I recently had the pleasure of photographing the women behind Brass Clothing, a fashion start up in Boston.

Co-founders Katie Doyle and Jay Hallstein created Brass Clothing as a new choice in women's fashion: high quality dresses without the high markup.

Come along for a tour of the Brass Clothing headquarters and meet the lovely ladies behind the line of beautiful basics for the beyond basic woman.

Co-founders, Katie Doyle and Jay Hallstein, always admired the aesthetic and quality of designer clothes but couldn't stomach the price tag. The alternative of cheap, fast fashion left them with a bad taste in their mouth. Always willing to take on a challenge, Katie and Jay decided to use their experience and connections in e-commerce and manufacturing to create a unique business model. By working directly with their factory and selling exclusively online, they are able to pass the savings along to customers. You no longer have to pay designer prices to get designer quality.

We are totally inspired by the idea of building a brand that people love and feel connected to. Our mantra for 2015 is “Beautiful. Basic. Badass.”  We’re all about beautifully made, basic dress styles with a little bit of personality. The business allows us to recognize women who are kicking ass at what they do – whether it’s starting their own business or going to medical school. Providing these women with essential basics that allow them to look great and feel confident while pursuing their passions is one of the best parts of this business, hands down.

Staying focused.  We’re constantly coming up with new things to do and try.  Squeezing everything in can be a challenge, so we have to remind ourselves to stay focused on our action plan.

Well, right now it’s layers of scarves, hats and gloves over a knee length North Face jacket :).  But, in general, we think Bostonians like to keep it casual and comfortable.  We’re a pretty practical city; simple and easy to wear go a long way.

Katie--I have a simple yet sophisticated (at least I like to think so) sense of style.  I wear a lot of neutrals and tend to go for more fitted clothes because I think that’s what looks best on my figure.  As Jay likes to say, sometimes you gotta be like Bae and show off those curves.

Jay--I'm going to go ahead and say my style is tomboy chic. (I just made that up, but it’ll go viral. Just watch. #tomboychic.) I like looser fitting clothes, multiple layers, blazers, boots, clothes that make me feel strong and sexy. Katie and I both strongly believe that clothing is an outward extension of how you feel inside. So, my favorite outfits inspire feelings of confidence, energy, and femininity.

Katie--My cozy bed. It takes me about 6 minutes to make it each morning with all the shams, duvet, throws. etc, but it’s so worth it.  I probably shouldn’t have read so much House Beautiful as a child…    

Katie--Podcasts & talk radio. Nothing makes my commute go by faster than an episode of This American Life.

Jay--Leather boots. Tall ones, short ones, booty ones, all of them. A nice pair of leather boots will magically pull together any outfit and make you feel like you can take on the world.

Jay--French fries. 'Nuff said.

Brass--Instagram. We make so many connections, meet new people.  It’s an amazing resource.   

Katie--Not to sound like a total freak, but my ideal Sunday includes cleaning my bathroom and sweeping/dusting my entire apartment.  I can’t explain it – it just makes me happy.  It also includes cooking dinner – something low and slow like short ribs – for my wonderful boyfriend and watching House of Cards.

Jay--Katie is a freak. I mean, who chooses to clean the bathroom on Sunday?? Well, at least she’s my little freak. My ideal Sunday does not include any cleaning. It includes naps, lattes, doing something with my hands (sewing, knitting, building), cooking a yummy meal, and sitting outside on our porch eating dinner and drinking wine with friends and my partner.