Putting the Chic in Chicago

Happy Sunday babies! Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend so far (don't let these April showers get you down!) So if you follow me on my social media and caught the last blog post (here), you know I just took a quick vacay to the windy city of Chicago. I had only visited this city once before as a kid but going back as an adult was obviously an experience, especially with my two best friends (aka: my siblings).

I took my Canon T3i and Sony A5100 with me so of course I'm about to hit you guys with some slay ootd's I wore and fill my babies in on all the deets! Since I had two amazing cameras with me I vlogged for the first time (ahhh). I love making movies in iMovie so this was a blast for me to film and edit. In fact, this vlog was done and ready to upload last Monday night, less than 24 hours after I got back BUT my computer was giving me hell for it, hence the delay.

Watch my travel vlog here! (hint: grab a snack/meal!)

Hotel: We were there for four nights and stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in the heart of Chicago. This hotel was everything and then some-- the decor, hospitality and at home vibe we got from the staff and other guests truly made for a wonderful experience. Plus the Iowa State basketball team stayed their during their March Madness game so our lobby was always a fun spot to hang out. We were within walking distance to the majority of all tourist attractions and just as close to the shops and food (the most important lol). Part two of this mini-series will talk about the attractions we saw and the food I have been posting (I'm craving it already and it hasn't even been a week since I've been back #foodie). Anytime I find myself back in this gorgeous city, I already know where I' m staying (each and every time) and no this is not sponsored LOL ;).

The diva that I am wrote a how-to: travel in style blog post that was also space efficient but ya girl didn't know which season to pack for so I didn't even get to wear more than 1/2 my suitcase (#fail). As soon as we landed it was raining and freezing which made sense because by lunchtime it was hailing/snowing. I wish I wasn't too busy stuffing my face because even though I dislike cold weather (being born/raised in hotlanta and all) that snowfall was absolutely beautiful-- I wish I could've captured it for you guys. The rest of the days were in the upper forties/low fifties which would've been bearable but the winds were something I was not used to at all. I do not know how the locals deal with that intense wind on the daily, I came back craving a haircut from all my tangles. My phone was acting up while I was there so I barely was able to use it but whenever I got a chance to Snapchat complain about the wind, man did my friends give me hell for it. Lol, and yes I know I was visiting the windy city but I assumed since it was full on Spring ft. pollen down here it would've been slightly warmer (false). Regardless, Chicago has stolen my heart because the city vibes & the food was perfect.

DAY ONE (airport):

As I mentioned in my travel in style post, a comfy outfit for the airport is a must especially if you have a super early flight and want to catch up on some zzz's en route to your vacay. Since our hotel wasn't ready for us when we landed, we headed straight to the shops and even though I packed enough to change into a more casual outfit rather it was cold so I decided to stick to my sweats for the first day. Which is shocking considering I never ever wear sweats publicly like that unless I'm on a plane or doing a late run to Target lol. It's even funnier that I can't even find a photo of me wearing this outfit because when I'm in sweats-- it is straight chill mode. However on the flight back to ATL I wore the same outfit and traded my grey sweats to some comfy black H&M jeans that were a steal at $7. YUP. SEVEN. But tragically, these were the only pair (booo).

details:
(1) Heather grey sweats from H&M (here), the best sweats ever! So presentable + comfortable.
(2) My simple Ralph Lauren grey tee was stolen from my brother's closet (tysm) (similar here)
(3) My favorite teal jacket is also H&M (surprise surprise). I believe these are a year-round staple item for them because whenever I'm shopping there I always see these hanging around.

DAY ONE (evening):

After a long day of travel and shopping, we decided to eat at a restaurant right next door called Catch 35 (will review this place in part two of the series). Even though we were literally walking 100 feet to dinner, I was dressed in sweats all day and brought a suitcase full of clothes to dress up in so I did my makeup and threw on a warm outfit.

details:
(1) I wore my H&M black jeans (similar here)
(2) My all-time fave tan sweater from Gap-- last season
(3) Brown leather jacket (old but any leather jacket will suffice!)
(4) Necklace (old + I don't remember where it's from
(5) Shoedazzle blush strapped heels (style: CLARISSA)

DAY TWO (daytime): 

We visited Cloud Gate where the infamous "Bean" is located. Seriously such an amazing piece of art. Afterwards we went to try some amazing pizza that I will rave about in my next travel post!



details:
(1) I wore my H&M black jeans-- recent (similar here)
(2) A black/white H&M striped blouse--recent
(3) Red trench coat from Banana Republic-- last season (any trench coat will suffice!)
(4) White Converse All-Stars (here)

DAY THREE (daytime): 




We roamed the city and visited Willis Tower (Skyledge, also formerly known as Sears Tower). Since we walked everywhere I wanted to be comfy and stuck to a basic all black outfit with a bold necklace and warm leather jacket!


details:
(1) I wore my H&M black jeans (similar here)
(2) Simple H&M black tee
(3) Brown leather jacket (so old but any leather jacket will suffice!)
(4) Necklace-- Black Friday (Icing)
(5) Black flats (Steve Madden)













DAY FOUR (daytime): 
This day was mostly a traveling day besides breakfast so I re-wore my airport outfit. Details are under Day One :)

Part-two of my Chicago series is next! I will be reviewing all the food places we ate at and the tourist spots that stole my heart!

Rasmin, xo