Good vs. Bad Candy just in time for Halloween!

Happy almost Halloween!! I saw these tips for candy to eat and candy to avoid on Halloween. Easier said than done when there is delicious, sugary goodness coming at us from everywhere! But, I thought this was interesting, and all of these candies are so good. Here are the top 5 candies to indulge in:

1. Sour Patch kids: You can eat 23 of these sweet 'n sour little guys for around 200 calories.
2. Hot tamales: Add a little spice to your night with this delish candy. You can eat 27 for just over 200 calories.
3. Reese's miniatures peanut butter cups: Who DOESN'T love peanut butter and chocolate? Five peanut butter cups for 220 calories...and if you freeze them, they take you longer to eat so you're more likely to slow down and enjoy them!
4. Junior mints: Keep these in the freezer too, for a mint chocolate chip ice cream-like experience. Twenty Junior Mints weighs in at 200 calories. Or, opt for a regular size Peppermint Patty, which has only 140 calories and comes in a portion-controlled individual package.
5. Gummy bears: You can eat 12 of these fruity and chewy little guys for just under 200 calories.

Avoid candies with trans fat. Here are some Halloween treats that contain the dreaded X: tootsie rolls, Pillsbury Halloween sugar cookies, and twix!

(via http://whitneyport.celebuzz.com/2010/10/weekly-guest-blog-halloween-tips.php)

I don't know where Candy Corn stands on this list...but I'm afraid I won't be able to avoid it either way.

Happy Halloween and Weekend to everyone! Eat lots of candy...the good and...maybe some of the bad....

What fun would Halloween be without a little of the bad?!

Free Yoga!

CorePower Yoga, which has studios in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, South Loop, Gold Coast, Bucktown, and more, is offering a free week of yoga for new students. And you can spread your week out, so that you don't have to go every day in a single week, but a couple times/week for several weeks.

These classes are great. At first, I was skeptical about yoga, and hot yoga even more so, since I'd find my mind wandering to annoying songs and making mental grocery lists in those quiet moments that were supposed to be relaxing.

But I'm addicted to CorePower now. Seriously. If I don't get my yoga fix, I feel like all fidgety.

All of the CorePower instructors are helpful and awesome in class. The various levels of classes assure that you'll find a practice you are comfortable with--I love the Yoga Sculpt and C2 Open Power.

Yoga just makes you feel so good, relaxed, and like you're really working your whole body, which is something so many other work-outs can't offer.

Print the coupon for the free week off of their site: www.corepoweryoga.com.



Pssss....Kate Boggiano's seamless tanks and leggings are perfect for yoga practicers. I always wear mine to class since they are stretchy enough to withstand all those downward facing dog poses.

Closet organization that looks pretty!

I have a lot of clothes. Mostly dresses. And I ALWAYS have problems keeping everything on the proper hanger. So, I acquired a variety of different plastic and wire hangers, leaving my closet looking like a complete, disorganized mess.

I love my clothes and I want my whole closet to look pretty and organized, not mismatched and confusing.

Well, enough was enough, finally tired of picking up my clothes off the closet floor, where my dog was likely to teeth on them, I decided to buy a bunch of new hangers and re-organize the whole closet.

Best. Decision. Ever.

Perhaps I'm a little OCD about this, but I threw out all my annoying and tangled plastic hangers and swapped them for these amazing no slip felt ones! I got turquoise and pink hangers, putting all my dresses on the turquoise on one side of the closet and all my shirts on the other side on pink hangers.

I went as far as to organize from sleeveless or strapless, to short sleeve, to long sleeve, separating sweaters and button-downs, etc. It's so wonderful to walk in and see everything nicely placed on pretty hangers that won't get tangled up in each other.

I recommend this closet organization to anyone. You get a good feel for what you have, what you need (and don't!), and can clean out things you know you'll never wear again. So on a slow, rainy Sunday, pop in to TJ Maxx or Bed, Bath, and Beyond and get a slew of felt hangers to rejuvenate your closet at home!

That way, next time you're browsing www.kateboggiano.com, you'll realize that you do really need that Isadora blouse, since you're lacking great white blouses...

Look of the Day: Isabella Ruffle Dress

KBO's Tuesday Look of the Day is the Isabella dress. This is the softest, comfiest dress I've ever worn. I love the look here with a cardigan and belt to define your waist.

Looks amazing with tights and cute flats or boots too!

The cascading ruffle front dresses up the feel of this cozy knit. The Isabella would also look great with a zip up vest or blazer worn over.

Available on our website or, if you're in the Chicago area, come by, check out our space and try it on!

Fun Fashion Fact of the day:

When the former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos and her husband were kicked out of their palace and exiled in 1986, she had to say goodbye to 2,700 pairs of pumps, stilettos and slingbacks. That’s 5,400 shoes.

I'm a little jealous. Just a little.

Sweet Potato Souffle

Happy Halloween week! Aren't these pumpkins pretty and so unique? I haven't even gotten around to carving yet, it's always such a formidable, messy ordeal.

But with Halloween almost here, naturally it's time to start thinking ahead to the next holiday. Yay Thanksgiving!

Sweet Potato Souffle is one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving. You get to eat it alongside your turkey and stuffing and broccoli casserole, yet it's as delicious, if not more so, than dessert. It certainly makes you feel like you're getting away with something sneaky and wonderful.

Well, I recently made my first sweet potato souffle as a sort of run-through before the big Turkey Day. I followed the usual recipe combining mashed sweet potatoes with eggs, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt, but varied from the recipe when it came to the topping. Instead of putting crushed nuts and brown sugar on top, I coated the casserole with a mixture of brown sugar and graham crackers.

It was phenomenal, if I do say so myself. And something I would highly recommend to anyone who remotely enjoys delicious food.

And something as delicious as this need not be imprisoned to just one day a year, just doesn't seem fair.

Totally in favor of breaking that "rule." Give it a try, you'll be amazed how free you feel eating sweet potato souffle on a random Monday night, watching Office re-runs...


Enjoy your Monday!!

Get into the Halloween spirit with our favorite tank in a brand new color: orange! Wear it while you're pumpkin carving and eating candy corn.

There's a chill in the air...time to layer up!

For those of you who are big fans of our famous seamless tanks and leggings, since the weather is starting to get a little chillier, I wanted to be sure you knew that Kate Boggiano has an amazing seamless long-sleeve t-shirt. Just like the tanks and leggings, the long-sleeve t is one-size, super soft, and extra stretchy and won't ride up like so many pesky layering pieces are wanton to do.

If you have not yet experienced the bliss of our seamless collection, beware, addiction will follow. In which case, you'll covet every color, in every style, and start layering a tank under everything. Some of our customers have even confessed to sleeping in their KBO leggings and tanks.

I can't blame them, totally guilty of the same.

Be sure to stock up. The tanks and long sleeve t's are amazing for underneath blouses and jackets. And a great pair of black leggings always go with anything.

As another bonus (coming from someone who has stuffed her dresser drawers to capacity), my KBO tanks and leggings fold up into perfect, tiny squares that take up as little space as possible. And they never look wrinkled or creased when I take them out.

Our entire seamless collection is available online at our website, to fulfill all your needs, hassle-free.


Thanks again to everyone who came out to support Tuesday's runway show! We're so sorry for all the mayhem, but hope you still had a good time supporting your local designers and all their hard work. Read up on what other people have to say about the collections and check out pictures from the end of the runway (great picture of our dress up top!)
http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheBlog/archives/2010/10/20/fashion-focus-chicago-fashion-incubator-designers


And if you're around Chicago this weekend check out Kate Boggiano's events:

Modern Vintage Market Chicago
Saturday and Sunday, October 23rd-24th, 10am-5pm at Plumbers Hall, 1340 W. Washington Street.

Style Chicago Shopping Event in the Tents
Saturday, October 23rd, 10am-6pm in Millennium Park

Happy Friday!

CFI Fashion Show 2010

Last night's CFI Past and Present Designers runway show was amazing! Great weather (so glad it wasn't raining this year), beautiful, creative collections from all the designers, and the event was sold-out.

We appreciate everyone who came to support all the amazing designers in Chicago, and we hope you had a lot of fun watching the show and seeing all the different collections.

It's always nice to see all that hard-work put together, strutting down the runway on a beautiful, leggy model.

Fashion Focus is continuing all week, so be sure to come out for these other great events Kate Boggiano will be at:

10/21: AIDS Fashion Show, River East Art Center, 7-10pm--KBO will be showcasing our Fall 2010 collection for this show!

10/23: Style Chicago Shopping Event in the Tents, 10am-6pm--No more tempting with pieces on the runway you can't buy straight off the model. Stop by the shopping event to try on all the great looks from Kate Boggiano and other designers.

Thanks again to everyone who came out! Hope to see you you this weekend at the Shopping Event!

Pilsen Open Studios

Looking for something interesting to do this weekend?

We've got you covered. Kate Boggiano is so excited to participate in Pilsen Open Studios this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Noon-8pm.

This year marks the largest 18th Street Pilsen Open Studios yet, with over 55 spaces and 80+ artists from Western Ave. to Halsted (16th St. to 24th St.) - extending its reach for the first time to include more artists’ studios, galleries, cafes, and restaurants. 18th St. PilsenOpen Studios is an artist run art walk that takes place during the third weekend in October to celebrate Chicago Artist Month. For the last 7 years, artists, galleries, cultural spaces and cafes open their doors during special hours to exhibit some of the most diverse works by artists from all over the world. Galleries include those such as Oxalá Fine Arts, Carlos & Dominguez Fine Arts Gallery, and Colby Gallery.

Shop, peruse galleries, bring your girlfriends, and enjoy walking around in this great Fall weather.


Fun Fact of the Day:

We wear 20% of the clothes we own 80% of the time. The rest just hangs there, just in case.
Calgary Herald

So stop buying clothes you know will just sit in your closet, and instead splurge for great investment pieces that you'll want to wear again and again.

Like the Scarlet dress:This dress is so amazing, it'll always stay at the front of your closet!

Easy Decorating Idea

Whenever you're having a dinner party or get together at home, it's always fun to do something special and a little different.

If you don't have time to worry about how exactly to perform a mini-makeover on your dining room table or in your living room, here are some easy to follow DIY tips to set the mood for any occasion.

Save old glass bottles from wine or liquor, jam, etc. If you're feeling extra crafty and adventurous, spray paint some of these bottles different colors. Or just leave them as is, and gather either fresh or fake flowers for the bottles, choosing tall sparse arrangements for some, and fuller for others.

Surround the bottles with different sized pillars of candles.

It's cute, it's easy, and a great way to spruce up your space for any occasion. Lots of compliments to follow on your creative craftiness.

Tips on Making Your Life Easier:

Kate Boggiano leggings. Every woman needs a pair. Wear them to yoga, to the gym, around the house, on the weekend, anywhere, anytime effortless style.

Leggings are the new jeans...where everywhere in so many different ways. And these will not disappoint. Super stretchy, comfy, won't bag out at the knees, and have a wide waistband that won't roll down. Yes, please, I'll take 10...

Pretty in Pilsen Tonight!

Great fashions under one roof, without having to go to a huge department store...

The weekend is almost here! Start yours off by shopping Pretty in Pilsen tonight for great fall fashions from amazing local designers!

We have everything you need and want in one easy location.

Stock up on all the fall necessities, including: sweaters, blazers, trousers, blouses, accessories, and more.

Where else can you shop and mingle with the designers themselves, receiving insider knowledge about the best trends and personalized recommendations just for you?!

The event is from 5:30-8pm at 2150 S. Canalport, Ave., 3rd and 4th floors. Can't wait to see everyone there!

In Chicago news, this Sunday is the famous Chicago Marathon! And it looks like the weather is going to be perfect. Good luck to everyone who is participating!

Ankle socks and heels?!

A beautiful, candid shot of two uber stylish girls at NYFW a few weeks ago (via the Satorialist). I love the baby pink, feathery ensemble with killer heels and the lime green belt.

And the longer shirt with that amazing grape, purple skirt peaking out beneath.

But as my eyes move down to the beautiful giant's feet, I am slightly taken back. Heels with ankle socks...but why?? Did she forget to paint her toe nails?

I am not a fan of this look. Well...I am not a fan anymore. Even though Jcrew seems to be pushing it rather hard, I will resist temptation.



I was however fully in support of this socks/shoes combo when I was about 5 years old and wore those awesome patent leather little oxfords with lacy fold-over ankle socks.

My taste has evolved since then, hence being unable to accept this look.

But if it makes you happy...after all, fashion should be fun.


In the spirit of canceling out a negative with a positive. Check. This. Out.

A glorious floppy hatted umbrella??? Sign me up. What a cheerful accessory for rainy days.

Mixing Prints...Awesome or Awful?

The art of mixing is simple. Take two, or three, etc things that are awesome separately and mix them together to make one multiplied awesome thing.

Example: Orange juice is great. So is champagne. But when combined to form the mimosa, plain old orange juice and champagne are left in the dust.

So the question arises, if mixing different ingredients together can make a more delicious and wonderful cocktail, does the same principal apply to mixing patterns and prints in fashion?

Blair Waldorf, a huge advocate of cocktails, takes a risk strolling the streets of Paris in Moschino's Spring 2010 mixed print dress.

I think she looks stunning and totally pulls this look off. But 99% of us do not live in a fictional world and thus cannot meander through our daily lives in a beret, couture dress, and 5-inch stilettos while casually eating a croissant. *sigh*

But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun experimenting. Mixing prints can be a great way to turn heads and really make a statement.

To avoid that I-came-from-Candyland-look, opt for subtle patterns and more muted colors.

Start with the Cecilia blouse in navy flowers. And keep your bottoms simple. Try Jcrew's Severn Lace Mini in slate (jcrew.com). Add a great printed taupe shoe (londonsole.com).






































Simple. Chic. Adjective.

A Blair Waldorf worthy ensemble.

Mixing prints...awesome, but proceed with caution and in the words of Tim Gunn "Make it work!"

The Perfect Belt

The search for the perfect belt is over.

Ever noticed how constricting belts can be? You sit down and your back hurts the entire time from the bulkiness in back. Or, worse, your breathing is restricted like wearing a corset made of whale bones...ouch.

Sometimes comfort must be sacrificed for the sake of fashion, but not to the degree of pain and continual discomfort.

Well, KBO has considered these problems and solved them with a beautiful leather front belt featuring a stretchy back to ensure maximum comfort. You can wear this belt over anything to give your outfit a different look and a special feel.

A great accessory for anyone.

So relax, breath, and get a KBO belt at www.KateBoggiano.com.

P.S. Stay tuned for new, fun colors soon!