If you’re like me, seeing a moodboard of outfit ideas is fine but seeing those outfits put to use is where the magic happens. Again, I’m the photographer in the family. It’s rare that I’m in a photo unless someone says, “Hey! Let me take one of you!” So I don’t have every outfit documented, but I hope you find these helpful.

Chicago:

Chicago was a whirlwind. We wore our cowboy gear on our 6am flight because boots and hats take up way too much space and weight, but once we arrived to the beautiful Gwen Hotel downtown, I changed into a much more comfortable outfit. These outfits span between morning walks by the water, evening wandering and then a day in my hometown way back in the suburbs of Barrington for brunch and an engagement party in the evening.

linen shirt. ribbed knit tank. linen shorts. (worn with these shoes)

favorite lululemon cropped tee. perfect belt. perfect trousers. (worn with these shoes.)

same cropped tee. best leggings. belt bag. our stroller (we’ve used this since Oshiolema was a newborn.) sneakers. $10 sunglasses– the only pair I packed.

linen dress. leather sandals. lipstick.

Denver:

Again, as I shared in this post with my Denver capsule wardrobe, our time in Colorado was split into two sections: mountains and city. Here are all the photos I have of my capsule wardrobe put to use. Since we flew straight from Chicago, I tried to keep one small suitcase to house our Chicago clothes and Denver city clothes so for the bulk of the trip- our time on the ranch in the mountains- we wouldn’t have to touch the things we couldn’t use there.

hat. linen shirt. ribbed knit tank. crocodile belt. jeans. cowboy boots.

the knit half-zip I wore every day. joggers. alternate cozy socks. sneakers. z’s waffle pajamas.

dress. hat. necklace. boots.

bandana. leggings. hat. tee. sunglasses. water + hiking shoes (mine) (the kids)

I’m a person who thinks an American flag knit is crucial. Mine is vintage- you can find two identical alternatives here and here.

this special top is a dream with denim and it’s worth it’s weight in gold. the white zara jeans got destroyed this trip but they’re the world’s most flattering and I’ve owned about four colors for years and years. plus, they’re under $50.

This was for our first day in the city after family camp in the mountains. Most of my clothes are filthy so I’m glad I kept our city things separate. most flattering tee. chain necklace. belt. trousers (almost sold out.)