Hey — We're Sophie & Aidan 👗
A stylist and a photographer who believe getting dressed should feel exciting — not exhausting.
How Chic Thread Started
Sophie spent years working as a personal stylist in Chicago, helping clients build wardrobes that actually worked for their lives — not runway fantasies. The most common thing she heard? "I have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear." She realized the problem wasn't having too few pieces — it was not knowing how to put them together.
Aidan, her partner and a fashion photographer, suggested they start documenting Sophie's styling advice online. Not the "buy this $500 trend" kind of content — the practical "here's how to wear what you already own in five new ways" kind. Chic Thread launched as a small blog in 2022 and grew into a community of people who care about looking good without obsessing over it.
Meet Sophie
Sophie is a certified personal stylist with a background in fashion merchandising from Columbia College Chicago. She writes the outfit guides, wardrobe strategies, and capsule wardrobe content. Her approach is pragmatic: she'd rather help you style three great outfits from pieces you own than convince you to buy ten new things. She specializes in workwear styling, transitional outfits, and making basics look intentional. Off-blog, she teaches a free styling workshop at her local library and has an unreasonable number of opinions about blazers.
Meet Aidan
Aidan is a fashion and lifestyle photographer who shoots all the visual content for Chic Thread. He has a background in editorial photography and has worked with regional fashion publications across the Midwest. His eye for clean, approachable imagery gives Chic Thread its visual identity — polished but never pretentious. When he's not behind the camera, he's thrift shopping for vintage denim, building film photography setups, or arguing with Sophie about whether navy and black go together (they do).
Our Style Philosophy
- Wear what fits your life. We don't chase trends. We help you build a wardrobe that works Monday through Sunday.
- Budget is not a barrier. Great style doesn't require a big budget. We mix thrift finds, basics, and investment pieces.
- Confidence over conformity. The best outfit is the one that makes you feel like yourself.
- Less is genuinely more. We'd rather you own 30 pieces you love than 100 you never wear.
Off the Clock
Sophie and Aidan live in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. They spend weekends exploring vintage shops across the Midwest, visiting textile exhibits at the Art Institute, and hosting "closet swap" parties with friends. Sophie volunteers as a style mentor for a nonprofit that helps women re-entering the workforce build professional wardrobes. Aidan is slowly building an archive of Chicago street style photography.
Have a style question, outfit dilemma, or just want to say hello?
We’re always here on our Contact page. 💜