Today, I am kicking off a new series to nicholenatashagreene.com that I’m calling #InfluencedBy. Essentially, a way to categorize my experiences and reviews of influencer, blogger, or social media driven products. We all have wondered if that sponsored ad for the latest razor is worth all the hype or if your favorite bloggers make-up line is as amazing as they say it is right? I know I have and sometimes it feels like you never really know what information to trust. My hope is that my little corner of the internet will always be a place people feel like they can believe in the information I am sharing – especially with this new series! Without further ado, the first #InfluencedBy is dedicated to none other than Rachel Parcell – just in time for her latest launch for spring that I will share more of down below!
Parcell might be one of the most recognizable bloggers in the industry and certainly in the collection of bloggers who are also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS, but also referred to as Mormon). In case you are not familiar with Rachel or her sisters, often affectionately known as the Skalla sisters, you can visit her website here. There is also a light-hearted, tongue in cheek podcast episode (and several follow up episodes) dedicated to ‘Mormon mommy bloggers‘ by one of my favorite podcasters, Kate Kennedy of Be There in Five, that helps to convey why we are so enamored with Parcell and her family.
Honestly, I’m not sure where my fascination with Parcell started because, to be frank, we don’t have a ton in common. I survive on wine and espresso, but she’s never tried either in her life. I’ve been known to wear my hemlines a little shorter, while her dresses are often modestly calf skimming. I don’t know what it is, but I just love her. Her feminine style and gorgeously curated home, even if very extra, are what my Pinterest board dreams are made of. I really fell in love with Rachel when I learned she was friends and business partners with Tan France of Queer Eye (and the most gorgeous head of hair ever) fame. He co-founded her clothing line which gave me a lot of confidence that this wasn’t just another blogger churning out a product. There is real attention detail in the pieces and I appreciate that. Even still, you just never know until you try something, so I placed an order for a few items from the Rachel Parcell Collection available exclusively through Nordstrom.
Everything arrived just in time for me to attend a work conference at the beautiful The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia last month. The Dorothy Draper designed hotel perfectly complements Rachel Parcell’s aesthetic, so Josh and I took full advantage of the hotel property, snapping a few photos in the styled pieces against the hotel’s floral and pastel backdrop. But how did I actually feel about everything once I had it on? Keep reading for my very honest thoughts.
I feel like the quintessential Rachel Parcell look is a dress and a designer pump, so I went for this versatile lace number right off the bat. I love that I could go full RP for a work event with pumps or dress it down with a sneaker or square-toed sandal. This might be the favorite of the pieces I tried out because the quality was brilliant. The darts landed where they should, the lace did not feel cheap, and the zipper was clean. Maybe you could argue that the top portion is a tiny bit sheerer than you might want, but you could not see my nude bra and that’s all you really need. If you love this exact Rachel Parcell collection dress, I’ve shared how you can shop it super on-sale via Nordstrom Rack, plus some other favorite RP dresses and my favorite Jimmy Choo nude heels.
To be honest, when I ordered this top I thought there was a strong chance it would be a fail. Lace is hard to get right and keep it cost effective, but somehow Rachel Parcell pulled it off. Again, this is a piece that I can tuck into jeans for a casual date night or wear with a skirt for the office. Her blouse options in this line are really multi-functional like that and, as a twenty-something in the workforce, I often find it hard to put together work appropriate outfits that still feel like me. The RP line has so many great finds for keeping things fresh in your work wardrobe. Unfortunately, I believe this top has now completely sold out, but like I said, I’m really impressed with the designs in her range for tops and blouses and I am excited to try more! I’ve linked many of my favorites on sale right now through Nordstrom.
Arguably, this bell-sleeve sweater has been one of the most popular items from Rachel Parcell’s collection. However, it was the one item I just did not love. Let me sing the praises of the sweater before I cast it aside okay? I have to say that the quality and color were really impressive with this piece, the sleeve detail was really flattering, and I can’t deny that it photographed well, but my biggest complaint with this top was the odd length. Every photo I’ve seen of Rachel wearing this sweater, it is tucked into a skirt or pants. For me, the length was way off, coming down to at least mid-thigh, and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy getting the sweater to look like it was advertised. The thing is, I’m a little over5’6″, so it isn’t like I am on the shorter side, yet I really struggled tucking all the excess fabric of this sweater into high-waisted jeans and felt like it did not wear right at all. Interestingly enough, Rachel Parcell actually talked about the sweater length in her Instagram stories recently. She was not addressing complaints about the length, but rather touted the extra fabric as a strategic design move, which maybe for wearing under a skirt would be? I’m not sure. Anyway, maybe I am just the odd one out who didn’t care for the length of the sweater and unfortunately it looks like this style is sold out on Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. However, I have seen this sweater launch in a few of her collections since she started her line. I think it’s safe to say it will make a comeback in future seasons, but in the meantime I have linked other cute tops I’m eyeing from Parcell, as well as the Levi’s Wedgie jeans and Louboutin pumps I paired with this look.
I have to say that overall I think Rachel Parcell and Tan France truly hit it out of the park with this line and I would definitely recommend trying a few items out for yourself. I think the dresses are the best place to start, as they seem to have that extra attention to detail that mark Rachel Parcell and her brand. With the launch of the latest products for spring, which include home items, I am hiding my Nordstrom card away so it doesn’t catch fire. However, a few feminine dresses and those amazing throw pillows couldn’t hurt right? I’ve linked some of my favorite new arrivals from her spring collection, many of which are marked down right now with Nordstrom hosting an up to 40% off sale!
As an aside, I hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected in the middle of a global pandemic. I wasn’t quite sure if I should put everything with this site on hold for the time being, but as someone who works in an essential industry in my 9-5 job, talking about light-hearted topics and looking forward to (hopefully) wearing pretty dresses to summer events is a welcome break from my constant anxiety and worry. I’m sure there are others right now who also feel the same and I hope this serves as a tiny, but sunny distraction.
Do you like the idea of #InfluencedBy? If so, let me know what are products or collections you’d like to me to try out and share my experience in the comments below! Stay well loves <3
