Our second style profile comes from Rae of
To Hell in a Handbag. Rae grew up near Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved to Florida 9 years ago with her husband of over 9 years. She has been obsessed with fashion since she can remember and had wanted to go to FIDM in California for Fashion Merchandising but unfortunately it wasn't in the cards. She went to school for cosmetology and received her license but after 5 years decided she wanted to try something new. Rae hopes to move to a larger city in the near future or open her own clothing boutique in order to persue her passion. Rae started her blog
To Hell In A Handbag over 2 years ago as a creative outlet for her fashion obsession.
Does living in a warm climate change your approach to dressing?
Absolutely! I am from Wisconsin originally and moved here to Florida 9 years ago. It took awhile to get used to the change. Now it's all dresses and skirts in the summer here which lasts about 8 months a year. I wish I could layer more but the weather just doesn't make it possible.
What are your favorite places to shop?
I mostly do my shopping online since we don't have that great of a selection of shops here. We did just get a Forever 21 which is pretty exciting. But most days I check the websites of Zara, Shopbop, Revolve Clothing and ASOS to see if anything catches my eye. When Zara went online in September I went a bit too crazy for about 6 months but I've started to branch out a bit more.
Who are your style icons?
I know this one is pretty common, but I have a huge girl crush on Olivia Palermo. She always looks amazing and put together. I love how she can mix prints while still looking classy. I aim to achieve that level of style someday since mine is constantly evolving. I actually started my blog about 2 and a half years ago and I cringe when I look back on some of the things I was wearing when I first started.
What 5 pieces in your closet can you not live without?
Only five?! This is a hard one since I seem to recycle my clothes a lot. Once I'm done wearing them or decide I'm never going to wear it I sell them on Ebay. But here are my items I always have: a great pair of dark jeans. I used to only wear skinnies but now I really like a wide flare/ bell bottom. A real or faux black leather motorcycle jacket, the one I have now is cropped and I bought it a few years ago from the H&M Divided line, but I just purchased a new one from Zara. Black heels, I have a lot of different black heels, which makes it difficult to pick one to wear on any given day. One item I've had forever and still use all the time is a brown leather tote from H&M, it's size allows me to carry everything I need. And last but not least, I need a bunch of Summer dresses that I can just throw on and go. They're easy and breezy, perfect for the 90 degree weather here.
In your opinion what 5 pieces should every women own?
See above.
What lead you to create your blog?
Since I live in such a flip flop friendly town I needed a creative outlet for my fashion obsession. It also gives me a reason to dress up and look nice most days. I love cataloging and looking back on what I wear. I never wear the same outfit twice. I'm definitely not a model and would like to get more confident in front of the camera. Even though it's my husband who takes my photos, I seem to end up going through the same poses each day.
Are you a shoe, handbag, or jewelry girl? Why?
Lately I would say I've definitely been a shoe girl. There are so many different styles of shoes that flatter that I seem to want them all. I probably have 50+ pairs which I try to rotate but I usually have a couple favorites that end up making their appearance on the blog the most.
What is your favorite item to splurge on?
Like I said, I'm a shoe girl and about a month ago I splurged on the 3.1 Phillip Lim Cody d'Orsay heels in blue. Now that is one beautiful heel. I wish I could always afford shoes like that.
What blogs do you find inspiring?
Definitely Blair from Atlantic-Pacific she's great at layering and her hair always looks fantastic. I also love Liz from Late Afternoon, her boho-chic style is amazing. And Kelly from The Glamourai always looks very classy. They all have different styles but they give e inspiration since I like to mix it up.
Thanks for sharing Rae! If you would like to be the next Style Profile, please email me at
brianneoneil@gmail.com
