✨Style Mail VIP: July Look Book

It’s more straightforward to develop a wardrobe when what you like makes sense for your everyday. Like when you’re perfectly happy in a t-shirt & jeans - and that works for a significant part of your life. Or you really enjoy feeling polished & elevated - and your office is on the smarter side of business casual. Or you love putting on a fancy dress - and you have several occasions a year to wear one. But what happens when what you like doesn’t make sense for your everyday life (or at least you think it doesn’t)?

I have many clients who tell me that what they like doesn’t work for their regular, everyday lives. That they prefer to be super casual - but they need to elevate for the office, social functions, etc. Or the exact opposite - that they like to dress up more, but they don’t have the opportunity to. And that’s why they have a hard time getting dressed on a regular basis.

But here’s the deal - you can create outfits that make sense for your regular Monday-Friday at the office & driving the kids around & running errands no matter your style. You just need to delve a little deeper into why you like what you like (and then translate it appropriately). Which is what I did for the client in this month’s look book.

Many of my clients are new(ish) moms. And by ‘new(ish)’, I mean that they have kids under 1 and/or up to 5 years old - and their lives are completely different from before they had kids. Their home lives are different, their work life has possibly shifted, their priorities have changed & their bodies are often different. And they need to learn how to dress more casually, with a high priority of comfort & function that works for chasing around toddlers. But they still want to feel like they’re getting dressed on purpose. Which is when I met ‘Kayla’.

Kayla was 8 months postpartum when we first connected. And she was stuck in a leggings & t-shirt rut. As we chatted about her style, we discovered that she really likes getting dressed up. She loves dresses & cute shoes & is excited when she gets to wear them. But as she said, “It’s the everyday getting dressed that I struggle with. I don’t like looking like a slob at preschool pick-up.” So, we needed to figure out what she really liked about her dresses & cute shoes & translate that into what works for hanging out with her new baby & a pre-schooler.

So, we drilled down to the characteristics of her favorite styles. We looked at the colors & prints that she loves. The fabrics & textures that she prefers. The details that she likes on clothes. And how she enjoys putting outfits together. And I translated all this into more casual pieces that meet the priorities of comfort & function for a stay-at-home mom.

And then I created a series of easy, intentional, kid-friendly outfits (that are more pulled together than a t-shirt & leggings) - including t-shirts with interest paired with shorts & sandals. And nicer tops with shorts & pants for school meetings (or when she wants to feel more pulled together on a Tuesday). And some elevated casual options for seeing friends & date nights (because those things still happen).

I got a quick note from Kayla after she checked out her look book. It said:

“Wow!…You absolutely nailed it! I absolutely love it all. It is such a relief to have a closet full of clothes that not only I like but can easily put together.”

I used some key summer style strategies (that I always depend on) to keep Kayla’s outfits interesting. So, as you check out this look book, pay attention to how I utilized color, pattern, texture, shine, light layers & purposeful accessories to make fun summer outfits.

There are over 40 outfits in this look book, combining Kayla’s new pieces with what was already in her closet. And don’t forget to scroll to the end, where you’ll find links to a bunch of her newest styles (so if you see something you like, you can click through to buy it).