Hey ShopStyle Collective! You are a very special and exclusive community, so we are always striving to help support you as a brand! We started doing Blogger Spotlights to showcase our unique members and highlight their blogs so you can learn a little more about them as fellow bloggers. Today I’d love to introduce you to Kathleen from Carrie Bradshaw Lied.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I started my blog in 2010 as a way to stay connected with my girlfriends who I often dressed and styled in college (I graduated from The University of Mississippi, also known as “Ole Miss”). I realized life after college wasn’t as effortlessly fabulous and sprinkled with sparkle as Carrie Bradshaw led me to believe post-grad life might be… and so it all began!
I consider myself a budget-friendly fashionista and love sharing my discoveries in not only fashion, but also home, travel, DIY and more. I was born in Nashville and raised in Mississippi, and I’m currently living in Southern California while my husband completes his medical residency. I like to blend my Southern roots with the laid-back West Coast style, and most importantly, I love sharing and connecting with my readers.
When did you start blogging and what made you want to start a blog?
I’ve always enjoyed fashion and as a daughter of an artist, DIY projects and home design. I was so often asked about my clothing and personal style, so a year after I graduated college I thought, “why not start a blog and share any tricks up my sleeve with anyone who is interested to read?” I was and still am constantly inspired by other bloggers, so I decided to start my own.
Do tell us about the name — were you a big SATC fan?
CBL came from my obvious love and affection for the always fabulous Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City. As the girl who has seen every episode 3x, I naively entered the working world thinking it would be even a fraction of the effortless fun and fabulous life that Carrie led. Quickly after entering the working world, I was sadly mistaken. Carrie Bradshaw Lied.
How do you stay true to yourself while continuing to evolve in the blogger community?
This is a GREAT question. I have had the same blog logo since I started blogging, and the colors of my site have always been gray and pink. Like Carrie Bradshaw, I will always stay true to who I was when I started this blog in 2010, so I never plan to change that overall theme of my site. I am always reminding myself to stay true to why I started this blog in the first place, to share my everyday style and mixing and matching from your own closet. I will carry a Prada handbag with H&M shoes. Great style has nothing to do with the price tag.
How has your style and blog evolved since starting your blog journey?
I think as I’ve gotten older, I’ve chosen to save up and invest in higher quality, long-term pieces, but I still love a great Forever 21 or Target find. I grew up in a small town in Mississippi where Walmart and Payless were some of the places I would shop and while California doesn’t really have Walmarts everywhere like the South, I still love some good Payless gems! I actually have several Christian Siriano for Payless flats in my closet that I snagged in November! So . . . is this me saying that my style hasn’t really evolved? Ha!
We saw you in NYC for Fashion Week and at a few events. What is your favorite thing about Fashion Week in the wintertime and how long have you been making the trip out?
Each time I’ve attended Fashion Week, there’s always a show that gives me a lump in my throat. In September it was Lela Rose and this year it was Jenny Packham! If you had told my 16-year-old self I would one day be sitting in the front row of a fashion show, I never would have believed it. It’s one of the biggest privileges for me of the year, and I always have so much appreciation to be considered. I’ve been to Fashion Week in September of 2014, 2015, and this year February of 2016.
What were some of your favorite shows you saw? Trends you are excited to wear later this year?
Oh gosh — Jenny Packham was stunning. Lela Rose is always a favorite; I also loved Nicole Miller, Monique Lhuillier, Leanne Marshall, and Noon by Noor. I had to miss a few and was really sad to miss Tommy [Hilfiger] and Zimmermann . . . but maybe next year!
Love all of the off-the-shoulder pieces — I’ve always loved that! A lot of ’70s vibes, fringe details, and olive green — love that!
You are kind of a big deal, but do you have any fashion or lifestyle bloggers you admire and follow yourself?
Let’s get one thing straight — I am not a big deal. Seriously! Oh my gosh I admire so many girls out there. Some of my girlfriends I really respect — Haute off the Rack, My Style Diaries, A Pinch of Lovely, Style Cusp, Oh So Glam, SimplyxClassic, Thrifts and Threads, Hello Gorgeous . . . I could name 100.
Girls I do not know personally that I admire — Gal Meets Glam, Cupcakes and Cashmere, Margo and Me, Damsel in Dior, Marianna Hewitt, Pink Peonies, Amber Fillerup, Sazan Hendrix — there are so many!
As an influencer on the go, whether in Hawaii or in NYC, what is the one thing you always have to have with you when you travel?
Oh I love this question! When I was in high school I went to Florida as a babysitter for a family that I knew well. The mom gave me a piece of advice that I have always remembered — when you travel, always bring a lightweight robe. Someone knocks on the door and you have to run to get dressed. I love enjoying the process of getting ready and when a towel is constantly falling down, that can be a mood killer. I always travel with a small robe and it’s always worth it!
Do you have any tips for bloggers starting out or bloggers looking to focus on a vertical like lifestyle/fashion?
It’s great to be inspired by other bloggers, but really focus on your own identity and stay true to yourself. I am inspired by so many bloggers, but I really try to focus on doing my own “thing,” whatever that may be. Be original, be unique, be yourself!
Photography is a big deal for a fashion blogger. What kind of camera and lens do you shoot with?
I use and love my Canon 60D, 50mm f/1.4 lens, 50mm f/1.8 lens and Sigma Art 30mm f/1.4 lens.
You’ve worked with some really great brands. What would be your next dream job and dream collaboration?
Oh gosh . . . I’m constantly pinching myself that I even get to work on the projects that come my way. I am always looking to expand my home decor content, so Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn would be a dream. Or a travel collaboration would be amazing!
As a fashion blogger, you get to wear some incredible brands. Which are some of your favorites?
I’ve been a lover of dressing up since I could walk, and it’s been interesting how moving from Mississippi to California has influenced my personal style. I have always loved a great pair of denim and James Jeans and DL1961 are two of my current favorites. Stuart Weitzman, Manolo Blahnik, and Christian Louboutin are probably amongst my most worn shoes, but I love a good pair of Zara heels. For everyday, Bella Dahl and Bella Luxx have some great pieces. I also love the interesting pieces at ASOS, and the new Who What Wear collection at Target is amazing! Eberjey makes some of the softest nightgowns and pajamas on the planet.
What is your Winter go-to look back home? What will you be wearing this Spring?
Well I live in Southern California, so we kind of skip Winter altogether, but I am a huge fan of maxi dresses and skirts, and a great pair of sandals can be worn year-round in California. I just invested in a pair of Stuart Weitzman Nudist sandals and I love a colorful Yumi Kim maxi dress.
Where do you do most of your shopping: online, in store, boutiques, etc.?
All of the above! I love unique vintage pieces, but who doesn’t love shopping at Nordstrom and Saks? I’m also a big fan of Shopbop.
What is the one thing most people would be surprised to know about you?
My mom is Lebanese, and I love embracing that part of my heritage in my life . . . specifically in the kitchen!
Favorite social media outlet?
Right now it would probably be Snapchat because I think it’s the most authentic, relatable social outlet — not to mention the security of knowing everything disappears in 24 hours allows you to really be your natural self and not necessarily hone in on perfection.
What are all of your social media handles?
They are all linked on my blog in the top right corner!
What do you love about ShopStyle Collective?
I am amazed at how helpful and quick the ShopStyle team is to communicate — it makes my job as a publisher that much easier. The new dashboard is so streamlined and efficient, which is a HUGE help to my everyday life, and I’m really excited to see where this new relationship goes. [This year] is going to be a great year to try some new things!
Thanks so much, Kathleen- it was such a pleasure getting to interview you! If you’d like to be considered for our next Collective Blogger Spotlight email us at help@shopstylecollective.com.
xo,
Carlina
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