Avenue in the City. This post is sponsored by Avenue and contains affiliate links and gifted product. To read more about Avenue go HERE.
A Wednesday blog post!!! Its been awhile since I have posted on a Wednesday, but with the holiday this week I wanted to mix it up and share a Wednesday post. If you have been keeping up with me on Instagram and Facebook then you know that I was in Chicago for a conference this past week with my business partner. Liz from the blog With Wonder and Whimsy and I had a blast touring around Chicago, we looked up iconic Chicago spots to eat, visit and learn about. Liz and I did all of this in our favorite Avenue outfits!! To read Liz’s recount of our day in the city go HERE.
When I am planning out my outfits for travel I always like to go into “Capsule Wardrobe” mode. This is helpful for a couple of reasons. 1. Reduces what you need to pack. 2. All your outfits coordinate(which I love). 3. You can mix and match certain pieces to create new looks! So for our trip to Chicago I selected specific pieces that would coordinate with my shoes, outerwear and handbags.
Maxi Dress | Button Down | Sheath Dress | Loafer | Denim | Bootie
Touring
I arrived in the city via train from Detroit, and met up with Liz for an afternoon of touring and dining around the city! After dropping my bags at the hotel we went in search of some lunch, and ended up at Cindys Rooftop, which is the popular rooftop restaurant inside the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. This fabulous restaurant features views of Millennium Park, Lake Michigan, and the Art Institute. We had drinks and lunch at the bar, and then took a few minutes to take in the insane view of the city from the terrace. It was a hot one in Chicago so we made sure to take our time getting from one locale to another. Cindy’s Rooftop overlooks Millennium park where the infamous Chicago “Bean” is located, which was PERFECT because that was our next stop!
When some people travel they like to find the “locals only” spots, and the places that no one goes to. I am not one of those people. When I travel I want to see all the stuff that everyone always talks about, and the Chicago Bean is one of those things. Located in AT&T Plaza, the bean is actually called Cloud Gate, and is one of the largest art installations of its kind! To learn more about the bean go HERE.
For our day of touring around the city I wanted to be covered and comfortable Avenue always has options like this for the plus size woman. A silhouette that I always gravitate towards is a maxi/midi wrap dress. I styled a summer version of this dress for my Avenue IG takeover and loved it so much that I ordered the Fall version! I only brought one purse with me on the trip, and the dress coordinated beautifully with it! As you know, I am a heels girl and I have to really really love a flat shoe style to wear it. I styled my loafer slides with this dress for a chic flat option! I love how this dress just flows, the stretch polyester blend material has the perfect amount of give to it and the colors are perfect as we move into Fall! The midi length on this particular dress is perfect for air flow and showing off a sassy pair of shoes!
Maxi Dress
Girls Night Out
Liz and I were planning on being in Chicago from Thursday to Sunday, and most of those days we were going to be working and attending a conference, so on Thursday night we took advantage of our down time and made reservations at Duck Duck Goat. A Asian inspired menu with so much good food you could eat yourself silly! After a day of running around Millennium park, I definitely needed to change and freshen up!
I swapped my maxi and loafers for a textured sheath dress and some open toe booties. This simple but chic dress traveled well and the knit blend was lightweight and comfortable for dinner. I always size up in sheath and body hugging silhouettes and that was the right choice for this piece. These booties from Avenue are sold out now but I linked a similar pair. Being the sensible capsule wardrobe packer that I am, I kept my same purse but switched to wearing it as a shoulder bag for the evening.
I used to think I was a jewelry person, but over the years I have found that quality over quantity matters more to me. So I paired this dress/shoe/bag combo with a pair of special earrings Liz gave me for Christmas last year! I am planning on styling this dress again as we get into cooler temps with tights and booties AND a blanket scarf!
Dress | Booties
At Duck Duck Goat we had small plates and shared some awesome dishes. My favorite was the Pekan Chicken! The restaurant is all about sharable options, that are served as they come out of the kitchen. This makes for a longer but super fun dining experience! Our server was super knowledgable and thoughtful! I swear to God I am not making this up. He noticed our cute looks, and when we said we were bloggers he shared that he had a friend that worked in plus size fashion as well! Small world!!
Traveling
Even though I was packed a capsule wardrobe for the trip, I still had a bulging suitcase and work bag LOL. I wanted to be comfortable and chic for our trip home on the train and opted to wear the same loafer slides. I selected one of Avenue’s white button down shirts and their 1432 stretch denim jeans as my travel look. This versatile top can be worn for work with slacks or on the weekends with jeans. I should have sized down, but made it work by tying the top up for a fun look. This button down did not travel as well as I would have liked, and I had to steam it for awhile before wearing it (yes I own a travel steamer trust me you need one too TRUST ME).
I am from Metro Detroit, you know the motor city and where I live everyone drives. We all have cars, and we drive wherever we need to go. And this may seem funny to some people, but I have not ever taken a train before. So I really didn’t know what to expect. I found it to be easy, and low key compared to flying. I just took my bags and got right on the train, the seats were spacious and comfortable. I took my regular travel luggage with my on my trip, my LV Neverfull GM and my Samsonite carry on(which is 4 years old lol). Union Station was under construction when we were there, but the plans for the space are beautiful!
I ordered the 1432 denim skinny jeans in a size up, and found them to be a perfect fit. These skinnies are stretchy but feel like jeans not like leggings which I really like. I am looking forward to wearing this look with boots and booties this fall, and I have a feeling this top will be part of my regular rotation through the cooler months of the year!
Have you ever packed a capsule wardrobe for a trip? Let me know in the comments below!
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