Houston's fashion blogging community showed up in full force on Wednesday, when 27-year-old blogger Julie Bortnick, better known as the voice behind From Prosecco to Plaid, hosted a "night of shopping, champagne, and sweets" at the trendy Boutique Sam and Lilli. Bortnick started her blog in 2011, while she worked in New York with the wholesale team at Oscar de la Renta, and later as executive assistant to Czech model Petra Nemcova.

“Since I moved to Houston a year ago, I feel like there are more and more events,” Bortnick told Houstonia. “There is a great community of bloggers–we go to brunch together and we are always talking about the next event, and I feel like it’s definitely on the up and up. There are some great designers based in Houston and I think the fashion scene is just going to keep growing.”

Many of Bortnick’s fellow fashion scribes (and apparently brunch dates) made an appearance, including Monica Abney from Classy & Fabulous, Mishelle Echeverria from Houstonista, and Melissa Chou of We Wear Things, who described Sam and Lilli’s collection as a good mix of labels. Chou agreed with Bortnick’s optimistic assessment of Houston's broadening style scene. “Houston is getting a bit more open with not just focusing fashion on the socialites," she said, "it’s getting slightly more open to street fashion.”

Here at Shop Talk we're very open to the idea that courageous fashion bloggers are pushing Houston into brave new style territory. Check back next week for a summer fashion survival guide, interviews with the buyers shaping Houston style, and part II of Pete Holley's quest for the perfect shave.