Katie Doyle & Jay Hallstein are the co-founders of Brass, a new women's clothing brand, sold exclusively online. Follow along as we share insights on fashion, style, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, and e-commerce. Learn more: brassclothing.com.
Hello Brass followers and happy Summer! My name is Anna Petrunich and I am the newest member to the Brass team. As the summer intern, I am excited to share some of my experiences and fashion knowledge on this blog, starting with how to pack for a weekend getaway!
Everyone deserves a relaxing weekend every once in awhile. Work can be stressful, and at times it feels like packing can be a hassle, too. I’ve put together some advice on packing and provided some outfit ideas to make packing a breeze. Hopefully this makes your weekend a little less stressful!
My best piece of advice for packing is to bring a few basic garments. Basics allow you to mix and match and create lots of looks without having to pack tons of clothes. Small accessories are a great way to change up the look of an outfit without taking up too much space in your bag. This “less is more” concept is what you should think about when packing: less clothes means less time wasted getting dressed for the day which ultimately means more vacation time!
We’re a little biased, but clearly we think Brass dresses are great basics to have in your bag. We strive to make our pieces lightweight, resilient and extremely comfortable. This means:
They transition well from hot summer days to cool summer nights.
The dresses are wrinkle-resistant, so while we recommend folding, you can also shove that little black dress in your weekender and head out the door, if need be. Also, you’ll still look presentable after a long car ride (Katie has tested this on several occasions).
The fabrics are super comfortable, making them perfect for sitting on an airplane or walking around and sightseeing all day.
Now that we’ve gotten that shameless plug out of the way, here are a few ways I’m styling the dresses for upcoming weekend trips.
The Fit and Flare: Day and Night
The T-Shirt Dress: For the Beach, Day and Night
The Column Dress: Day, Night, and Back to the Office
Tonight marks the last day of our Kickstarter campaign. We’ve only got a few hours to go, so we thought we’d take the chance to reflect on the last 8 months since we launched. We’ve loved including you, our customers and supporters, in our design process. Your feedback directly influences the clothing we design and make. We really do think of you as being a part of our team. So, let’s take a moment to look back on what we (including you) have accomplished over the last 8 months.
September / October 2014
We prepped and promoted Brass for about 6 months prior to launch. We did a lot of Instagramming and a lot of blogging. We wrote a post on brand licensing in the apparel industry (bit.ly/mythofthemaxxinista) and it went viral. This post now has almost 1 million views and really helped us to grow our email list. When we launched on September 23, 2014 we had approximately 700 people on our email list and we sold 34 dresses in the first week. We were super excited by this, but you can also see how much time and effort went into our launch and what the return was. Take our word for it, ecommerce isn’t easy. But we know that we are up for the challenge. Here’s a photo from our first photo shoot in Boston with Irene Tuluca and Mary Doyle, photographed by the one and only Rachel King.
October / November 2014
When we first launched our site we were happy with it, but we knew we could do better. We knew our photos and layout could be better. After a lot of research and examining other brands we love, we launched a new site. We did a photoshoot with our friend and photographer, Joseph Wilk, and the beautiful Irene Tuluca at an awesome loft in Brooklyn. These photos took our site to the next level and gave customers a better sense of the quality of our dresses. We also had our first blogger partnerships with Laura Scott, Leslie Musser and Kayte Demont--thanks for believing in us from the start, ladies!
November / December 2014
We debated long and hard about doing a Cyber Monday sale. In ecommerce, this is the biggest sales day of the year. You probably even noticed that brands were doing week long Cyber sales. Brands are able to do crazy 50-70% off sales because their margins are so high. We have a real problem with this mentality and we like to think we provide high-quality at a great value all year round. Not just on Cyber Monday. In the end we decided to offer $20 off and it did bring in some new customers. We don’t intend to run sales, but weren’t not above giving our customers a little something extra once a year. Smita Jacob from Hogger and Co. came to take some gorgeous photos in our studio and made us feel like a real business.
December 2014 / January 2015
Retail sales (both online and offline) tend to drop drastically after the holidays. People have spent a lot of money on gifts and travel and go in hibernation mode. Sales slowed a bit, but it was a great time for us to think about our plan for 2015. It was during this time that we decided that we would pursue a Kickstarter to fund our next collection of dresses. It is incredibly time consuming and difficult to raise money from investors. We wanted to focus our energy on developing product that our customers would love. Over 350 of you answered our survey and we knew we wanted to keep you involved in the process. We decided that crowdfunding was the best way to do that.
January / February 2015
We launched our 6th dress, the Sweater Dress. You gals helped us pick the style and color of this beauty via Instagram and Facebook. When pre-orders launched the dresses flew off the shelves. We also wanted to show you what the dress looked like in a real life setting, on a real woman. So we featured Cambria Grace and we heard from many women that you loved this video. Word began to spread, sales continued to grow and we started seeing more and more repeat customers. We found that women were willing to take a chance on a new dress from a new brand at the $70 price point. We finally felt like we were figuring out the recipe for our Secret Sauce.
February / March 2015
We were working non-stop on developing the new line, promoting new product, and working with awesome bloggers like Grace Patton, Gretchen Jones, LaTonya Yvette, and Lee Vosburgh. We also launched our 7th dress, the Pencil Dress. We designed this dress as direct reflection of customer feedback. You were asking for longer length dresses. We wanted to make a dress that had more coverage, with a classic silhouette, but was also chic and little bit sexy. We used the same approach as the Sweater Dress and featured Elizabeth Corkery from Print Club Boston #inthewild in the Pencil Dress. We also rephotographed all the dresses using Bridget Hunt as our model. We could not have imagined the positive response from those photos. It’s clear that we are not the only ones who have a massive #girlcrush on her.
March / April 2015
The samples for the new collection came in and we were so pleased. Again, our factory did a great job with the fit and construction of our 5 new dresses. Minor alterations and adjustments were made and the factory began work on our final samples. We developed our plan for our @kickstarter campaign and spent many hours on our film script. It was so hard to tell our story, talk about the brand, and show the dresses in just 2 minutes. But we were lucky to have our friends Nathan Laver and Michelle Lewis helping. We flew them to Boston from LA and it was a bit of a whirlwind, but we shot it in 2 days and a week later we launched our project.
April / May 2015
On April 28th we launched our Kickstarter. Within 48 hours we were more than 50% funded. Seriously, you guys blew us away. We have been completely focused on the campaign this past month. You probably noticed. And we really just want to say thank you. Thank you for supporting us, for liking our photos, reading our blog posts, taking our surveys, giving us honest, helpful feedback, and most of all for believing in us and buying our dresses. Knowing that we are making clothes that you love to wear over and over again brings us so much joy. We hope that our dresses make you feel effortlessly beautiful and become your go-to pieces for many years. We are trying to build a company and a brand that understands and designs for strong, passionate, and brassy women. Day-by-day, month-by-month, we are getting there. And we cannot say thank you enough for being with us for the ride! (Please excuse the circles under our eyes. We’re a little tired.)
It has been 24 hours since our Kickstarter launched we are already 25% funded! Let’s keep up the momentum! The faster we get funded the more likely we are to get featured in press and spread the word about Brass!
In particular we’d love for you, our current customers, to help us spread the word. There is no better recommendation than word of mouth, so please tell your friends about us if you love what we’re doing.
So, if have a sec, please share our campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Here is the link: http://kck.st/1OBGtSe
Here are three easy steps for sharing. We know you are busy gals!
1. Click to share on Facebook
(Facebook is the #1 referrer of traffic for Kickstarter projects!)
2. Tweet on Twitter.
Here are a few ideas for tweets. Click to tweet them, quick and easy:
Have you heard of @brassclo? Ladies, check them out on @kickstarter: http://ctt.ec/ycs3e+ #kicksomebrass
I already own one dress from @brassclo. Can’t wait to get my hands on one of the Spring dresses: http://kck.st/1OBGtSe
Can’t stand fast-fashion, can’t justify designer prices? Now you can get quality without breaking the bank @brassclo: http://kck.st/1OBGtSe
Take my word for it. @brassclo is where it’s at. The new Spring line is finally here: http://kck.st/1OBGtSe #kicksomebrass
3. Post on Instagram.
Here are some pics that you can download and share on your own Insta. Just be sure to tag us (@brassclothing) in the picture and hashtag it #kicksomebrass so we can check it out!
And as always, many thanks and so much love to you all!
We’re excited to announce we’ll be launching our spring line with a Kickstarter campaign. For those of you not familiar with Kickstarter, we’ve included some information about the crowd-funding platform at the end of this post.
We chose Kickstarter for 2 reasons: 1) we want to meet new people and spread the word about Brass and 2) if successful, we’ll have resources to produce more dresses. We’ll be able to manufacture 5 new styles and takes on old favs like the Shirt Dress in Chambray or the Tank Maxi in Black. Mmmmhmmm, we said Chambray.
THE LINE
We have 5 new dresses for you this Spring. After reviewing survey results (thanks to all of you who helped!), we had a good idea of the styles you wanted this season. From there, we developed our line based on the basic Brass principles: versatile silhouette, beautiful fabric and neutral color palette.
THE CAMPAIGN
Our Kickstarter will run from April 28 - May 28, and we hope to raise $20,000. We’ll pre-sell all 5 dress styles, and reward early birds with a special offer.
Our first 250 backers will get a dress of their choice for $65, shipping included. We think that’s a pretty great deal.
After that, the prices go up a bit. Shipping is included on all orders.
For backers looking to show extra support, we have some other fun rewards.
STRETCH GOALS
The best part about Kickstarter? Stretch goals. We have put together 3 milestones we need your help to achieve.
HOW TO HELP
Kickstarter is all about spreading the word to as many people as possible. We need your help getting our crowd together! The best way to show your support is to share the crap out of this campaign. Email to friends and post to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #KickSomeBrass. Every like, share, re-tweet and re-gram helps!
SO...WHAT’S KICKSTARTER?
Kickstarter is a crowd funding platform. It’s a place for individuals, organizations and businesses to launch projects and find backers to fund those projects. Kickstarter has its own lingo. Here are a few things to terms to know:
Project - Every project has a funding goal and deadline. If people like a project, they can pledge money to make it happen. Funding on Kickstarter is all-or-nothing — projects must reach their funding goals to receive any money. The Brass Kickstarter will be 1 month long.
Creator - The people/company behind the project.
Backer - The people pledging money.
Goal - The amount of money the creator needs to fund their project.
Stretch Goal - A way for creators to "stretch" beyond the initial, official goal of the Kickstarter project and raise more money (and often make cooler stuff - like all five Spring dresses in two colors).
Rewards - The creator's chance to share a piece of their project with their backer community. Typically, these are one-of-a-kind experiences, limited editions, or copies of the creative work being produced. In our case, it’s the spring line.
There is much more on Kickstarter here.
THANK YOU
We cannot thank you enough for the support you have shown us over the past eight months. Making Brass a reality has been a dream come true for us, and we are so excited to start this next phase of growth!
Jay and I started Brass because we loved the designer brands that line the racks of Neiman Marcus, but couldn't stomach the price tags. We loved them for their quality, beautiful fabrics and perfect fit. Our goal was to start a brand that offered the same quality you get at Neiman Marcus - but without the designer price.
In addition to quality, there was another key element we wanted to integrate into our brand: versatility. We wanted a line that was easy to wear. We wanted a line that can be easily dressed up or down.
With the Shirt Dress back in stock, I decided to put it to the test and see just how versatile this dress really is.
Look 1: Friday Day To Night
Sweater | Boots | Bag
There’s nothing better than Friday. The anticipation of the weekend waiting for you at the end of an 8 hour day is simply the best. I love wearing the Shirt Dress to work on Fridays because, with a few quick accessory changes, it so easily becomes a perfect look for a night out. It’s about 5 degrees in Boston right now. Yup, 5 degrees. So, I paired my Shirt Dress with a heavy crew neck sweater, thick tights and black moto boots. It was the perfect way to winterize the Shirt Dress. Pretty, professional and with a quick few changes, I was ready for the bar ;)
Look 2: Night On The Town
Pumps | Clutch
Never one to miss out on a happy hour cocktail, I took the liberty of making a few out changes at my desk, and was ready for a night on the town. I swapped the boots for a pair of pumps and the tote for a clutch. I lost the librarian bun and said adios to the office til Monday. There is something so glorious about the simplicity of the Shirt Dress. I wasn't sure if happy hour was going to turn into a nice dinner or a late night at the karaoke bar, but it didn't really matter. The Shirt Dress made me feel so comfortable, I was ready for anything.
Look 3: Saturday Casual
Jeans | Vest | Scarf
I mentioned it’s 5 degrees in Boston, right? Ok good. I spent Saturday bouncing around downtown- shopping and meeting friends. You can imagine the need to layer up. The Shirt Dress was the perfect base to add wintry layer upon wintry layer. I wore my dark skinny jeans with a heavy scarf and a puffy vest. I call this look blizzard chic ;)
The same dress with three very different looks. Mission accomplished! We’d love to hear how you’re wearing your Shirt Dress. Send us your pics or tag #thatsbrass on Insta. We’ll be looking for you!
When we first conceived of Brass (about a year ago), we decided we would start with a line of 5 dress styles. We saw it like this: 1) A dress is an outfit in and of itself; so customers could buy one thing from us and still have a complete ensemble. And 2) starting a fashion company with one category (dresses) would allow us to test our concept with a minimum viable product approach. While most fashion brands produce at least 12 pieces per season, starting with 5 styles was an intentional move to keep our young business nimble. This allowed us to talk to customers, gather feedback and produce a line clothing that fits their lives. This week we are celebrating the launch of our 6th dress, the Sweater Dress. It has been a true collaboration with our customers, and we can't wait to share it with you.
We feel incredibly grateful for the dialogue we've had with all of you. From the beginning, we sent surveys, we did polls, we exchanged emails – you provided us with such valuable information! And from taking it all in, we learned so much. We got a sense of what styles and colors you like most. We loved reading your responses and compiling the data. We felt like we got to know you better and that we were designing specifically for you. We shared the results of the survey in this blog post because we want to share our processes with you.
In an effort to keep the tradition alive we want to share with you how the Sweater Dress was made. This dress is one of many products directly influenced by you, our customers. You weighed in on every step of the design process, and now it’s time to see your input come to fruition. Here’s a look at how your survey responses brought the Sweater Dress to life.
Step 1: You Helped Us Pick the Style
In August of 2014, as our first five styles of dresses were in production, we sent out a survey asking for feedback on a fall dress. At that time we were also preparing to go to China to visit our factory and see the initial production run of our first collection. Our main factory focuses on woven garments and we knew we also wanted a factory that would be able to manufacture sweaters and knit garments if we ever wanted to expand into this category. Our colleague, Abby, set up a meeting at one of the premiere cashmere knit factories in China. It was an added bonus that one of our favorite account managers from our main factory, Betty, now works at this knit factory. Win-win! At this point we had compiled the survey results and our customers were clearly looking for a long-sleeved sweater dress. We felt this was the perfect product to work on with this new knit factory.
After sampling a few different types of knits, we decided on a gorgeous 100% cotton, 12 gauge, double sided knit. Here’s what that means:
100% Cotton: Unlike wool or poly-wool blends there is no pilling with cotton. It is super soft and cozy, but also breathable so you can wear it in the fall, winter, and spring.
12 Gauge: This refers to the size of the thread used for knitting. This is a medium weight thread that is neither super chunky or super fine, so it creates a really nice size rib.
Double Sided Knit: This means that the fabric is knit on both sides. It creates a slightly ribbed texture that makes the fabric more substantial in weight but also gives it some stretch without adding spandex.
Step 2: You Helped Us Pick the Color
We came home from China knowing that our next dress was going to be a sweater dress. But we weren’t sure what color customers would prefer. Keeping in mind that we’re going to maintain a neutral palette throughout the line, we polled customers on Instagram and Facebook asking if you’d rather us do the dress in camel or light gray. The votes were unanimous: light gray FTW!
Step 3: You Helped Us Make a Few Modifications
When we received our first sample back from the factory, we loved the silhouette but thought light gray made the dress look like sweatshirt material. We asked the factory to produce the second sample in charcoal to give the dress a more sophisticated, wear-to-work kind of feel. We posed this edit to you on Instagram and were very excited that you agreed: Charcoal gray it was.
We’re going to pause here for a second to tell you a little bit about the sampling process. In talking with friends and customers over the past few months, we’ve heard a lot of questions about what it’s like to do production in China. To start, we’ll tell you a bit about our process. First, we design and create our dress here at our office in Waltham, MA. We send our design to China with a tech pack that includes measurements and other specifications for the factory. From there, Abby communicates with the factory. The factory works to replicate our sample exactly. They typically use fabric and material they have on hand; many times the first sample comes in the incorrect color. When they’re done, they send the first sample -the PP sample- to us. We put the PP sample on our fit model (aka Katie) and note any adjustments that need to be made. In the case of the Sweater Dress, we had an issue with the arms being too big and baggy.
We take photos and communicate our changes to Abby, she relays them to the factory and we wait for our next sample. The next sample comes in the correct fabric and color. It’s called the SMS sample or the salesman sample. We have been lucky enough to work with great factories that have nailed our changes on the first try. We’ve made minor tweaks to the SMS samples, but not many. Once the fit is perfected and we have approved the measurements, materials, trims, and color, we place our order and wait for delivery. Our shipment of Sweater Dresses will be arriving in the next two weeks. Keep an eye out for our limited run pre-sale that will be going on this week! (Sign-up here to get on our list and get early access to the pre-sale)
Let's Keep the Conversation Rolling
We love how social media allows us to get to know our customers despite being able to meet face-to-face. Even though we are separated by a computer screen and you can’t see us, we want you to know that we are here reading your reviews, your emails, and your comments on Facebook and Instagram. And we are looking for ways to improve and give you more of what you are looking for. For example, many women have requested longer length dresses. We are so excited to release a dress in February that hits at the knee and was created in direct response to your feedback.
Thank you again for all of the support, advice, feedback and time. We can’t wait to keep talking and learn more about all you Brassy ladies.
Emily Fowler is becoming a leader in the innovation space. But she’s not an inventor, per se. Rather she creates incentives that motivate other people to be innovative and solve problems. Emily began her work with incentive prizes in 2010 while working at the XPRIZE Foundation. Their mission is to find answers to the world’s worst problems by motivating people to create solutions and win a prize. She quickly learned that prizes motivate people on the psychological level.
Soon after, Emily was asked by the Chairman and Founder of XPRIZE to explore the idea of creating a democratized online platform where anyone could launch a challenge. (XPRIZE launches 1-2 challenges per year with $10M - $30M prizes.) HeroX was born out of this idea, and Emily serves as the co-founder and Vice President. HeroX creates smaller, shorter competitions. This allows anyone to launch a competition and create fundamental change in many problem areas.
Below, we talk to Emily about her job, the field of social innovation, and what it means to dress “capable chic”.
Q: HeroX is such an interesting concept: a platform for running competitions to solve local and global problems. As the co-founder and VP, tell us a little bit more about the work you do there.
A: HeroX is built a three core beliefs:
The first one is the belief that every problem is solvable.
The second belief is that you have to ask the right question to get a powerful answer.
The third belief, and in my opinion, the most powerful, is that breakthrough, world-changing ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, anytime. You don’t have to have a particular pedigree or level of expertise to solve a challenge and win the ultimate prize. Instead, you need to have a passion for the problem and a relentless curiosity that propels you forward to create the solution.
The goal of HeroX is to expand the awesomeness of the XPRIZE model; it’s meant to be a complement to it, whereby anyone with a problem they care about can launch a competition to get others to solve it. We wanted to create an innovation platform where it’s really easy for people with problems (and prizes) to match them with creativity and talent to find solutions.
It’s also about risk. Anyone who’s done innovation knows, you can’t have innovation without risk. It’s about trying on crazy ideas that may not work. Peter Diamandis, founder of the XPRIZE, often says, “The day before it’s a breakthrough, it’s a crazy idea.” We see HeroX as contributing to the world where crazy ideas are tried out and the ones that work are rewarded.
I’d love it if, in the future, someone reads the newspaper in the morning and as they read all the terrible things going on in the world, instead of feeling badly about them, they go to HeroX.com and launch a competition to solve it. We’re trying to change the relationship with problems - instead of complaining about them, we want people to feel empowered to get into action and to play a hero’s role in whatever way they can - whether it’s through putting a problem out there, funding a prize, or creating a solution.
We believe in the power of the human mind and our ability to create solutions when motivated and passionate. We hope to play a small role where people can “stand” upon our platform and make amazing things happen.
Q: Tell us about one of your favorite challenges that is going on at HeroX right now.
A: Honestly – they are all my favorite. I am so impressed by our clients’ courage in launching challenges where they believe a solution is possible. We have the San Antonio Mx Challenge, which is a $500,000 prize to the team that can create a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem in San Antonio. Love those guys! We have the Smart Tech for Firearms Challenge, which is $1M to the innovators who are working to improve firearm safety by developing personalization features in firearms, locking devices, and ammunition systems. We have the Ellucian Student Success Challenge which is just in the process of awarding it’s winners - $50,000 for the best ideas about how to ensure graduation and retention rates in universities.
All of the organizations, their missions, and individuals behind are so different and yet, they all are using competitions as a way to source the best ideas in the world!
We are launching a series of AMAZING challenges in the next month, so stay tuned for that!
Q: The social innovation space is growing rapidly but is still a bit amorphous. Did you always think this was the type of work you wanted to do? What led you to this line of work?
A: Social innovation and social entrepreneurship are focused around the strengthening of our society. Our generation (Millennials) have had a major influence on the influx of this space. The way I see it – we grew up with everything at our fingertips. We also grew up with a knowledge of world problems, a vision of the mistakes that were made, and, above all else, a positive and passionate drive to make the world a better place. For me personally, I grew up in a town where we were taught to be kind to each other, to respect and embrace diversity (and to desire it), as well as to “think for ourselves, but think of others”. (Thanks L-S!)
We were also taught that “You can do anything!” and “You can be anything you want to be!” and “The sky is the limit!” Those empowering thoughts affected our generation where, when we were unleashed on the world, we were (and are) ready to take anything on.
I think the other main driver of our generation is that we believe in equality. Again – diversity and equality were fundamental to what I was taught and, based on convo’s with other friends from around North America and Canada (in particular), I can see that to be true elsewhere. So, fundamentally, we believe in the world around us, we believe in each other and we believe we are powerful. It makes for an AWESOME generation of go-getters! Social innovation is all about taking on really daunting, large, complex, wicked problems and finding creative, effective ways to solve them. If that’s not our generation, I don’t know what else is!
Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to “help”. I recall a time when I was 7 or 8 and someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. At the time, I said I wanted to be a doctor. When I got to university though, I realized that I wasn’t as interested in the biology of the body as I was about the concept of a doctor making someone/something get better. It was then that I decided to go into studying business. I recall that I wanted to have an impact on the world and I felt that business was a useful tool to allow me to do just that.
I had no idea that I would eventually get into this line of work – using competitions to motivate people. I know that I have fallen into the right place and I’m so grateful for that. Although I know that prizes aren’t the only way to create change in the world, they are a great tool. I love that they allow for a sense of possibility, wonder, creativity, drive and passion.
Q: In a world where too much attention is paid to Kim Kardashian's ass, do you feel like there is still hope for our planet and the human race based on your day-to-day work?
A: Absolutely! One of the things that I love the most about my job is that every single day, without fail, I get to have conversations with people who bring problems to me that they want to be solved. In a given day, I get to speak with a father who wants to cure his daughter of a very rare disease, I get to speak to a passionate entrepreneur who wants to create personalized flying devices, I get to speak to a foundation that wants to share the stories of all the hard work their partners have done, I get to speak to a philanthropist who wants to change the way that business is done in an entire city. I speak to some of the smartest and most passionate people in the world and it’s an immense honor. On the other side of those problems, I also get to meet some amazing innovators who create solutions based on their innate desire to manifest change in the world. They are not experts and often do not have the “pedigree” or credentials to solve such hard problems – but they DO! They do. I’ve meet teens who’ve created early diagnostic tools for pancreatic cancer, 83-year olds who have devised prototypes of smart-technology guns, and astronauts who want to create humanlike robots to soothe and assist the elderly. All in all, I have the utmost faith in the human race – we are incredible and capable of absolutely anything. We are fascinating and powerful!
Oh – and if Kim ends up reading this (because one time we locked eyes and waved at each other with an all-knowing “Hey, girl” smile), I love your bum.
Q: When it comes to the startup/innovation world it seems like there is a wealth of men and not so many women. Why do you think this is? Do you see this with your challenge applicants at HeroX and what are some of the steps we can do to change this?
A: The gender (and race) discrepancy has finally been noted by large tech companies like Facebook, Google and Yahoo. So that’s good news! Also, the Forbes 30 Under 30 lists just came out and I was super happy to see the diversity in the class.
There are a number of factors that have created the situation that you’re describing - everything from early childhood beliefs created by parents, toys that girls and boys are pushed to play with, school, peers, what we see on TV and read online/print, and eventually how women and men are treated differently (and treat each other differently) in the workplace. It used to make me very angry, but I realized about a year ago that, anger was never going to solve the problem. Instead, creating a new future, together, will.
In my life personally, I have been seen as a leader from the get-go. I have been respected and given greater and greater challenges to rise to. I attribute that to the men who were in senior roles who realized right away that I was ready for a challenge. For better or worse, men are still at the top in many instances, and so the more that they notice, appreciate, and utilize the power of women’s leadership, the better the organization will be. It’s just a simple calculation based on diversity – the more we diversify, the stronger we are. It’s really that simple. I think the world is starting to get that.
As a leader myself, I have a big role to play. As I rise in my career, it’s my responsibility to support both men and women as they rise, too. I want women to know that they can be CEO’s and I want men to know they can be homemaking dads. What I tend to do is to look at the person in front of me as a human. Not a woman. Not a man. I listen for who they are and more importantly, who they want to be in the future and what they are committed to creating and being in their lifetime.
With our innovators, they still tend to be primarily male. However, in 2015, our goal is to put a lot of effort on getting lots of different types of people to participate. Again, brilliant ideas can come from anywhere and so we want to ensure that we’re getting ALL different types of people from many walks of life.
Q: The wardrobes of many women are determined in large part by the workplace. How would you describe your style and is it influenced by your work environment?
A: I work from home, so if I let my work environment affected my style completely, I'd never EVER get out of my Lululemons. Fortunately, I also travel a lot for work, so when I go to see clients, partners, governments or investors, I go for what I like to call "Capable Chic". I want to look pulled together, elegant, and approachable. It’s a fine balance!
When I’ve put my outfit together, I do two tests to make sure I’ve gotten the balance right. First, the wake-up-your-face-and-talk-with-your-hands test. I stand in front of the mirror and pretend that I’m presenting to a crowd. I make sure my face wakes up by smiling as BIG as I can and then I give a pretend award acceptance speech. I’m pretty sure that most of us ladies start the day off like this, right?!
And then? I do the “hug” test - I make sure that I can give a proper, whole-body hug. While I may start a meeting with a handshake, I often end it with a hug. We’re all part of trying to change the world and I see us as all one family. Might as well hug it out!
Now that we’re deep in the weeds of the holiday party stretch, we thought we’d take a second to show you how we've dressed for some recent festivities. We've attended parties of all different levels of fanciness, and dressed up or down with a few simple accessory changes. With some hope, these looks will give you inspiration for the second half of the holiday-partying season. Katie has attended 4 parties over the last 3 days. Here’s how she styled her Brass dresses:
Christmas Eve Brunch
My family split up for Christmas this year. My sister and her husband were with his side of the family, so we had a Christmas Eve brunch to exchange presents, drink mimosas and relax before the party hopping started.
I dressed the T-maxi down with a cozy pullover sweater and chunky scarf. The T-maxi turned out to be the hero of my wardrobe this fall. It’s just so versatile. The sweater makes the dress super casual and perfect for a mid-morning look. I paired it with brown ankle booties; I love it when they peek out of the slit in the skirt.
The best part about this outfit? A couple accessory changes and I was off to a fancier evening party!
Sweater | Scarf | Booties
Christmas Eve Family Parties
Who has time to be changing outfits between parties? I certainly don’t. A few quick changes and the T-maxi became a sophisticated party dress I wore all evening.
The T-maxi has a pretty cowl neckline that looks great with a structured jacket or cropped cardigan sweater. I paired it with a black jacket with leather sleeves for a nighttime feel. My black wedge booties gave me some height, and I was able to party all night…
Who am I kidding? I was on the couch in a food coma by 11pm.
Jacket | Wedge Booties
Christmas Day
Christmas day at my parents’ house is a marathon. Lots of eating, drinking and laughing. Comfort is king at this party, so I wore my Shirt Dress.
I wore the Shirt Dress with a pair of heavy black tights, a festive plaid scarf and my Sorel lace up wedge boots. I received lots of complements on “how nice I looked” from my family. Little did they know how cozy I was wrapped up in that big ole scarf. I had my phone in my pockets so I could snap nice family photos. It was the perfect Christmas day attire.
Scarf | Lace Up Wedges
Friday Night with Friends
Tonight will be about getting together with old friends. We’ll probably head to a bar downtown, have a couple of glasses of wine and perhaps track down an old cover band we use to stalk…um, I mean, support.
I will be wearing the Fit & Flare out with tights and tall boots to keep my legs warm as we hop around the city. Another long plaid scarf will keep me warm and in the holiday spirit.
Scarf |Riding Boots
We want to hear how you guys styled your Brass dresses this season. Send us a photo or tag #thatsbrass on Instagram so we can check you out!
#thatsbrass | Kathryn Carlson Makes Urban Cycling Convenient and Stylish
Inclement weather, avoiding car doors, and swerving around pedestrians; these are only some of the issues urban cyclists face. Trying to avoid these obstacles while also attempting to look stylish? Well, that's the holy grail. Kathryn Carlson decided to make the lives of city bikers a little easier with her invention: The Buca Boot. Think of the Buca Boot as a bicycle version of the car trunk. Store your belongings securely in the boot on and off the bike. You no longer have to worry about toting your less-than-fashionable helmet into the bar. Bike around town, reduce carbon emissions and throw on your stilettos when you meet up with your date? Now #thatsbrass.
Kathryn tells us where she came up with the idea, what it's like to create a product, and how she stays stylish on the saddle.
Q: Tell us a bit about the back story of the Buca Boot. What were you doing before you started working full-time on the Buca Boot? How and when did you decide to make it your full-time gig?
Like many product ideas, the Buca Boot was born out of personal frustration…and shoes. I’ve been riding my bike around cities for years and when I was in grad school in London, I faced that age-old dilemma: Do I choose the practical or the fashionable shoes? I didn’t want to bike across London in my cute and very high heels but I also didn’t want to carry a bag of extra shoes into a club. I wanted a car trunk on my bike.
Each day since that first inkling, I’d come upon another situation where I wish I had a trunk. I was sick of planning my day around the stuff I might need. What if it rains, what if I get cold, what if I decide to meet up with friends after work? The Buca Boot solves these problems. We like to say that the Buca Boot gives you the freedom of your bike with the storage & security of a car trunk.
Since the idea’s inception, it took quite a few years to develop the right design. A big reason for this is that I’m an economist, not a mechanical engineer. I spent my days in the finance industry building models in Excel, not out of plastic. So I had to take the design in my head and find the right people to help bring it to life. We finally did that and when we successfully completed our Kickstarter campaign (last October, 2013), it became apparent that I needed to focus solely on the Buca Boot in order to bring it to market. I left my job a few months later and we’ve been working design iterations and setting up production since then.
Q: You did a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $90K. These pre-orders serve as financing for production and start-up costs. What are some of the benefits and drawbacks of crowdfunding?
A: Kickstarter was great for us because it provided market validation (and some money!) We have our first customers because of Kickstarter and garnered great press. That’s much more difficult to do outside of the crowdfunding campaign platform. However, be prepared that running a Kickstarter campaign is a full-time job. Unless you are one of a lucky few, you need to constantly reach out to potential backers and press and find ways to keep the momentum going. Also, remember that both Kickstarter and Amazon take fees, so factor that into your bottom line.
Q: What is one thing you've learned during the production and manufacturing process that totally surprised you?
A: It’s easy to make 1-5 units of something and relatively easy to make 100,000 units. It’s very difficult to make 1,000, which is usually where a small product start-up is for a first run. Set-up costs (molds) are very expensive, which we knew but it can also be difficult just to find manufacturers who will work on a smaller scale.
Q: We know you are a city-cyclist. What does the perfect day on your bike in Boston look like?
A: Every day on bike is a great day, especially in Boston because you don’t have to sit in traffic or look for parking. I particularly love any route that takes me along or across the river. I love the view crossing the Mass Ave. Bridge, in either direction. Also, my favorite days are those with that perfect in-between weather when it’s still warm enough to go without a coat but cool enough that it’s not sticky. So, September, I guess!
Q: How do you describe your style? Any special tips for ladies who still want to look fashionable while biking?
A: Wear dresses! So much easier to bike in than pants…you don’t have to worry about getting stuck in the chain. Your Sheath dress is perfect; in fact, I’m going online to buy one right now!
Katie and I think one of the best, and most important, parts of building a startup is getting to know our customers. And if it was physically possible, we would want to meet you all in person! We thought we'd start by meeting some of our Boston ladies in person. Our first Brass at the Bar event will be at Clink at the Liberty Hotel this Friday.
If you order online from now until Friday, October 24th at 12PM you can pick choose to pick it up in person at the bar. And your first drink is on us!
On the Checkout page, select Pick Up. Delivery is on us. We look forward to seeing you on Friday!
The Details:
What: Brass at the Bar
When: Friday, October 24th from 5PM to 8PM
Where: Clink at The Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114
Why: Because we want to meet you and give you a free drink :)
We are looking forward to participating in Mass Innovation Night #67 tonight! Come join us for a little after-work fun. If you've been wanting to see the dresses in person, now's your chance! We'll have product on-hand and for sale. That's right, you'll be able to walk away with a Brass dress. #freeshipping
So come say hi, check out some awesome new businesses, and do a little shopping.
The Details:
What: Mass Innovation Night
When: Wednesday, October 8th from 6PM to 8:30PM
Where: Workbar Cambridge, 45 Prospect Street, Central Square, Cambridge, MA 02139
Why: This event will feature companies with women founders. Here are a few of the companies you can look forward to meeting:
Refleece: Modern designs from reclaimed fabrics
Nineteenth Amendment: An online, shoppable Project Runway
Booze Epoque: Boutique cocktails and spirit alchemy
Secret Ships: A traveling caravan of home wares from around the world
#thatsbrass | Plus Size Model Danika Brysha Shows us that Healthy is the New Skinny
In a world that's image conscious and media obsessed, it's not always easy to feel good about yourself. Danika Brysha felt that struggle until one day a pair of talent recruiters asked her if she'd ever thought about plus size modeling. A few years later she is living in New York City and has made health her priority. Over the course of a year Danika has changed her life and shared her experience on Instagram and Facebook. She's inspired her followers to improve their own lives as well, and in the process, started her own business. Check out her story:
1. Danika we’ve seen you in magazines and on the web modeling anywhere from Kohl’s to Rent the Runway. How did you get into modeling?
I was running an errand at Bank of America and was approached by two people from an agency and asked if I had considered plus size modeling. I did some research to make sure they weren’t murderers and eventually signed with them. My career took off quickly and I added agencies in New York, London, and Germany to my roster. I had wanted to be a model for over a decade and spent years trying to lose weight and be someone I wasn’t in order to fulfill this goal. I had a serious eating disorder and spent years hating my body. But when I finally found it in me to start loving myself again (and this took a lot of time and work), I found that I got to live that dream, working as a plus size model, in a way that I didn’t have to harm my body. I’m now represented with Wilhelmina Models in NYC, Natural Models LA, and Brigitte Models Germany.
2. We know from your Instagram feed that you are an amazing chef and big into healthy eating – specifically the Whole30 lifestyle. How’d you get into that?
In late December 2013, I moved cross country from LA to NYC and recognized that this transition was the perfect opportunity to start fresh and be exactly who I wanted to be. I stepped back and looked at my life from the outside. I took into account the dreams that I still wanted to pursue and picked out certain things that were holding me back. I was fine with my body and was learning to love it but I knew I wasn’t living to my potential. I wanted to feel vibrant and alive and full of energy. I wanted to function at my highest level possible. I wanted to be my best self ever. And if I’ve learned anything, it is that the most significant change happens outside your comfort zone. If I wanted different results, I’d need to take different actions.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
As it turns out, I was most certainly insane. I committed to making 2014 the year of being my best self ever- and to be a person that keeps my commitments. I spoke to a health coach friend and got inspired, followed a clean eating program called the Whole30, cut out alcohol and any processed foods like dairy, grains, added sugars, legumes, and more. I educated myself. I started from square one and lived by the Whole30’s motto that “food either makes you more healthy or less healthy… there is no in between”. I committed to being active for 45 mins every day- incorporating yoga almost daily, running, strength training, long walks with my dog, and little things like taking the stairs and carrying my groceries home. I stopped eating out almost entirely and started hosting healthy dinner parties and tea dates (it turns out that a lot of people like these sort of get-togethers even more than the drunken bar ones!). I still went out to the bars occasionally and sipped soda waters with lime and danced until 3am- I’m pretty good at faking drunk after all these years of practicing the real thing. I focused on getting 8-9 hours of sleep every night. I took baths, wore cute lingerie to bed for myself, read tons of books, took pride in the cleanliness of my apartment, burnt all the nice candles down to the glass, and cooked myself elaborate healthy dinners better than most restaurants I’d been to. I realized that every moment of life is a special occasion and it was time I started living it that way.
Over the last year, since I've made the decision to eat and live cleaner, my entire world has changed. I found my mind absolutely blown at the difference cutting out all the chemicals, hormones, drugs, alcohol, additives, sugars, and any other unnatural junk had on every single element of my body, mind, and life. It was as if something finally wiped out all of the haze and brain fog that I used to have and I had total clarity. I was able to step back and look at things from a big picture viewpoint- making better decisions and functioning so much more efficiently in every way. My energy was consistently high and I felt like I was on happy drugs all the time. No ups and downs, just consistent, positive, endless energy. I slept so much better. I was more productive, focused, alert, quick, creative, and present. It was like all of a sudden I became this 2.0 version of myself in every single area of my life. And I haven’t looked back since. On top of all of this, I've lost over 30lbs of excess weight, my physical performance has become substantially better, my skin is clearer and glowing, my hair and nails are stronger… pretty much everything has just amped up. I've found such joy in this new lifestyle, that I want to share it with whoever is open to it!
That is seriously impressive! And how have you taken it to the next level with Model Meals?
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. As I shared my health transformation via social media over the last several months, I noticed that people were regularly reaching out asking for help in how to start. “I don’t know how to cook,” “It feels overwhelming,” “It seems expensive,” “I don’t think I have the willpower”. But what I knew was that if people could just give it a week, they would be able to feel the massive shift in themselves that comes with ridding ourselves of unnecessary toxins. And then once they felt that feeling- they would be willing to put it more effort to sustain it. And so Model Meals was born to bridge that gap: to offer a food delivery system to people- to make it easier to deliver that feeling. To take out all the work and fear involved in taking the first steps, and to ultimately work backwards. To dangle the (organic) carrot that would inspire them to eventually grow their own.
3. We’ve seen you sporting a “Healthy is the New Skinny” t-shirt. Can you tell us about that?
Healthy is the New Skinny is an organization started by my Los Angeles modeling agency, Natural Models LA, to promote the message that we must start focusing on health rather than on being a specific size. Some people are naturally curvy while some are stick thin, and there is so much body shaming seen in our world today. We’re all in this together and there is no right way to look. In my opinion, that is one of the most beautiful things about humanity. Healthy is the New Skinny to me is promoting a message of total support and acceptance. With a focus on love, it suggests that all we should ever strive for is to be the best possible version of ourselves.
4. And lastly, how do you describe your style?
My style is pretty simple and has changed a bit since I’ve moved to NYC. I like a lot of basics and solids. Blacks, Whites, Greys, Navy. I like a bootie with a little heel, body-con dresses and skirts that highlight my waist, leather, and cool gold and silver accessories. I think style is important but that it shouldn’t distract from the person who it’s riding along on. It should complement your personal beauty and personality rather than define it.
#thatsbrass | Michelle Lewis, Singer-songwriter with Sass
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a musician?
A: As a teenager, I was very inspired by the folk singers of the 60's and 70's, and also the influx of female singer/songwriters of the late 90's (Lilith Fair was my jam back in the day). That's when I started learning guitar and writing songs, and realized it was the only thing I could imagine doing for a living.
Q: What does a typical day look like as a professional musician?
A: It varies a lot. If you asked me that question on June 13 I would have told you I woke up in South Dakota, drove 7 hours across the state of Wyoming and played two back-to-back gigs that night. If you had asked me on August 17 I'd say I did a photo shoot and then got drunk on a yacht while sailing under the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. Both good days.
Q: What inspires you to write and create new music?
A: Anything worth laughing or crying about. So, cupcakes ;)
Really, it's my personal experiences or the struggles of people close to me that make me want to write. Sometimes ideas just come screaming at you and other times you have to really coax them out of their hiding place. It's not always easy to know if something is a good idea or not. I try to write in a way that is honest and relatable, so people can think about their own stories when they are listening to my songs.
Q: We're friends, so I know you always look so put together. How do you describe your personal style?
A: Fashion Folk – chic but simple. I tend to wear neutral basics (white, black, navy), but make them pop with a great shoe, a colorful scarf, or shiny jewelry. I love a good zipper.
Q: We can all agree Stevie Nicks really "gets it" when it comes to on-stage outfits. How do you pick what you're going to wear on stage?
A: Whatever is clean. I live in a car.
I'm usually going for pretty with just a touch of rock and roll. These days that usually means a pair of dark skinny jeans, peep-toe booties, a silk tank and a light beige leather jacket I got in Italy. I have only so much room on my tour bus – a 2013 Honda Civic named Swervy Lu – so every item I bring has to be able to mix and match to make new outfits. LBDs are great to have on tour (wink wink!).
Follow Michelle on the road & listen to her music here. She also wants to be your friend, so head on over to Facebook.
Top photo courtesy Anthony Shea. All other photos courtesy of Nathan Laver.
Spotlight | Newburyport - A Slice of New England Heaven
For many of us in the Boston area, summer getaways typically mean a trip to Cape Cod. While the Cape is still a summer favorite, this weekend, I (Katie) decided to shake things up a bit. I spent the weekend with friends in Newburyport, MA, a picture perfect little town on the shore about an hour north of Boston.
Newburyport is known for its great eating and we certainly didn't hold back this weekend. Over the course of 2 days we sampled the Yankee Homecoming food tents, dined in at some of the town's famous restaurants and pretty much indulged in any and all treats that came into our path.
The center of town is the hub for local restaurateurs and food trucks to set up shop for the week. We sampled delicious seafood and clam chowders.
We tried 17 State Street diner for breakfast. It's a throw back - but the food is amazing. By far the best quiche I've ever had.
See what I mean by "indulged"? When was the last time you ate Penny Candy? If it's been more than 20 years, I suggest you give it another try!
Ok, enough of the eating! The best part of Newburyport is without a doubt the shopping.
There is so much to see - you can window shop for hours. There are small, pretty boutiques full of colorful, beachy clothing, home shops full of antiques and other decor, great food specialty stores and cool consignments shops throughout the town.
Modern Millie was one of the stores we stopped in to check out. Beautifully arranged, the store is full of unique, vintage clothing and accessories. Walking into the store feels like you're stepping back in time. Definitely a must see while visiting Newburyport.
Being on the water, there was a nautical theme throughout many of the shops in town. We loved these airy summer scarves.
The Grand Trunk Old World Market is another must stop for all you wine and cheese lovers out there. Lured in by the display of rosé in the window, we walked in to find meats and cheeses from all over the world. A great place to stock up for cocktail hour!
The mack daddy of antique consignment shopping in Newburyport is here at Oldies Marketplace. The garage style shop is a site to see. Full from top to bottom with everything from antique furniture to vintage style boxing bags, this shop is another Newburyport must see.
Checking out some of the prints at Oldies.
Lastly, while there are tons of beautiful Inns and B&B's in Newburyport, you don't have to break the bank to stay overnight there. We opted to rough it a little by camping at Salisbury Beach.
The smallest tent in all of Salisbury Beach :)
But how can you beat this view?
The Details:
The Who: You! And your friends. Get in your car and go.
The What: Newburyport!
The Where: 1 hour North of Boston. Take 95N.
The When: Yankee Homecoming is over, but you can check out the town any time of year.
The Why: Because it's summer and you don't need an excuse to get outta town!
Spotlight | Carla Fernandez Exhibit @ The Gardner Museum
As Bostonians, Katie and I are both guilty of not visiting some of our city's most beloved tourist attractions (for her, The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and for me the Sam Adams Brewery). Last week, we attempted to right one of these wrongs, and made our way over to the Gardner Museum for their Thursday Neighborhood Night.
A crowd gathers outside in the courtyard for some live music.
The current exhibit, Carla Fernandez: The Barefoot Designer, is a must-see for textile and fashion lovers. Carla Fernandez is a Mexican-born fashion designer and artist. These passions were influenced at a young age by her parents. Her love of shopping came from her mother and her interest in indigenous clothing came from her father who was a museum director. Carla writes, "By mixing these two fashions, the timeless and the trendy, I created my own style at the age of 8." Over the years, Fernandez has managed to combine her interest in preserving traditional Mexican weaving with contemporary fashion. She has shown multiple times at NY Fashion week, and in 2013, she was named "Young Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year" by the British Council. The current exhibit shows us how Fernandez has uniquely combined her multiple interests, making her a stand-out among young designers.
The exhibit begins with three videos that show us how her beautiful fabrics are made. These short films feature the artisans that Fernandez works with in Mexico. Many of garments are made with hand-woven and embroidered fabrics.
The pieces are displayed on movable walls with richly colored backgrounds. We love the sculptural neckline of this piece.
A detail of the piece. The fabric is hand-dyed and woven on a back-strap loom.
In the center of the room is a table with multiple items you can touch, including fabric, yarn, books, and carved wood objects. It's a good thing they provided these items because you just want to touch everything that is on display!
A close up of a swatch-book on the interactive table. All of these gorgeous fabrics are woven by hand.
A large coffee table book features beautiful photos of traditional Oaxacan clothing and textiles.
This dress is stunning. The fabric itself is a luscious creamy linen, flawlessly constructed. Attached to the dress are small, carved wooden ornaments. This piece exemplifies Fernandez's ability to combine traditional handcraft with contemporary fashion design.
This poncho shows us the amazing attention to detail and expert craftsmanship required in creating Fernandez's garments. The red trim is cut suede, carefully sewn onto thick gray wool. Again, a beautiful interpretation of a traditional Mexican garment and craft.
The Details:
The Who: Carla Fernandez, artist & fashion designer
The What: Art exhibition
The Where: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
The When: On exhibit until September 1, 2014 (We recommend the Neighborhood Nights--they're free!)
The Why: Cultural and artistic appreciation, that's why.
We know the dresses we’ve been showing you on facebook and instagram have been a tease. Many of our friends and family have asked when they can finally get their hands on a Brass dress. Well, the short answer is soon – hopefully by September. But, there are a few things we need to take care of between now and then in order to get ready for launch. Here’s a quick look at what’ll be happening at Brass over the next 8 weeks.
Finalize Salesman Samples
We are on round 2 of samples with our factory. We thrilled to see the quality of our first round of samples: the fit samples. Fit samples are made to ensure the clothing is the correct size, shape and style. We’re now waiting for our salesman samples to arrive. The salesman samples should be as close to the finished product as possible. They are meant to come in the correct size, fabric and color. They are the final step before placing our order with the factory.
Trip to China!
Once the salesman samples are finalized, we will place our order with the factory. We are so excited to have the opportunity to go to China for the production of our first line. While we’re in China we will also be looking for new factories to expand our production capabilities. We will be visiting different factories that specialize in knits. It may be summer but thoughts of cozy sweater dresses have been swirling around our heads!
In the Meantime
While we finalize the salesman samples, we’ve been keeping ourselves busy! Here are some of our big projects we’re working on include:
-Finalizing our website! The e-commerce nerds in us are very excited to show customers the fun, new twists we’ve put on our website. Showing our dresses styled for day and night is just one of the things we’re doing to create an awesome user experience.
-Marketing and Networking. We know the power of word of mouth and are excited to get our dresses in the hands of some influential journalists, stylists, bloggers and business people.
-Product details. From care tags, to shipping inserts, there are tons of things to print and prep before launch.
Thanks to all for your continued support. We can't wait to bring you Brass!
Long, holiday weekends call for quick getaway trips. This past 4th of July weekend we had fun celebrating in Boston, on the Cape, and in Portsmouth, NH. As we round the bend to Friday, we're #tbt-ing and looking back on last weekend. Here are a few photos:
Can't go wrong celebrating an American holiday with a classic RI brew. Learn how 'Gansett makes a tall boy can here.
Doesn't get much more Revolutionary than the streets of Boston.
Katie made her way down to the Cape to celebrate with friends and family. The Tank Maxi was super easy to pair with a little American flag flair. Freedom and fashion, unite!
Oh, New England coastline, we really do love you.
Sunset over the harbor in Portsmouth, NH. In December 1774, Paul Revere first rode from Boston to Portsmouth to warn of the arrival of the British. This was 3 months prior to his infamous ride in Massachusetts.
Huzzah! The clouds and rain cleared and we were able to see some fireworks!
