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Hi, nice to meet you.

I'm Hallie, a Midwest native, New York City transplant and the mind behind corals + cognacs. If you're looking for an online destination for stylish inspiration and musings on Manhattan living, you've come to the right place.

Here's a bit more about me (and if you'd like to keep in touch, you can find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook).

I hope you enjoy reading corals + cognacs as much as I enjoy writing it.

FAQ // LOCATION: New York, New York • BY WAY OF: The Midwest (Cleveland/Chicago) • HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? Attainable, trendy and fun. I’m constantly wearing unexpected pairings – like statement pumps and a graphic tee. • FAVORITE ITEM IN YOUR CLOSET? The vintage Gucci clutch I thrifted for $40. • ANY OBSESSIONS? I like my coffee black, my heels high and my martinis dirty. • GUILTY PLEASURES? Complex carbohydrates and shoe shopping -- both in excess. (And SoulCycle, as a result.)

ARE YOU A FULL-TIME BLOGGER? No, I work as a Development Manager and Contributing Editor at Glam.com. • WHY DID YOU START YOUR BLOG? I've spent nearly seven years on the corporate grind, where sartorial humor and an expertly crafted color-block can get lost in the boardroom. As a result, I decided to create a blog -- a space where I’d hoped my writing, styling and excessive shoe collection would be better comprehended. • WHAT’S IT ABOUT? Living stylish and spontaneously in New York City – and beyond. I aim to inspire others to have fun with fashion and to live lightheartedly • HOW’D YOU THINK OF THE NAME? To be honest, the name just came to me. I’m a big color-blocker and a sucker for alliteration in writing. It just fit. • WHAT’S THE CORRECT WAY TO WRITE IT? corals + cognacs.

HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE IT? corals and cone-yaks. • WHAT KIND OF CAMERA DO YOU USE? A Canon T3i with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. • DON’T YOU FEEL WEIRD TAKING PHOTOS OF YOURSELF? Absolutely. Everyone looks at me like I’m insane – especially when it’s cold. Wouldn’t you? • DO YOU WORK WITH ADVERTISERS/SPONSORS? Yep! Shoot me an e-mail and let’s talk. • HOW ELSE CAN WE KEEP IN TOUCH? On Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Identity Crisis

June 9, 2024

One of the questions I’m most commonly asked is, “How would you describe your signature style?”

Honestly? I have no idea.

Continue reading →

White Denim Leather Weather

April 9, 2024

It seems that spring finally sprung in New York City. That said, are you a good news first or a bad news first type of person?

The good news is, well, spring has sprung. Obviously. The bad news is most of us — myself included - still have to spend our days indoors knowing it’s 60-plus degrees at long last.

I love wearing white denim before and after you’re traditionally supposed to. It’s like a real-life fashion exam in untraditional style rules; you can tell who stands where based on the side-eyes you’re thrown during your commute.

The morning in which I was finally able to don a blazer and walk out the door without a winter coat was an incredible wardrobe victory in my book. I actually think I skipped home from work this day… Champagne may have been a factor. (Don’t judge; it was Friday.)

On another note, Manhattan squirrels get mighty frisky when the weather warms.

That little handbag-loving attention whore to my left two photos above above crawled into both my and Bianca’s bags on two separate occasions as we posted up on a bench and caught up post-outfit shoot. You’ve never heard two girls shriek more obnoxiously — or sprint 50 yards quicker in heels.

*Wearing: Zara blazer (but debating this one + this one) | Old Navy tee | 7fAM jeans (similar here, on sale here) | 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli in Aubergine | Sam Edelman shoes | D&G sunnies c/o Marshall’s | Tory Burch iPhone case

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Photos taken by Bianca Posterli