A&F Haul + Try-On Video

Unboxing my new shopping spree at A&F!
Shop all the items shows here below!Do you have the same pieces? I’ll be liking and commenting on your pics if ya tag me!

~SHOPPING LINKS~

Sherpa Puffer ($140): https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us/p…
Logo Hoodie ($58): https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us/p…
Ribbed Turtleneck ($34): https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us/p…
Black High Rise Super Skinny Jeans (EDIT: $88): https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us/p…
4-Pack Scrunchies ($18): https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us/p…
High Rise Super Skinny – Dark Wash ($78): https://www.abercrombie.com/shop/us/p…

SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/rache…

INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/hersey.kiss

SNAPCHAT: Hersey-Kiss

Song: Hotshot2 by Yensy

Finally! Some Chic Winter Boots | Sponsored by DSW

I was raised with the mentality that snow boots had to be these ugly hulking rubber things that you did not want to be caught dead in. My dad’s family is from Minnesota so winter clothing was always hyper-functional, but never cute. The only time I wear them in NYC is when it is SO SNOWY that nobody else is able to look at your feet haha.

So when I came to college in New York, I had my clunky boots and everyone else had just landed from Cali with super cute snow boots and I was thrown off! I kept my ugly black rubber boots for soooo long. This winter, I’m finally stepping up my winter boot game with these Timberland boots from DSW. They are so slim and chic yet sturdy and perfect for the impending snow.

What do you think? Would you rock these?

Shop the look directly on my LIKEtoKNOW.it
Boots: DSW Timberland Bramhall Bootie ($129.99)
Jacket: Abercrombie Sherpa Denim Jacket ($140)
Sports Bra: I can’t remember where I got it from (SAD!) but I’ve linked similar ones in my LIKEtoKNOW.it above!
Leggings: Aritzia Daria Pant ($135)

 

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A post shared by Rae Hersey (@rae.hersey)

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Sponsored by DSW
Photography: Devon DeBari

Sandro Sample Sale Review – September 2018

When:

October 9th 2018 to October 14th 2018

 

Where:

260 Sample Sale, 150 Greene Street, New York, 10012- View venue

What:

It’s the sample sale we’ve all been waiting for…. Sandro! Besides the Sandro Stock store in Paris (a well-kept secret along with Maje and Claudie Pierlot Stock), 260 Sample Sale is the best place to get Sandro’s laid back chic French ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories for men and women at a lower price point! This is usually one of my favorite sample sales of the year! Cash and cards accepted. All sales final.

 

My Experience – 3/5

My friend Teresa and I went right after work at 5:30PM on 10/9, the day the Sandro sale opened to the public. I saw on Instgram that the line for the sale started at 5AM (WHAAT). I love sample sales, but I’m not sure if I’d get up that early for cheap fashion. When we arrived, I was expecting the line to be long, but not this long. We were two blocks away from the entrance to the store with maybe 70+ people in line. Luckily, me were into the store within 40 minutes. I’ve been at other sample sales where it took 1.5 hours to get in the door *cough cough reformation*.

Two blocks away from the entrance, but at least the line moved quickly

It was a madhouse inside!

The Selection – 3/5

Coats, shorts, skirts, pants, jeans, and everything in between. The racks were packed, but the selection was relatively limited. I’ve actually never been to a sample sale where I wanted so little… there were good staple blouses, party dresses, and winter coats, but not a graphic tee or cute blazer/jacket in sight. There were a LOT of items, but they were pretty repetitive. I wish I had some more time to dig around, but with people shoving you from every direction, it’s hard to take a good look at every item. I wouldn’t worry about them selling out! 260 Sample always refreshes the stock daily so there will definitely be decent pieces remaining if you can’t make it today!

 

The Shoes – 5/5

Many cute flat options for work and heels for dressy events! I had my eye on a pair of wrap-up slingback flats, but decided I have enough shoes already.

 

The Accessories – 4/5

Lots of good staple purses and bags for men and women! If Eugen used briefcases, I would have gotten him that brown one in a heartbeat.

 

The Prices 4/5

See the below images for current pricing at 260 Sample Sale. I would say these are fair prices for Sandro products. If you want to wait for them to drop further, 260 Sample Sale always reduces the prices for the last few days. Sometimes they go down by 20-50%. The trade-off is that the staple items and a lot of the trendier pieces will be out of stock by the time the prices go down.

I was a little peeved at 260 because the blouse I had picked up had a tag from a Sandro store that said they were charging $37 for it, but 260 still charged the marked up price ($65). 260 is charging higher prices than Sandro stores in some cases so don’t trick yourself into thinking these are the best deals out there!!

The Overall Experience – 3.5/5

Like most other sample sales, you have to push your way through the aisles and hold your breath while passing (or smushing bodies to get by) some people while simultaneously holding onto your phone, wallet, and items you’ve picked up. I ended up buying a staple blouse in white that I already own in black, but I don’t think the sale was worth the wait in line. I’ll probably head back when the prices drop in a few days just to see if there are any new pieces.

Follow @Hersey.Kiss on Instagram for live shopping and updates on the Sandro Sample Sale.

 

 

My Picks

We left with a couple items each, but here are some of the other cool items I found:

Silky black fit and flare dress – $95

White Deep-V Blouse – $65

Stretchy Bustier Style Top – $65

Patterned Ruffle Layer Mini Skirt – $75

Share Your Experience Did you go to the Sandro Sample Sale? What did you think? Share your thoughts below!

Chic Phone Cases

 I’ve always been very frugal when it comes to phone cases. Ebay, Amazon, and on special occasions, Etsy were the way to go. For my last phone, I had eight cases. All very cheap plastic, but in an array of pretty colors and patterns.

This time around, I decided to go a different route. After a lot of searching, I stumbled upon Vianel, a leather goods brand based in New York City. When I saw that they had my favorite shade of blue, I was instantly sold. There’s even a free monogramming included. My case is this beautiful blue lizard skin. It was $90 which I would consider outrageous for a phone case, but if you think of it as a leather good, it’s not so crazy. I think.

Just a few weeks ago, I went on Olivia Palermo’s Instagram (<3) just to see what my favorite girl crush goddess had been up to. I was shocked and actually incredibly happy to see that she’d purchased four cases from the same company (After I did)! Every day when I don’t know what to wear, I try to channel OP so being ahead of her on this made me feel just a little bit cooler haha.

Twinzies!

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Fast Fashion

The crutch of all frugal Millennials, fast fashion has dominated the retail space. If you need a new dress for a night out or a new top for a date, Forever21 and Zara will always have something waiting for you at a cheap price. This low price, however, comes with low-quality fabric and (moreso for F21) unoriginal designs. Why buy a $200 versatile silk blouse when you could buy ten cheaper tops for the same price?

Sometimes at these stores, you can find a nice-looking piece that will last you ages. I have a shirt from Forever21 that I bought at least 5 years ago, but it’s not a nice top. I’ve been trying to invest in nicer, higher-quality pieces so that I can stop cluttering my closet with “trendy” fad clothing that is made of scratchy fabrics and may fall apart after a handful of washes. I cannot tell you how many peplum tops I bought from Forever21 in high school….and I never wear any of them anymore.

The main take away from all this is that fast fashion, although fun and affordable, is wasteful. It fits in perfectly with the consumerism and materialism Americans are known for. We buy what we want when we want it and just throw it out when we move on. This just seems ridiculous to me. Why not buy things that we will love and use for a longer time? You may like that polyester shirt from Zara this month, but when the trend passes, will you still want to wear it?

The answer is no, you won’t. And the stores know it so they refresh the merhcandise on the sales floor. Their businesses are built on our incessant appetite for new trends.

No need to run to your closet and toss out all of your shirts from F21 this second; they’re still useful shirts. Sometimes, Forever21 is the perfect place to get a going out blouse (one that you don’t mind getting drinks spilled on) when you’re in a time crunch. That’s what it’s there for. be careful not to grow dependent on these stores and waste your money each season stocking your closet with soon-to-be-irrelevant fads.

Style Guru Bio

Hey guys!

This semester, I started my with CollegeFashionista as an NYU Style Guru. I’m so excited to share my style with a larger audience and hope to spot some impressive street style looks around campus. Who knows, you may be the next featured fashionista.

My first post was a personal style bio (a few photos below). Check out the full post for more photos.
Aaaand if you really love me, you’ll follow me and give my looks a “Rad.” ❤

Killer Heels

I touched on this in Paris, but it’s even more true in Manhattan. If you intend to wear heels on a day you will be walking a lot, be careful… you may never walk again.

As a former dancer, my feet have built up a very high pain tolerance, but sometimes it’s too much for me. A girl can only push through the pain of so many blisters. I’m usually running a few minutes behind schedule and have to rush from one place to the next. Speed walking in heels on the uneven sidewalks of New York, carrying a heavy bag filled with textbooks is always a recipe for disaster.

Here’s my favorite pair to wear around. They look great and are not too tall to be uncomfortable on my hasty runs to class.
I asked around and here’s some of the best advice I got for wearing heels in the Big City:

1. Don’t wear suede heels in the winter because they WILL get wet and they WILL be ruined. forever.
2. Get a pair with a thick, sturdy heel not a tiny little skinny one unless you want to eat s***.
3. Get some comfy gel inserts or wear shoes with platforms. The sidewalks of the City will have no mercy on the balls of your feet.
4. Don’t wear stilettos in the West Village or Chelsea because the cobblestone will destroy the heels.
5. Make sure your destination has a seat!
6. Carry blister band aids with you at all times. There’s nothing worse than blisters you can’t do anything about.

Back to School Shopping. New York Style.

What would a new school year be without some new outfits to freshen up your wardrobe? And while online shopping is good fun, why spend your time hunched over your laptop when you could go out in the fashion capital of the world?

Since we arrived a few days early, I dragged my friends out with me to enjoy the nice weather. We went up Fifth Ave because I am still holding a grudge against SoHo after some unfortunate events last year. Near us, Fifth Ave has a lot of chain retailers so we took a peek around there before heading down some smaller side streets. One of my favorite stores, PinkyOtto, is near the Flatiron so we headed over there next.

I’ve been dying to try wearing hats so with the encouragement of my friends, I finally bought one. We’ll see if I actually end up wearing it though. I also bought a simple, striped t-shirt dress. There is an adorable triangle cutout on the back though, making it more fun than a plain shirt dress.

Indulging in Americana

While here, I’ve been trying to stay away from the Zaras and H&Ms: places I can shop at in the US (even though they are both European companies!). I always play devil’s advocate and argue that they have more stylish, more affordable options here, but nobody is willing to listen. When it comes down to it, it’s still H&M. I should be taking advantage of all the adorable and truly Parisian boutiques that are everywhere in the city. It’s one of the things I love most about Paris. Individual boutiques like that seem to be hard to come by in the US. All of our shopping areas, especially in New York, have been taken over by powerhouse chains like H&M and Zara.

The one American store that I couldn’t stay away from was Brandy Melville. I have very strong feelings about this store. I could rant forever about its cliché, want-to-be hip, suburban middle school ‘edgy’ look. But sometimes, just sometimes, the softness and crazy comfort of their fabrics makes me forget about all of that.

Of course, I bought two shirts in black haha. They are relatively cheap and a great place to buy basics that will last forever (if you don’t mind all the crop tops).

Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibit

Last week I went to check out the Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibit at the Grand Palais. Going in, had absolutely no idea what to expect. Even now, I’m not sure how I feel about it. The clothes showcased were… adventurous (to say the least). There were crazy bird hats, leather dresses, and wedding gowns (or rather skirts, with little pearl pasties making up the “top” of the look). It was all very unusual. Pictured on the left are some of the tamer looks from the exhibition. The coolest thing by far were the mannequins. Some of the figures had talking faces being projected onto them. Some of them were having conversations with each other across the room! One mannequin was looking into a mirror and he and his reflection were having a discussion! Unfortunately, they were in French so I wasn’t able to understand, but the concept was very fascinating.

Sorry for the brevity of this post, I’m in the middle of studying for finals!