St. Louis sometimes gets a bad rap. When I'm talking to people who grew up here, I often (not always!) get the sense that they take all the great parts of this city for granted. As someone who has lived in Mobile, Portland, outside Cleveland, Houston, NYC, and Miami, I can tell you that St. Louis has as much or more going for it as those cities (arts, architecture, history, food) in a much easier, friendlier, and more affordable setting.
Last week, I had a lot of great St. Louis experiences.
I went to my first Fashion Group International event. I think in most cities, the fashionistas might be a little elitist or snobby, but true to form for St. Louis, everyone was friendly, welcoming, and approachable.
I'm so excited about having finished the process to become a volunteer for Dress for Success. Dress for Success has a store just for clients, where women who need professional clothing can go and find what they need for interviews and work, an important step in building confidence. Here in St. Louis, the founders of the organization decided to take the Dress for Success model even further, and added all sorts of other life and career supports for people trying to break the cycle of poverty, becoming Connections to Success. I can't wait to work with them.
I finally stopped in at East+West, a men's clothing store down the street from me in Kirkwood, after admiring their branding for months. Aside from having great, American-made men's clothing, the aesthetic of the store and brand is so right on: rustic, urban, hip - I'll be shopping there often for male clients.
The very same day I did my training for Dress for Success, I discovered another great organization, the National Council of Jewish Women. They run a great resale shop and funds go towards important community work, like the Back to School store, which allows underserved children to get everything they need for the school year.
A few other random yet noteworthy items:
I realized I promoted my guest post on sKIDmarks all over social media, but never posted it here. I worked hard on it, so I'd love it if you'd check it out: Five Steps to Wardrobe Nirvana.
mindful closet was nominated for TWO St. Louis Fashion Blogger Awards: for Best Writing and Best Fashion Blog!! Please vote for me here, and while you're there, check out all the other great fashion blogs St. Louis has to offer.
I'm also a St. Louis Fashion Week blogger! So happy to be a part of the excitement and to get to hang out with local and national bloggers.
I hope everyone has a great Labor Day and a great week ahead!