[outfit_details]Off-the-Shoulder Red Romper (also comes in yellow), Kendra Scott Tassel Earrings c/o
Black Box Bag c/o, Suede Sandals, Too Faced Lipstick[/outfit_details]

Happy Monday Everyone! Isn’t this off-the-shoulder red romper just darling? It actually looks like a dress in most photos, which might be why I like it so much. Plus, it’s one of those pieces you can keep in your closet for years and wear again and again to different events. I love how flowy and lightweight this red romper is. The wired edge on the hem of the shorts really give this a feminine look. It can be hard to find rompers fitting just right. However, this red romper hits at the waist perfectly! On top of that, it’s so comfortable to wear and oh so flattering. It also comes in yellow, too!

Johnny and I snapped photos of this red romper on the last day of the rewardStyle conference. This was my first year attending rsTheCon! It has been a goal of mine to get invited since 2014 but I knew it would take some serious work and time dedicated to my blog. It wasn’t until 2016 when I was able to really do so. Four years later, thanks to all of you, my incredible readers, my dream came true! Thank you so much for continuing to join me on this journey! In this post, I’ll be talking about what the conference is, my experience, whether it’s worth it to go and my main takeaways. Here’s a short VLOG of my time at the conference:

rsTheCon Logistics & Details

What is rewardStyle?

A few weeks ago, you may recall a stream of photos from me and some of your favorite bloggers in Dallas using the hashtag #rsTheCon. rewardStyle is a monetization platform I use, along with thousands of other bloggers, every single day on Color & Chic and my Instagram. Many of you are familiar with LiketoKnow.It, which is how you shop my Instagram. However, LTK is a tool developed by rewardStyle, which gives me and other digital bloggers the ability to earn money through my blog and social media channels. The story of the two entrepreneurs who started rewardStyle in 2011 is a great one. Amber Venz-Box, who ran a blog, would hear from her readers they were purchasing the clothes she was wearing. But she wasn’t able to earn any money off the hard work she put in. That’s not exactly a good business model. That’s how rewardStyle was born.

I want to take this time to say I am appreciative of every single one of you who read my blog or are part of my community on Instagram. I truly wouldn’t be able to do what I do if I didn’t have your support. Color & Chic is truly my creative outlet. It gives me a break from the hard news I cover every night at work. But it is a lot of work. I stay up late at night finishing up blog posts. I spend my weekends shooting new outfits, brainstorming ideas and putting it all together. In return, rewardStyle allows me to make a commission off the items y’all purchase when you click on a link here on my blog or use the LTK app. This commission comes straight from the retailer and doesn’t affect the price you pay! rewardStyle is truly such an innovative company. They are truly more of a technology company than a fashion company since they provide all the tools for bloggers to be able to earn this commission.

Conference Details

Who Gets Invited? – rsTheCon is on an invite-only basis. The invitation says it’s for the Top 200 influencers, but some of the major top-earning influences including Wendy’s Lookbook, Extra Petite and Atlantic Pacific don’t attend. I’m sure they invite more than 200 and the ones who don’t go allow space for someone else.
What’s The Cost? – It’s definitely not cheap, since you pay transportation to Dallas, (flight for most influencers who are based outside of Texas), the hotel and conference ticket. However, you can room with other bloggers to offset the cost. Also, the conference provides breakfast and lunch, but you’ll be on your own for dinner, so keep this in mind.

What You Get out of rsTheCon

Main Stage Session – This event officially kicks off the “learning” portion of the conference. It’s three hours long with panelists and speakers. Kendra Scott gave the keynote address and was incredibly inspiring. I’ve heard her story many times, especially being a newsie (CBS This Morning and How I Built This Podcast are my favorites) but it was still so riveting. Amber Venz-Box, the co-founder of rewardStyle talked about the company and why they will always put influencers first.
Classroom Sessions – Your conference ticket allows you to attend three classroom sessions. I chose SE-Owning It, LIKEtoKNOW.it Unlimited and Swipe up for More, which was taught by Courtney Kerr. I most enjoyed the last class because I felt like I truly got a lot of actionable advice.
Brand Meetings – A lot of brands attend rsTheCon, including Supergoop!, Banana Republic, Express, Sole Society and more. You’ll get matched with three brands and have a 15-minute meeting with them. They’ll usually ask you about your blog, your readers and past collaborations. I got to meet with Ann Taylor, Express and The Daily Edited. It’s so refreshing to be able to meet with brands I adore and explain why I think a partnership is valuable for both parties.
Networking Hall – This is a room where brands set up booths and bloggers get the chance to introduce themselves. It’s more of a casual setting than brand meetings, but still very beneficial. Honestly, this was one of my favorite parts of the conference! You get a chance to really connect with team members from brands and get to know them better. I got to meet with Kendra Scott, L’Occitane, LOFT, Urban Outfitters and more. If y’all follow me on Instagram, you may remember my stories where I went through what I got. This is where most of that swag came from!
Brand Parties – Brands will host a lunch or party in the evening each day. These are fun and full of great props or places for you to take pictures! Also, brand reps will always be onsite for you to chat and connect with. These can be intimidating if you don’t know other bloggers, so it’s definitely important to put on your big girl panties and say hi to people you don’t know! My roommate Katy from Mumu and Macaroons and I actually went to all of these together, so definitely make connections.

What I Wore

Night 1 – Supergoop! Pool Party

[outfit_details]Yellow Two Piece Set: Off-The-Shoulder Top, Matching Ruffle Skirt, Pink Earrings (gold),
Suede Heels, Prada Cuir Tote [/outfit_details]

The conference kicked off with a fun pool party hosted by Supergoop! To keep with the fun pool theme, I thought this two-piece set would be perfect. You can tighten or loosen the ties on this top or even wear it on your shoulders!

Day 1 – Classroom Sessions, Brand Meetings and Express Cocktail Party

[outfit_details]White Blazer Dress (wearing size XS), Suede Heels, Pink Earrings[/outfit_details]

This was my outfit for the business part of my conference experience! I wore this to the main stage session, my brand meetings and for my first trip to the networking hall. I got so so many compliments on this dress, it still is unbelievable! Reviews online aren’t too great, but the fit on me is excellent! This dress isn’t too short at all and is a great professional length. I love how comfortable this dress is. Plus, the fabric doesn’t wrinkle easily, which is great. You can also wear this open over jeans and a cute cami, too!

[outfit_details]Floral Wrap Mini Dress c/o, Pink Suede Pumps, Pink Sequin Earrings c/o, Prada Tote[/outfit_details]

At night, Express hosted a cocktail party so I wanted to get a little fancy. My favorite aspect of this dress is the fabric. The floral sheen feels incredibly soft and luxurious. Plus, I love the light pink floral touches on top of the dark teal. It’s a unique combo and definitely makes a statement. The ruffles on the hem of the sleeves and dress make this wrap dress extra feminine. Also, it’s made in the USA, which I love. Moving forward, I’m going to make a conscious effort to try and purchase more items made in the USA. It’s definitely pricier, but I think it’s so important to support brands who want to reinvest in our country.

Day 2 – Classroom Sessions, Networking Hall and LIKEtoKNOW.it Party

Pink Pleated Romper, Blush Wrap Coat, Suede Heels, Pink Earrings (also in gold)

Pink, pleats and looks like a two-piece set but is actually a romper? In love! To kick off my second day at rsTheCon, I went for a monochromatic look with different shades of pinks. These looks can be ultra chic and really create depth in an outfit. It actually rained this day, so I’m thankful I had my trusty blush wrap coat.

[outfit_details]On Her: White Ruffle Jumpsuit (rent here), Tassel Earrings c/o, Black Box Bag c/o
On Him: Navy Suit, White Dress Shirt, Brown Shoes[/outfit_details]

The conference wraps up with a stunning party hosted by none other than LIKEtoKNOW.it. This year the party was at the Dallas Arboretum, which is simply stunning. Despite rain and some clouds, this party was so well planned and beautifully executed. I love wearing jumpsuits for cocktail attire and even black-tie if I can get away with it. Since my outfit is white, I added a pop of color with my tassel earrings!

My Takeaways from rsTheCon

If you get invited, go! So many incredible brands attend and there won’t be another time where you’ll be able to connect and meet team members! This is a perfect opportunity for brands to see who you are, learn what you’re about and truly put a face and persona to a name/picture!
It’s an inspiring and humbling hang-out session with other bloggers. I was without a doubt one of the smaller bloggers there. My parents taught me it’s so important to learn from everybody and for me, rstheCon was a great chance to meet other bloggers I admire! Everyone I held a conversation with was so genuine and sweet.
Get out of your comfort zone! I think it’s important to push the edge as often as possible, so going to the conference and being bold is key! Talk to those brand reps. Walk up to bloggers you admire and tell them that.
It can be expensive. You have to pay for a conference ticket, flights, hotel and some food. Not to mention, you’ll most likely purchase clothes to wear there. But I think the networking opportunity is worth it!
Take lots of pictures and lots of notes. The more the better. My laptop actually died because I decided to render a Final Cut Pro video project I was working on while taking notes. I regretted that decision. Also, the rewardStyle team really goes all out with the hotel to make everything beautiful. Take advantage!
I would recommend going once or twice, but I don’t think I would go more than that unless the costs change. Also, I would love to see smaller bloggers be invited, too! I think the wealth of knowledge could probably benefit them more!