The Fine Print

corals + cognacs works with third-party affiliates and advertising companies to serve advertisers. These companies may use aggregated information (not including your name, address, email or telephone) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about products and services that may be of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.

In addition, sometimes I'll share affiliate links of retailers that I personally support via Twitter or Facebook. If you click through an affiliate link when buying an item, I will be partially compensated for your purchase. You're under no obligation to click through via one of the links when shopping online, but, if you do, you'll be supporting my blog as well.

You, my readers, and overall editorial integrity are the two most important aspects of corals + cognacs. Know that I will always retain 100% control over the content on corals + cognacs, all opinions are that of my own, and that I will always disclose to you the items for which I have been paid and/or gifted.

Lastly, please note that the sentiments expressed on this site are my own and do not necessarily represent those of my employer. If you have any questions, I encourage you to contact me. Thanks again for reading corals + cognacs!

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.

In My Gym Bag: Spring Edition

February 23, 2024

While my schedule differs every week, there’s a consistent common denominator that remains from day-to-day…

… That is to say: I get by on the contents of my gym bag.

My everyday tote has become a bag of mixed tricks, as a result — clean clothes, beauty basics, healthy snacks and so on.

Sharing the contents is always a great way to give you some insights into my daily schedule (and diet!), so here’s a few of the sweaty-to-ready essentials you’ll find in my gym bag this month:

Continue reading →

Out All Day

February 4, 2024

Thank the lawd we have an early spring on the horizon…

My new (increased) SoulCycle schedule went into effect this week, and beyond drastically changing my sleep schedule (I’ll touch on that next week), I find myself spending significantly more time away from my apartment.

This is good in a lot of ways, of course, but don’t you hate having to carry around a huge handbag (or two) everyday?

Continue reading →

One Year Anniversary

January 20, 2024

Life’s milestones sure do sneak up on us, don’t they?

Continue reading →

My First Date With Erica (The Sports Bra Story)

January 14, 2024

Okay, confession time: I’ve been wearing the same style of my standard go-to sports bra for several years now…

They get the job done, so there’s that — but I guess it’s partially because I’ve never seen the need to get fitted for a sports bra. (Small, medium, large. Pretty simple to figure it out, right?)

More storytelling today, guys. Settle in:

Continue reading →

A Laid-Back Look in Dark-Wash Denim

November 9, 2023

Oh, man. (…Drake voice: “Oh man, oh man.”)

Monday, guys… Ready or not.

This weekend was great — but between lots (and I mean LOTS) of eating, a rowdy “Friendsgiving” and teaching Soul to a group of 20+ frat boys, I’m beat.

And when that happens, ain’t nobody got time to stress over what they’re wearing day-in and day-out, you know what I mean?

Continue reading →