 121)

smp (105 of 121)-2

#BYOC (Bring Your Own Coffee)

So that’s the rundown. New space. New outfits. New chats. All this and more peppered in with tales of the city and how I constantly manage to inappropriately over or under think normal situations.

Really, really excited you’re here. Cheers.

-haley

Key Pieces // Top + Bottom – Fashion Pills | Shoes: The Kooples | Jewelry: Anthropologie, JCrew X BaubleBar

All photos taken by the amazing Julia Hembree.

Standard