“What is Instagram?”

On one fateful visit to the Randolph Street Market in Chicago, I met Ann Everett, a local fashion designer who was offering her unique, Japanese-inspired clothes (unfortunately she has just recently retired, my heart broke a little when she moved away).

I was immediately enamored with her designs as well as the way she made each person shopping at her booth feel. Ann could make you feel beautiful and fabulous, even if you weren’t feeling that way yourself. (I have seen this time and time again over the years.)

In an instant, I became a fan and started to visit her at the market and at her brick-and-mortar storefront as well. Without that fateful meeting, Hallway of Fashion (HOF) might not exist!

Ann’s Fan Club

I would send pictures to Ann of how I was styling her clothes with my wardrobe. Her assistant, Ebony, asked me if I could post my snaps on Instagram for some additional exposure. I had to ask her “What’s Instagram?”

From this, HOF was born in May 2018. Beyond showcasing Ann’s designs, I decided that I would highlight all the small businesses and brands that I buy from and support. Growing up in a small town that was ruined by a big box store, I have always championed small businesses to curate my wardrobe and home. This has grown even more important over the past 6 years.

I was timid at first and wouldn’t even post my face, wanting to highlight the clothes and accessories I was wearing and not myself. Slowly, I gained confidence, as some vendors I had befriended, and several others had encouraged me to show myself fully. Even then, I took baby steps, adding sunglasses à la Clark Kent/Superman, ha! I still wanted to highlight the products and keep my “secret identity.” Plus, as a card-carrying introvert, putting myself out there was scary! Eventually, with all the positive feedback I was receiving, I decided to take a gamble and remove that final “barrier.”

Of the fashion

Instagram has been a wonderful experience, from meeting other “Ann Groupies” to becoming friends with people I met on the platform. Another chance encounter happened at Randolph. I heard someone calling out “Hallway of Fashion? Hallway of Fashion?” It really wasn’t registering, and I almost walked out of the room. I’m so glad my brain finally caught up, and I turned around to meet Lisa from EL&L Finery. These meetings have happened a few times over the years, such as with Julia from RareJule Vintage and Chip from Vintage Treasure Snack. I also met the style icon Brenda, aka The Chic City Girl, at one of Ann’s fashion shows. She asked if the seat next to me was taken, and I said no. This time, I recognized her, and we began chatting!

It’s always exciting to meet someone in person that you have been communicating with. I have had the pleasure of meeting Sabra: My Style Is My Brand, Kat: Feather & Foxglove, Brittney: Bizarre Bazaar By Brit, and so many others throughout the years. They were nice enough to say hello! I’m even more excited about my upcoming Paris trip because I’m doing meet-and-greets over there! How cool is that?! It has definitely become a “small, small world.”

So far, I have been pretty lucky, and have only had to block a few negative comments and people from my profile. The community I interact with is super supportive, wants the best for each other, and is respectful. I’m a big believer in the motto “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say it.”

Instagram has allowed me to experiment with my clothes and accessories and see what kinds of combinations are possible. I think during the pandemic, many of us took part in challenges because we were stuck at home. They were great outlets for expression, creativity and learning how to utilize what we already had in our closet(s)! During this time, I was able to share and connect even more with others on Insta.

Challenge accepted!

I recently participated in the #75hardstylechallenge, and it really put me to the test. The gist of the challenge was to “shop your closet” for 75 days and post an outfit every single day (OOTD). By doing this, you could see what you gravitate towards, and help you figure out what type of style you have.

I did an analysis after the 75 days and came up with some conclusions that solidified some thoughts, but was also surprised to find out a few new things. Here is my analysis (it was also wintertime to spring, so that affected what I wore too!):

1. I wear jeans the most, which I expected! I love jeans, especially since my body and style changed about 10 years ago, so I no longer had to worry about the hip-to-waist ratio. (Wore 57 days out of 75)
2. I was surprised at how often I wore a COTB (color other than black). I would’ve sworn I wore more black!! (Wore 42/75)
3. I love jackets and love wearing them!!! I guess that’s why I have so many! They look great with jeans, skirts, etc., and give a chic polish to an outfit. (Wore 41/75)
4. I love black and, as I said, surprised at this ranking! It would be interesting to see if I hadn’t participated in other challenges at the same time if the results would differ. (Wore 38/75)
5. I also love a great print or graphic. I love artwork, photography, animals, etc., so I’m very drawn to them. (Wore 35/75)
6. Layering is so much fun, and the interior designer in me loves playing with proportions. (Wore 22/75)
7. I’m a stripe junkie and a little shocked they were lower on the list. I love them vertically, horizontally, or just a hint!! (Wore 14/75)
8. I adore hats and have quite a collection. I’m doing them a disservice by not wearing them. I need to be more intentional or part with some of them. (Wore 11/75)
9. I was also surprised I didn’t have more outfits with cardigans, but again, it was possibly influenced by weather and challenges. Cardigans are a staple when I travel. (Wore 5/75)
10. The most liked post is the DVF x Target collab graphic t-shirt outfit. DVF is a queen, so of course!!!

This would be a fun challenge to do again during a different time frame and to see how the results match up.

On the Gram

Are you on the Gram? If you have been nervous about putting yourself out there, I totally get it. If I had never taken the chance, I wouldn’t have met so many incredible people I can now call friends. I wouldn’t have even dreamed about sharing my blog or creating this website. Following others’ passions has helped spur me on to see what else I can contribute to the “world.”

I hope you enjoyed knowing a little bit more about my Insta history. (Feel free to follow along for more of the story!) You never know when a chance encounter might change your life for the better and introduce you to something brand new!!!

Have fun!

Au revoir,