Guest Blog: AmyZ!

Petals welcomes BACK our favorite Chi-Town Guest Blogger; AmyZ!

{AmyZ, originally from Ohio, is an amazing artist in the windy city & also works as an archive coordinator @ The Art Institute of Chicago. You can admire her work HERE. Many thanks to Clare Britt for her photography}

Petals: Welcome back to As Good As Her Petals, Amy! We're excited to see you again :)

AmyZ: It is great to be back, Sarah :) Thanks so much for having me!

Petals: What's been going on in your style world since you visited us last (fav new gifts/purchases, revelations, experiments, inspirations, etc?)

AmyZ: My style world has been ROCKED by the Chicago winter! In the past, I haven’t been one to dress appropriately for cold weather, (stubbornness is not my greatest characteristic) but this year I decided to embrace the opportunity to layer, mix and match and have fun with all that winter wardrobes have to offer. I am IN LOVE with sweater dresses. They are warm and comfortable while being super duper cute! I find they are very versatile as well... you can dress em up with black tights and hot shoes or dress them down a bit with fun tights, a thin cardigan and boots. A winter trend I’m in a total groove with is the glorious comeback of leg warmers and thigh-high socks! So fun and spunky! Not to mention *gasp* practical when you want to wear skirts in the winter. I also have a revived love of mini skirts - funny thing to discover in the winter, I know! Mini skirts with a cropped sweater and tights all the way, baby.

Petals: Last time we saw you, you were trying out red lipstick as a new makeup staple, have you stuck with it?

AmyZ: I have stuck with it! It has actually become the style signature I was hoping to create. I really like the idea of creating a signature that becomes your ‘look’. Think Jackie O and her sunglasses or Gwen Stefani with her red lips/sunglasses combo. It’s an easy way to look together no matter what with just one simple constant. I get complimented on the red lips more than I thought I would and have even turned a few of my friends on to the idea of bold lips! One of my best friends in New York went out and bought the exact same brand/color I wear after I had visited :)

Petals: What are you most going to miss in your wardrobe as winter passes us by in the next few months?

AmyZ: I am really going to miss my growing collection of tall socks. But I figure the thinner ones can still get some action in the spring time so not all is lost!

Petals: What are you most looking forward to as spring and summer approach?

AmyZ: I can’t wait to wear my black blazer again. It is such an easy thing to throw on over a cute dress or with some tight pants to really pull an outfit together. I’m also ready to start wearing sandals. It seems that I move from sandals straight to boots and vice versa. Love boots. Love sandals. It’s the in between shoes I struggle with.

Petals: I plan on doing some posts in the near future on style inspiration ~ where do you find your biggest inspirations have come from and what are your favorite places to from which to draw new perspectives?

AmyZ: I’m really into the Mod look of the 60’s. It is such a wonderful aesthetic where edginess and femininity come together in the best way possible! Even in its most outrageous moments, there is still a sleek sophistication upheld. And the ‘cool’ factor is undeniable! I like to keep all these characteristics in mind when pulling together a look on any particular day. I like simple lines and shapes that have a bit of a twist. Edgy without being garish - grounded somehow in structure or color but accented with pattern and/or accessory.

As far as gaining new perspectives, I take in everything my peepers come across! I honestly don’t buy fashion magazines; But, I am a keen observer and am constantly taking note of what various people are donning - whether it be an art student, famous actors, musicians, a sales associate at a boutique, or some anonymous person on the bus. Some of my best fashion do’s (and dont’s!) come from the city streets!

Petals: I believe you also had some gorgeous combat boots on your wishlist, are they still a dream of yours?

AmyZ: The dream has become a reality!! I found some Steve Madden boots that had it all... and got them at a discount! I wandered into Nordstrom Rack (this somehow happens every other week) with no intentions of buying anything. I was checking to see if any new shoes has been shipped in since my last visit and what should I find? The boots I wanted! The only ones of their kind and they were in my size! You gotta love when the universe reciprocates a vibe you throw out. I got them for a little over half of what I would have spent in the Steve Madden store.

fashion scarf, vintage - great grandmother’s • cardigan, BP. Nordstrom • cami, T.J. Maxx • skirt, Forever 21 • leggings and thigh-high socks, Apt.9 Kohl’s • outerwear ~ coat, Andrew Marc • fur infinity scarf, Jocelyn @ Intermix • boots, Steve Madden • rings, vintage - gifted • earrings, gifted • metal belt, vintage find • lip stain, Stila - ‘Lover’ • nail color, NYC New York Color - ‘Lincoln Center’

photos by Clare Britt.