I was inspired to photograph these friends a couple weekends ago while style hunting in Wicker Park. It’s interesting to me how close friendships can influence personal style, as both Katie and Lindsay have a very similar look. I am lucky to have very stylish friends whose aesthetics have become a part of my fashion sense. Katie and Lindsay even have matching friendship necklaces on, which I love. You’re never too old to have a best friend!
The person who influences my style the most is my fellow fashion blogger and good friend Jena. Jena has done more than introduce me to Proenza Schouler or convince me to wear neon. She has helped me cultivate a real sense of personal style. A week ago I was telling her that since billowy tops and tight pants have become my signature day-to-day look, I should probably try to change it up with more ladylike dresses. She replied that if that’s my look, I should rock it! I should never try to change my style to please others because true fashion is about expressing one’s inner self. Jena has given me the self-confidence to wear what I like.
Do you have friends who help you make fashion decisions or who influence your style?
*I moved up this up from a week ago just to make sure all my readers have seen this post. No, your mind is not playing tricks on you with deja vu.
Those of you who avidly read Chicago’s street fashion blogs are already familiar with Karyn Dethrow, of Dethrose Vintage. She is always impeccably dressed in perfectly tailored vintage dresses from the 1950s and 1960s. When I first met Karyn my first thought was “Betty Draper is a real person and she has badass tattoos!” Karyn is actually much cooler than Betty, although I could totally see her whipping out a gun, cigarette in mouth, to teach a crotchety neighbor a thing or two about manners (video here). Karyn is known nationally for her expertly curated Etsy shop, Dethrose Vintage: Classic Not Costume, where she sells hand-selected vintage clothing and accessories
Karyn is competing in AMC x Banana Republic’s Mad Men Casting Call competition, where the winner is awarded a walk-on appearance. Karyn is clearly perfect for the role with her blessed genetics, blonde hair, and spot on personal style. She is also one of the nicest and most down-to-earth people in Chicago’s fashion scene. Karyn has worked incredibly hard to develop her vintage business into a full-time job, and she deserves this appearance as a reward for all her hard work.
So let’s make Karyn’s dream a reality!
Here’s the deal: all you have to do is
1. Click this link to visit Karyn’s profile on AMC’s website.
2. Click the Vote button underneath her profile picture.
3. The pop-up window will prompt you to either create an AMC profile or use Facebook, Twitter, or Google to log-in. Select either option and follow the instructions.
4. After you’re done logging in, re-visit Karyn’s profile here to confirm that your vote was processed. Click the Vote button one more time, just to make sure. Better safe than sorry! If you’ve already voted, you won’t be allowed to vote a second time so don’t worry about accidentally cheating.
And that’s it! You just helped Chicago’s own Betty Draper get one vote closer to making her dream come true.
Since my Cheer prize giveaways were so successful, the company gave me another iPod and another pair of Ray-Bans to award to my readers. Cheer relaunched itself as the brand that helps you “Stay Colorful,” which is their new slogan. Since I am always talking about how Chicago is a colorful fashion city, and that in contrast to New York the fashion crowd here loves color, Cheer made perfect sense as a corporate partner. Plus I wanted to give away sweet prizes to all of my passionate readers! This giveaway ends at 11:59pm Sunday (8/28).
For a chance to win either the iPod Nano or the Ray-Bans, all you have to do is:
2. Write on our wall about why you love color
3. “Like” Australian indie rockers Strange Talk on Facebook
That’s it! And if you don’t want to wait to see if you’ve won, you can win prizes directly from Cheer by watching the Strange Talk music video for their song Climbing Walls, which features brand-new technology that allows viewers to click on items in the song. If the song is “loaded” with prizes, you’ll win what you click on. The video is “reloaded” everyday at different times until the campaign ends on August 31. You can watch it below:
*FTC Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Proctor & Gamble
