Archive for category: Style

It’s the second edition of Unstyled, and lookie here, it’s SPRING in Kansas City! I actually had an entirely different outfit planned for this post, but then the weather was so gorgeous, I had to switch it up. The main item I wanted to highlight in this post is my favorite bag in the whole world, my Transport Tote by Madewell. I bought this bag about 2 years ago, and planned to use it as a chic diaper bag. My youngest was no longer an infant, but I needed a big tote that I could hold anything and everything I needed as a working mama. I talked about this tote a bit in my Blog Conference Essentials post last week, and how I have used smaller pouches to carry my supplies inside this larger bag. I do the same thing in my day-to-day life, carrying kid supplies (crayons, matchbox cars, snacks), work supplies (phone, camera, notebooks, laptop) and personal supplies. I have used this bag for travel and even for shopping at the market. It’s honestly one of the best, most versatile things I’ve ever owned.

So imagine my horror when I realized the bag I carry EVERYWHERE was starting to show wear?! One of the straps began to tear a bit, and while the bag is made to look worn in as you use it, it looked like the strap was going to snap any minute. On a whim, I went into my local Madewell and showed them the problem. Mind you, I had no receipt or proof of purchase, but I told them how much I loved my bag and asked if there was anything they could do for me.

Well, the Madewell team went above and beyond! First they took my bag to a local leather cobbler to see if he could repair it. When he said it couldn’t be fixed, they replaced the bag at no cost to me. They said while I obviously used the bag quite a bit and there was some wear on it, the problem with the strap shouldn’t have happened and they stand behind their products, so they wanted to give me a new tote. How awesome is that?! I was so impressed with Madewell’s customer service and it made me love this brand even more than I already do (which, let’s face it, is a lot).

Jeans : Madewell

Top : Cynthia Rowley

Shoes : Shoemint

Tote : Madewell

Watch : Kate Spade

Bracelet : Kendra Scott

Do you have any pieces of clothing or an accessory you can’t live without? Or have you ever experienced customer service so awesome it made you want to share your love of a brand with everyone you meet? I’m the Madewell’s number one fan at the moment, so if you see me on the street and compliment my outfit, I’ll probably start into my tirade about the amazingness of this brand!

At the end of last year, I sent out a survey to all of my readers asking for some insight on what they wanted to see on this here blog in 2015. I’ve talked about this a couple times since, but seriously, my readers are the absolute greatest. You guys were so honest and sweet in those surveys, but there were a few surprises in there! One of which was the multiple requests for a style column.

I attempted a style column a few years ago, but I haven’t posted there in a while, mostly because I felt like it was super dorky. And goodness knows I wouldn’t want anyone thinking I was a DORK! Ha!

But seriously, in the past year or two my style has evolved from a lot of trendy, fun pieces to a more subdued look, and I just didn’t think it would translate in to a blog post. It’s funny, because it was only when I stopped caring so much what I was wearing that people seemed to notice what I was wearing! I can’t count how many times in the last few months I’ve met new people and told them I’m a blogger and they responded, “Oh, a fashion blogger?” And then I do my best not to laugh in their faces, because HUH?

I’ve done a lot of work in my life on letting go of the past and moving forward, and this process has caused some major purges of “stuff.” I have gone through my closet several times and ended up with trash bags of dresses, skirts, jeans, purses and shoes to donate. I tend to wear the same five outfits over and over again, so I decided to focus on buying more quality pieces and sticking with what I like. I used to be super into color and statement pieces, but now I’m finding myself in more basics with fun accents and accessories. It makes my life so much easier. I used to stare at my closet each morning and get so overwhelmed with what I should wear, but these days I just grab and go, because I literally love everything in there and it all goes together so I can mix and match without much effort.

Lately, a big online fashion trend has been creating a “capsule wardrobe,” a small number of curated clothing pieces, which you change out each season (you can read more about capsule wardrobes here). I’ve been reading posts all over the web about these capsule collections, and the other day I realized I’ve been unintentionally creating a capsule wardrobe for the past two years. It’s definitely the way to go if you’re having trouble finding your style or if getting dressed stresses you out. Since I’ve started curating my wardrobe, I’ve finally been able to find my own sense of style, instead of trying to emulate what others are doing.

My style is definitely a mix of form and function, which is the trademark of a mom and something I really focused on in the last style column I did. My days are a mix of work and parenting, usually simultaneously, so I need my clothes to be easily translated to both worlds. I like to look cute and put together, but I can’t be tripping over myself when I’m chasing Tate down the sidewalk! This outfit is pretty representative of a normal weekday. I would wear this to a photo shoot, then to coffee with a friend, then back to the office to get some work done before I pick up the kids from school.

Sweater – J. Crew
Legging Jeans – Hue
Blanket Scarf – Jane (sold out, but similar here)
Booties – Frye
Lips – Russian Red by MAC

Special thanks goes out to my friend Lane of Missalaneyus who shot these photos for me! We are so grateful that the rad staff at the Upper Crust Bakery allowed us to use their shop for a location, since it was 18 degrees outside on the day of our shoot. Their pies and pastries are amazing, and you know we couldn’t leave without a piece (or in my case, an entire pie).

Okay, the first UnStyled post is officially done! I decided to call this new column UnStyled because really, that’s what my personal style is all about. It’s not about looking perfect, but about being a little rumpled by life, and doing it with flair. I may not be the most fashionable girl in the room, but when I feel good about what I’m wearing, I think it shows.