Meet Wardrobe Oxygen’s New Columnists!

In the past decade blogging, one thing I have learned is that I do NOT have all the answers. Wardrobe Oxygen has been the mindset, opinions, and outlook of a single woman. And while I do research for posts and have much experience shopping and styling women with different lifestyles, figures, and personal styles; I still can only share that information from my point of view. So in 2015 I have decided to add a few more points of view to Wardrobe Oxygen!

I'd like to introduce you to three new columnists for Wardrobe Oxygen. I will continue to post the same amount of content and on the same subjects, but have invited these women to write one post a month sharing experiences from their point of view. I chose these three women because I like them, I admire them, and think they will add a new perspective to Wardrobe Oxygen. There will only be one columnist post per week, and each of them are writing about a different subject that I have wanted to delve into further here at Wardrobe Oxygen.

Alison and I went to the University of Maryland at the same time, have both been blogging since 2005, and both live and work in the DC area but our paths didn't cross in person until a screening of the documentary about Bill Cunningham. Since then we've been the "Mutt and Jeff" combo attending DC premiers and parties together (she's a tall slim redhead, and I'm a petite curvy brunette). She has a true passion for fashion, enjoying the art of it and the history behind the looks; when I decided to have columnists I knew Alison would be the perfect choice to write about high-end fashion - what's on the runways, the history of fashion, and how it translates to what you and I wear on a daily basis.

In 2005, Alison Santighian had it with her Day Job. On a cold, raw day after some last straw incident at work, she asked herself, quite literally, "If I were doing something completely different than what I'm doing now, what would it be?" "Fashion writing," came the answer. So she called her then fiancé, now husband and told him what had happened. "Why don't you start a blog?" he suggested.

Alison had no idea what a blog was, but the next day she checked it out, and, with her first blog post in December 2005, became one of the pioneers of the DC fashion blogging scene. She wanted to make Fashion (capital "F") accessible to the average woman, especially in DC and has done that with DC Celine. Her blog has given her opportunities to be sent to New York Fashion Week to report on the collections, and she writes about fashion for publications like Glass Magazine.

By day, Alison's a contractor for the federal government, using her super powers to serve our country, but by night (after bedtime for her "Beans" now 7 and almost 5), she pines after the "it" factor. Alison and her husband (known as "H") don't believe badass has an expiration date, so they hit concerts, shows, restaurants, and openings across the globe. She's a fan of social media, learn more about Alison on Twitter and Instagram.

I met Chelsea through Alison and am glad to consider her a friend. A busy divorced mom of two, Chelsea is reclaiming her life in her '40s and I find it so inspiring and exciting I was thinking you too many enjoying reading her experiences here on Wardrobe Oxygen. From writing her second novel (and check out her short story, it involves George Clooney) to getting her yoga teacher certification, Chelsea proves it's never the wrong time to achieve your dreams and do it with great style. I look forward to reading about her new adventures and outlook on life!

Chelsea Henderson is an aspiring novelist and recovering Capitol Hill staffer. When she isn't sneaking time to finish writing her second book, she advocates on behalf of clean energy and environmental policy, reads, practices yoga, and single parents her perpetually hungry pre-teen boys. She also periodically contributes to her lifestyle blog, the Chelsea Chronicles and is intermittently good at Twitter. Also be sure to check out this recent feature on her at Alexandria Stylebook to learn more about her (and to see a peek of her effortlessly chic personal style).

Phyllis and I met through this little blog. She used to be a beauty blogger and we connected through our blog comments back in the day. We then got to know one another better through social media. She's been a Wardrobe Oxygen reader for many many years, understanding this blog from the audience point of view. When I decided to add columnists, I knew Phyllis would be the perfect choice to write about beauty. She's a great writer (I've read many of her novels!), exudes positive energy, and is a total product junkie. I can't wait to read her column though I know it will cause me to add more items to my Sephora and CVS shopping list!

A Harlequin romance author and former newspaper crime reporter, Phyllis Bourne writes to feed a growing lipstick addiction. A two-time nominee for Romance Writer's of America's Golden Heart, she has also been nominated for a RT BOOKReviews Reviewer's Choice Award and won Georgia Romance Writer's prestigious Maggie Award of Excellence.

When she's not at the computer, Phyllis can be found at a cosmetics counter or her favorite hair salon spending the grocery money. She lives in Nashville with an understanding husband, who in one kiss can discern the difference between department store and drug store lip gloss.

Read more about Phyllis at www.phyllisbourne.com, and check out her Amazon author page. Also learn more about the woman behind the books via her Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

I can't wait to see what these three women will contribute to Wardrobe Oxygen, and I look forward to your feedback and comments on their posts!