I Put Together 5 Fresh-as-Hell Looks Featuring My Favorite Small Businesses

Welcome to Weekday Wardrobe, a series in which one Who What Wear editor or staffer will snap a pic of the outfits they wear from Monday to Friday. We'll break down where you can shop it all to inspire your own everyday style, no matter what's on your weekly agenda.

I love supporting female designers and small businesses in general, which is why I'm extra excited about this month's Weekday Wardrobe, featuring Ali Kriegsman. She's a NY local as well as the co-founder and COO of Bulletin, a wholesale marketplace where retailers go to discover, support, and shop the best up-and-coming brands in fashion, beauty, and home. I particularly love that her site has category filters such as sustainable, female-founded, and minority-owned. Kriegsman also just launched her very first book, How to Build a Goddamn Empire, which documents her journey as a female business owner.

She's clearly an expert when it comes to knowing all the coolest fashion brands, so I was thrilled she agreed to share a week's worth of outfits, wearing pieces from some of her favorite small businesses. From sleek sunglasses by Fenty to a gorgeous dress by Christine Alcalay, you won't want to miss her stylish picks, all of which you can feel good about shopping.

MONDAY

"I try to live like my life’s a movie and I’m the main character, which means banal tasks like rushing books to the post office are anything but ordinary. I copped this amazing tote from my friend Thia during the holidays, and it has become my go-to tote for all book-related errands. I loved building a whole look around it and decided to layer in my favorite color (pink but don’t @ me) and some classy, over-the-top elements. I pulled the look together with a gorgeous (and massive) scrunchie from Bulletin-brand Room Shop and relied on jeans to keep the look casual. We’re just going to the post office, after all! I do try to get dressed and dolled up on Mondays to set a great tone for the week and keep my spirits up."

TUESDAY

"Carrie Bradshaw who?! I had a rare IRL meeting for the book on Tuesday, so I decided to amp up the glam and go full force on color. If I’m meeting someone new in a professional setting, I always try to leave an impression. This go around that meant a punchy-but-comfortable button-down dress by one of my faves Christina Alcalay and glittery pink shoes my mom gifted me two years back. They’re very Wizard of Oz meets early 2000s. I tied the look together with Fenty glasses, which my co-founder Alana gifted me last year for the holidays, and an amazing glasses chain by Bulletin-brand Serendipitous Project. The chartreuse Americae bag is the cherry on top! The meeting went well, and yes, I fully succeeded in leaving an impression!"

WEDNESDAY

"We closed our Bulletin offices in Q2 of last year due to COVID, but we just started getting our New York–based employees memberships to Soho House and Dumbo House. We’re all getting a little claustrophobic with the WFH situation, so we wanted to give our team an optional place they could use to escape a bit and get a nice change of scenery. I don’t go often because I don’t love wearing my mask while working in a public place, but I try to go at least once a week to shake things up. I usually throw on a comfortable and stylish dress, like this one from Nikki Chasin, and lean on gold accessories to tighten up the look. Definitely felt some hardcore Courtney Love inspo while pulling this look together."

THURSDAY

"Even if I’m doing a Zoom panel or remote presentation or my book, I try to pull a whole look together (sometimes I’m in pajama pants though—let’s be real) so I feel on-point and ready to shine. Post Zoom, I’ll go on a quick walk through the park or stroll down the block to grab an iced oat-milk latte from my favorite local spot, Pecks. I just bought this shirt made by Bulletin-brand Selva Negra, and I find myself wearing it almost… every day? The shirt literally goes with everything, looks great on camera, and is definitely very comfortable."

FRIDAY

"This set from Bulletin-brand Gracemade is a game-changer. I wanted to order it in a zillion different colors because it’s made from such comfortable and high-quality linen. I try to cut down on the number of meetings I have on Fridays so I have some breathing room to bring Winnie, my beagle, to Fort Greene Park for a long stroll. This set is the perfect outfit for an afternoon walk, a jaunt to the farmer’s market or supermarket, or anything else that demands both cuteness and comfort. My mom, a native New Yorker, was obsessed with animal print when I was young. I mean, she still is, but she used to pick me up from school in a full-on cowhide coat and owned so many leopard- and cheetah-print accessories that I nearly lost count. With that said, I, too, now like dressing up a basic set with slightly aggressive and memorable accessories à la this leopard print headband."