Wear What You Love

I'm wearing a vintage high waisted gold pencil skirt with gold oxfords and it makes me happy.  It makes me want to drop it like it's hot ( aka dance) and walk with an extra skip in my step. Seriously, putting on this outfit sets my day. It says "girrrlll, it's gonna be a good one."  Wearing what you love is a blissful combination of self- expression embodied with whatever kind of sass you want to deliver. I can sense when my clients are not comfortable in an outfit, even when their words say otherwise. The body is incredibly expressive.  I pay very close attention to those movements that tells me we're out of the "comfort zone" or the uncertainty that comes with newness... "can I really wear this."  One of my goals as a personal stylist is to navigate style in a way that highlights the best path for my client in the simplest way. 

Style is ubiquitous, which fuels and inspire self-expression in so many ways.

So what does it take to wear what you love? I have to admit, when it comes to style I have a very strange six sense. My clients call me the "outfit whisperer"  :) because I  see the outfits I want on them. For myself, I learned all about what looks work on me and it doesn't hurt that I'm obsessed with fashion and style. So, this allowed me to discard any other stuff that comes along my way that I know won't work and spend that time on better things. I also listen to myself ( you know that gut feeling that says, take that BLANK off, it is not the one). I'm also blessed with  fantastic peeps who deliver honest critique with a hug :)  

Wearing what you love, with the emphasis on YOU. I had the privilege to style this fantastic Mom of 5, yes 5 kiddos :) She has amazing curves and struggled to embrace said curves and find styles that worked for her. We all have our own body struggles. What I saw when we met was her amazing waist, great legs and wonderful shoulders. My mission- liberate all that goodness so that she too can begin to appreciate them in styles that compliment all those great assets. In turn, feeling great in what she wears.

Wearing what you love is REALLY loving you in what you wear. What's not to love about that :)

Journey to wow, a style story

I'm a hunter! I'm always on the search for those special and cool  styles that will upgrade an outfit. You notice it the moment you see it. When it happens for me, there's usually a squeal and a mini dance party ( ask my hubby and my girlfriends ;)  This special find makes a simple outfit sparkle 💫.  

These gold oxfords were a sweet find and I knew we were going to be friends the moment I saw them. Why they work. Well they're gold, I mean...LOVVVVVEEEEEE and they add a bit of the unexpected to an outfit. Whether you're wearing skinny jeans, pencil skirt or some sleek dress pants they're going to make you feel amazing and ready to take on the world. These are a few years old by Sam Edelman but you can snag similar styles here. I'm a believer that what you wear can transform how you feel. This is why I love my job as a personal stylist. I get to experience this wonderful magic where my clients completely shine when they have on an outfit that looks great on them. It empowers them to be their most amazing self and isn't that we are all trying to do. It's pretty cool. 

This JCrew brushed wool scarf is a style that they've repeated in the last few years. I have a few of these because the colors are beautiful and adds this richness to any outfit. The chevron belt is pure cuteness! The texture and print offers a cool pop and is a little different amongst the spectrum of belts. It's those little details that keep your outfit from looking wamp wamp wamp.  So search for those styles that will add a bit of wow to your look. Yes, you might not want to wear an entire gold outfit ( I mean, I would but that's me) but you can rock some gold loafers. A complete ombre look head to toe might not be what we want but a scarf that drips some beautiful hues against your skin, YES!! 

I met this amazing woman the other day and I was told that I'm officially adopted ;) She has this vibrancy and style that's contagious and uniquely her.  Style is another fun way to express your uniqueness and as my new friend said "everyday is an opportunity to get dressed." AGREED! I'm keeping this one. 

How to put your closet to work!

coat + fringe sweatshirt - JCrew, denim- Frame

My clothes are my worker bees. I was once in a place where I would stumble on an item and really couldn't remember the last time I wore it or worse yet, didn't remember purchasing it.  Those days are long gone my friends because I no longer buy what I don't love, truly love. That means, I know why I'm getting it and how I'll be wearing it when I'm in the store. It's the best moment in your potential closet happiness. Why am I getting so darn deep you may ask? It's because you're my peeps and I love ya, so listen up!! This will save you from the frustration of having styles that's not loved and are now taking up precious closet real estate. Every single piece of clothing I purchase for my clients ( yes, every) has a purpose and I know exactly how I want them to wear it. Yes, I might be on the scale of neurotic when it comes to fashion and style but that's why you love me ;) 

So let's get to the corn beef and cabbage of this conversation ( I'm married to an Irish lad and it's St Patty's day y'all...just go with it ;) When you narrow it down to having only those styles you love in your closet, it's like having a fantastic flashlight that beams on all your goodness i.e clothes (insert magical harps playing). You can really SEE what you have and that means you can REALLY use the pieces that you own. If you don't know how, you have my digits  :) So, these styles can be put to work by creating outfits in ways you've never seen before. 

Okay, so you're in the fitting room and trying on those thingamajigs you liked. You look in the mirror and nod with slight approval. You then exit to get confirmation from your girlfriend ( note: a great girlfriend tells the truth, kindly).  She says "it's cute". If these thoughts pop into your head "I like it, but what am I going to wear with it" ;  "when am I going to wear it" or it tugs, pulls, scratches, pretty much anything that causes discomfort, put it back. An item that's uncomfortable and a style that in the store you're not sure what to wear with or when you'll wear it, is one less piece blocking your view of the styles in your closet that you really love and wear. Trust me, your next shopping day will be frustration free. 

It's been pretty busy and I absolutely love the creative chaos!! It means so much having you on the adventure with me, it just feels good!

Peeps, are you ready for a fabulous and fashion filled "how to" style workshop hosted by me + some pretty awesome friends of mine??? It's in the works my wonderful friends. If you are interested  and want to be a part of this fashion filled FUN and you know it'll be fun,  email me at fashion@lauratully.co with subject Style workshop. I can hardly wait!!!!

Hello curves, I love you!

One of my favorite pictures captured by Vlad of Radion Photography

My Mom was certainly a huge influence when it came to embracing oneself and being my own biggest cheerleader. This wasn't always an easy journey, in fact it was difficult most of the times. As I get older the idea of feeling comfortable in my own skin seems less and less foreign to me. I think it is a combination of life experiences,  hard knocks learning and well, growing up.  Style has allowed me to figure out what I love the most about myself, this positive mind frame then infiltrated other avenues of my life. This is a BIG part of why I love personal styling, I get the chance to show my clients what I love about them and the best way to show it off.

I don't wear fitted dresses. That was just something I had as part of my style repertoire. My peeps will tell you that I love drapey, boyfriendy...you know loose anything ;)  Times they are a changing and I no longer put "I won't" but more "how can I." In other words, "how can I wear a fitted dress that I like and still be me ?" I saw this fitted crew neck dress at H & M and loved the simplicity of it and the color. It really hugs the body but in a soft way. To make it "me" I layered this amazing lace jacket by For Love and Lemons from Piece Unique. This lace number was one of those "love at first sight" moment and oh the outfits!!! It's light and airy and the color reminds me of the golden tones in sunsets.

If you want to wear a fitted style focus on fabric, fit and function. The fabric should have some weight to it, which allows for a smoother fit along those curves. I prefer those with structure, stretch and a more streamlined style. The fit should hug your body not constrict. You should be able to move around and sit comfortably. I want you to be able to breath, okay :) If the fit is right, then the ability to function should fall into place. That means we can walk with ease the way our body was intended.

I use to feel it was necessary to constantly combat what I was naturally given, long limbs that I wasn't always certain what the hell to do with, curly wild hair that wasn't the norm around me and a boyish shape that made me feel less like a woman. I learned to appreciate my long limbs (can I grab that for you in the top cupboard? ;) I stopped straightening my curly mane and a few slight curves popped up ( not many) that made me appreciate the beauty of being a woman. The less you try to fit in, the better you fit with yourself. It's the coolest thing. I want you to do something for me. Everyday this week and the rest of next week...every morning that you wake up I want you to say something really nice about your body to yourself. I'm serious, this embracing your goodness thang starts with you and the mental conversation you have with yourself. Trust me it's going to blow your mind and the exhaustion of picking yourself a part will be gone. Hallelujah!

Share this with your best peeps and spread the love. The process is a journey and it's not as bad as you think.  I've got your back :)