I have never gone crazier over a T-shirt. When I saw this shirt, I had to have it, but not just because it would make a great addition to my wardrobe. And this little sequin bomber jacket, was the perfect way to top off this look!

Recently, my confidence has taken a hit, which I think is normal. No one can be 100% bullet proof at all times, right?

As women, we are inundated with images of unrealistic beauty ideals by the minute. I got really good at tuning out society’s harsh pressures and ideals. However, my insecurities will trump my confidence from time to time.

People always ask me how I stay so confident. I give them tips and make it sound easy, which for me, luckily, it has been—except for when it’s not. Truth is, even being 75% confident is tough, especially when we are constantly seeing bodies that don’t look like ours and we compare ourselves to others so harshly. No one is immune.

I needed a pick me up, I needed this brains, beauty, booty shirt.

You can give yourself a million pep talks, get your nails done, get a massage, and cry your eyes out over Kim Kardashian’s nude selfie (I may or may not have been doing these things this past week to to try and feel better)… or you can put on some lipstick, grab a pair of heels, slide into your favorite jeans (that hug every curve just right), and make a statement: brains, beauty, booty. Amen.

As most of you know, I currently reside in Chicago. I moved to the city three years ago with the hopes of having more opportunities as a journalist and fashion blogger. However, no matter where I go, I always represent the state I came from, Idaho.

Check out snippets of my interview below and see the full interview in the Most Stylish in Idaho – 50 States of Style feature on StyleBlazer.com! You may learn a thing or two about me that you didn’t already know!

Originally from Orange County, California, Natalie Craig moved to Boise, Idaho when she was 14 and lived there for eight years. While studying at Boise State University, Natalie wrote for local magazines, her University’s newspaper; The Arbiter, started her University’s online page for CollegeFashionista.com, and reported fashion trends for USA Today College. In 2013, she created her fashion blog and went on to study journalism at Columbia College, where she was editor for their newspaper, The Columbia Chronicle. After graduating in 2015, Natalie went to work for a tech start up and now works for a trade magazine covering manufacturing and packaging in Chicago. All the while, her blog, NatalieintheCity.com gains attention from readers and brands worldwide.

Why did you start your blog?I started my blog, because I wanted to have an outlet that let me write about fashion consistently. As I started taking on fashion internships, employers always asked me if I had a blog. I immediately noticed that having a successful blog was a great way to break into the industry. My blog has come a very long way since it was created. I started without a niche and wanted it to be a hobby. However, within the past two years, I was able to identify a niche (plus size fashion) and run with it, which has turned my blog into a small business, a platform, and a community that inspires women to love themselves at any shape and size.

What is your favorite thing about Idaho?

My favorite thing about Idaho, and more specifically Boise, is that it is so up and coming. Every year, the city looks different, because there are new buildings, businesses, and people who come to Boise. When I was growing up there, I felt there was a lack of expression through art and fashion. However, Boise has become a hub for unique cultures and art expression, which makes me extremely excited to go back and see just how much the city has grown and changed.  I also love the down to earth vibe of Boise and it’s inhabitants. Everyone is so nice and the living is easy.

What are some of your beauty & travel essentials?

As long as I have a great anti-frizz serum, foundation, and an eyebrow pencil, I’m content. You can bet that you will find those three things in any travel bag of mine and even my every day bag—you never know what the Chicago elements are going to throw at you and Boise is very similar. When I travel, I try to pack light, but I always have my laptop so that I can catch up on the news and write blog posts whenever I’m on or in between flights.


Read the full interview here: Most Stylish in Idaho – 50 States of Style

At the office, I like to keep my style simple, but not exactly what you would expect for business casual. I am always playing with knee-high boots and blouses with bold necklines. But every now and then, I embrace an over sized gray cardigan with an all black ensemble.

This look, pictured above, is one of my favorite outfits to wear to work—with a longer pencil skirt, of course. I love that this peplum blouse compliments my figure and adds emphasis with the use of varying lines. The black skirt is not much to write home about, but when pairing it with a top like this and some cute lace up ballet flats, I couldn’t ask for much more. I also love polishing off the look with a black blazer.

Tell me what you wear to work in the comments below, and share any questions you may have for me on office attire!

I bought this skirt back in the summer, but I vividly remember tossing it into the pile of “maybe not ever” clothes because I heard a couple of negative opinions on the piece. Lately, I have let what people think about my clothes or the way I wear things affect me, which is odd. I usually wear what I want, when I want, and the only reason I would never wear something again is if I didn’t feel comfortable and confident in it. But even then, I would revisit the outfit or piece of clothing and try to rework it back into my wardrobe at a later date.

So in an effort to ignore other opinions and do what makes me feel best, I took this skirt out of the “maybe not ever” pile and paired it with some other casual staples. I was so intrigued with the tie waist this skirt had, which was also a major point of concern for my critics. I topped the skirt with a denim Charlotte Russe button up and my favorite knee-high, wide calf boots.

This ensemble is made up of mostly light colors, which is crazy because I felt so cofident and comfortable in this look—even though all black ensembles are my go-to.

All in all, I guess this outfit came from having a “f**k it” attitude. Even the most confident people have their off days—I am a prime example. However, to be consistently confident, you have to learn something from your off days and make it into something you can rock or learn from.

Do you have something in your closet that you want to wear, but can’t bring yourself to do it? Well, I’m telling you that you absolutely should. WHO KNOWS!? Maybe you will get an entirely different response than you thought. Either way, it’s worth the risk….I promise!

Military green and hunter orange seem like the strangest match, but the color pairings have been seen in street style and runway looks a lot lately. I’ll admit, I have also fallen head over heels for the color combo!

I love this military green, nylon bomber from Forever 21. The over sized bomber closely resembles pieces from Yeezy Season 1 and other designers. I usually pair the coat with a pair of ripped jeans and Vans. However, for this look, I decided to pair it with this olive, suede dress and knee-high boots.

Ah, the skirt that was meant for my New Years Eve yacht cruise, but never quite made it there. I wanted to incorporate this beautiful plus size lace maxi skirt into my every day wardrobe by pairing it with a military style jacket and some strappy heels. Unlike the lace skirt, this black military coat has been in my wardrobe for quite sometime. 

I would love to try and incorporate more see through-maxi and midi skirts into my spring and summer looks—trend permitting. 

Solid-colored clothing that can stay in my closet for multiple seasons are key. I love being able to grab pieces like this black chiffon midi dress and pair it with everything to create endless outfit possibilities.

This dress, in particular, is great for both a night out and an office look—aside from being an every day piece. To transform this piece into office appropriate attire, I pair the dress with a black pencil skirt and racerback tank top, or a black dress. To take this dress out for a night on the town, I tie a chiffon belt in a bow just a little under my bust and pull the dress to make it shorter and give my figure more shape. I am no stranger to midi-length dresses that have slits on both sides. Similar to this dress, I have a halter slit dress that is perfect for summer.

For this casual, everyday look that I am currently wearing, I slipped into a Vince Camuto midi pencil skirt to give a peek of contrast, topped off with a gold necklace and charm bracelet. These taupe ankle booties also go so well with everything because, of course, they are classic and nuetral, too.

Skirts that flare out toward the bottom and cinch at the waist usually never work for my figure. However, during a business trip back in November, I found this pleated leather midi skirt at a boutique in St. Petersburg, Florida. I thought I would try it on to entertain myself, but then, I fell in love with sleek look it gave my figure.

However, the showstopper of this outfit isn’t my skirt, but this beautiful, burgundy, striped, long sleeve, crop top—try saying that five times fast. This outfit was actually recommended by my boyfriend. Yes, the same one you read about in my last post who did not like my plus size cape dress. While we certainly can’t agree on everything, most girls could never rely on their boyfriends for fashion advice, but mine can’t wait to chime in—good or bad.

My last touching point of this post is my hair! I have been working to achieve a look that I am not even quite sure what the end result looks like—it changes every month—but I knew I had to find a one-of-a-kind hairstylist here in the city. Anastasia Amico styles at Mane Space in Chicago’s Loop. She definitely took my hair from blah to shiny and colorful. Thanks, Anastasia!

Men and women, we’re from different worlds, OBV. So it’s inevitable that my boyfriend will not always agree with my fashion choices, nor is he going to like every trend I become obsessed with. Heck, he won’t be the only one!

Before I get into the story behind the title of this post, can I just say that I love the cape trends that have gained footing over the past year? I loved the cape outterwear that was sported last winter, and I find the cape dress extremely elegant and chic. This dress in particular isn’t just your average LBD, it has a cape, which makes it all the more special in my eyes.

I threw on this dress with excitement as soon as I got it. Thinking that my boyfriend would praise me for my bold choice, I couldn’t wait to show him. Just as soon as I put it on, I could tell by the look on his face—which went from anticipation to confusion in less than a second—that he would not be looking forward to seeing this dress any time soon.

I couldn’t wait to wear it. However, the truth is, I let his opinion sway the way I felt about the dress, as today was the first time I had worn it out since I bought it three weeks ago. Although it’s not his favorite piece of clothing that I own, he still ventured out with me to take these photos and support my fashion decision.

Not everyone is going to agree with your life or style choices, which is why you have to do and wear what makes you the happiest. So before we left our apartment, I grabbed these Quay sunglasses—which he also said were a “little strange”—I swished my cape and joked with him, “Don’t you love superheros?”

P.S. I still love him, and the dress.