Gracie Raes Chic style, beauty & lifestyle for millennial women

Gracie Raes

Chic style, beauty & lifestyle for millennial women

Latest Articles

I Ran My Closet Like a Stock Portfolio for 30 Days — and the Numbers Exposed My Most Expensive Habit
Style

I Ran My Closet Like a Stock Portfolio for 30 Days — and the Numbers Exposed My Most Expensive Habit

For one full month, I tracked my outfits the way I track my 401(k): cost per wear, return on investment, the whole CFO treatment. What the data revealed about my 'dividend' pieces — and my leaky spending habits — genuinely surprised me.

My Desk Drawer Became My Stylist for a Week — Here's What My 'Emergency Clothes' Said About Me
Style

My Desk Drawer Became My Stylist for a Week — Here's What My 'Emergency Clothes' Said About Me

I handed my coworkers full styling control over everything stashed in my desk drawers and office coat closet — no home closet allowed. The results? A cardigan I forgot I loved, a blazer with a story, and some uncomfortable truths about how I dress for work versus real life.

He Picked My Outfits for 30 Days — and Honestly, His 'Boring' Choices Broke My Style Wide Open
Style

He Picked My Outfits for 30 Days — and Honestly, His 'Boring' Choices Broke My Style Wide Open

I handed my husband full control of my closet for a month, fully expecting a disaster. Instead, his practical, zero-fuss picks quietly dismantled the invisible fashion rules I didn't even know I was following — and taught me more about confidence than any trend cycle ever has.

Two Weeks in the Same Outfit (Sort Of): My Chic Girl Take on the Steve Jobs Uniform
Style

Two Weeks in the Same Outfit (Sort Of): My Chic Girl Take on the Steve Jobs Uniform

I borrowed Steve Jobs' one-outfit philosophy, gave it a feminine, flattering upgrade, and wore my own 5-piece 'uniform' for 14 straight days. Here's what happened to my mornings, my mood, and my inbox compliments.

What I Learned From 5 Chic Women Over 60 About the Trends They Regret (and the Rules They'd Keep Forever)
Style

What I Learned From 5 Chic Women Over 60 About the Trends They Regret (and the Rules They'd Keep Forever)

I sat down with five of the most stylish women I know — all over 60 — and asked one question: what would you never wear again? Their answers were honest, funny, and honestly a little heartbreaking. Here's what they taught me about shopping smarter at 34.

My Friends Raided My Closet for 7 Days — and Every Outfit They Picked Taught Me Something My 'Safe' Style Never Could
Style

My Friends Raided My Closet for 7 Days — and Every Outfit They Picked Taught Me Something My 'Safe' Style Never Could

I handed three friends — a maximalist, a minimalist, and a thrift queen — full control of my wardrobe for one week. Here's what happened when I wore looks I'd never choose for myself, and why my 'boring but safe' formula was quietly holding my style back.

Rice Water, Rosemary Oil & Regret: I Tested This Year's Viral Hair Hacks So Your Wallet Doesn't Have To
Beauty

Rice Water, Rosemary Oil & Regret: I Tested This Year's Viral Hair Hacks So Your Wallet Doesn't Have To

My feeds were drowning in hair growth promises this year, so I gave my scalp six months and a small budget to test them all. From rice water rinses to that famous rosemary oil, here's what actually earned a permanent spot on my shelf — with a dermatologist's take on the rest.

My Neighbor Was Convinced I Hired a Stylist — Nope, Just 5 Clearance-Rack Rules I Swear By
Style

My Neighbor Was Convinced I Hired a Stylist — Nope, Just 5 Clearance-Rack Rules I Swear By

When my neighbor asked who 'did' my wardrobe, I had to laugh — everything I was wearing cost less than her coffee order budget for the week. Here are the five styling rules that make bargain-bin finds look like they came with a designer label.

Style

I Paid a Stranger to Judge My Closet — 8 Things She Said That Stung (and Then Saved Me)

I hired a virtual stylist to go through my closet photo by photo, bracing for the worst. Her feedback ranged from 'oh no' to 'actually, keep this' — and every single note made my wardrobe work harder. Here's exactly what she called out, and how I fixed it.

I Wore My 'Good Clothes' on a Random Tuesday — and It Kind of Fixed My Week
Style

I Wore My 'Good Clothes' on a Random Tuesday — and It Kind of Fixed My Week

I spent years saving my favorite pieces for occasions that rarely came. So I ran a one-week experiment: dress up on totally ordinary days. Here's what happened to my mood, my errands, and my closet.

I Stole My Grandma's Entire Beauty Routine for 30 Days — My Skin (and Wallet) Have Never Been Calmer
Beauty

I Stole My Grandma's Entire Beauty Routine for 30 Days — My Skin (and Wallet) Have Never Been Calmer

Cold cream, satin pillowcases, and a wide-brim sun hat — I traded my 12-step shelfie for my 78-year-old grandma's drugstore-bar routine for a full month. Here's what a dermatologist said, what actually worked, and the one habit I'm never giving up.

My Hairdresser Finally Lost It on Me — 7 Habits She Made Me Quit for Good
Beauty

My Hairdresser Finally Lost It on Me — 7 Habits She Made Me Quit for Good

After years of 'why is your hair breaking?' small talk, my stylist finally gave me the full list. Here are the seven habits wrecking my hair — and the affordable swaps that turned my blowouts around.

My Entryway Gets Compliments Constantly — The Whole Vibe Cost Less Than a Dinner Out
Lifestyle

My Entryway Gets Compliments Constantly — The Whole Vibe Cost Less Than a Dinner Out

Turns out 'custom-looking' is a styling trick, not a budget. Here's how I styled a $15 Target table plus seven more under-$40 finds that make my entryway, coffee table, and bathroom counter look straight out of a boutique.

My $28 Wedding Guest Dress Came From a Thrift Store — Here's Exactly How I Found It
Style

My $28 Wedding Guest Dress Came From a Thrift Store — Here's Exactly How I Found It

Wedding season doesn't have to mean a $300 dress you'll wear once. I scored a show-stopping gown at a thrift store for $28 — and honestly, it looks triple the price. Here's my exact playbook for hunting down event-worthy dresses secondhand before the spring invitations start rolling in.

The Carry-On Capsule: 10 Vacation Outfits, One Suitcase, Zero Outfit Repeats
Style

The Carry-On Capsule: 10 Vacation Outfits, One Suitcase, Zero Outfit Repeats

Five days, ten outfits, one carry-on — and not a single repeat in your camera roll. This is my exact mix-and-match packing formula, with the printable checklist I use before every trip and the day-to-night swaps that keep every look fresh.

Grocery Store Flowers, Five-Star Tablescape: The $30 Hosting Trick I Use Every Time
Lifestyle

Grocery Store Flowers, Five-Star Tablescape: The $30 Hosting Trick I Use Every Time

You don't need a florist budget to set a table that makes your group chat gasp. Here's my exact formula for turning a $30 grocery run into a tablescape that looks professionally styled — plus the week-of timeline that keeps hosting actually fun.

Soggy Feet, Serious Style: I Pitted 6 Rain Boots Against Each Other Before Spring Showers Hit
Style

Soggy Feet, Serious Style: I Pitted 6 Rain Boots Against Each Other Before Spring Showers Hit

Ahead of spring's soggiest weeks, I wore six pairs of rain boots through real downpours from New York sidewalks to Nashville puddle-fests. One $30 pair from Walmart humbled my splurges — here's the full verdict.

The 90-Minute Sunday Reset That Makes My Entire Week Feel Expensive
Beauty

The 90-Minute Sunday Reset That Makes My Entire Week Feel Expensive

Luxury isn't a price tag — it's a feeling. Here's my realistic 90-minute Sunday routine, timestamped and checklist-ready, that has me walking into Monday like I have a personal assistant.

Ten Minutes to That Glow: My School Run-to-Spritz Makeup Routine
Beauty

Ten Minutes to That Glow: My School Run-to-Spritz Makeup Routine

One warm, luminous makeup look that works as hard as you do — from carpool line to happy hour without a single touch-up. Here's my exact 10-minute routine, plus budget-friendly swaps for every skin tone.

Shop Your Own Rack: The Boutique Buyer's Method for a Closet That Finally Works
Style

Shop Your Own Rack: The Boutique Buyer's Method for a Closet That Finally Works

After a decade of writing about fashion, I borrowed the one skill boutique owners use to curate a store that sells — and applied it to my own closet. The result: a six-pile sorting system that turns a chaotic wardrobe into a shoppable one.