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The “WHY” behind Dry Land Styled.

My 22nd birthday party at “8th + Milwaukee”, March 2010

Mackenzie and I’s relationship was sparked long before we were fellow female entrepreneurs with the common interest of women-focused retail businesses. Matter of fact, we were introduced in 2005 in the sheep barn. Her Ag teacher in Bells, TX was my Ag teachers dad, so naturally we hauled + stalled to all the Texas jackpots + majors together. Mackenzie’s parents, Byron + Brenda were the ultimate “show parents” and completely took me under their wing. After I’d lose the sheep show my senior year at the Ellis Co. Fair, I’ll never forget the first text I had waiting for me when I got to the showbox was from Mackenzie. “I heard you got the shaft, you should have won. That sheep was dang good.” That meant so much to me then. 

Mackenzie + her bridesmaids, April 2013

Our friendship would continue to grow as we both pursued our Ag Communications degrees at Texas Tech, though we spent much more time together at the Blue Light than on campus. Boyfriends, jobs, weddings, babies + now businesses, we’ve essentially grown up together. 

Byron + I, Mackenzie’s Wedding April 2013

I don’t think either of us realized it at in the infant stages of our businesses, but we’ve been pretty dang aligned from the start. When Brenda + Mac were branding Dry Land Decor in 2014, they turned to me and the marketing firm I worked for at the time to create the logo. “Dry Land”, an ode to their cotton farming lifestyle had to somehow depict styling a cotton boll. Two years later, I would also use cotton in the Heritage Style logo tributing the West Texas culture. 

Mackenzie + I, Holiday Happening Dry Land Decor Booth 2018

Nowadays, Mackenzie and I periodically bounce idea’s off of one another, share our successes and struggles and seek one another’s professional advice. We were both feeling the 2020 blues. I mean, COVID-19, right? Not necessarily monetarily, as we discussed on more than one occasion that we were “one of the lucky ones”. We were in the rare position that  our businesses weren’t forced to close, and our loyal customers continued to support us.  I know I found myself often navigating the weirdness waiting for the “other shoe to drop”. Neither of us really had any challenges or projects in the pipeline that we were “excited” about to focus on. One late night chat, Mackenzie prefaced a suggestion with “I know you’ve said before you’re not into the clothing thing  but…. “ and the rest is history. Timing really is everything, right? 

Mackenzie and I discussed what we’d call this project, we both agreed it wasn’t a “collaboration”, that it was much deeper than that. 

When Heritage Style launched, my vision was a bigger picture than just selling jewelry. The Heritage Style brand would be a lifestyle, a confident female vibe. I never want my role to be simply pushing jewelry to the masses. 

To squash a myth many of you are probably wondering: I am NOT getting in the clothes biz. If you know me, you know I love clothes. Growing up, I can’t tell you how many times I heard “Kelli, you’ve got enough clothes.”; “Kelli, you don’t need any dang clothes.” BAH! As a teen, I’d to use my waitressing tips to secretly buy new pieces, then hide them. Super rebel, I know…. Styling clothes has always been a hobby for me, and I intend to keep it that way! Plus, I’ve got my hands full slingin’ jewels 😉

Macualey, Mackenzie + I, Market 2020.

So with all the love and excitement from myself, Mackenzie and her baby sister, Macauley (who joined us at Market), we bring to you, the “Dry Land Styled” Collection. A collection that I have personally curated one-by-one, with the idea that these practical, timeless pieces can be mixed and matched, and of course work effortlessly with real-good jewelry. I wanted to create the option of say 10 different classic looks with 4 pieces from the line. I could not be more pleased with the cohesiveness of the entire collection, and how EVERY SINGLE PIECE is “SO Kelli”. We’ve worked tirelessly on every detail of this project, right down to naming each piece after iconic streets in Lubbock that mean something to us + our friendship. 

Make no mistake, I am not selling this collection, simply having a little fun with what I gravitate toward + how I’d style it with my everyday lifestyle. Whether you’re into the vibe of the collection or not, I have to appreciate the Heritage Style TRIBE for loving our brand + for being the ultimate hype girls. There’s no way I’d have the confidence to do something like this without that feeling of support from our people.

Hope ya’ll love this brainchild + its finished product as much as we do. 

Mad Love, Cheers + Wreck ‘Em! 

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Quality OVER Quantity

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve sat down to write a blog post, and I knew the longer I waited, the more compelling it would need to be to break the silence…

I’ve wanted to shed some light onto this for quite some time, but have really struggled with how to address without coming off negatively. 

IMG_1139.jpegAfter getting back to basics with our customers recently in Kansas City, Lubbock, Las Vegas and finally Denver, I SO LOVE that our tribe is truly a quality over quantity customer that appreciates the art.

Let me begin with this: I’m not here to insult, or make accusations toward any business or business owner. However- in a world with so much business being done via websites and social media, it’s disheartening to see the volume of online boutiques who are misrepresenting the art of Native American jewelry. 

Again, after months of pondering the most professional way to create awareness of this, 1.jpgthis is merely a Heritage Style blog post, and only my opinion. There’s no Turquoise police and truth be told, I am 100% aware this this probably isn’t going change how consumers make their buying decison (or how anyone is going to do business for that matter). 

Unfortunately I really think many of these boutique owners that are selling man-made Turquoise aren’t even educated enough in their trade to know they are selling a lesser product than they are claiming. There’s a plethora of woman jumping on the bandwagon to make a quick buck. I’ve seen the words “authentic”, “genuine” and “handmade” thrown around more loosely by the day.  In todays market, there is really good imitation! 

My 5 takeaways: 

  1. Just because something says “authentic”, doesn’t mean it is. We’ve all heard it, “don’t believe everything you read on the internet- especially Instagram”. A piece can be made by an “artist”, and not have an authentic stone or made
  2. 3.jpg with true Sterling silver. 
  3. Just because a piece is “stamped” doesn’t mean there is a genuine stone(s) in the
    piece. Moreover, that’s also no guarantee that the stamp is an actual Native American artist and that he/she set the stone after the silverwork was done. 
  4. Much like 2, just because a piece is genuine Sterling Silver, doesn’t mean there is a genuine stone in the Sterling. 
  5. If the price-point is too good to be true, it probably is. 
  6. Handmade Native American jewelry is exactly that. Handmade, and an art and legacy for the artists. 

Turquoise jewelry is “on trend” right now, and we all want to own the good stuff. May I suggest, whether you’re on a college-kid budget or in a position to really invest, please consider the longevity of a genuine piece of art versus a trendy knock-off. Whether you trust in Heritage Style or another boutique, consider how knowledgable they are in their trade as you build upon your future family heirlooms. 

OK, off my soapbox now. Happy Monday ladies!

XOXO, Kelli

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Ask Me Anything, TOP 4!

Ask Me Anything, TOP 4!

Ya’ll are all familiar with Instagram’s question feature, and I figured it was time for me to play along! Here’s the TOP 4 questions y’all have for me!

 

I’ll start with the easiest question, that I get asked often!

Q1: Do you have a favorite piece, and does it have a story? 

Answer: Absolutely! Without question, the jewelry I wore on our wedding day. I’ve only worn this hairpiece the one time, however it stays “out” with my everyday jewelry.

This cuff was my wedding gift from Hirchell. It’s a mans cuff by an extremely prestigious artist and was actually purchased out of a collection at Harvard University and wasn’t

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Photos by: Paige Wallace Photography

for sale. I don’t wear it very often, but I think its safe to say it will always be my favorite piece. Funny thing, as Heritage Style was in its infant stages when we got married, and when Hirchell began the quest for this piece, the brand hadn’t even been thought about being born!

Another side note, you might recognize the beadwork on the handmade moccasins I wore. The Shoshoni Rose, also the inside of the Heritage Style logo.

 

Q2: Where is you favorite place to shop? 

Answer: Another easy one! Its a 3 Step Process: 1. Staple, 2, Jewels, 3. Style Pop.

I like to mix it up with forever staples + pops of classy trends. For my staples- I stick to solid, neutrals. Not only are they classic, you can get away will fewer staples to work from, and they serve as a wonderful blank canvas to build my jewel game upon. For these, I love J Crew, Banana Republic,Madewell, Free People, and Lulu’s.

After I’ve got steps 1 and 2 tackled, i’ll add my western “style pop”- i’m super into bomber jackets, neck scarves and high-top cowboy boots at the moment. Double D Ranch, Tasha Polizzi, Ivy Jane, Driftwood.  I tend to gravitate toward adding accent to areas where I don’t pile on the jewels.

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Photo by Morgan Meisenheimer

 

Case and point: If you creep a little, you’ll notice I wear this black top at least once a week.
Change it up with a pile of jewels and a printed skirt and I’m willing to bet you didn’t even recognize it!

If and when I splurge on a high-end item, I make sure it’s something that with be good for YEARS!

 

 

Q3: How did you start selling and how do you find your vintage jewelry? 

Answer: Watching  Hirchell day in and day do what he loves for a living, raise cattle, is what planted the seed for me find something that I could love that much. Thats really how

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The debut squash blossom I sold, Savannah, from our first buying trip.

the founding of Heritage Style surfaced. As for finding it- A LOT OF TRAVEL. We live on a reservation, which helps, however the majority is hitting the pavement. My husband has taught me a lot about respectfully dealing with Native Americans tribes. Its trying, however it’s such a bucket-filler to go back to the roots that  is the art of old-school Native American jewelry. Hirchell has always has an incredible eye for sifting through vintage, and has slowly taught me tricks of the jewel-hunting trade. He taught me A LOT about recognizing quality jewelry.

 

Q4: How do you stay motivated in such a competitive industry? 

Answer: My customers 100%. I’ve wanted the vision of Quality over Quantity in jewelry + people to be the definition of Heritage Style; and work daily to hold true to that. I HAVE THE MOST LOYAL CUSTOMERS! I’m so dang lucky, that in an extremely saturated market, my customers continue to look to + trust me. Whenever I start to get sucked in, I turn to the tribe that is Heritage Style, and know “We Got This!”

Have more questions??? Ask away, ladies!

XOXO,
Kelli

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“This Too Shall Pass.”

I’m going to preface this by saying: This is not easy to put into written words. It’s full of raw confusion, transparency and to be completely honest, fear.
I wanted “The Blog” to be an avenue to connect with the tribe that is Heritage Style on a more personal level, that had nothing to do with selling jewelry.

HeritageStyle_8588.jpgBeing a small business owner is hard. Don’t get me wrong, playing with jewels and clothes all day is FUN. The flexibility is SO great. Getting to make friends through my social media platform is the icing on the cake. With that- record breaking months of sales and/or engagement create an addictive high; and like all highs, that comes with the lowest of lows. Generally, rock-bottom, emotional plummets that really test your self-worth and faith in your business.
Thats where I am. Again, I really struggle with being this transparent, as I don’t like to show any sort of weakness or sign that I question what my daily purpose is.
The past 10 days I’ve been in a funk. Dark circles under my eyes, stressed, burned out and questioning the entire vision of Heritage Style. “Is the competition closing in on me?”; “Does everyone that wants Turquoise jewelry already have it?”; “Are people just plain sick of seeing photos of me and Heritage Style pieces on social media?’. The brutal truth is, theres really no way for me to come to a concrete answer to these doubts. Truth be told, I haven’t even looked at the monetary success of the last 10 days to bear any weight on this feeling.
Ironically, I also fell into an incredible opportunity this week. One that is exciting, but comes with loads of pressure. I will stand on my own two feet, Heritage Style and Heritage Style alone, at the largest trade show in the country, the National Finals Rodeo. For me, that’s something to be extremely proud of.
Another brutal truth about being a small business owner: you have a lot of time alone with your thoughts. If you’re like me, sometimes those thoughts can begin to consume you and get the best of you.
Friendly reminder, cherry picking the highlights of your life for social media is the easy part. Surely, everyone goes through lulls where they question “Is this really going to work?” and they wouldn’t want the world knowing either would they?  As much as I hate to admit it, it’s probably good for my ego.
I don’t really know where to go from here. Step back, regroup and reset, remind myself that surely we all have self-doubt from time to time. Have FAITH that this feeling will subside in due time. Understanding becoming obsessed with sell more, sell more, sell more, isn’t heathy or necessary for that matter. Taking the next, however many days it takes to focus on contentment and the self-worth that come with that.  And with that, I’m going to work on being less connected for that magic time period it takes to get there.
Maybe you’ve been through this, are in this season, or maybe will be there at some point- know that whatever your struggle is, YOU ARE NOT ALONE, and that this too shall pass.
XOXO,
Kelli
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How To: Put Your Best Face Forward!

How To: Put Your Best Foot, Face, Forward!

This weeks “How-To” segment is featuring my girl Kylie Owen of Que Cute Style Boutique! Y’all probably don’t know the fun fact behind the relationship between the two of us, a seed planted long before Heritage Style or QCSB was born. Ya’ll already know we love to support each other. Kylie and I worked together live broadcasting the Houston Livestock Show + Rodeo, Spring of 2013 (am I right Kylie?!) Anyways, since then we’ve grown together and our hobbies have turned into our livelihoods. It’s no IMG_0031.JPGcoincidence how the livestock industry bonds us all together my friends!

Now that {hopefully} you’ve caught Kylie’s live video on “How-To” do a full face. Here’s her Top 5 take home’s of putting your best face forward! 

Rule #1 SKINCARE: It doesn’t matter how much money you spend on makeup, if you don’t invest in good skincare your makeup won’t look good. It’s like trying to paint a picture on canvas vs a paper towel or sand paper.

Rule #2: Listen to your mama, you need SOME COLOR on your lips. If you do your whole face, but leave your lips alone you won’t look finished.

Rule #3: Tinted Moisturizer or a B.B. Cream will make you look human on days you aren’t doing a full face. Put your best foot forward even if that foot has on tennis shoes and you’re wearing a T-shirt and leggings.

Rule #4: Makeup’s job is to enhance YOUR natural beauty. So only do what you feel comfortable in. If you want to wear lashes as long as the Mississippi, girl you rock it! If you’re more of a 5 minute face kind of sista, then own the natural look and love it!

Rule #5: Listen to Rachel Hollis and wash your face. Don’t sleep in your makeup. I did for years (& still do occasionally) and my face suffers for it. It’s absolutely horrible for your skin. See #1.

Kelli again, Kylie has seriously taught SO much on how to do my makeup, and little tricks of just plain making the a.m. regimen simpler. Hope y’all have enjoyed this little ray of sunshine today I as much as I do, the girl is dang good at what she does!

XOXO,
Kelli

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How To: Travel with Jewelry

How To: Travel with Jewelry
With the crazy amount of time I spend on the road; hunting jewels + chasing cattle, I’m often asked for tips and tricks of {efficiently} traveling with our precious jewels.
Rule #1: Travel day I always wear solid clothing so I can pile to jewels on. The odds  of it getting lost/tangled/broken are far fewer if i’m wearing the goods. Going through TSA, I opt for a pat-down 100% of the time. You can just whip all your necklaces around your neck (so the bulk is on your back) and you’ll be good to go!
Rule #2: Put your jewels in your purse/carry on versus your checked bag. I’m always right on that 50lb line, and Sterling anything is HEAVY. On top of that, a checked bag with lots of jewels WILL get searched. Whether you’d prefer to use your lbs on clothes + shoes, or just plain want to keep your personal belongings private, keeping the bulk of your jewelry on you as you travel, is your solution to both!
Rule #3: The carabiner isn’t just for closing gates (or climbing rocks I guess)! Necklaces FullSizeRender-11.jpeg
get tangled + rings get misplaced, A $5 carabiner is the perfect organization tool for this! I like to put the “wad” into a boot or shoe, for a little extra protection and so I know exactly where it is. A 7 day pill organizer is also a perfect, inexpensive tool for organizing your smaller items like earrings and rings.
Rule #4: For road trips, all of my necklaces are hung on the hanger of their respective outfit. (I put my jeans, top, jacket, etc for the day all on 1 heavy hanger- making moving in and out of hotels MUCH easier!) Not only does it keep me organized, but I swear it cuts down on overpacking jewelry and the getting ready stopwatch.
To pull it all together, if you’re just wanting to keep it simple: travel with your staples. Navajo Pearls, Turquoise studs and a couple of stacker cuffs. A few items, that are sure to match for any occasion.
Happy Traveling, ladies!
XOXO,
Kelli
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The next step is “The Blog”, right?!

I’ll just jump right in here (because I really don’t know any other way)- I’ve wanted to add a “blog” to the Heritage Style brand for quite some time; but didn’t really know where (or how) to start. What will people want to read about? Surely there’s more ways I can connect the community that is “Heritage Style” by more than selling jewelry.

The goal: bring a more personal sector to the brand, in hopes to transition to a lifestyle.

Let me back up and introduce myself, for those that don’t know me. I am Kelli (Chapman) LeClair. Born and raised south of Dallas, and now in central Wyoming; the road that landed me to what Heritage Style is today has been an ever-changing one. Moving 1,000 away from everything I ever knew, Heritage Style has been the rock for me.

In a concise version (since there is already an “about” page): Heritage Style is a brand of empowering women. Making my girls feel relevant, pretty, important and COMFORTABLE IN THEIR OWN SKIN! Becoming comfortable in my skin is a daily effort for me, I can only hope Heritage Style makes you smile that YOU ARE YOU, the way it does me.

Find yourself and be that, girlfriend! And, welcome to “The Blog”.

XOXO, Kelli