2018 Best Sellers & Accomplishments

Photo by Vici LLC Photography

Sweater // Faux Fur Vest // Pleated Skirt // Velvet Pumps // Gold Earrings // Bag

Exactly 365 days ago, I dove in head first into this fashion blogging journey of mine and never looked back.  I cannot believe it has already been an entire year since I started smiles & stripes!  This journey has challenged me, pushed me out of my comfort zone, given me the opportunity to meet some amazing women and work with great brands, has allowed me to fulfill my passion, and most importantly, has been SO MUCH FUN!  I absolutely love sharing the latest styles, the best deals, and creating content, and I couldn't be more thankful for your support!  I learned so much about this industry over the last year and I promise to continue learning, growing, and providing better content for y'all in 2019!

In celebration of my 1 year blogiversary, I am sharing a 2 part post.  Today, I'm talking about my top 10 best sellers and accomplishments from 2018.  Check back tomorrow to read about the goals I have for my blog for 2019!

TOP 10 BEST SELLERS OF 2018:

Photo by Vici LLC Photography

Spanx Faux Leather Motto Leggings // Red Sweater // Leopard Booties // Earrings // Black Bag 

10.  Faux Leather Motto Leggings

These leggings are a bit of an investment but are worth EVERY. SINGLE. PENNY.  Y'all obviously agree because it landed as my tenth top seller of 2018.  These leggings suck you in and smooth you out in all the right places.  They're made out of faux leather, have the cutest motto detail, and the best part...they're washable!

Photo by Vici LLC Photography

                   Sweater Blazer // Leopard Blouse {similar} // Cap Toe Pumps {similar} // Belt //  Bag

9.  Sweater Blazer

My number nine best seller is this super comfy, yet chic sweater blazer.  It is cozy like a cardigan but structured like a blazer.  It's the perfect combo to be comfortable at work while still looking polished.

Photo by Vici LLC Photography

Sweater // Faux Leather Leggings // Leopard Booties // Sunglasses // Watch

8.  Circle Hem Sweater

This sweater was by far my favorite sweater of the season, and given that it was my eighth top seller of 2018, it was one of your favorites, too!  If you've been following me for a while, you know that is saying something because I wear a LOT of sweaters.  The length is perfect to wear with leggings, the quality is great, it's super cozy, and it comes in 5 different colors.

Peplum Tee // Lace Bralette // Cardi {similar} // Faux Leather Leggings // Mules //  Earrings

7.  Peplum Tee

Coming in at number seven is this adorable white peplum tee.  Everyone needs a good white tee in their closet and the peplum detail on this one adds the cutest touch!  I love layering it over a lace bralette in the spring and summer and layering it under cardis/blazers/jackets in the fall and winter.  It also comes in a great grey color!

Photo by Vici LLC Photography

Bamboo Bag // Kimono // Earrings // Slides // Shorts 

6.  Bamboo Bag

My sixth best seller of 2018 was this bamboo clutch that was featured in my very first Splurge vs. Steal post last spring.  It is an exact dupe of this Cult Gaia Bag that costs 4 times as much.  It is the perfect spring/summer clutch that adds the cutest statement to any look!  I can't wait for spring so that I can start carrying this bag on repeat again.  PS: Y'all also really loved this lemon kimono/cover-up - it was my eleventh best seller.

Chloe Bag // Chloe Dupe Bag // Stuart Weitzman OTK Boots // Dupe OTK Boots // David Yurman Bracelet // David Yurman Inspired Bracelet // Karen Walker Sunglasses // Karen Walker Inspired Sunglasses // Free People Booties // Free People Inspired Booties // Valentino Pumps // Valentino Dupe Pumps // Gucci Belt // Gucci Dupe Belt

The most popular blog post of 2018 was my second Splurge vs. Steal post.  I am so proud of this post as it generated hundreds of sales, Instagram followers, and blog views, so it was no surprise when my top five best sellers of 2018 came from this particular post. {Check out my latest Splurge vs. Steal post here!}

5.  David Yurman Inspired Bracelet

This $17 DY inspired link bracelet received great reviews on Amazon.  While the real deal is beautiful and will last you a lifetime, it costs over $1700.  You and I both agreed that getting the same look for $17, was a great idea, as it landed as my fifth best seller of 2018!

4.  Karen Walker Inspired Sunglasses

While I LOVE designer sunglasses, I am not capable of keeping up with said designer sunglasses.  I realized I'm not alone when y'all went crazy over these Karen Walker inspired sunglasses for $10 {compared to the $250+ designer ones} that landed in my top four best selling items of 2018.

3.  Cognac Booties

If you've been following me for a while, you know that I literally wore these booties every day in the fall.  These were naturally my third best seller because they're SO cute, SO comfy, and GREAT quality for $33 booties.  Not to mention that they look almost identical to these $200 Free People ones.  I may or may not have them in 3 of the 4 colors...they're THAT good and I'm so glad y'all agreed!

2.  Chloe Inspired Bag

I had been eyeing the real Chloe Faye Leather & Suede bag for months, but couldn't bring myself to drop $2k on it.  When I came across this Chloe inspired bag with great reviews and under $100, I snatched it right up.  The bag is beautiful, great quality, and so versatile which is why it is no surprise that it landed as my second best seller of 2018.  I loved it so much that I bought it in grey, too!

1.  Gucci Inspired Belt

My number one top seller of 2019, by a long shot, was this Gucci inspired belt.  Why spend $450 on a belt when there is one that looks and feels almost identical for $35?? Hundreds of you agreed with me and loved the belt as much as I did!

Photo by Vici LLC Photography

Hat // Jeans // Booties // Bag // Belt

TOP 5 ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF 2018:

1.  Started a blog:  This one is kind of obvious...I had been wanting to start a fashion blog for years, but was terrified of failure.  I finally stopped letting self doubt get in my way and smiles & stripes was born on January 6, 2018.

2.  Accepted into LIKEtoKNOW.it:  After two and a half months of blogging, I was accepted into LIKEtoKNOW.it.  This allows me to generate revenue off of purchases you make from my links - which was a game changer for my business!

3.  Got my first brand deal with Francesca's:  I have been shopping at Francesca's for YEARS, so I was over the moon when they wanted to work with me.  I was so excited to receive my first paid brand collaboration after just 4 months of blogging.  You can check out the Francesca's sponsored blog post here. 

4.  Hit 10K followers:  After 9 months of hard work, I hit 10K followers.  I seriously couldn't believe it {and still can't} that I hit this milestone in such a short amount of time.  I am so humbled that there are 10K+ people out there who view my content and care about what I have to say.  I wrote this blog post on 10 Things You Didn't Know About Me to celebrate.

5.  Collaborated with LOFT:  As you all know, LOFT is one of my favorite stores of all time.  It was a dream come true to learn that they wanted to work with me.  I had a blast visiting the beautiful LOFT store at the Avenue in West Cobb for a try-on session.  Check it out on my "Try-Ons" highlight on my Instagram. 

  I couldn't be more grateful to you for continuing to follow along and support my journey into fashion blogging.  I am so proud of how far smiles & stripes has come in just one year...but I couldn't have done it without YOU!  I have big goals and plans for the blog this year {blog post coming soon}, and I am ecstatic to see what 2019 brings for smiles & stripes!  Don't forget to check back tomorrow for part 2 of this post where I share my goals for the blog for 2019!  

What do you want to see on the blog in 2019?? Tell me in the comments below!