Weardrobe Conference Day 1, Again!

Needless to say, I didn't do a very good job of providing daily recaps of the Weardrobe Conference. Because it was such an overwhelming (in a good way), unreal and super busy whirlwind of a weekend, it was hard to step back and reflect on everything while it was still happening. Now that I'm back home, I can really process the once-in-a-lifetime experience I just had.

photo from What I Wore

For the next few days, I will do posts recapping my experiences and sharing my thoughts about the Conference starting with a more detailed account of Day 1.

Here's a better lit, less disheveled shot of what I wore on the first day of the Conference. Outfit details: Target fedora ($12), Old Navy t-shirt ($15), vintage Levi's blazer (thrifted, $1.50), UO leggings (on sale for $5), Target shoes (on sale for $8) and necklace from local shop ($10). Next to me is my awesome roommate and "blogging bestie," Krystal of This Time Tomorrow. Off to the side is Tavi, the Style Rookie, or as we like to call her, the Style Pro. Picture by the oh so cool Sara of Style Magnet!

The Conference officially began at 4:30. We gathered at the Conference Headquarters: a Penthouse Suite at the luxurious Gramercy Park Hotel that just oozes with old New York elegance.

Picture from nyc.weardrobe.com.

Everyone was nervous and giddy and dressed to the nines. We all agreed that meeting everyone in real life was simply surreal. We all "knew" each other through pictures and words, but it was fascinating to see everyone as living, breathing, three-dimensional people. We heard each other's voices and laughs, saw how tall everyone was, noticed quirky mannerisms and personality traits that don't come across on our blogs. Honestly, I thought with this many ladies in one place, there were bound to be some divas, some attitudes or at least a few disagreements here and there. Coming from the friendly Midwest, I was afraid I might get swallowed up. I was wrong. Everyone was incredibly friendly, open, easygoing and utterly down-to-earth. We got along with ease and became fast friends.

Photo from nyc.weardrobe.com.

It was really something magical to meet so many people that you have a lot in common with but who are also quite different. Obviously, we all have fashion blogs, have an interest in style and have a soft spot for clothes. We all know that taking pictures of yourself everyday doesn't make you crazy or vain. We talked about blogging platforms, links, traffic, comments, analytics, giveaways, cameras and more without anyone saying "Huh?"

Despite all our similarities, the group spanned a wide spectrum of ages, backgrounds, careers, geographical locations, styles, tastes and so on. There were high school students and career women. Those from small towns in middle America to city gals through and through. There were ladies with intimate knowledge of high fashion who wear lots of designer duds, thrift-shopping bargain hunters who don't care about labels and everything in between. Because of our similarities and differences, we were able to connect to, learn from and inspire each other on so many different levels.

After a bit of "getting to know you," we took to the streets for a photo shoot with talented style photographer Eddie Newton. A gang of decked out girls traipsing through the city was quite a sight to see. We definitely turned a lot of heads and literally stopped traffic a few times.

Strutting on the streets of NYC. Photo from nyc.weardrobe.com.

Eddie Newton working his magic. Photo from nyc.weardrobe.com.

After the photoshoot, we headed back to the HQ. Spread out on the floors were tote bags brimming with goodies. Like so many have aptly said, it was like Fashion Blogger Christmas. We all found the bag with our name on it (the ULTIMATE stocking), plopped on the floor and started digging through our treasures. The room was filled with oohs and ahhs, squeals and laughter. Suz, Rich and Jessica (the amazing Weardrobe team) beamed down at us like loving parents seeing all their hard work pay off.

Photo from nyc.weardrobe.com.

Photo from nyc.weardrobe.com. (Thanks to everyone for tolerating my photo theft. Your pictures were prettier and more plentiful than mine!)

The loot included stuff from PacSun, Nooka, Victoria’s Secret, Payless ShoeSource, Hayden Harnett, 80s Purple, Who What Wear, Seychelles, Ruche, Knock Out, SIGG, We Love Colors, Cheap Monday, Gilt Groupe and Indi Denim.

Thank you so much to our sponsors for helping to make this weekend a reality.

We rounded out the night with a casual pizza dinner at the HQ. By then, we had loosened up considerably and started to really get to know each other and have fun fun fun. Following din din, A group of us made our way to the rooftop terrace bar at the hotel. My one cocktail - a Grey Goose Greyhound - was $18, but I was so content to be in that place, at that moment, with that company... that it was worth every penny.