Biography
Beth Anderson is proud to offer men and women a gallery full of unique products, services, and articles. Chic Galleria is a natural extension of her experience in retail sales and special personality – a sincerity that continues to attract business owners, designers, artists, and a plethora of wonderful readers. Owner of MyChicThings.com and Chic Consulting, Beth holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Michigan and has taught in both private and public schools in Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Michigan, Connecticut, and Washington D.C. Also a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, this veteran school teacher loves to make others feel special, and Chic Galleria is just one of her favorite places to do just that. Beth has been featured in a large array of online publications including StyleBakery, Chic Stories, Posh Mama, The Goddess Factory, A Mom in Red High Heels, and Boutique Cafe. Her articles have been published by Reuters and The Chicago Sun Times.
When did you become interested in fashion?
I would have to say as long as I can remember. My Mother always spent hours finding the right outfits for me, usually shopping at small boutiques in Tulsa and Dallas. Often you would see my brother and I in matching Florence Eiseman outfits. Can’t say I did that to my own children, though.
Describe your fashion/shopping expertise?
I have lived all over the United States. Moving so often, I tended to look for a mall before I’d find a grocery store. When I lived in Connecticut, I would spend hours pounding the pavement in Manhattan. My Mother had a woman who designed and made all our clothes. She and I would visit all the fabric stores in New York on a regular basis. We would browse Saks, Lord & Taylor, and Bergdorfs looking at the colors and shapes of the designs on the racks. We don’t do that anymore now that we both are older. We usually do most of our shopping in Northpark or the Galleria in Dallas.
Do you remember your first pair of heels?
Yes! Ferragamo black patent pumps. Timeless!
How many pairs of shoes do you own?
30+
Favorite shoe designer? Why?
Well, I have 2 categories of shoes. The first are the shoes I throw on every day. These would probably be Clarks, Pumas and any shoe made by Talbots. The second would be shoes that I love to look at. These are shoes that deserve a place in a museum. Jimmy Choos, Manolo Blahnik, Prada, Valentino, and have you seen the spring collection for Christian Louboutin?
I have! They are gorgeous, and they would look great in a museum…and on my feet! Haha So, what shoe trends are you loving/hating this season?
I’m loving the color pink! All the designers I mentioned have done terrific 3″ sandals for spring. I have my eye on the most gorgeous pink petal sandal by Christian Louboutin at Bergdorfs.
Favorite shoe store(s)?
I usually shop online at department stores such as Saks. Locally, I buy shoes at Dillards and Talbots.
Are you a heel, flat, or sneaker kind of girl?
Depends….I usually wear flats and on weekends and I live in my Pumas.
If you could design a new shoe, what would it look like?
For Spring, it would be bright colors! Fuschia, Orange, Royal Blue with comfortable soles. On a recent trip to New York, I was talking to a PR Rep at the GMHC Fashion Forward Fundraiser. She was telling me that she has to bite her lip everytime she works fashion shows because her feet always hurt. My collection would definitely aim for comfort. Why do we sacrific comfort for fashion?
I totally agree with you – comfort and fashion are not mutually exclusive. Sowhen did you start your blog, Chic Galleria.com, and why?
About 2 years ago I started an online boutique, My Chic Things. To drive traffic to my store, I started a personal blog. To my surprise, I began meeting people online who asked to advertise on my blog. Through these contacts, I also met people willing to do a few guest blog posts when I felt like I was having writers block.
One of those contacts was Paul David of the Smart Stylist. His partner, Matt Lum of Hoodlum Productions, designed Perez Hilton’s website. Matt is extremely talented. We started throwing ideas around about a virtual shopping mall and Chic Galleria.com was conceived! We then transformed my old blog into Chic Galleria.com. Matt does all the design work on the website as well as our weekly Newsletter.
My son Austin and I co-own Chic Galleria.com. I’m the Editor-in-Chief and I have sixteen fabulous Contributing Editors who write for Chic Galleria.com. Christie Connelly, Elana Pruitt,, Paul David, Jamie Wheeler, Carrie Castleman, Jayne Goode, Libby Haynes, Christine Spencer, Phuong Le, Denise Tong, Terry Carter, Curtis Ludlow, Gabrielle Krake, Sarah Jane Adams, Christie Crowder and Martha Collins. Since I have so many experts on board, we now have six sections publishing articles daily; Women, Men, Parenting, Gourmet, Living and Wellness.
What is your favorite pair of shoes that you own?
That’s a hard one. I love my Juicy Couture Flip Flops.
Besides blogging, what else do you enjoy?
I love to read. I’ve been lucky enough to receive several books from authors I have featured on Chic Galleria.com.
Thank you, Beth!
