I cannot stop shopping for spring at Target right now!  They have really nailed the trends and the basics this season, at a price point everyone can afford.  We have a trip scheduled to Scottsdale at the end of April and I have been looking in my closet lately to see what pieces I’m missing for the upcoming warmer season.  One would think that maybe I could wear a few of these pieces now since it’s March 18 – but one look outside at our ‘wintry mix’ and that’s a solid NO.  Argh Chicago weather!!

Some things I may or may not have already taken home?

This pleather jacket is SO CUTE on.  It comes in 4 different colors, but this blue is gorgeous.  And it doesn’t look like pleather.  Trust me!  The ruching on the side is such a great detail.

Target Xhilaration Faux Leather Jacket, $39.99

The contrast pocket on this hi-low tank got me.  Super cute under a jean jacket, comes in three other colors, $12.99.  Donesies!

Mossimo Supply Co Hi-Lo Tank, $12.99

I’m always looking for cute but not juvenile (this is a key point here people) graphic tees.  These Mossimo ones are perfect.  They’re not too tight, not too long – great with shorts, jeans, flip flops or flats.

Mossimo Supply Co Graphic Tee, $14.99

I knew i needed this shirt the minute I touched it.  It’s a nice rayon/spandex mix, and is very similar to a style by James Perse that usually goes for $125!!!  I tried it on – drapes beautifully.  Are you saying – that’s so BASIC!  Exactly.  Every woman needs a great white casual blouse – think of the jewelry options you can put with this ‘basic’ blouse.  Statement necklaces galore!

Converse One Star Long Sleeve button down top, $22.99

Finally, a Stuart Weitzman knockoff done right.  Obsessing over these at SW for a couple of seasons, now I can get them for $24.99!  Wear with everything.  Literally.

Mossimo Pam Wedge, $24.99

One of my favorite ways to punch up a handbag that’s been around the block a few times is to tie a cute scarf onto one of the handles.  This fits the bill.  Colorful but not too much; the fringe adds to the hip factor.

Global Girlfriend Black Wildflower Scarf, $24.99

Love Target style?  Me too – here’s another way to obsess:  the Target Style blog:  On the Dot.

Signing off in Style,

Mollie & Erin

 A well edited kids closet.

We met today’s Open Closet owner through Instagram.  Really.  How fun (and funny) is that?  A couple of weeks ago, someone I began following posted a gloriously organized children’s closet – perfect hangers, perfect spacing, perfect baskets….you get the picture above.  One comment by me, one comment by our KC Style Spy Melanie, and it was decided.  We wanted to feature her closet & organization methods.

This is Kyle.  {on Instagram she’s ‘kylerattigan‘}  

She is a Mother of two scrumptious little ones, a wife, and a lover of all things organized.  When she’s not dispensing fashion advice to friends and family, she’s working out at Local Barre, antiquing with her husband (she got a good one, apparently!), cooking (via Pinterest lately) and skiing!

She’s also working on opening her own Etsy shop in the near future, Bloomfield Bling.  Inspired by the Etsy shop Candy Shop Vintage, whose owner is a gal from Charleston with some amazing taste in vintage baubles,  Kyle can’t wait to get into the biz herself!  We’ll for sure let you know when her shop opens (and what our favorite pieces are!).

Anyway, after some back and forth via email, Kyle happily agreed to take some pictures of the closet organization around her house for us.  We can’t wait to show you!  First though….a little Q&A so you can get to know her a little better.

 Q & A with Kyle

SS:  Tell us a little bit about yourself – where did you grow up, go to college, career path.

I am an east coast girl.  I grew up in New Canaan, CT about an hour outside of NYC.  I was born in Manhattan and my parents moved out of the city right before I arrived.  My paternal grandmother lived in NYC so we were there often during my childhood.  She definitely had a major influence on my style.  When I visited she would take me with her to all the fun department stores!  I studied Elementary Education at the University of Delaware.  Shortly after graduation I moved into NYC and found my first apartment that I rented with a good college friend.  I began teaching Kindergarten at an all boys private school.  After teaching both K and first grade, I transitioned from the classroom to administration, and landed my dream job in another independent school as assistant director of admissions.  Even though I was in a uniform school setting, fashion played a role.  I met many parents (some with backgrounds at Vogue and Domino magazines).  For all you Bravo fans, we even had two Real Housewives (LuAnn and Jill) whose children attended our school.  Working with students and their families was my first love, but I have always had a strong interest in fashion.  Living in NYC furthered that passion and some of my style choices.

 SS:  What were your earliest style and fashion influences?

My two earliest fashion influences were certainly my dad and his mother.  They both had such effortless style.  My grandmother loved dressing up! When I stayed over a weekend, we would always go to church on Sunday.  She would put on her finest attire, and loved dressing me up as well.  I also remember a very detailed beauty routine of hers where she would carefully pin her hair in tiny curls secured with a bobby pin every night before bed, and wake up with perfect hair each morning.  She always let me play pretend with her heels and bags.  My dad was born with an eye for fashion, and paid careful attention to details.  He loved shopping for my mom and bought this Pucci dress at Saks in the 1960’s, which my mom graciously past down to me.

I wore this dress on a night out in the Hamptons circa 2002.  It is much too short for a mom of two at this point, but I will definitely hand it down to my daughter!

SS: Do you have any style icons or styles you find yourself emulating?

I guess my top style icons would be Jessica Alba, Katie Holmes and the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.  Even though Jessica and Katie are busy moms, they still manage to have fun with fashion, and always look cool and youthful.  CBK was the ultimate sophisticated lady.  Her style was quite refined.  I admire her timeless and elegant clothing choices.  She always seemed to let her natural beauty shine through.

SS: Favorite places to shop?

My favorite places to shop (in no particular order) Estate Sales/Tag Sales (costume jewelry), J.Crew, Target and Togs (New Canaan and Greenwich, CT).  If anyone is in the CT area Togs has the most incredible sales.  I don’t online shop as much, but it is fun to browse Shopbop and look at all the amazing eye candy!

SS: Top 3 designers you love for yourself?

DVF (for bold /colorful pieces), Rebecca Taylor (I am a sucker for all her blouses -they are ultra feminine and always look good with dark skinny jeans) Ralph Lauren (his designs stand the test of time).

SS:  We have to ask you this:  How are you helping to cultivate your daughters’ or sons’ style?  Or are you at all?  ;-)

 I would say James has a preppy style.  For me, it’s easiest to keep boy clothes simple.  He wears a lot of stripes, khaki pants and cable knit sweaters.  Hadley will be 4 in May and definitely has her own ideas about what she likes to wear.  She is really good at getting herself dressed each morning, and i’m trying to be more laid back in letting her make her very own choices.  Sometimes I have to intervene though – ha!  Hadley likes to mix prints and occasionally, she nails it!  Most of her clothes are from Target, H&M and Old Navy.  If we’re going to splurge we like Mini Boden and Crewcuts.  Hadley has also sported some of my old clothing; my Mom carefully preserved a handful of her favorite pieces from my childhood.  Seeing my daughter in these has been really fun.

SS: Organization wise, which is your favorite closet/room/space in your house?

I would have to say my children’s closets (see first photo in post).  I love looking at all their little clothing, because I know they won’t be this small forever!

SS: How does your husband influence the organization process around your house?  Or does he?

I am most fortunate to have married a guy who likes to clean, and who at times, is even neater than I am!  I knew Jay was a keeper when I saw his first apartment.  His room was definitely super organized, while his roommates lived in disaster areas.  : )  Jay color codes his ties and every article of clothing is folded perfectly within his closet.    It is kind of crazy!  He is also an expert at folding laundry and doesn’t seem to mind this task, which is another bonus.  *SS note – Seriously!  Can he give our husbands a seminar? It might be his fall-back career he doesn’t yet know about….

SS: Biggest Splurge?

A Dolce and Gabbana Dress, circa 2003.  It has made MANY appearances at weddings over the years!

SS: Biggest Steal?

An Elsa Peretti bean cuff that my father scored at an estate sale in California. Can you believe the lady was selling it for $100?! Her ex-husband had given it to her, and she just wanted to part with it.

SS:  Got some tips for keeping a busy household organized?  Any websites or stores you look to for organizational inspiration?

Most of the time I am flying by the seat of my pants, but I do try to stay organized so things have a better chance of falling into place.  We are so lucky to have wonderful closet space, which is rare in our town.  A lot of the homes are older, so some of them never came with proper closets.  When we renovated our place, we had someone come in to design a front hall closet, the children’s closets, kitchen pantry and our laundry area.  The previous owners had California Closets come to do the master bedroom, so we were set there.  One trick I have picked up along the way is that everything looks better stored in a pretty bin.  I have had luck finding baskets and bins at Homegoods and Kohls.  My favorite storage unit is the Expedit from Ikea.  We have two of these in our play area to corral all the toys.  I have discovered some good options for keeping accessories like belts and scarves tidy, at the Container Store.  The Dollar Store is another gem for household organization items.  You never know what you may find there!

SS:  Just for fun: Where is your favorite place to vacation and why?  

Favorite vacation spot is Stone Harbor, NJ.  Nothing beats the Jersey shore in the summer!  It is low-key and there are so many cute shops and yummy restaurants.

SS:  Favorite local restaurant (in Hoboken, NJ)?

My favorite local restaurant is the Fig Tree.  Their signature fig cocktail with fig vodka, honey, fig puree and Prosecco is amazing.  Everything on the menu is local and seasonally prepared.  Totally delicious!

***

SS:  Thank you Kyle for all of your answers, we have loved getting to know you!  Readers – scroll down for the goods on Kyle’s closets!  

 A concise collection of flats and low heels.  Note:  no basics found here, but that’s what we LOVE!  Who needs basic black flats?  Spring is all about spicing it up with color and attitude.

Handbags…what a gorgeous collection (Louis, Gucci, Chanel…..oh my!).  Keeping them within view is so helpful so you can change with the seasons, or just with your attitude!

Here’s a (totally cute) wide angle view of Kyle’s closet.  Goes to show you that though it’s not the largest space, if you use it wisely you can get a lot in there and still be able to ‘shop your closet’ daily.  Seriously Kyle, that baby is scrumptious!

Upon closer view, notice jewelry displayed on one shelf, belts on another, jackets hung together and dresses and pants (colorized). Some shoes are stowed in clear boxes below to fend off dust.

A self professed ‘east coast girl,’ Kyle keeps it real with a few cable knit sweaters neatly folded.  For her necklaces, she uses what used to be a tie hanger/rack.  Genius!

Here’s the 2nd half of Kyle’s closet – blouses, longer dresses, necklaces and sweaters.  Denim on the top shelf.  It’s so refreshing to see a closet full of color and life.

Ladies (and gents), if you don’t have a scarf organizer like this, you should.  It’s the best way to display what you’ve got (just like jewelry, keep it out!) so you can mix and match with other patterns and solids in your wardrobe.  Another thing we love is that she’s got this hanger on the flat side of her closet door (on a hook) instead of tucked in amongst the dresses – almost a guarantee that these are well loved and worn!

We want one!  Had to show you this gorgeous vintage Louis Vuitton suitcase from Saks Fifth Ave – generously given to Kyle by a former co-worker and friend of hers (a native New Yorker, of course).  Um, wow!  What a gift!

This has got to be one of our favorite things: a jewelry armoire!  Hallelujah, hallelujah….and so on.  A great way to keep everything in one place, also a pretty piece of furniture to display special pictures.

Had to make a sweet collage of the beautiful baubles inside the jewelry armoire.  She DOES have some great vintage pieces-  look at some of those earrings!

Who doesn’t love this coat closet?  Kids coats together, adults together, boots have a home.  Also, each plaid basket is for one person – hats, mittens, gloves, whatever!  So you always know where your stuff is.  And your kids’ stuff.

And that about wraps it up, Style Spies fans.  Please message us if you have any questions about today’s closet, we know Kyle would love to volunteer advice whether it be about who to use to build out your space, or what shop to try first for baskets.

We had to include this cute picture of her and her hubby at a wedding this past summer.  She divulged that this dress is a Tibi number, but it’s from Rent the Runway!  Love the idea of saving some money on a trend (colorblock).

xoxo Kyle – good luck with this weekend’s HUGE blizzard!

Signing off in Style,

Mollie & Erin

Chicago Fashionista,  Alana W

Today’s open closet is a bit of a departure.  We wanted to feature one of our client’s closets.  No, she doesn’t write a blog (yet), she doesn’t have kids (yet), nor any pets (yet).  BUT, let me tell you, this girl has a FABULOUS closet.  I can’t speak highly enough of Alana’s taste.  While she may need a little help in the purging and organizing department (but not much, and don’t we all?), she does NOT need help shopping.  She’s also a fantastic deal-finder, especially with designer items.  Designer items when on sale can be tricky – sometimes they’re real losers, but other times if you have a true eye for style and classics, getting in on a good designer is the best.  And that’s what Alana is great at.

You may remember Alana from a Client Confidential we did on her a few months back.  She loves Chanel, Lanvin, and YSL, but also J Crew.  She’s a true city girl, born and raised in Chicago, and lives there today with her hubby in a beautiful 4 story walk up.  You would all really be missing out if I didn’t take some pictures of her recent project – this room is adjacent to her kitchen and kind of a ‘hang out’ area to read, watch TV, or nosh on snacks and wine.  I’m OBSESSED with what she’s done, and can’t wait to see the rest of the first floor (to be continued, of course).

A lot of the artwork is from Etsy, and many of the frames are from Ikea.  These thrifty finds are a nice balance with the custom grey couch, drapes and pillows.  Lucky for Alana, one of her besties is an interior designer here in the city, Wendy Labrum.

This mirrored coffee table is delicious as well; full of fashion books and personality.

To read more about her and our interview with her, click here.  But for the rest of today, we’re going to focus on her closet.  Lucky for you!

A sprinkling of Alana’s jewelry; some of her favorite go-to pieces.  David Yurman, Tory Burch and Hermes, oh my!

Up close and personal with Alana’s shoe collection, shall we say.  Notice that this girl isn’t afraid to mix it up:  paisley, blue velvet, gold sparkle, leopard print, and a rose gold mirrored heel.  If this isn’t inspiration to branch out beyond your black patent leather pumps, what is???!!!

What else isn’t Alana afraid of?  Sporting a fabulous printed pant.  What a pretty collection to walk into every morning!

This, my friends, is Alana’s impressive collection of dresses.  With these beauties to choose from – labels ranging from DKNY to Theory to Milly to Tory Burch – she really can’t declare ‘I have nothing to wear!’  Well……yes she can.  We all have those moments, right?

Isn’t this picture delicious?  I asked Miss A to pick three of her most favorite bags for me to photograph.  A hard thing for a self professed bag-snob to do, but here they are in no particular order.  A Chloe, a Burberry, and a Lanvin.  Which is your favorite?

Here is that shoe personality I was talking about.  5 amazing pairs of shoes I pulled out of her closet (and currently coveting all for me, I wish we wore the same size!):

L-R:  YSL cognac platforms, Christian Louboutin calfhair leopard wedges, Valentino sparkle low-heel mary janes, Tory Burch black boots & navy satin and velvet heels.

Here just an assortment of sweaters and denim/slacks.  We’re loving the cargo skinnies – balance them out with the Tory Burch cream colored cardigan on the shelf above (the one with the black piping) and a pair of orange colored flats.  Cute, right?

Not one to colorize, but notice EVERYTHING is on black velvet hangers.  Taking good care of good clothes – well done!

After seeing Alana’s closet – wouldn’t you LOVE to get dressed in there every morning?

Notes to take from this superb shopper:

*don’t be afraid to mix it up!  Basics are a necessity, but just as much as statement pieces are.

*take care of your clothes.  use velvet hangers, fold things nicely, keep a clothing steamer handy (there’s one hiding in the background in one of these pictures) for last minute moments.

*shop designer sales!  you can really score some great pieces/shoes/handbags if you know what to look for and buy classics.

Thanks Alana SO MUCH for letting us share your closet with our readers.  I know they enjoyed a peek in there just as much as I enjoyed helping you organize!

Signing off in style,

Mollie & Erin