Where do you live?
I’m currently living in the Gold Coast neighborhood in Chicago! After graduating from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, I did a quick stint in Chicago before moving out to New York City. I lived in NYC for three+ years (in the East Village and LES) before moving back to Chicago. It’s a long, unbelievable story… One of those #OnlyInNYC stories. The stars kind of aligned in a lot of different ways and I felt like I was being pulled to Chicago so I trusted my intuition and made the move even though I wasn’t totally ready to leave New York. In hindsight, I think that’s part of the reason it took me so long to adjust to living in Chicago. I’ve been back in Chicago for 5 years now!
Which do you like better… Chicago or NYC?
That’s a loaded question… They’ve both got their pros and cons, that’s for sure! Short Answer: I’m glad I moved to NYC when I was fresh out of college. Some of the best years of my life so far! But I’m very happy to be living in Chicago now. Long Answer: Coming in blog post form sometime soon. 😉
How long have you been blogging?
Almost ten years! I started my blog in early November of 2010.
How can we work together?
For brand work or sponsorship opportunities on the blog or Instagram, please email me at hello@bowsandsequins.com.
For consulting projects or other job opportunities, you can visit JessicaSturdy.com.
For styling clients, you can visit StyledbyJRS.com or email styling@bowsanedsequins.com.
What are your favorite stores to shop at?
Online, I’m all about Nordstrom, Zappos, Revolve, and Shopbop. Gotta love fast and free shipping! J.Crew is obviously a favorite, too. When it comes to specialty stores, I love Blue Mercury for beauty and Tuckernuck for the best curated selection. I’d never turn down a shopping trip to Gucci, either.
Who is your biggest style inspiration?
Steve Jobs. 😂 Just kidding, kind of. If it’s lower than 60 degrees, I’m most usually in a (black) turtleneck. (Thank you to Elizabeth Holmes for now ruining this for me… I need to find a new uniform, haha.)
What are your favorite workouts?
It’s all about the classes for me. I love quite a few different types of hot yoga classes, spin classes, megaformer Pilates classes, and boxing, too. And while it’s not a workout necessarily, I keep my mind in shape with guided meditation classes. I’ve found that Class Pass is the most cost-effective way to frequent all of the different studios I go to! (PS: You can use this link to get $40 off and try it out!)
Where do you find cheap flights?
I use search engines (like Expedia!) to find the best deals and I keep my eyes on TheFlightDeal.com, too. When it comes to booking flights, a lot of times I’ll book two one-way tickets (even if they are on different airlines!) to get a better price. I have status with United so that’s usually what I tend to fly.
How do you pick a hotel when you’re traveling?
Depending on the city, I opt for a hotel or an apartment using AirBNB! Personally, it’s all about the location and the aesthetic for me.
How do you curl your hair?
I actually posted a step-by-step tutorial! You can find it here. I use this curling wand and swear by using a texture spray before you curl so your curls last.
Where do you get your eyebrows waxed?
I actually don’t get them waxed… Tweezed only. Cheryl at Channing’s Spa works her magic on them every 6-8 weeks… I wrote a whole big post about that here!
Who does your hair?
Tim & Tabitha at Nine Zero One if I’m in LA. But I now see Cristina (for color) & Rosemary (for cut) at RM|CM Salon here in the Gold Coast in Chicago.
Where do you get spray tans in Chicago?
Rae at Art + Science in the West Loop!
Who takes your pictures?
I credit the photographer in all of my blog posts and Instagrams (unless a friend is snapping my picture!), but I primarily work with Melissa Ferrara from Iron & Honey when I’m in Chicago.
What kind of camera do you have?
I have a Canon 5D Mark iii with a variety of lenses (Canon 24mm, Sigma 35mm, Canon 50mm) and a Canon G7X. I take most of my Instagram photos with my iPhone 8s Plus.
What is #JetSetJRS?
No, it’s not Jet Set Juniors. My initials are JRS so I use #JetSetJRS to catalog my travel photos on Instagram.
How do you travel with hats?
I stack them and hand carry them! When I need to keep my hands free, there have been moments where I’m wearing three hats on top of my head in an airport. Zero f*cks. 😂
Are you ever worried about checking your luggage?
Yes! I try to carry-on as much as possible, but with long trips and trips that are for content creation, checking a bag is sometimes unavoidable. When I do check a bag, I carry all of my valuables (camera, computer, designer bags, jewelry, etc.) in my carry-on. I’ve also heard you should document everything in your checked bag in case something goes missing!
I’ve noticed you travel alone from time to time… Tell me everything!
I actually wrote a whole post about this here!
Where’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Tough question! I would move to Paris or London in a heartbeat, but my favorite trips have been the Amalfi Coast and the first time I visited Japan.
You can find a few past press placements here!
Still wondering? Shoot me an email!