NYC Recap with Vanity Fair!

Hi Friends! I’ve been dying to share more about this fun partnership with you guys and today is finally the day! Last month a very unsuspecting email showed up in my inbox and led to a whirlwind trip to New York City and ultimately aligning Style Your Senses with a brand that I think rocks. Vanity Fair’s Women Who Do campaign is designed to enrich the lives of busy women who are busy doing big things. Busy being rockstar moms, busy being girl bosses, busy running the carpool, running a marathon or running a business…we all know that nothing quite compares to the drive of a woman. All of that being said, base layers are so important not only to give us the confidence to go out there and DO, but also to keep up comfortable throughout our busy days. Over the next few months I will be sharing more about Vanity Fair, why I love their products (and their rich American History), and engaging in their current partnership with Dress For Success (one organization that I’m wildly passionate about). Here’s how I spent my 48 hours in NYC, with some hotel & restaurant recs and a fun highlight video!

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DAY ONE

5:00 am: Wake up call in Charlotte. Shower and get ready for the long day. Finished packing. Woke Landry at 6 and fixed her breakfast and lunch and got her ready for school.

7:00 am: Uber to the Airport

9:00 am: Flight to LGA. Ran into the darling gals of Peachy Mag and got to catch up with them pre-flight!

11:00 am: Landed in LGA and was quickly whisked away by one of those people with your name on an i-pad and a car waiting. Feeling fancy! P.S. on our ride in, we stopped in front of a line swinging around the block, at least 200 people deep and my driver informed me that they were all waiting for Chickfila, as it has just opened in Manhattan. He even told me he had never had Chickfila in his life. My heart began to hurt for these people who have never experienced a chicken sandwich + waffle fries. I told him he needed to get there stat and he promptly wrote down what I demanded he order 😉

11:45 am: Arrived at the Refinery Hotel. Located in the heart of the Garment District, this 5 star hotel is quite the hidden gem. It had a neo-Gothic feel and exuded industrial minimalism. I was shocked when I walked into my room…12 ft ceilings, wood floors, huge windows, a King bed with tons of room on each side, and the most stunning marble + brass adorned bathroom…definitely none of which are typical of small NYC hotel rooms. Little did I know it also has one of the hottest rooftops in all of Manhattan!

Found these darling treats in the room when I arrived and you guys are lucky I controlled myself long enough to snap this pic…they were so yummy!

12:30 pm: I headed South a few blocks to Herald’s Square and was on a mission to get to Zara! Fun fact: when I interned in NYC during college, my office was on 42nd street so after work I would walk down to Herald’s Square (not even 10 blocks, mind you) to shop and I would totally consider that my workout for the day. 

2:00 pm: Don’t mind me, still at Zara. Not only did I go through EVERY single piece of clothing, but I totally forgot about the insane lines (30 minutes for fitting room and another 20 to checkout). I did leave with an amazing navy jumpsuit, which made it all worthwhile.

3:00 pm: Nap …does anyone else get the absolute WORST headaches when traveling?

6:00 pm: Met everyone downstairs and hop in a car heading down to SOHO for dinner. It was so fun finally learning who the other ambassadors were.

7:15 pm: Dinner at Public. Voted one of the top restaurants in SOHO, Public also just received it’s Michelin Star! I broke my non-dairy diet and tried the Burrata and OMG…have I been living under a rock…that stuff was beyond amazing. They paired it with roasted grapes, which have the most interestingly delicious flavor. For dinner, I had the skirt steak and it was amazing. I highly recommend Public for dinner if you are in the city anytime soon!

I was seated at a table full of amazing women and the conversation was both hysterical and heartfelt. As I mentioned before, I am so passionate about Dress for Success. It’s always been a non-profit that I’ve admired from afar and took this campaign as my “God Wink” to jump in head first. Dress for Success serves women of all walks of life (in over 20 countries) and gives them everything from a new professional wardrobe to job and interview skills, all boosting their confidence and empowering them to achieve financial independence. 

10:00 pm: Headed back to the hotel and stayed awake long enough to head up the hotel rooftop (which was PACKED) to snap a photo of the Empire State Building. It was so close (and beautiful) that it looked like you could just reach over and grab it! Definitely check out the Refinery Rooftop if you are in NYC! Normally I would have insisted on staying up there and enjoying the scenery for at least one cocktail, but I was too tired to even try. Nite nite!

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DAY TWO

7:45 am Thursday:  Meet downstairs in the lobby and ready for a quick walk over to the Vanity Fair Corporate Showroom where we will have breakfast. Did you know that Vanity Fair is owned by Fruit of the Loom and based in Bowling Green, KY? Not only that, but they have been part of the fabric of American textiles for nearly 100 years…not many brands can say that! This showroom is where they meet with buyers from all of the top department stores to go over new products, fits and place buys for the coming season.

8:15 am: We walk into the most gorgeous space with the chic-est breakfast display you ever did see! Donuts, avocado toast, parfaits…oh my…and all displayed almost too cute to eat! Notice the donuts on the paper towel holders? Yep, stealing that idea!

The party planning and decor was put together by Little Miss Party in a Box and they did such an amazing job (wait until you see the floral garland). If you are in NYC and need something fab planned, these are your gals!

9:00 am: Sat down with the corporate team from Vanity Fair and started taking notes! They brought in their design team AND their marketing team to really give us a full scope of the brand, which was amazing! We walked through each part of the line and they really took a deep dive into the details, thought and technology that go into making each bra. They REALLY take feedback from their consumers to heart and have come up with some incredible options for busy women. I’m talking comfort, COOLING, and aesthetic, ladies. #CanIGetAnAMEN ?!  It was amazing to learn about what all goes into the design and production of a bra, who their target market is and ultimately take away why I think women like you and I can really benefit from their products.

If I’m being honest, bras have never been a priority for me, as I have been always been more inclined to spend money on a fashion top or fun accessory. Embarrassingly enough, I knew that I was probably wearing the wrong size and had no idea that I could really put a good bra to work for me to make my everyday life running around with a toddler easier and more comfortable! That’s all about to change…

10:30 am: Vanity Fair also brought in two of their bra fitting specialists (did you know that they hire and train nearly 50 of them to travel across the country getting women in the right bra size?!), and we were each fit specifically. Not shocking, I was in the wrong size. I actually was able to size down and left feeling about 5 lbs thinner. When a bra is positioned and adjusted just right (especially by a professional), it just brings everything up and in…if you know what I mean. I took home THIS bra and it really lives up to it’s Comfort X3 name! It’s a full coverage bra (that doesn’t come all the way up to your collarbones, thankfully!), has their signature honeycomb straps (that literally do not even think about slipping off your shoulders), and is ever so slightly padded to create a great shape. You’ll die over the price, too…

See the full collection HERE.

I kept coming back to this quote gallery wall, reading over each one multiple times. It’s funny how such simple words can be so inspiring and up-lifting. I think that a wall like this would be so perfect in a tween or teen room! 

12:00 pm: Boarded a bus and headed downtown to the Time Inc. building where the team from People Magazine (!!!) waited for us to join them for lunch! Having a total pinch me moment all the way….

1:00 pm: Lunch with the editors, writers, and stylists from People magazine…chatting all things blogging, celeb, and Fall Fashion. We learned how their process works…remember they are a WEEKLY magazine, so they are always on a short deadline. We got a little insight into how fluid their editorial is, and if something major happens on a Thursday (ie a hot celebrity gets a jaw dropping new haircut!), they have to find a way to put it into THAT week’s issue, because waiting for the next week would make it old news. They are definitely on top of the fashion + celeb world and it was so interesting to hear how the cover it all.

1:30 pm: We each had the chance to work with award winning fashion photographer Rachel Brennecke  to create flat lay photos using fun props and incorporating Vanity Fair bras to show how many different ways you can style them. Flat Lays are probably one of the hardest things to perfect in the world of Fashion Blogging. So much thought goes into each one and then taking into account lighting, depth, etc ..it’s never been easy for me! Working with Rachel was such a treat as she’s a true professional and knew exactly how to whip up the perfect flat lay in minutes. I’ll share the final product with you in a future post, but see my Snapchat diary below for a sneak!

Jeanette | Merrick | Yours Truly | Monica | Miriam | Chastity | Crystal

Honestly, my favorite part of the trip was being included in the company of these amazing women. They are bloggers, vloggers, moms, jet setters…you name it! Each amazing in their own right, and I left feeling like someone might have made a mistake choosing ME to be a part of such a wonderful group. Truly each #WomenWhoDo…

3pm: Car back to the airport…ready to see my babe! Until next time, NYC!

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Here’s a quick Snapchat diary for you….

Dinner at Public in Soho | Jumpsuit from Zara that I mentioned | View from the Refinery Rooftop | Gorgeous tablescape for dinner at Public | Time Inc. Building | Flower Garland LOVE | Quote to remember | People Magazine! | Flat Lay sneak peek!

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I hope that you enjoyed following along on this whirlwind trip! I can’t wait to share more with you about Vanity Fair and this partnership. Now tell me, what do you look for in a bra? Seriously, I’m curious! Comfort, cute-ness, cooling? I need to know! I’m going to use your feedback to craft the next post and hopefully pass along some fit tips and bra suggestions based on what you’re looking for! Send me an email or comment below!

This post was created in partnership with Vanity Fair as part of their Women Who Do campaign.