As I have grown to experience the ebbs and flows of facial hair myself, I’ve also tried many non-laser approaches to maintaining the kind of face hair I want (bushy brows) and don’t want (random dark hairs on upper lip & chin). I’ve tried waxing, threading, dermaplaning and good ole plucking. I’ve tried 4 different kinds of dermaplaning tools and (fun experiential bonus!) I know how to prevent perioral dermatitis outbreaks. A lot of you know way more than I do about this stuff (let me know if you need an esthetician rec in Austin or Taos), but I know I can confidently normalize worrying about the hairs on your face.

But honestly it’s uncomfortable to second guess what your own face looks like, and, all hairs aside, it wasn’t until I had a really great, well-lit mirror that I felt like I truly knew the realities of my skin and could actually face them (heh). So let me tell you about this mirror while we chat about some strategies for being cool with your current face.

As you may already know, I took a long hiatus from experimenting with makeup but I’m currently back in the swing of getting creative with my face again. It’s been fun to research products and develop a routine that works for me (glowy and simple). When LUNA London reached out to offer me one of their Orbit swiveling lighted makeup mirrors to try out I was like heck yes. I had already been suffering through multiple failed lit and unlit mirrors randomly purchased on amazon with mixed results. One was too flimsy and kept falling over, while another was nicely lit but a little too bulky to get really close to my face for proper inspection. The orbit mirror arrived and made me a believer that the better the mirror the less you might worry about your face!

Why it works:

Luxurious Sturdiness & Versatility: The Orbit mirror arrived in a fancy box which revealed the luxury within. It’s a compact letter-size and has a super solid base and is quite simple to put together, like it literally takes 5 seconds. There’s this swiveling ball on the back that you can click the mirror into and you can angle the mirror in any direction to get the best view, or, you can take the mirror off the ball and easily hold it to see the back view if you’re concerned with what the back of your head looks like (even though I personally think that’s not my business).

Super Lit: The next most important feature of a mirror is the proper lighting, and the Orbit mirror has 3 settings, one bright cool, one more warm, and one a mix of the two. Once you experience the effective glow of a lit up mirror on your face you won’t go back, because let me tell you the light is clutch for discovering all the little tiny hairs you might not see in your regular bathroom mirror. This lights you up like you’re in the front seat of your car (which everyone knows is the best place to pluck). I’ve been using it for weeks and have yet to charge it, so I bet you could travel with this sucker if you needed to and not worry about a thing if you forget the charger. The Orbit mirror also comes with a little magnifying mirror you can stick onto the main mirror for deep detail searches.

The Soft Reveal: I can honestly say that seeing my face so clearly was a little intimidating at first. Where did all these hairs come from and how had I not noticed them before? That’s why it’s nice to have the brighter light setting and the magnifying mirror, you can really get in there and pluck your heart out. Once you’re able to eradicate the main offenders of your complexion, you can focus on your fine lines and wrinkles without distraction! But you really won’t spend too long worrying about those either because the softer light setting helps with the plucking comedown and you can see what you might look like in real life, since we aren’t typically brightly lit and magnified to the rest of the world. It’s nice to see how your makeup will look at dinner by candlelight, so you can align your colors and tones to reality.

If you’re struggling to catch your stray face hairs or see the texture of your skin in order to apply the best type of makeup, you probably need a great mirror. I have found that I am less distracted and more accepting of my facial features having become so familiar with them. There’s no mystery to my own face anymore, so I can leave the house knowing no errant hairs will embarrass me, my eyeliner is as symmetrical as possible, and my makeup is properly blended. Knowing your face is a beautiful thing, especially if it sets you free from distraction so you can focus on fighting the patriarchy or whatever else is way more important than a little unwanted ‘stache hair.

Thanks for reading my little review, it was fun to explore how a simple product can change the way you do and see things, and I hope to bring more useful products into your lives. And (full disclosure) if you do order your own Luna London Orbit mirror, I will receive a small commission.

Oh and one more piece of housekeeping: I will be in Austin September 17-25 so let me know if you want to spend some time together in your closet or in the shops! I still have a few openings left for in-person sessions. If you’re a return client, just reply to this email and I will send you your discount code!

Stop Handicapping Yourself

I’ve always said it takes way less time for me to build you an entire wardrobe than to find you that one perfect outfit. The process of finding a wedding dress takes months, right? And you know you’re only looking at wedding dresses! Finding the perfect outfit for your Ted Talk can take forever too, because there are just so many more options for what you can wear—there are no “ted talk dress” magazines to thumb through. Your biggest asset for special event dressing is time. Of course, sometimes these things do come up quickly, so it never hurts to think of these next few things so you’ll be more prepared when the last minute arrives.

1. Background/lighting. What colors are you likely to be surrounded by? If you’re doing a TedTalk you usually can’t wear red or orange because it will clash with the prominent logo, and if you’re doing a photoshoot in a neutral room, you might want to think about what would make your presence stand out.

2. Physicality. Do you run hot or cold? Will you be assaulted by air conditioning in the TV studio (always so cold in there) or will you be outside in the summer? Are you self-conscious about your arms or your knees? Answering these questions will get you a list of requirements going, and having requirements will narrow your field of options, which can help you focus on what will work.

3. What is your favorite go-to outfit formula? If you tend to favor certain silhouettes or cuts, there’s no reason to stray from what works for your special event. If you know a halter style top makes your shoulders feel balanced and strong, that showing your waist is typically what keeps you from feeling frumpy, and that you stand more confidently in a block heeled shoe, you can focus even more clearly now.

If you don’t give yourself enough time, you’re more likely going to end up distracted by your boob, and if you don’t consider your surroundings, you might blend into the backdrop, and if you don’t prepare by asking yourself a few questions, you’ll struggle to find what does work. Honing in on these three elements will help you stay in tune with what options to begin looking for.

Giving your outfit meaning

If you’ve allowed yourself time and did a little soft-focusing on what colors and styles to look for, you can take it even further by integrating the message of your talk with your outfit, adding a little bit of your personality to the look, or subtly inserting some of your values into what you’re wearing.

What do you want people to notice about you? What message is your talk meant to convey? Your professionalism, your uniqueness, something complicated that only you can deliver coherently? You can take cues from your own personality and messaging and integrate them into what you wear so that your message and your image can support you. If you want to be respected in the tech world but have something a little offbeat to offer, you might want to combine the structure and confidence of suiting with a more unique twist, a wilder color, embellishment, or shoe pairing. If you’re telling a story or your message is a bit more vulnerable or personal, you might choose softer colors, shapes, or textures.

Pulling out your best tricks

What happens when you have a vision but don’t actually see the options you’re looking for on sale in the usual places? I have been helping a client find some options for her professional photoshoot, and have run into the challenge of shopping for colors that simply aren’t on sale this season. Shopping is heavily seasonal, and if you’re looking for pieces that are usually on sale in the winter, but it’s summer, you’re going to have a hard time finding a lot of new pieces to choose from.

If you’ve given yourself enough time, but struggling to find options, using resale sites like The RealReal, Poshmark, Threadup or even larger discounted stores Saks off 5th or Nordstrom Rack will lead you to more unique pieces that aren’t available in your usual spots. What’s more, if you’re heavily photographed in one specific piece, you might not find a lot of inspiration to wear that piece again (I’m thinking of you, bright orange blazer from a magazine spread I once did), so it might make sense to spend a little less on the outfit.

But of course, if you’re low on best tricks, you can always enlist the help of me! I have a special event service which isn’t listed on my website that can take you through the vision and shopping phase of event prep, and if you give us enough time, just imagine the results!

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If you want more recommendations for other products or are looking for that perfect formula for you, just pop a question below or reach out to me directly because I love talking about this stuff and helping you get inspired around creating a fun self-care routine.

What is your daily routine and have you committed to extra glow this summer?

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I hadn’t connected this uninspired way of presenting myself with a lack of interest in style and fashion, I just thought I was surviving by saving all my spare energy for my job. In the battle for my attention and energy, my horrible marital state and demanding social work job took center stage. Something similar happened during the pandemic, when I moved to Taos without bringing much with me, I got used to the way my face looks without makeup, and began to enjoy the lack of morning routine. One night I put on makeup for a party and I remember Ashley acting a little too surprised by how nice I looked in eye makeup, like she was seeing a vision from the past.

Something about living in a place with zero social pressure to look a certain way paired with the freedom of being able to craft a new identity in this new place opened up the possibility of engaging a non-mandatory routine in my life, and a seed of creative inspiration began to sprout. This happens to my clients who are in any kind of transition, especially if they’re embarking on new jobs or a new relationship status, they discover the freedom of self-expression when the burden of having people know what they used to look like is lifted. It’s always very exciting to help clients in this space because having a clean start doesn’t come along that often in life, and playing with your appearance is much easier when you’re not in a fishbowl of everyone who’s seen you every day up until the moment you decide to experiment with your style.

But not everyone is able to become a butterfly in the peace and quiet of a mountain town, and you don’t have to blow up your entire life and career to add a little more zest to your self-care routine. If' you’re zest-curious but maybe not fully expressed quite yet, here are a few places you can begin to focus on to pull yourself out of a slump or just shake it up a bit when it comes to how you show up in life.

Accessories. Focusing on small additions that you can wear with your existing wardrobe can be a great place to start because the addition of a well-placed belt, sculptural earrings, or funky shoe can change the whole vibe of an outfit without it being super clear to the casual observer what exactly has changed.

• When I want a little more polish in my outfits (as 99.9% of you say you also want), I will throw a belt on with my casual outfit because defining the waist can pull your whole frame into proportion with very little effort.

• A pointy toed shoe or a shoe with some kind of special color or characteristic can add that polish or personality to your regular outfit rotation.

• Shopping for accessories can happen more naturally—like that necklace you found at the street fair or on a trip to India, or the earrings your kid made you, or you bought from a local maker. The more meaning you can connect to your accessories, the better!

Color Pairings. When was the last time you played dress-up in your closet just for fun, not because you’re trying to find an outfit for dinner at the very last minute? This act can be life-changing and I know because my job is essentially playing in my clients closets. The excitement of finding unworn outfit combos in a closet is so rewarding because it’s free (duh) and you’re already working with stuff that you know you (probably) already like.

• Try to make an outfit with all different shades of one color, or try pairing colors you were always told don’t go together, like black and navy or black and brown. Breaking the “rules” is a confident move.

• Sometimes when I am putting my clothes away I move them all around on a rack to see who looks cute next to who and sometimes I find combos I’ve never noticed before.

• Some of my favorite unexpected color pairings right now are light blue and brown, burgundy with peach or pink, and butter yellow with brown or grey.

Makeup. I spoke about this last month when I realized how much the simple act of wearing blush brought me joy, and I started getting inspired to play with my makeup again. I hadn’t focused on cosmetics in years and there was a lot to learn about all the new formulas and techniques but wow it’s so easy to use makeup as a gateway to creative self-expression.

• Paying a little attention to your skincare and makeup application can create an overall polished vibe for your whole outfit, and I find that my oversized, casual outfits look more intentional when I also have on some makeup. I’m a 90s gal after all, and a composed face with disheveled clothes is basically the same as a dress with combat boots.

• The getting-ready ritual can give you some structure or enforce some creative space for you. If you’re someone who rarely makes time for creative pursuits, your makeup routine can scratch this itch, and if you’re someone with very little structure in your life, a makeup routine can help you focus your day.

• You start to notice new things (or focus less on your flaws). I’m aging without any botox or face procedures, and finding color corrector for my under eye has single-handedly dissolved an inner voice that was once hyper-fixated on my dark circles. Using makeup to draw attention to your favorite features is similar to putting a belt on to define your waist. When I look at my face now I just see EYES, and now I can go back to focusing on my neck lines ;)

Let’s Chat!

Drop a comment on where you’re at with your creative self-expression these days, and I would love to hear your responses to the following:

What is your favorite part of getting ready?

Have you ever dropped and then picked back up a self-care or style routine? What changed for you?

Do you think about being perceived while you’re getting ready or are you more focused on yourself/what you like/the story you want to tell?

As always, feel free to schedule a free call with me if you want to learn more about getting support around zesting up your style this summer. I’m here to walk you through a transformative process with you at the center (not what the fashion world or trend cycle wants) and can help you find the process that works for you.

The Portrait Painting to Blush Wearing Pipeline

As most of you know, I split my time between Austin where I work directly with my personal styling clients (my next trip is coming up April 20-27th!), and Taos, where I spend most of my free time oil painting. Painting has been my main source of pleasure since the early days of the pandemic, and I love to create realistic portraits by layering different values, tones, and hues. This has led me to dive into the fascinating world of color theory, not only in portraiture but also when it comes to color selection for clothes and makeup. I find it thrilling that you can make yourself look more alive by just putting a different color against your skin, and painting has really helped me see this clearly in the rest of life.

I used to love makeup before I was a painter, and I invested a lot of time and money into finding fun colors and products to try, but then during the pandemic I completely stopped wearing anything on my face due to a combination of laziness and why bother. I’ve never had botox or anything and sort of thought makeup just enhanced my lines and wrinkles. But then somehow I started watching makeup tutorials on tiktok, and realized there was this whole world of creative self expression, plus a zillion different products that can work with “mature” skin, and I was instantly inspired to start building a collection of colors I can use to paint my face when I can’t just be painting faces on canvas.

Wearing blush is good for everyone’s health

There’s a Walgreens near the nursing home where I volunteer for the local hospice, and I found myself going there for fun to browse the aisles before heading to see my patient. I would put blush and lip gloss on in the perfect natural light of my car, and I think my patient thought he was seeing an actual angel the first time I showed up in the right cool-toned pink for my undertone. If you can make a dying person smile by wearing blush, you should definitely be wearing blush, I decided. It turns out makeup can be much more than a way to cover up or turn back the hands of time, it can be a way to show up more fully expressed.

Recently I have been doing a lot of work outside, moving giant rocks to build a new back patio with my dad. This is sweating, grueling work, and since there’s currently no water at my house, it’s pretty dirty work too. Each morning I get up where I’m house sitting and I think, “I should probably wear blush today anyway”, and it makes me giggle because who the hell wears blush to go move giant rocks all day? But I have found the secret to remaining grounded in myself when I can’t paint all day is to do one small creative act by selecting which shade of blush I feel like wearing each morning. My current favorites are Saie dew blush in “baby” and Rare Beauty blush in “encourage.” And sometimes lipstick too, I am partial to Mac “Mehr” or “Syrup.”

Let’s share our favorites!

And don’t get me started on days I am not planning to sweat, because I am also very into eyeshadow palettes and love to play around with blending different shades together to create depth and distraction around my eyes. I could talk about the nuances of cool vs warm tones and why sometimes every blush looks orange on some people, and how to fix it, but I can’t claim to be a beauty expert…yet.

But I am curious if anyone can relate to using makeup in this way, more as a therapeutic way to enhance your creativity and feel more yourself, rather than a chore you feel you have to do in order to be seen. And what are YOUR favorite blushes and beauty products in general? Do you move rocks in blush too? I would love to hear your makeup gossip in the comment section below.

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Getting Creative on A Budget

If any of you have ever tried to live in a home while it’s being renovated, you might understand the particular anxiety this brings. Of course they always say every repair costs twice as much and takes twice as long to finish than expected, and this goes maybe three or four times over in a place like Taos. As someone who grew up waiting for her bedroom to be finished (it never was), I vowed to myself that I would never live in a construction zone again, but sadly this vow didn’t jive with my coexisting love for living in a super old home.

At first, the changes were fun because I got to be rewarded with new light fixtures, painted floors, and a stove hood. I had a vision of a new bathroom with a walk-in closet and a studio for my painting practice, but then I needed a new roof and new pipes instead. I hate adjusting my expectations based on finances, but alas, roofs are pricey, and new pipes are tricky to achieve without an extra bathroom it turns out, and my creativity is being tested by the looming threat of no bathroom at all…the terror!

But of course I am still self aware enough to know that most of my feelings of childhood deprivation would have been mitigated had I been able to escape into a hot tub during those frozen pipe winters, and I had the foresight to put a deposit down on one before I found out I needed a new roof ;) I can’t get too down in the dumps when I’m sitting in there looking at my very own mountain view feeling supremely lucky and grateful. Plus, sitting in hot water is where I get all my best ideas, so it seems like a business write off, right?

So all of this is to say that I intend to stick to my plans for renovating the boring stuff in my house this year, while getting creative about how to budget for the things in life that keep me grounded and grateful in the midst of upheaval. This means shopping with a great deal more intention, something that I know will benefit my clients who are similarly budget minded these days.

I used to shop sporadically and fairly impulsively. Meaning, if I had the idea to shop, or saw something that randomly caught my eye, I would convince myself it’s ok to buy it. Now I sit with my desires for new pants, mulling over what makes a pant most wearable for me, researching every kind of pant until I am laser-focused, and only pulling the trigger if something I already know I want is available for resale or deeply discounted. I’m training my brain to shop this way instead of just having the thought and following through on it, and guess what the side effect of this is? Deeply knowing what I want and REALLY appreciating those new pants when they arrive. I feel far less guilty spending money this way, as my actions are more aligned with my values.

Another side effect is that I do a LOT of research, something you will benefit from if you’re a paid subscriber, because I am compiling my laser-focused shopping habits into shop-able boards for specific items each month. This month we’re going deep into sweaterland, so if you have warm layers on your list, you might want to subscribe and stay tuned for a shopping board filled with the sustainable options I collect.

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Bringing more Painting into my Styling Business

While I’ve been an artist all my life, I never devoted a ton of time to consistently creating art. Since moving to Taos I have picked back up oil painting in earnest, and if you read last year’s post on Containing Multitudes, you know this already. If I’m not working directly with a client, I would rather be painting in my tiny studio, and I have a feeling of deprivation when my hand hasn’t held a brush in a few days. It feels like I have more ideas for paintings in my head than I have time to make, and I honestly love this feeling because it’s like so much potential energy keeping me warm.

Some of what I think about in my hot tub is how I can paint more (if I could paint while in the hot tub that would be ideal). Last summer I had the honor of painting a portrait for a long time client and friend, and it was such a rewarding experience to commemorate her, to witness how comfortable she is in her own being on her 50th birthday. Portraits for me are so engaging to create because I get to try to capture the soul and the energy of a person, and the slow process of oil painting allows me to see all the angles I can present with my brush. Painting with oil is all about layers, and of course I love layers! I get to be present in one layer while preparing for all future layers, something that is super challenging and frustrating at times, but the end result would not be the same without the building up to it. In this way, painting is similar to the styling process, where you start with one piece and create something entirely different by playing with the various components all at once.

If you’ve never been painted before, maybe this is your sign! I think everyone deserves to be made into a piece of art, and I would be honored to paint you if you’re so inspired. I will work with you every step of the way to come up with a concept we can both be excited about, take reference images if needed, and to paint you something you can live with on your wall for at least 500 years. Making a portrait feels like such a wonderful way to commemorate my clients after they’ve gone through the work of the styling process, landing in a place that’s self-assured and grounded in their own person. The portrait is like the final piece falling into place. So there, I’ve said my most wildest creative dream out loud. What’s yours??

Showing off my Clients’ Creativity

One last thing, and you might have seen this ask on Instagram already, but I want to do more showing you off this year. I know some of you don’t disclose to your friends that you work with a stylist, which I totally respect, but those of you who have shared my info with your pals have really helped me to grow my business in all the right ways. Since I have the nicest and most interesting clients ever, it makes sense that I would meet more ideal clients through you as well, and I am especially looking for more clients in the northern New Mexico area as well as in Austin.

If you have worked with me at all in the past 15 years, I would love to hear how our work changed the way you think of your style, or just altered things for you in general. If you have any photos of you wearing an outfit inspired by our work together, I would love to add your images to a client round-up I am working on, and if you’re more of a words person, it would be incredible to receive some testimony from you. If it’s easier, you can just answer these simple questions:

1. Getting dressed before I worked with Laurel was____,

2. Working with Laurel helped me to_____

3. The biggest side effect to working with Laurel was____

I know these might be big asks, but the theme of this post is that you can’t expect anything you want to happen unless you ask! So if there’s any way I can help you grow in your own creative pursuits this year, please don’t hesitate to share, even if you just want to say something out loud (or in writing) for the first time.

Here’s to a more creatively aligned and mindful 2026! I’m grateful you’ve gotten this far, and stay tuned for more strategies for self-expression from me this year.

xoLaurel

Since a lot of us are in the same cost-saving boat, I thought I would share some of the strategies I’ve employed on my frugal-minded journey, plus what has helped my clients get clear on what to save on vs. invest in when it comes to their wardrobes over the past year.

Data Collection

The first step to curing a case of the wants is to bask in what you already do have. I channeled my pants frustration into a total closet sort, where I was able to rediscover some long-forgotten gems and really get a handle on what I own to begin with. For many of my clients, they admit to only wearing 40% of their wardrobes regularly, and it’s important to understand exactly why before you go out and buy something else you might not wear. I realized that while I felt a decline in pants-wearability what I really was looking at when I could see my entire wardrobe laid out before me, was a deep reliance on pants to the point that I no longer thought about skirts or dresses as an alternative. I needed to rearrange my closet so that I could actually see the clothes I owned, so instead of just looking at the little cubby of disgraced pants and calling it a day, I hung my pants alongside my skirts and dresses so I could see the reality of my options. When your waistline fluctuates sometimes there’s nothing better than the right dress to make your cares melt away, and I tempered my urge to buy more pants by getting a little more creative with what I already had.

Closet Play

Speaking of creativity, remember back last decade when everyone was talking about the concept of the 30 for 30 and capsule wardrobes? Well, these strategies were super helpful in resurrecting the closets of hundreds of people who wanted to stop impulse shopping, and today it seems most of us have paired back our wardrobes but maybe just to make things more simple, not to necessarily be more creative. If you’re bored of the same 3 pairs of pants and 2 tops, it makes sense to try to mix things up and see if there are any combos you haven’t tried yet. I set aside some time to play in my closet once I rediscovered the pieces that had been hidden and I tried to make outfits I’ve never worn before. Try wearing your cardigan fully buttoned up as a top, try putting a dressy blazer over a more casual underlayer, try layering a dress or a skirt over pants, try those neglected boots on with EVERY SINGLE OUTFIT. It might take less time to discover a new fit than it would to shop for new clothes, and it’s pretty satisfying to invest zero dollars in a new outfit.

While you’re engaging in some closet play, you may start to notice where there could be some gaps to filled. These gaps could be simple and straightforward, like oh wow I really don’t have any boots that fit up under my pants, or I don’t have any sweaters without holes, or the gaps could be more contextual, like I don’t have anything cute to wear on a date or out for semi-dressy social events. Don’t ignore these pangs of need, but make a list instead. Get REALLY specific. My desire list for pants went something like “pants that can be dressed up for going out or for work, not plain black and not jeans, mid-rise, comfortable waist, in a fabric like corduroy or with a versatile print to add something new to my closet but still be wearable.” You might list “tops for dates that can be worn in the winter with jeans and boots, show off my figure without being too fussy, able to be layered over AND worn on it’s own, colors within the winter family.”

Lists like these are how I make shopping lists for my clients before we shop in order to make the experience more effective and efficient. The more focused I am, the better luck I have selecting the store and finding the most viable options. Cuz when was the last time you went to a store to just generally “shop for tops” without having an idea of what kind of top you were looking for? How did it go?

Shopping Mindfully

Once you arrive here, at clarity of closet selection and focused inspiration, you might have already saved money by realizing you don’t need a million new things, but a few specific ones, and you can more easily find the least expensive version of that thing. If you’re not confident online shopping at this point (an easy way to view all your options at once) you can shop in person, but with a whole new mindset and approach. I will oftentimes do in-person shopping research where I will try a piece on at the store and if I like it, I let it simmer. I think about it when I get home, while I am looking at the rest of my closet and mentally integrate the potential piece with my existing pieces. I will remember the brand, the size, and I will seek it out online, especially to see if it’s available on any resale sites, my favorites being the RealReal, Poshmark, Noihsaf Bazaar, DePop, ebay, and etsy. There’s nothing more thrilling than finding exactly what you want for like $200 less than you thought it would cost. The trick with online shopping is to stay focused on your list so you don’t add anything extra that you don’t actually need. Sometimes you won’t be able to find that exact item, and if you wait, it might turn up later, or you might actually lose interest and find you don’t even need it to begin with! So many ways to save your money 💰

One more thing…

I’ve been putting together curated shopping boards for pieces I love within a specific category, and sharing them with my paid subscribers, so if that sounds like something you could use, I would love to invite you to become a paid sub for only $5/month. While the volume of my posts has suffered a decline due to my business budget not allowing for a marketing assistant (😩 ), I still intend to make the ones I do send out count, and making it easier for you to shop mindfully is a big piece of that. Here are some examples of my past boards featuring soft-waisted pants and boots for winter, some pieces may still be available AND at a discount as it is that time of year! Plus, you’ll get my 80+ page Ethical Shopping Guide to help you in your shopping journey.

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I’d love to invite you to share what’s on your shopping list this season, and if you’ve made any budget-related changes. I am also here to help with my styling services which are also a mindful investment in that you’re supporting a very small business and I have been known to help my clients save lots of money on pieces they will actually wear, get clear on your authentic personal style, make the most of what’s in your closet, and save you tons of time an effort in the process.

Schedule a Free Style Strategy Call with me today!

Happy New Year!

xoLaurel

I met with several brand new clients struggling with brand new challenges (glp1 weight loss, moving from NM to Texas, how to confidently walk into a boardroom to fundraise as a trans woman dressing as herself for the first time) as well as see clients I have known for years and have been lucky to witness through multiple style eras.

This trip was also refreshingly all over the place in terms of body type, and it was a really great reminder that no body is impossible to dress. I got to help men find pants that didn’t swallow them alive, sneakers that feel not so basic but also kinda grown up, and help them see that there’s a whole world of style outside of scrubs or that same pair of jeans and white tee. I worked with tall and petite women with curvy frames, long torsos, short torsos, and a few with extra long feet (a style challenge that doesn’t get discussed enough)! We created balance and symmetry and self-expression of a broad range of style vibes from flirty fun to biz casual, stuff for lounging and going out with friends as well as power outfits for stepping it up in the leadership department.

Finding your style is my flow space

I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky I am on my drive home to New Mexico. I felt creatively alive the whole entire trip, and it’s mostly because of how open and willing my clients are to be vulnerable with me. Everything flows so well when I connect with my clients in this way, when you’re able to put into words what you’ve been struggling with in your head, what’s made you feel uncomfortable or out of place, as well as when you’ve felt most like yourself, when you’ve felt in the zone, and what you really want people to know about your truest self, how you want to be seen.

To me, this is the most important element of personal styling, when you can trust someone to help you define and execute this vision with you, something that feels murky at first but comes into view when you trust me enough to try some of the ideas I have when I listen to you talk or see what images you’re drawn to collect. When I shop for you from this place of knowing, I can channel your desires as I look at potential pieces and intuitively know whether something will feel or look right to you. I love to push this to the limit so I can see the borders of what you’re open to, as I feel this allows you to see your own potential style as well. This is the part that makes me giddy when I show you what I’ve collected in the fitting room for you—it’s like I get drunk on your potential! I feel so proud to have built a business with this kind of depth and creativity, and it’s exactly what I had in mind for myself when I embarked upon this career 15 years ago as a burned-out social worker.

This trip brought into focus how far I have come in terms of my own clearly defined style as a personal stylist. I have worked hard to build my confidence within the context of the wild west of styling (there really are no templates for this work) and I am now consistently attracting clients who are ready to do this work with me without holding back what they’re feeling along the way. This allows me to see a fuller picture of you in a shorter amount of time, and lets me linger in my ideal creative zone, one where I am allowed to turn concepts, memories, challenges you’ve been through, even secret unrealized dreams into pieces of your style personality. We love a good misfit to icon transformation after all, and the only way to get there is to turn your challenges into gifts.

All this, AND I was also able to fully realize how grateful I am that most of my in-person clients are comfortable getting changed with me in the fitting rooms. Seems like a little thing (and obviously I am going to respect your modesty if you’d rather change in private) but it does save us so much time, allows me to really see how things fit and feel to you, plus I can put everything back on the hangers and keep things organized. I was surprised to find that this isn’t always the case with other stylists, and witnessed how much longer it takes when you’re going in and out and just standing there on your phone when your client is in the room all alone.

A little gift for you

I could go on and on about my reflections and how great my clients are (I did drive 12 hours this week after all) but I will leave you with a little gift in case you’ve been wanting to work together and need a little extra enticement. Use the code FUN15 for a discount when you book your next session with me! This is open to new clients as well as for gift cards, so if you’re looking for a last-minute gift for someone who might benefit from supportive and aligned styling this year, don’t worry I got you (and a printable gift card)! Return clients, you know the drill, just ask me for the code for 25% off your next session.

I can’t wait to see you in the new year, and I’m looking forward to creating more outfits, having more fun, and more strategies for stepping into icon status in 2026.

A lot of you are likely wondering how to upgrade your cool-weather style without buying a whole entire winter wardrobe, especially if you live somewhere with a mild or shorter winter. Adding a cool pair of comfortable boots can be an easy way to give the wintery clothes you already have a little boost without spending a ton.

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Sleek feet for polished babes

If you’re someone who favors that pulled-together polished look and you’re wanting boots that can work with pants AND skirts/dresses, then look no further than a boot with a narrow shaft and pointed (or almond) toe. I love the vibe of a tall boot with a skirt that hits right below the top of the boot, and it’s so refreshing to have an easy way to elongate your leg and solve the “what socks to wear with short pants and ankle boots” dilemma. The answer is covering your entire ankle completely, and the key to doing this easily is to find one that’s fairly fitted at the ankle, like the sock boot (above left) which will stretch and move with you, or the narrow but still a little bit tall ankle boot (above right) which is great for petite babes or those of you living in warmer climates who still want that boot vibe. The mid calf boot in the middle is great for petites as well, and will still fit under wider legged pants/jeans or over those skinny jeans you still love.

Bonus: a tall boot with a sleek toe will dress up more casual outfits and give you length, especially when you pair them with clothing of the same color family.

Strong anchors for casual comfort

For those of you looking for something more solid and sturdy to provide a more grounding anchor for your overall frame, check out a boot with a more square toe this year. I love the two on the left because they combine the more fitted and wearable shaft of the polished boot, but with the added edge of the platform sole. There’s also nothing more badass than a good buckle, so these moto styles will be forever cool. If you’re someone who feels like your feet look too small when you pile on your layers (like if you’re busty with broad shoulders like me), these platform/chunkier styles will help you feel balanced without diminishing your feet in the way a flatter, more pointy & elongating boot will. It’s science!

Bonus: these cozy platforms will give you height without the feeling of wearing a heel so you can really pound the streets in these, AND they’ll give that effortlessly cool vibe to your more dressy wardrobe pieces.

Feeling Funky?

If you’re all set on neutrals but want to spice up your boot game without losing the versatility of a black or brown pair, check out a color alternative in the same tonal family as you’re used to wearing. So if you’re comfortable in black, why not try a rich dark burgundy, and if brown boots are easy, why not try a warm camo green instead? I am also loving the contrast stitching details I’m seeing (like the ones on the right) and if you’re into color but a little shy, a bright chunky heel won’t do anything but add fun to your basic fits.

Bonus: if you’re someone who has a lot of black, neutrals, or solids in their wardrobe, a funky pair of boots will go a long way in giving you tons of fresh new outfit combos to wear this winter.

Kick it with the misfits!

I hope this helps answer a few burning “what to put on your feet that will go with the clothes you’re already wearing” questions you might have right now. And stay tuned! I’ll be rolling out my monthly sustainable shopping board filled with my favorite boot recommendations next week, so make sure you’re a paid subscriber if you’re short on shopping patience this year and could use some curated picks to kick up your boot game.

And I would love to know what footwear struggles you’re having and which boot is your fave? Reply below or to this email and let me help find the right boot for you!

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Last week I decided I needed community around me at a time like this, so I put a call out on Instagram for you to share your pants woes with me, because I can’t be the only one questioning my pants identity out here, and I wasn’t wrong. If you’ve ever invested heavily in your pants wardrobe only to be thwarted by body changes or just general discomfort and confusion, this one’s for you!

In this episode of Laurel TV I’m sharing my specific and various pants woes, getting to the bottom of what’s wrong with the ones that I’m putting on but not leaving the house in, and what is right about the pants that have been heavy in rotation. Hint: I’m no longer comfortable in rigid denim, or anything super high waisted unless the waistband is stretchy.

Here’s how to move forward on your own pants journey:

Spend some quality time with your pants

I highly recommend anyone struggling with pants confusion to do something similar—try on every pair you own and identify their perks and flaws. When you try your clothes on for the sake of trying them on, and not in the 5 minutes you have to find an outfit to leave the house in, you might get to the bottom of where you’re going wrong. Identify the qualities of the pants you always end up leaving the house in: is it because they’re comfortable, you like the way you look in them, or because they go with all of your tops? Make a list of WHY you like them and what makes them comfy and versatile and you’ll have a list of requirements your next pair of pants has to meet.

Get Creative

Since I can’t rush out and buy all new pants right now, I am forcing myself to get creative with the pants I do have. While I may not be folding over my unzipped high waisted jeans, rendering them low-rise and therefore comfortable, I can get away with releasing the top button on my button-fly rigid-waisted trousers, especially if my top covers that waistband. So let’s not throw the pants out with the bathwater and normalize unbuttoning that top button, shall we?

I also love the idea of layering to enable more waist-obscuring comfort, and will share some ideas soon around wearing dresses, longer tops, and skirts over pants in interesting ways. There’s nothing more sustainable than restyling your own closet, after all.

Shopping Mindfully

And if you’re in the market for some new pants that don’t strangle your midsection, and you don’t mean just sweatpants, I got you. I’m sharing a bunch of waist-friendly characteristics in this episode to help guide your shopping journey, and showing you my favorite pairs and what makes them wearable.

I’m also excited to revamp my Style Misfits paid membership perks and will be creating shoppable round-ups of sustainably made pieces that go along with the theme we’re covering in the Style Misfits community. So yes that’s right, this month I will be creating a roundup of sustainably made midsection-friendly pants you can shop for to enhance your comfort and style without spending a ton of time searching or sacrificing your values. So if shopping for comfy bottoms is on your agenda this fall, you might wanna become a member of the Style Misfits Community!

Subscribe now

Ok I hope you enjoy my silly plea for pants clarity, and that you feel less alone on your own pants journey!

You know when you really want something, but aren’t sure how to get it, so you just tune yourself towards all outside frequencies thinking you just have to wait around to receive it and then be saved? Well that was the approach that ended with me crying on the kitchen floor 5 years later. Chasing every idea that was thrown to me, without strategy, alignment, or real desire was exhausting and confusing me. I knew what I needed to do was make an inspired OFFER, and that offer had to come from inside of me, so that idea could resonate outward. So instead of feeling like I was chasing something out of my control, that something would be coming from inside the house, allowing me to be in charge (and therefore more confident about it).

I didn’t know what that offer would be, but I had a strong suspicion that if I surrounded myself with other like-minded women on a similar mission, I had a better chance of finding it. So I doubled down on this idea of myself as someone who could build and own instead of just react in my business, and I joined a year-long mastermind program, now called the Unleash Mastermind. This program, led by Ashley Burnett, helped me get clear on my point of view and what makes my voice unique, not just in styling but as a woman in the world. Unlocking my true voice led me to imagine all the possibilities of using my voice to help other people unlock their true voices when it came to self-expression, and I realized I could impact more than just the handful of clients I was working with in Austin.

If you’ve been sitting on an idea of your own, or you have this inkling that you’ve been holding back, waiting for a sign, for the right moment, or for something to fall into place for you, maybe this is the sign. I learned that my voice as a stylist could be projected, but not in a scary sales-y way, but in an authentic way that felt good to me, I became so inspired that it was impossible not to take action.

I noticed that this discovery of my own voice was something that my styling clients were also looking for, a strategy for how to translate their point of view into the clothes they wear. When I stopped focusing on sharing things outside myself, like trends and what’s in the stores, and started sharing more about how to draw inspiration for shopping & styling based on your own experience and self-knowledge, my business began to shift. I stopped attracting clients who wanted an outside influence to come dress them and change their lives (ie clients who wanted to delegate, not make an internal shift) and I began to build a community of clients (and many friends) who wanted the internal shift I could offer. I moved out of a transaction based business and into a transformational one.

This mental shift alone was worth the investment, but that’s not all I received from the Unleashed Program. I was given the space to imagine, workshop, and create a full-fledged online course, which became the Style Shift Workshop (more on the future of this course in my next note to you). We had group work sessions where I was able to build my spark of an idea into a program with actual modules and a script. Not only that, but Ashley gave us the EXACT strategy and marketing framework for launching a course into being. If you've ever tried to do this on your own, you know how hard it is to go from the creation phase to thinking in clear business & marketing terms. The hardest part about owning a creative business has always been the “business part!” I would NEVER have come up with this framework, let alone have confidence to implement it on my own, but after this mastermind I launched my little Style Shift baby into the world to the tune of (eventually) $25k.

In looking back on the things that helped me most in my career as a transformational personal stylist, I can’t speak highly enough of my experience with Ashley and the Unleashed Mastermind. If any of this intrigues you and you’re wanting to level up in your work this year, connect with like-minded inspired women, and learn how to not only focus on but grow your aligned business this year, I would recommend checking this program out before the doors close & the course kicks off on October 9th.

But that’s not all…

Ashley’s got a few ways you can join, at several price-points, so don’t hesitate to check out the 2 different approaches (one is the full mastermind experience LIVE with one on one coaching, and the other in an online module-only course but with tons of extra goodies) HERE. I’m happy to report that I will be a guest mentor during the program, sharing my approach to aligning your personal style with your values & where you’re going professionally, so you can show up in your fully expressed presence when you share your gifts with the world. My module will be available to participants at both price-points, and if you sign up using any of the links I have shared in this note, you will also receive a Style Reading with me to deepen your style awareness and get individual support around exactly what you might wear to communicate your expanded message clearly and confidently.

So if you’re into the idea of investing in yourself and therefore your business and community as 2025 comes to a close, don’t hesitate to check out the Unleashed Program, and feel free to respond to this email with your questions, or just to say “I’m in!” so we can schedule your Style Reading. The world needs more of us to share our gifts this year, so let’s do it!

So, I’ve been clearing out this room I’ve spent the past entire year ignoring…you maybe know this kind of dungeness spare room? One that sort of resembles a morphing hippo on the floor, and is certainly a mirror for what’s happening internally? Well, I am a little transformational bee over here, cleaning my former bunk room turned-office turned-enormous…

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I was in the thick of growing my personal styling business in Austin, Texas, and my posts were an energetic (manic?) mix of shopping ideas, networking parties, piles of clothes I had sorted out of client closets, my dachshunds Sam & Penny (RIP), and dozens upon dozens of fitting room mirror selfies. I had a dark brown pixie cut, wore a lot of Zara (oy!), and I was putting myself out there whether I liked it or not (and didn’t really have time to consider what I liked either way).

I was also cobbling together a life post-divorce that could support the same lifestyle I had been living pre-divorce. Supporting myself without having to downsize out of the home I had renovated with my ex was a goal I held on to ravenously and I did not want to let my situation send me back into a 9-5 job working for someone else. This need to prove myself to myself (and to those people who thought I was crazy) was what kept me pursuing personal styling from any angle I could find.

What doesn’t show through in those photos were the behind the scenes breakdowns I was having due to sheer overwhelm and a growing sense that I had lost myself in all that grind. There aren’t any photos of me crying in my car parked outside 2 million dollar mansions because I didn’t feel like I belonged there, or because my client’s assistant had asked me to walk his enormous dog while I was there (excuse me!?!), or sobbing on my kitchen floor because I had booked myself solid and didn’t know when my next day off would be.

When Ashley Burnett came into my life (introduced to me by a mutual friend) I was at a breaking point I couldn’t even fully admit to myself, but I knew I needed support. I was aware that I needed the space to clarify my business enough to know what to continue to pursue and what to let go of. When you say yes to everything at the beginning of your career you quickly realize what you should have said no to, but you aren’t quite confident enough to start actually saying no out loud. Joining Ashley’s year-long mastermind program (then called the Uninhibited Leadership Program) was the first time I had ever said YES to investing in myself and my business to that magnitude. The act of simply joining felt like a huge win in that my actions had aligned with this idea of having a valuable business I could double down on.

Our mastermind took place over the course of 9 months and included virtual group support, individual support, and 2 in-person retreats. I felt proud that I was in a group of similarly-creative and inspired women who gave me a new appreciation for the reality of what we were doing: building communities with our businesses. The switch from selling to sharing, the integration of more of who I really am, the courage to speak my truth without fear all came about from my time with these women. And these are the concepts that enabled me to focus on what my heart wanted to say yes to, not what I thought I needed to do in order to be a “professional stylist.” What a huge difference that made, not only at the time (I remember the ideas just pouring out of me into my notebook on the flight home from our first retreat) but to the lasting legacy of LKPS. I learned that I could be the blueprint for what a personal stylist is, and that my personality and the way I bring my energy forward is what draws clients to me, not whatever image I thought I had to project to look the part.

Part 2 of my escape from hustle culture is coming up in my next post, and I will share more about how I grew my business in a way that now supports my painting practice, and what I was able to let go of in order to achieve a balance in my life that includes working with exactly the kind of client I love to connect with and help support. I can say that the thought of saying no now not only doesn’t scare me one bit, but barely comes up at all anymore. I’ve been able to focus enough that I typically will only attract those who I vibe with and can “get” in a way that enhances the work we do together, and I feel ever so grateful for this shift.

So, if you’ve been feeling stretched thin, stuck in hustle-mode, or unsure of how to scale without sacrificing your life… NEWSFLASH! That’s not how it should be…

Your business can and should create freedom, not burnout.

If you’re relating to my “before” story, you need to check out The Unleash Mastermind.

This four month, high-touch mastermind experience, led by my friend and mentor, Ashley Burnett, is designed to help women build flexible, freedom based businesses that grow with life’s changing seasons… whether you’re navigating caretaking, divorce, chronic illness, perimenopause, big life transitions or all the in betweens.

Inside Unleash, you’ll learn how to -

• A sustainable, seasonally-aligned business strategy that adapts with your life, not against it.

• A signature group program, mastermind, or retreat mapped out from start to finish, so you can scale without overbooking yourself.

• The tools to future-proof your business in the face of AI by creating experiences and offers that only YOU can deliver.

• Advanced leadership and space-holding skills that help you create communities your clients never want to leave.

• The confidence and embodiment practices to fully own your worth - so raising your rates feels natural, not scary.

• A supportive circle of women leaders who will cheer you on, share their wisdom, and hold you accountable to your vision.

Ashley knows how to hold space and build containers that nourish your mind, body, and soul, all while honing in on building your business in a way that works with your life - not against it.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT HERE

I’m so excited to see more women create wealth and freedom on their own terms. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions-I am happy to share more about my experience and what I got out of it, and stay tuned for Part 2 of my story where I share how I conceived of, built, and launched my online styling course with the support of Ashley’s program, and how I am involved in this next iteration of the program, and a special gift from me to anyone in my network who joins!

With love,

Laurel

I've been feeling a little restless in my business lately. It's that end-of-summer urge to buckle down and get back into a rhythm, mixed with the chaos of home renovations (still!) and the push of re-launching a program. Add in the everyday challenge of being multi-passionate with a multi-faceted business, and my attention feels like it's splintered in a dozen directions.

When I catch myself in this kind of fragmented state, I know the fix isn't to grind harder—it's to shake things up. Solopreneur life can feel like a vacuum, and I've learned (the hard way) that my best growth happens when I step outside my own thought bubble. Over my 15 years as a personal stylist, one truth has proven itself repeatedly: outside accountability and fresh energy speed everything up.

That's why this fall I'm leaning into support—and I want to invite you to join me.

On September 23–25, my former mentor Ashley Burnett is hosting a free 3-day workshop series, Magnetic: A Business Activation Event for Visionary Fempreneurs. I first worked with Ashley back in 2016 during a year-long mastermind, and honestly, the foundation I built with her guidance shaped the next decade of my career. She has a way of cutting through the noise and helping women connect with their businesses in a deeply sustainable, soul-aligned way.

Here's what the series covers:

• Day 1 – Mindset: Clear out the stagnant beliefs and habits keeping you stuck and reconnect with the kind of embodied confidence that attracts your dream clients.

• Day 2 – Business Model: Learn how to design a high-income, low-maintenance business that grows with you through every season of life (parenting, perimenopause, major moves—you name it).

• Day 3 – Marketing: Turn your lived stories into authentic, compelling copy that resonates and sells with ease.

Each day is a 90-minute session, and it's completely free. You can reserve your spot here.

I'll be there, soaking it all in and recalibrating for what's next. If you've been craving more energy, more clarity, or just more connection in your business, this is a beautiful way to get it.

And if you want the full story behind my experience with Ashley, I'll be going live with her on Instagram on September 10th at 11:30 CT to share how this work impacted me—and how it might shift things for you too.

We weren't built to create in in a vacuum. Business—or life, really—gets a lot more magnetic when we do it together. That's why I'm saying yes to this space, and why I'd love to see you there too.

However, I also know that, historically speaking, I second-guess nearly everything I produce, and that being vulnerable is usually the best approach. So, here's what I've been thinking about this summer when it comes to personal style, and the power we (still) have as individuals to express who we are, our ideas, and our point of view, and why that's extra important right now.

We have lost when we censor our own joy.

There's a lot of fear in the air. Super concrete fear, like the fear of being arrested and deported when you're just trying to live your life, or of your neighborhood being bombed or destroyed by the effects of climate change. If you show up as usual, you risk being insensitive.

Still, suppose you appear overly sensitive to something that doesn't directly affect you. In that case, you may come across as performative (as seen with Selena Gomez's criticism for being upset about ICE raids). It's a catch-22 where you cannot avoid the fear because you, at the very least, have a fear of showing up as a person with no fear! This could be the most privileged fear of all. So much fear, no one is safe.

Has anyone else noticed that outside of the newly redesigned gold-plated White House, everything is super dulled down lately? Like the collective fear has morphed into a generalized guilt for self-expressing in a way that isn't 'acceptable? The pendulum has swung towards conformity, and every store has the same four trendy items in different iterations, making it hard to find anything unique without effort.

It's challenging to believe that two opposite things can be true at once, but come on. We can experience everyday joy AND be horrified by the things happening in the world, can't we?

Because what happens when we're scared of expressing ourselves? No more laughing, no more fun, no more color, no more whimsy? Who wins then?

Being Quiet means more than it used to.

Of course, alongside this fear of self-expression exists another threat: staying quiet. Taylor Swift is getting slammed for not speaking out about Palestine, and a lot of people (justifiably so) are looking to anyone with a platform to stand up for their beliefs. The reason many people stay quiet is that they're afraid of saying the wrong thing. And this plays out all the time with personal style.

Many of my clients have toned down their style out of fear of giving the wrong impression: they don't want to appear as though they are trying too hard or misrepresenting themselves. The solution to this problem is to look inward, away from the outside world's expectations of you, towards what really feels exciting, resonant, comforting, and powerful to you.

However, because there's no education on self-expression in school, and most of us have no strategy for building our personal style, we often settle for whatever is available in stores when we go shopping, which means we currently settle for conformity. And it's not cutting it because the world and our feelings are too complex to be contained by one Lululemon outfit alone! And many of us don't want to appear to agree with the current state of the world by simply wearing what the fashion industry dictates. Gah! It's so complicated! This is why I often choose to paint in a quiet corner.

What Does Power Look Like to You?

So, back to that looking inward thing. If you, like me, don't want to conform or seem complicit in the world's tragic events, perhaps using our presence, our energy, and our style to make a statement is one way of standing up to the Man (for lack of a better word). Some people are great at wearing whatever they want and being themselves no matter what, but for those of us who struggle with this stuff, maybe turning our attention towards what might light us up and doubling down on that is one way of remaining steadfast in our beliefs while also enjoying what we can of our daily experience because we're showing up as our enlightened (or at least more aware) selves.

If you relate to this at all and want to explore what stepping into your most potent version of your personal style could be, start by considering what you most value in life and about yourself. Is it your ability to make something out of nothing? You may need a more dreamy, creative vibe in your wardrobe. Want to show up like you have brains and brawn and intimidate your coworkers? Consider incorporating well-fitting structure and thoughtful details into your workwear. Start to collect imagery that attracts you, don't overthink it, but try to see what themes emerge in what you collect. Do you see any of your values in there? You can start to pinpoint specific items that you might add to enhance the vibe you're trying to project.

The challenge, of course, is that this kind of self-discovery work can feel overwhelming when you're doing it alone. It's one thing to understand intellectually that your style can be a form of resistance or self-expression, and another to actually identify what that looks like for you personally.

I'd also like to invite you to experience my most-loved service and the central pillar of my work with clients in any capacity: The Style Reading, which I shared about in my last post. It's a great place to start, allowing what feels most powerful to you to emerge visually, be named, and begin to view your wardrobe through. (Pro-tip: my founding members receive it for free!) Don't hesitate to reach out for more information, schedule a free stratefgy call with me, or ask me a random question.

We need each other more than ever right now & I'm here to support you.

RELATED:

"Composure, but not the perfectly polished kind, the quiet kind, but with a pinch of something a bit wild and unexpected that gives it a layer of confidence. Serene, practiced, open to magic but rooted in comfort. The feeling of wanting freedom and coziness at the same time…"

"Oh my god, that's ME!”

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There's nothing more rewarding to me than seeing a bunch of wildly different images and focusing on what connects them, and how they might paint a picture of a person's personality. I have seen hundreds of pinterest boards over the years (a lot of them have a photo of Kate Middleton, but right in the beginning where you know that pinterest just served it up on a platter), but as I scroll I start to see the themes emerge—the colors, the feelings, the invisible string that connects what delights you visually to all the traits you house within your being, and presents how you'd like to be seen and understood to me (as if on a platter).

The Style Disconnect We All Face

Most of us head to the mall when we think we have a wardrobe problem. Shopping is supposed to be the action you take when you need something new, duh. But most of us end up settling on whatever works at the last minute when we're feeling done with the excursion and want to get a warm cookie or matcha at the food court instead. We rarely end up with a variety of styles that reflect who we are; in fact, we're lucky if we find something that fits. After a lifetime of shopping like this, we learn not to expect much.

And then, of course, our style feels disconnected from our authentic selves! We struggle to find a way back to it and honor the contradictory parts of our personality through what we wear, but it's overwhelming. Trends, rules, and the things we see people wearing on Instagram creep into our brains, making us think we're "supposed to dress like that," or we just let our stylish friend or little sister pick out our clothes for us. It's hard to hear an authentic style voice when it's never been asked to say anything before. What would happen if we could listen to our voice more clearly?

What 15 Years of Styling Has Taught Me

Great personal style comes from self-awareness & a desire to show up a little vulnerably in the service of self-expression, not from fashion magazines or Instagram trends. For my clients, it's usually a mash-up of personal references and proclivities. It influences that tend to collect throughout a lifetime. Usually, we fall off developing our style after our first "real" job or having a baby (or whatever took you outside the vast expanses of your creativity and forced you to think of other stuff).

But your style still exists, if dormant, and I have an uncanny knack for identifying it and giving it words. The visual attractions you have but probably haven't ever considered reveal more profound truths about how you see yourself, and I've learned to trust that intuitive process. There's this unexplainable "reading" that happens when I look at your style board with you, like your pinboard becomes my crystal ball. I am just the channel that brings what's already there into the light. But it's not just "oh you like The Pixies and hiking on the coast" but rather it's understanding how the theme songs to your life might bolster & balance the deep dark woods vibe you're also attracted to, and knowing how both of these aspects to your personality might be something you can use to inspire your outfit creation.

How Style Readings Actually Work

We craft style personality words that capture your essence, such as "androgynous disco," "Miami meets Montana," or "flirty apocalypse." Having a container for your style changes everything about how you make wardrobe decisions. We can explore how your brain dominance and even astrology influence your style choices (I've even gotten pretty good at guessing whether you're type A, plus your sun and rising signs, based on your pinboard!).

The whole focus is on identifying and paving the way to show up as your whole, nuanced self rather than trying to fit into someone else's style box. Anyone could tell you what to wear and make you look great according to them, but you feeling connected to what you're wearing because you know the reason why you're wearing it is a whole other power move, with effects that persist long after one season.

What You Walk Away With

Aside from the confidence to double down on what you already know about yourself, and relief that someone actually might "get" you and what you'd like to dress like, you will also receive some solid takeaways with your Style Reading:

• 90 minutes of style discovery, reflection, and abolishment of long-held beliefs that could be holding you back from fully expressing your style

• Focused & customized attention on whatever stresses you out the most about style development, perhaps it's knowing which shapes could work for your current figure, or ideas for fabrics that could travel well, or a strategy for building a capsule wardrobe based on your specific style

• Sustainable shopping ideas based on your particular style personality—I will show you shops/brands/styles live on the call that you can begin to shop for right away

• You receive a personalized one-sheet summary with your style keywords and a recording of our session so you can revisit those breakthrough moments. I'll provide a concrete strategy for dressing your unique body and goals, along with a balanced outfit framework you can use forever. You also get curated sustainable shops that match your newly defined style, so you're not shopping unquestioningly anymore.

Why This Has Become My Favorite Work

It feels incredible to help my clients articulate their style in a way that resonates and sets them free of the self-doubt that usually comes with trying new things. This process gives you a real edge in how you express yourself and allows you to show up vulnerably as all parts of yourself. Learning to articulate your style makes connecting with like-minded people more effortless, allowing you to navigate small talk and dive into deeper conversations more swiftly. We find your style "through line" that connects across all areas of your life, from work meetings to weekend adventures, so you never have to feel like you're in a uniform for any context of life. We discover the authentic you that's been waiting to emerge and set it free through your style choices.

An Invitation to Discover Your Style Story

If getting to the root of your style and how it can be expressed sounds intriguing to you, and the idea of working with a stylist who isn't going to tell you what to wear but rather help you see how naturally your style choices can come once you get clear on articulating your style, I would love to work together. If you're worried you like too many things, that what you want doesn't exist, or if you feel like you've never even had a "style," let's talk.

The Virtual Style Reading service is $575 and is designed to set you free, but with a plan that helps you start dressing from a place of deep self-knowledge.

Let's Start the Conversation

So if you've been bogged down in the weeds of your incomprehensible wardrobe, or the mire of an abundance of choices, or just in a rut when it comes to your style, I would love to challenge you to start by concentrating on what three or four words might begin to describe what you want to be noticed for. If words elude you, try finding 3-4 images that resonate. We're all complex beings, and we all have a style worth exploring. Share your words/pictures in the comments, or send me a message directly!

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