Closet Full of Cocktails

Inspired by her “love for cocktail dresses and, quite literally, cocktails,” Buffalo, New York native, Cincinnati-based Chelsea DiMarco runs Closet Full of Cocktails. It’s a fashion and lifestyle blog focused on fashion, lifestyle content, cocktail recipes, recaps of her adventures around town, and more.

Two of DiMarco’s greatest loves are writing (which she’s enjoyed since grade school) and fashion (because she can get creative with her outfits). She enjoys the endless possibilities of both and using her creativity. “You could say the idea to start blogging has been 23 years in the making,” she laughs.

Once she embraced Instagram, she noticed that most of the accounts she followed were fashion bloggers. “I thought, ‘Why can’t I be one of those bloggers?’” she recalls. “The answer was simply, ‘I can!’” So she took the leap of faith, created Closet Full of Cocktails, and hasn’t looked back since.

DiMarco describes her personal style as “comfy casual with feminine twist,” she says, adding that her main goal is comfort. “Whether it’s dressing up ripped jeans with a ruffled top or a plain tee with a statement necklace.”

According to her website, DiMarco loves statement jewelry, lipstick, and florals, but right now she is focused on “creating a capsule wardrobe, or a collection of versatile pieces that work for multiple outfits.”

The problem with loud, bright prints, like florals, are that they only go with so many things, so now she gravitates toward basics, such as slouchy tees and fitted tanks, and pairing them with bolder pieces like bomber jackets and leather leggings. Some of the looks showcased on her blog include mixing prints (her advice: pair a basic print like stripes with a bolder print like florals to avoid print overload), bold earrings, and rompers as far as the eye can see.

Her favorite places to get everyday items for less are Gap, Old Navy, American Eagle and Target, and if she wants to splurge a little, she likes to go to Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, LOFT and J. Crew. Despite price, her favorite stores are Kate Spade and Lululemon because “you can never have too many purses or workout clothes!”

On the cocktail side, DiMarco’s recipes range from the simple (such as the Lazy Girl Sangria and the Adult Sparkling Cider) to iconic twists on old favorites (such as the Fizzy Mint Julep). She also loves cocktail-themed wall art and styled bar carts; she bought a reasonably-priced cart at IKEA and decorated it with an assortment of glasses, coasters, bottles and even a bedazzled cocktail shaker. Pictures of those will soon appear on her blog, she says.

In less than a year, Closet Full of Cocktails has grown rapidly and brought on many interesting opportunities, such as joining Thread Cincinnati, a collective group of local influencers. That has led to a number of new partnerships.

By day, DiMarco works in the editorial department of a Cincinnati-based advertising agency, which she loves because “I’m able to be creative at my day AND night job!” She also enjoys exploring the restaurants, bars, parks, and shops of Cincinnati, usually with her camera in tow, which she records on her blog. To learn more, visit her blog, http://closetfullofcocktails.com/. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.