winter wardrobe assessment

March 22, 2017

Before you get excited about all your spring stuff, now's a good time to look at your winter wardrobe and access what worked and what didn't. If there are things that didn't get worn this season - reflect on why. If something has gone through two winter seasons without getting worn (and you're not pregnant or otherwise transitioning in weight), I'd say it's time to let go. Taking photos of your outfits (whether you share them with the world or not) is a great way to track what you've worn and judge which were your favorites - here are a few of mine:

mindful closet: winter wardrobe assessment

If there are things you wore and loved and could use a replacement for, this is a great time to take advantage of winter clearance sales. For example, I really enjoyed wearing my black pointy-toed boots, but wouldn't mind a pair with a little bit of a heel. I had tried these on earlier and liked them, so I ordered them when I saw them on sale recently. They come in wide width and fit my orthotics. I also saw another pair of my beloved Blondo boots on eBay for 1/3 the price and snapped those up too.

Other bloggers have written much better, detailed posts about the process of assessing your past season's clothing, so I'll direct you to Seasons and Salt and Style Bee for those.

What did you love wearing this winter?

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trench coat: wardrobe staple or not?

March 8, 2017

There are some things that we're told every woman has to have in their wardrobe.

mindful closet st louis personal stylist: trench coat

I've already decided I'm not the white-button-down-wearing type (usually on that list) and therefore don't need one, but what about a trench coat? I love the look of it, and it's perfect for transitional weather like we're having now. I was all about the trench while I was pregnant (here and here) but in reality, I hardly ever wear it.

What do you think? Keep it or let it go?

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(photos by Celeste Boyer)

bare legs in february

February 24, 2017

Hiiiii....it's been a minute. Looks like I haven't blogged for about six weeks! January was insanely busy, with everyone who received gift certificates for Christmas wanting to schedule right away. In February, I was so grateful to have the chance to tag along on a trip to Spain with mr. mindful closet (see my travel packing tips here). We've still been working on finding the best balance for our family between childcare and work. In the fall, we started our son in full time preschool, and though it was nice to have time to put into mindful closet, it felt like too much time apart for everyone. We decided to drop down to only three days of childcare/preschool a week, so there's been a bit more momming and a bit less working happening lately. It feels right (right now), but as we've learned, what works is constantly changing. Frustrating for a planner like me, but good for working on my flexibility and patience.

Hasn't this weather been crazy? And by crazy, I mean crazy good. It's so easy to just throw on a dress and boots and walk out the door without even a jacket. I've always wanted to live in California, so if I can just keep getting California's weather in St. Louis, I'll take it!

I bought this dress about four years ago at a consignment shop for about $40, and it's earned its keep for sure. Made of tencel, it doesn't wrinkle, and looks nicer than cotton. Easy to dress up or down, with a scarf or without, with sandals or boots. It's one of my go-to items for trip packing as well. Since I've had it so long, I was shocked to find it still available on Zappos - check it out. My necklace is old from Need Supply, but here's a similar version on Etsy, and my boots are Blondo.

Have you been enjoying summer in February?

mindful closet st louis personal stylist

(photos by Celeste Boyer)

my beauty favorites + lark skin care

January 12, 2017

I have never had the same enthusiasm for makeup and beauty products as I have had for clothing and fashion. Not sure why. I can tell you all about what jeans to buy, but can’t help you with makeup tips. I always thought the 5-minute face was funny, because it takes me about 3 minutes: concealer, blush, mascara, done. A few years ago my hairstylist introduced me to the difference it can make when you fill in your brows and I’ve since added that to the routine.

Somehow, along the way, I have happened across a few products that I like.

st louis image consultant beauty favorites

L'oreal Elnett Hairspray

When you have naturally unruly hair and you want to try and keep it under control, you rely on hairspray. I think I read about this in one of those Allure Magazine “best of” issues. It really holds well and doesn’t look or feel crunchy.

EltaMD Moisturizer with Sunscreen

To really protect your skin from the sun (so my dermatologist tells me), you have to use a sunscreen with zinc. Problem is, zinc smells funny and leaves white streaks, except for this one.

Chanel Le Volume mascara

I always subscribed to the idea that drugstore brands were just as good as department store brands, with less fancy packaging. Trying this mascara (because of a sample in a blogger goodie bag) proved me wrong. It really does make my lashes look longer and fuller and every other cliche. It’s crazy.

Make Up For Ever

When having new photos shot for my website earlier this year, my photographer gently suggested that I might want to wear some real makeup. I had previously just used drugstore coverup every once in awhile. I went to Sephora and had my skin tone matched to a Make Up For Ever foundation. It’s lightweight, easy to blend, and doesn’t feel like you’re wearing heavy foundation.

Suave Dry Shampoo

I know there are fancy dry shampoos, but I decided to try this one a few years back and haven’t felt a need for anything else. Maybe I’m wrong, like in the case of the mascara! I hate how long it takes to shower and get ready, so I try to only shower every other day. On off days, I spray this into the areas of my scalp that get oily and then refresh with a quick blow dry.

As I’ve tried to get into higher quality, more eco-conscious fashion, I’ve also starting taking a closer look at my beauty products and I have some new favorites. Lark Skin Care is produced right here in St. Louis by my friend Lisa Dolan and uses only completely natural ingredients. Lisa is an accomplished photographer, but started Lark when she was pregnant and trying to find products without chemicals. So far I’ve tried the Himalayan Salt and Coconut Body Scrub, the Orange and Clove Lotion bar, and the lip balm and they are all amazing. You also have to hear Lisa talk about how they were made and all the different uses for each product. How? Come to our joint event, the minimalist beauty + wardrobe workshop next Thursday, January 19th. It’s the perfect chance to reevaluate your routines and let go of some things that aren’t working for you.

Do you have any amazing beauty products I should know about?

the minimalist beauty + wardrobe workshop

January 5, 2017

Was one of your New Year's resolutions to simplify? Join me and Lisa Dolan from Lark Skincare for a workshop in two weeks at roar. in Webster Groves.

It's going to be a small informal group, with lots of wine and great conversation. Lisa's going to tell you how to figure out your skin type, pare down your skincare routine, and will make you a (free) custom face mask. I'm going to tell you how to let go of all those clothes you've been holding onto, streamline your wardrobe, and change your shopping habits. If you haven't seen it, roar is a really cute event and co-working space in Webster, and we're excited to be hanging out there for the night. Go here to get your ticket(s)! Also, we're doing a fun giveaway today on Instagram - I’m giving away a mini-closet cleanse and Lisa is giving away a coconut scrub and lotion bar. Follow both of us (@mindfulcloset and @larkskinco) to get the details! We’ll choose a random winner on Monday. Good luck!

new year's eve trends

December 28, 2016

How did everyone do over the holidays? I had a great time with family, but I'm ready to get back to normal eating and sleeping and life!

Of course, there's still one big night left before the end of the year. The question is always whether to buy something new or wear something you own for New Year's Eve. Luckily, with rental services, you can wear a new-to-you gown without having to shell out hundreds of dollars for something you're probably not going to want to wear again.

Here are a few of my picks for trends in evening wear, all available from Rent the Runway.

(Click photos for links to items)

Cutouts: if you've been keeping up with your barre classes (uh...), you might feel brave enough to try one of these. Or not.

Jumpsuits are a fun way to be dressed up but still comfy. Do a jumpsuit with culotte pants and hit two trends at once.

Off the shoulder has been big for both casual and dressy this year. Always helpful if you prefer a little arm coverage.

Do you have big plans for New Year's Eve? What are you wearing? There's still time to order a rental from Rent the Runway, and if you use this link, you'll get $30 off your first rental. They're not paying me for this blog post, but I will get a credit if you sign up through the link!

I'm pretty excited about my NYE plans - I'll be going to the STL Symphony New Year's Eve concert, and I'm going to be interviewed on the live broadcast. We'll be talking about orchestra fashion - if you're not sure what that is, make sure to tune in! ;) Listen to the live broadcast Saturday night at 7pm on 90.7 KWMU or online here.

Happy New Year!

P.S. Have you signed up for my email list yet? Only one email a month, and this month, I'll be talking about some big plans I have for 2017, as well as events and sales. Sign up below.

a 10 piece eileen fisher capsule wardrobe

December 13, 2016

There are always different capsule wardrobe challenges going around the internet. In recent memory, there were 30x30 (30 pieces for 30 days), then Project 333 (33 pieces for 3 months), then the Unfancy capsule (37 pieces for 3 months). Currently, 10x10 (10 items for 10 days) is popular. Since I wanted to introduce you all to how versatile, practical, and useful Eileen Fisher clothing is, I thought I’d take it a little further and see how many outfits I could get with only 10 pieces of clothing.

As when I have chosen my own capsules (to see all my capsule wardrobe blog posts, go here), I started with more and edited it down to 10 items. I made sure to have basic tops (white tee, striped tee, and dressy shell) and bottoms (dark wash jeans and black pants). I wanted to have a versatile dress and lots of top layers that would go with every foundational piece for lots of combinations.

Here are the 10 Eileen Fisher pieces: Sleeveless Silk Long Shell, Dolman Sleeved Linen Tunic, Long Sleeve Jersey Top, Long Draped Open Cardigan, Fisher Project Wool Poncho Top, Fine Merino Birdseye Angle Front Jacket, Wool Blend Twill Graph Serape, Slim Ponte Pant, Washable Silk Dress, and Soft Stretch Skinny Jean.

You may have noticed that the prices on these items are higher than some I might usually post. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, this is an amazing company. When you pay a higher price for an Eileen Fisher item, you're paying for the fact that these are classic pieces made with quality fabrics that won't be out of style in six months. You're paying for the fact that the items are made with textiles that are produced with less waste and fewer chemicals. You're paying for the fact that this company actually tracks the supply chain of what its products are made of to ensure that when they say it's organic cotton, it's actually organic cotton. You're paying for the fact that this company is committed to human rights and not only monitors its factories for violations but is beginning to do cell phone surveys of workers to allow them a voice.

There are also many ways to get discounted Eileen Fisher pieces. I've found pieces on eBay, at consignment stores, Nordstrom Rack and on sale at the Eileen Fisher store. If you can shift your buying from 4 fast fashion pieces to 1 discounted ethically-made piece, you'll be doing good at the same time as you reduce your overwhelm from excess in your closet.

But back to the outfits! All in all, I came up with 24, a good month's worth of looks for both casual and dressy work and play occasions.

To create your OWN capsule wardrobe, go here to sign up for my super easy 5 day capsule creation challenge. After just 5 days, you’ll have a capsule ready to go, without buying anything new!

P.S. Just in case you were wondering, Eileen Fisher isn't paying me for this post or this event, I just really believe in the company. P.P.S. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on them, I get a few cents, but it costs you nothing.