The color range and designs of Vans amaze me. I chose the Vans Old Skool Pro Marshmellow and Black skate shoes. For all the colors I had to choose from, I stuck with a classic neutral. As much as I love white shoes, I was able to avoid the whole white-turns-into-yellow situation by just purchasing a pale yellow color instead. There's something unique about owning a pastel shoe and also just the classic black stripe in the middle that I love. 

It also has mesh along the sides to ensure durability and suede on the toe, which is something I've never seen on a sneaker. I feel like Vans are becoming the new Converse of our age as I see more and more people wearing them. I already have three pairs and am eager to find new styles and designs. 

I will link, here, to the other pair of Vans that I own so you can check out those, too. Vans has a wide variety of styles, designs, colors, and sizes for you to choose from and I would really recommend checking them out if you're due for a new pair or are curious to see their options. I would honestly love to be a Vans ambassador or something, ha! 

Every year I think I wear out my winter shoes and find myself always on the hunt for winter boots—chelsea boots in particular. I just love the look of them and their durability in the elements. The main pair of shoes I wear are strictly boots and tennis shoes during the winter. I'm one of those people who own only like three pairs of boots and ends up wearing one of them every day. I'm a big advocate when it comes to finding really great quality shoes, even if it means spending a little more. I mean you wear them on your feet! 

After probably a month of endless online boot searching and really deciding if I wanted this specific pair, I decided on the Timberland Courmayeur Leather Chelsea Boots that I happened to get discounted at Macy's and sadly they don't carry them anymore. I think Instagram ads made me buy them, but oh well! Because look how cute they are! I was not a huge fan finding out they were real leather, however, I know that Timberland is a pretty respectable brand and the quality of the shoe is amazing regardless. They source their hides from acceptable locations throughout the US and places that cattle have been raised under the USDA guidelines, whatever that really means, so they strive to be aware and responsible for their animal welfare. I know this is a very important factor for some people, so I wanted to credit that. 

The simple and minimal design of the shoe itself is just the look I was going for, but the chevron stitching and craftsmanship of the shoe blew me away. Not only is it extremely comfortable, but they're also so easy to slip on and the tread makes it better to walk through snow and ice on undesirable Chicago blizzard days. All of the Chelsea boots I could find had pointed toes, and I really was happy to find that these were rounded and had a bit of a platform as well! As opposed to the classic Timberland work boots I've seen everyone wear, I'm glad I didn't jump on the bandwagon because these are the best boots I've ever owned. 

I never feel guilty when it comes to investment purchases and things I know I'm going to get wear out of. Especially things you can wear during winter weather conditions and need to have when unpractical boots get you stuck in the snow or you slip on black ice. For some reason, I struggle to find boots I love and I've had some other Chelsea boots that were cheaper and wore out faster. There are many options out there, but I was so pleased to find these and hope Timberland keeps them coming! 

The price of these and the material is something to consider, but I believe in quality made shoes and it was about time for me to switch out the old ones I wore so much. Some brands I would also recommend for Chelsea boots are American Eagle Outfitters, Urban Outfitters, and H&M. They have a wide variety of boots, but nothing that really struck my interest. Has anyone else been on the hunt for anything lately, especially for the holiday season? 

It's that time of year again in Chicago when the weather gets even more unpredictable and the fashion gets even more confusing. One day it feels like the middle of July and the next feels like the middle of crisp November. My favorite part of back to school, as most peoples are, is the much needed back-to-school shop. 

A lot of my friends know that I love getting things ready for school and my wardrobe being one of them. New shoes and jeans are always at the top of my list because I wear them both on the daily. What can I say? American Eagle jeans are my go-to. 

One of my favorite picks this season are these Vans Ultrarange Rapidweld casual sneakers in the color desert sage. First of all, this faded mint green has got me feelin a type of way. It reminds me of the sage I saw when I visited the Grand Tetons over the summer and I just drooled when I saw these. Funny enough, I saw them on a girl while we were at the airport waiting to go on our trip. 

They are the perfect casual walking shoe and I've never owned anything like them. Neither have I had a color like this in my shoe collection. I have wider feet, so I would recommend sizing up a half size, but other than that they have been the most comfortable shoes to wear to class and around the city. 

I am also feeling these taupe jeggings I bought from American Eagle and these are the Ne(X)t Level Low-Rise Jegging and they are just as soft and stretchy as they proclaim. You really can't go wrong with American Eagle's jean selection and they have an abundance of sizes, styles, and washes for everyone. They're a mandatory back-to-school stop for me. 

That's right, I am on the scrunchie bandwagon and I am loving it. Everyone I know is obsessing over these 90 themed hair accessories for quite a while and I just had to get on it. These are from Urban Outfitters and are the Days of the Week Scrunchies. They're awesome to hold your hair up in a cute bun or even to just wear on your wrist. I always have one somewhere around. 

What is your back-to-school fashion essential? 

I'm single like a Pringle and I know a lot of people will be on Valentine's Day this year. However, that does not mean you can't go out and celebrate it with all of your fellow single ladies! I'm not a hater of Valentine's Day and I believe that everyone shouldn't be down in the slumps because they're "alone" this year again. This time of year is the perfect time for honing into ourselves and celebrating who we are. I know it sounds cheesey, but self love is so much more important and if that means sharing this day with family and friends, right on! 

Recently, I have been wearing this extremely warm faux Old Navy dress coat. I was not able to find it online, but there are many online like it. I was looking for a coat like this that I could wear with dresses and long cardigans and it is surprisingly very warm. It has a zipper and pockets, too. It's probably one of the warmest dress coats I have ever owned. 

This dress is perfect for this time of year because it is actually long sleeve. This Zara dress is so classic and embroidery is so popular right now. It is the perfect Gal-entine's night out dress. I love the detail and many colors on this dress. 

I paired it with a very cute Urban Outfitters satchel bag and these amazing blue suede Zara boots that were on sale for only ten bucks. A major steal. I am just in love with these deep teal color and have never really worn this color on my feet before. The chunky heel makes it so easy to walk in them, too. I think these oversized shades really do and can block out the Valentine's Day haters. Ha. 

If you're planning on staying in for Valentine's Day, by all means, you do you! I hope this motivates or inspires at least one person to still go out and have fun on this day full of love and sappy romance. It is never bad to celebrate yourself and to hone in self love! Look hot and be hot for yourself :) I know I'll be. 

I feel like I haven't really done a fun fashion post in a while, and I have accumulated some pretty great threads this season. As I have been living in the city for the past three months and have embraced all that is street style. My idea of street style is very casual and relaxed, yet trendy and sporty at the same time. As a college student, I have to be honest, what I think about my looks hasn't really been given as much thought as I did in high school, mainly because I'm not in classes for eight hours a day and can literally just get back in bed (which I don't normally do) whenever I want after. 

I have really been inspired by Gigi Hadid and Lucy Hale because their laid-back fashion resonates with me so much. I don't think fashion has to be so luxurious or even formal to be considered stylish and trendy. I love pops of color and different textures; this outfit is probably my go-to city and college wear because it is so comfortable to wear and travel in. 

The first component or piece of this outfit is the very vibrant, mustard sweater. I saw this Zara Sweater from a mile away. At first, I was like "I have too many mustard sweaters," but then I found myself going back to it everytime I went back to the mall and I just couldn't resist. I've worn it so much and think it's the perfect sweater for this time of year. It almost looks cropped, which I love because it looks so nice with high waisted jeans and trousers. 

I paired this sweater with more of an edgier leather jacket that I bought from H&M a couple years ago. I couldn't actually find it on the website because I think I bought it on sale, but they have many other ones similar to it. I feel like a leather jacket can add so much to an outfit as casual and laid back as this one is. 

My extremely comfortable Adidas joggers are probably my biggest staple clothing item this season. I think these pants are so trendy and many people are wearing jogger sweats as an everyday and normal clothing piece. Especially in the city, I'm seeing many women and men wearing them all over. The black and white contrast of these with the three stripes on the sides are very modern and simple. I love them paired with this look. It's so comfy! 

The newest addition to my shoe collection is these Adidas Superstars. I call them my "cloud shoes" because I literally feel like I'm walking on clouds. I love that these shoes can be so versatile and paired with pretty much anything. They're the perfect commuter shoes and are actually more comfortable to walk in than my Nike sneakers are.  

Fall is all about being cozy and comfortable because it's getting more towards the holidays and finals week is this week, so comfort is key. I am all for making an outfit look put together, while also keeping flexibility and movement throughout. This Thanksgiving week, I think I am going to take a break from the blog and spend time with my puppy and family, but will be back for many new Christmas and December themed posts shortly, so stay tuned! What are your plans for the holidays?

Follow Ashley's Instagram and check out her portfolio for more sweet pics!

📷: Ashley Brokaw Instagram: @ashley_brokaw

Over this past week, it had reached up into the 90s, which is pretty uncommon for Chicago weather. However, Chicago weather is totally unpredictable anyway. I know I love talking about the weather more than anyone else, but it has really effected the way I dress. It's almost the first of October and on the first day of fall it was almost a hundred degrees. I knew I could stretch my dress and shorts wearing for another couple of weeks. 

My lovely friend Wiktoria and I spent the afternoon one day after class exploring my college neighborhood, which is Lincoln Park, and found some hidden places that were great for photographing. I love Lincoln Park and all of its hidden treasures, so I will definitely be exploring more in the future. 

I was at American Eagle a couple weeks ago and fell in love with this adorable cut-out floral dress. It's the perfect day or night dress and I have found that you can really dress it up with a leather jacket and heels if you need to. It has lavender and blush tones in it and the detailing on the top are what really drew me towards it. I paired it with basic, brown gladiators, but I can see this being layered with a sweater, boots, and a cute scarf maybe in the fall and colder months. 

I'm a sucker for any floral print and I really think florals are coming back into style like on embellished jackets, appliquéd t-shirts and jeans, and many other pieces of clothing. I've seen multiple bloggers wear pieces with red roses and flowers, so I would definitely get on that cute bandwagon! Florals are so timeless and can be worn all year round in my opinion. It just depends on how you style them!

I normally don't follow the "no white after Labor Day" rule, so I have recently purchased a couple pieces that I love wearing around campus. It has surprisingly been cooler and fall-like here in Chicago, but I am hoping that it will warm up soon so I can wear some more of my summer clothes. It's a bummer when you bring all of your summer clothes and it ends up being 60 degrees on the first week of school. 

The first item I got was about a month ago when I was shopping at American Eagle. They're these really cool and retro round shades. They have an awesome industrial detailing on the sides, which I love. I never thought I could pull them off, but I think they really flatter my face shape. 

I actually bought this dress from Dry Goods and it was my first time going there. I was browsing and they had a lot of really cute tops and dresses. I found their sale racks and this really cute dress was on it for only twelve bucks. I tried it on and loved it. My favorite part is the little gold detailing on the ties. 

For my birthday this past month, I really wanted a new pair of Adidas sneakers and I really wasn't sure which type I wanted. I knew people had these and my sister has them, but the Adidas Superstar sneakers are probably the most comfortable shoes I have owned because I have wide feet and they really support my arches. I was skeptical getting white, but since my school is in the city, I barely get them muddy or scuffed really. What has been you go-to, school outfit? 

I am all about finding good deals, so when I heard that Old Navy was having a Bogo sale, I had to check it out. Amidst the clearance racks and all, I didn't find many things I really wanted, but I did score a couple items that I really love.

I also made the $1 flip flop sale which is always something my aunt and I look forward to because they have the best multi colored flip flops for the summer. 

The first thing I found was this very minimal bracelet that came in a pack of three with gold, silver, and gunmetal. I love minimalistic jewelry and I gave the other ones to my friends. Three were only about three dollars and I was happy with this buy because I normally don't pick out any jewelry when I'm shopping.

The next thing I really fell in love with was this Fringe Hemmed Tank that also came in black and orange. I think fringe is totally back in style and is so subtle and chic on this summery top. 

I stray away from white, but just couldn't because of the cute detailing. I bought this for ten bucks and have worn it way too many times already. It's a staple in any women's wardrobe. You can tuck it into some festival shorts or layer it with a patterned cardigan. 

I knew that I wanted a flat type shoe to wear during the spring and summer; one that would be cute enough to wear with a dress and casual enough to wear with shorts or capris. I love the look of espadrilles right now on all of the fashion bloggers and what not, so I was like "what the heck", and bought a nicer and less expensive pair to put to the test. After a couple wears and trotting around my house with them, they broke in nicely to my rather wide sized feet. I think they would fit perfectly on more narrower sized feet, but wearing socks with them every now and then inside can get the job done. They have another pair in black, but I loved the look of this nudey-taupe color. 

The quality and thickness of the sole and base of the shoe is really nice and sturdy. It's not cheaply made and you can tell by just feeling it. I love how you can tie and zipper the shoe up so you don't have to constantly tie it all the time. I have never felt "squished" in these. I have never worn close toed, cut out flats before. 

Then I finally gave in and had to buy a pair of Birks. I have been trying to convince myself that they are the ugliest shoes ever, but they're so comfortable and practical shoes to wear during this time of year. I caught onto the bandwagon and saved up my money for these. I love how I can adjust them and the arch helps with my wide feet.