If you’re new here, think of this edit as the deeper recap of what we’ve been talking about on Instagram. There is always more underneath, so this is the slower version, the version where we can actually sit with the ideas a little longer.

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

• I was gifted a few pieces from BONBONWHIMS, but I NEED more! I’m obsessed with these pave earcuffs and want as many as I can stack on my ear as possible . They also gave us a code for 20% off, use COLORIST20.

• I’m looking for a new pair of sneakers and loving the red/yellow in these Saucouny pair here.

• I’ve been seeing all the gen z girlies wear long ling cargo shorts and I want to try a pair! These look good here.

• If you want an Adidas track short alternative, Relax Lacrosse Brand has so many fun options. Like these here.

• I’ve been wanting to try Eadem lip gloss, I think I would do color Fig Sauce.

• So manu questions on a color wheel, this one form amazon is good and easy to use.

• I also was gifted the Maison De Sabre bag and I love it! The colors, the charms, the added strap if you want a crossbody. Highly recommend, here.

If you missed any other shopping links, be sure to bookmark my shopmy or LTK.

This Week’s Instagram Reels

Want to Be Part of The Colorist?

I would love to start seeing more of what you’re wearing, experimenting with, and trying in real life.

Tag me on Instagram if you’re testing out a color combo, trying a new silhouette, or just having a good outfit moment. I love seeing what you’re wearing and highlighting people in this community.

And if you want actual feedback, you can submit your outfits here. I’ll review select submissions on Instagram, and I’d love to see what you’re working with and help you train your eye a little more along the way.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here!

We’re closing out June and have officially entered the middle-of-summer territory. I have to say, the temps here in AZ, usually 110+ by now, have been surprisingly mild, and the early mornings have actually been pleasant. I better not jinx it.

If you don’t know, Arizona summers are brutal, with temperatures reaching close to 120°F in mid-July and August. It usually doesn’t drop below 100°F until the end of October, so this has been a very nice surprise.

I will say, though, as a local, there is something magical about the summer here. The dry heat, the clouds, the emptiness, and the sudden onset of wild monsoons and dust storms can sometimes feel like something out of an adventure novel.

And now, back to fashion.

At the end of each newsletter, I always link what I’ve been eyeing lately, along with follower favorites.

If you’re new here, think of this edit as the deeper recap of what we’ve been talking about on Instagram. There is always more underneath, so this is the slower version, the version where we can actually sit with the ideas a little longer.

And one last thing before we recap the week, I’m kicking off my new paid series, The Colorist School of Taste: The Foundation of Personal Style.

Think long-form video lessons where we go deeper into discovering personal style, understanding trends, fit, culture, and how to triangulate it all in a way that actually feels like you. The first intro post is live now, and you can check it out here.

Let’s get into it.

On The Run

I see so many parents defaulting to running shoes for almost every outfit. It doesn’t matter what the outfit is, the running shoes are on. Why?!

It’s baffling to me. Listen, don’t come at me about foot health and comfort, okay? That is, 99% of the time, an excuse in my opinion. You can have both comfort and style, I promise. Stop selling yourself short!

So we broke it down, and I shared a few other options that still feel practical, wearable, and comfortable, but make the outfit feel a lot more intentional.

And yes, I also mentioned Birkenstocks. They can work, but they don’t automatically work with everything. Like most things in style, it really comes down to proportion, context, and how you’re styling them.

Which is also exactly the kind of nuance we’re getting into in my new series for paid subscribers. You can check it out here.

Three Color Combo, IRL

Hey, hi, hello it’s me! Since I talk about color so much, I thought it would be fun to show you how I actually use it in my own wardrobe.

These are real-life outfits from my closet and a look at how I combine colors in a way that still feels wearable, personal, and easy to repeat. I’ve been feeling very bold primary and complimentary color combos as of late. Maybe its the summer heat or the intersection of sports and fashion recently, either way it’s made getting dressed a lot more fun.

I have a few staples I almost always reach for when I want to add a pop of color, like these blue Freda Salvador flats. I love them so much.

Classic, Fantastic

We put a little spin on the three-color rule for the dads this week.

Some color combinations are classic, and some are just fantastic. I thought these were great summer combos, easy and wearable, but still intentional.

I saw a few comments about brown as a “pop of color” being weird, but it’s not really about the specific color on its own. It’s about the combination of colors together and how they play off each other.

That’s where the magic happens.

Coooool

I did a little “yap” on being cool and following trends this week.

Many people in the comments get confused by this and wear the idea of being anti-trend like a badge of honor, but if your entire style is built around rejecting what everyone else is doing, you’re still reacting to everyone else. Being cool is not the same thing as being anti-trend.

Cool people aren’t necessarily avoiding trends. They’re just not letting trends make all the decisions for them. They know how to filter what’s happening through their own taste, their own lifestyle, and their own sense of self.

That’s the difference between looking like you’re following the internet and looking like you’re actually choosing.

Could You Be Cooler?

This is my new favorite series. I think it’s so fun and fresh, and I hope it’s inspiring you all to think a little differently about getting dressed.

This one was for the men, and it’s supposed to be a little out there. Crazy, shocking, maybe even slightly confusing at first. That’s the point.

Once you get past the initial reaction, I hope it makes you think. The goal isn’t to copy the look exactly. It's to take little bits and pieces you can translate into your own personal style to make it more unique to you.

I added links since there were a few requests for this one, but a lot of them aren’t the exact same as the video since the pieces are couture or older archival looks.

Take a peek if you want some ideas for your next shopping spree.

Trends Aren’t the Problem

Following the theme of the yap, this video was also about trends in fashion and why they’re often misunderstood.

This was actually a repost of a video I made a couple of months ago. There are a lot of new faces here, so I thought it was a good time to revisit it.

A lot of the conversation I see online around trends is about being anti-trend, or how the internet is ruining fashion, but I don’t think that’s quite right. I don’t think trends or the internet are the real problem. The missing piece is that fashion is deeply personal and we’ve lost some sense of ourselves.

We can see more, reach more, and explore more than ever before, but somehow, instead of helping us stand out, it often makes us want to fit in.

It’s time to learn how to use fashion as a tool for self-expression again.

WIWTW

I’m going to start doing weekly recaps of what I wore as a way to introduce more of my personal style and taste, and hopefully give you a little inspiration along the way.

Instagram seems to be missing a lot more people and moms real-life outfits (but still cool), not just looks that are completely filtered and optimized for Instagram.

Some of my outfits may be algorithm-worthy, and some may be more practical mom fits, but over time I’ve honed my style to feel eclectic, casual, colorful, and unexpected. I am also a heavy outfit repeater, so if you’ve seen the shorts once you’ve seen them styled ten different ways. Clothes are meant to be WORN, right?

As I share more of these, you’ll start to see how I weave the ideas we discuss into my everyday looks, through color, proportion, styling, and the little details that make an outfit feel personal.

A Few Things I’ve Been Thinking About

These are the questions that have been sitting with me this week, and they’re the foundation of everything we’re building here:

The idea of personal style is interesting because I think most people assume it’s something you can find online, or figure out with a pen and paper, but personal style is not found. It’s practiced.

It’s something that becomes part of you. A living, breathing thing that does not exist without your experiences, emotions, likes, dislikes, body, lifestyle, and point of view. Nothing anyone can say or show you will automatically make your style feel more like you. You have to live it. You have to build it. You have to do it consistently.

You have to try new things, put together ugly outfits, make mistakes, and eventually find the combinations that actually feel like you. It only becomes stronger through trial and error. Inspiration and references are great. They can be incredibly helpful, but they will never feel personal until they have been filtered through you.

And with so much access to everything online now, I think people forget that.

Style used to feel like more of a quest, a way to show what culture, subculture, mood, or world you were part of. A way to distinguish yourself from others. Now, I think a lot of people use it to blend in.

But where is the art in that? Where is the expression?

So next time you get dressed, try something that surprises you. Try something that pushes you a little. That’s where your unique style starts to exist.

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

• I was gifted a few pieces from BONBONWHIMS, but I NEED more! I’m obsessed with these pave earcuffs and want as many as I can stack on my ear as possible . They also gave us a code for 20% off, use COLORIST20. And the rings! The color combos are so good, I also saw Gigi. Hadid and Taylor Swift like to wear a few of their pieces.

• On the thought of accessories I have been meaning to post this, I love my cat clip from Solar Eclipse. They have so many whimsical pieces that are handpainted and made in New York. I also want to get a few more. You can use code THECOLORIST15 for 15% off.

• I’ve been loving beachy, shell jewelry like these here.

If you missed any other shopping links, be sure to bookmark my shopmy or LTK.

Want to Be Part of The Colorist?

I would love to start seeing more of what you’re wearing, experimenting with, and trying in real life.

Tag me on Instagram if you’re testing out a color combo, trying a new silhouette, or just having a good outfit moment. I love seeing what you’re wearing and highlighting people in this community.

And if you want actual feedback, you can submit your outfits here. I’ll review select submissions on Instagram, and I’d love to see what you’re working with and help you train your eye a little more along the way.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here!

This is an intro video, if you will, to the foundation and ideas we’ll be exploring throughout this series.

There is so much to say, so much nuance, that longer-form video feels like the right format to consolidate it all and share it in a way that feels more complete.

I’ll also be creating assignments and prompts along the way, so you can work through the ideas at your own pace and apply them to your own closet, body, lifestyle, and sense of self.

What to Expect in the Video:

~7 min watch time

Part 01: Why Personal Style Feels Confusing
Part 02: Meet the Colorist Style Triangle
Part 03: Your Inner World
Part 04: Your Outer World
Part 05: Your Body
Part 06: When One Point Takes Over
Part 07: When All Three Points Work Together

Class is in session!

Read more

Shoutout to all the cool dads out there. You make the world go round for our families. Thank you for being our rock and showing our littles what unconditional love looks like.

Make sure you read to the end, there is a poll and I would love your feedback.

Also, at the end of each newsletter, I link what I’ve been eyeing lately, along with follower favorites.

If you’re new here, think of this edit as the deeper recap of what we’ve been talking about on Instagram. There is always more underneath, so this is the slower version. The version where we can actually sit with the ideas a little longer.

Let’s get into it.

Euro Summer

We started off the week with 10 trends to pack if you’re taking a European summer vacation. Which, if you are, I am extremely jealous. I haven’t been back to Europe in probably over a decade? Sigh. I can’t wait to go back.

Think of these trends as pieces you can wear all summer long, but they’ll make people wonder if you live in Europe instead of just visiting. White linen, scarves, embellished pieces, espadrilles, and all the effortless little details that make an outfit feel romantic and lived-in.

I lived in Provence for six months in college, Paris for a summer in high school, and I also minored in French, so this one hit close to home for me.

Tag me in your photos if you go. I want to live vicariously through you.

Tough Choices

Next, we did a short and sweet color combo video for cool dads.

This wasn’t the three color rule. It was more about putting a feeling to different color combinations, so you can start thinking about how colors aren’t just something we see. They evoke feelings and emotions too.

So when you get dressed, think about how you want to feel and which colors can help express that.

Which combo are you?

Matchy Matchy

This video falls more into my educational tier of color content, but I’m still trying to make it digestible and easy to follow.

Monochromatic looks can either be super chic or they can look completely wrong, and this video helps you start to see the difference.

Color theory can actually get complicated and kind of dense when you really dig into it, so my goal is to make it easier to understand how to use it in your everyday life and to understand why some things work and others don’t.

These aren’t hard and fast rules, but color theory is a science, so there is a “right and wrong” to matching colors. Whether you want to follow those rules or break them on purpose is up to you.

But like any good craft, we have to understand the basics and the foundation first before we can break them and make something that is truly our own.

You’re Wrong About Cool

I reposted episode 1 of my cool series, and honestly, this one is my baby. My magnum opus. The reason behind everything I’m trying to do here.

Sometimes it can be hard to triangulate it all on Instagram with such short bursts of content, but ultimately The Colorist is about helping you find your way back home to yourself, no matter what season of life you’re in, through fashion and authentic self-expression.

Because ultimately, that’s what cool really is. Being able to authentically express who you are in the context of the world.

If you haven’t watched it yet, be sure to check it out. It really is that good.

F**CK Boring

This was a totally new idea and kind of a tongue-in-cheek way to do color combos in real life.

If I’m being honest, I actually have a mouth like a sailor sometimes, so the F word felt fitting if you really know me.

I want to start doing more real-life outfits as teaching moments, while also letting you get to know me and my personal style more. I love a good color combo, and I love a good short or skirt. It’s always part of my personal outfit formula.

Have More Fun

This is the newest of my series, and I LOVE this one. It’s such a good reminder that fashion should be fun, whimsical, and like you.

Clothes should have personality. They should feel lived-in. They should start conversations.

Some of these pieces are definitely out there, but they’re meant to inspire you to find the pieces in your own closet that create that same feeling for you.

#1 Dad

For this one, I wanted to share something a little more personal, a small view into my life, my husband, and the way fatherhood shows up in our family.

Fatherhood is often not talked about as much, or it can be misunderstood, but I know so many of us deeply appreciate the cool dads who are showing up every day in the big and small ways.

Happy Father’s Day to all the cool dads out there.

A Few Things I’ve Been Thinking About

These are the questions that have been sitting with me this week, and they’re the foundation of everything we’re building here:

As I’ve mentioned in previous weeks, I’m working on something bigger, a course, series, or deeper body of work that brings everything I talk about here together from the foundation up.

What is cool? What is taste? Can you learn it? How do proportions, color, personal style, trends, and self-expression all fit together? I want you to feel confident in what you wear and most importantly in yourself.

I’m imagining longer-form videos, written lessons, and visual guides that help you actually build your eye and understand why something works. Last thing I want for you is to just blindly copy someone else’s outfit formula.

I’m still figuring out the best way to package it, and I’d genuinely love your input.

Would you prefer:

Option 1: A course you can purchase once and go through at your own pace?

Option 2: Live workshops where you can pay per topic?

Option 3: Or a premium paid monthly subscription where these deeper lessons become part of the weekly Substack posts? You would have access to all archives as we build on the course.

I would love to know what would feel most helpful, realistic, and exciting for you.

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

• These eyeshadows from Violette Fr look soo good.

• I did a reel awhile ago about rock climbing and approach shoes becoming a trend and these new balance shoes fit that vibe. They’re like an approach shoe meets a water shoe and I’m kinda loving it.

• Speaking of having more fun and whimsy, these earrings really add color and personality to your look. And these or these!

• I recently got these Seavess Mary Janes in the cotton candy colorway, they’re so comfortable and summery. You guys have been loving them too!

• And lastly, these satin lace shorts were a big hit with all of you, they’re on heavy rotation for me right now too.

If you missed any other shopping links, be sure to bookmark my shopmy or LTK.

Want to Be Part of The Colorist?

I would love to start seeing more of what you’re wearing, experimenting with, and trying in real life.

Tag me on Instagram if you’re testing out a color combo, trying a new silhouette, or just having a good outfit moment. I love seeing what you’re wearing and highlighting people in this community.

And if you want actual feedback, you can submit your outfits here. I’ll review select submissions on Instagram, and I’d love to see what you’re working with and help you train your eye a little more along the way.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here!

I’ve compiled some of my favorite products, gadgets and clothes in to a gift guide for the cool dads. I wanted to keep things easy and casual, but still intentional.

Think everyday upgrades they’ll actually use.

• Hair Styling: I love Jack Henry Co. Their hair clay gives a strong hold, great texture, and volume without feeling too sticky. My husband has thick curly hair and I think this would be perfect for him. Plus, they’re a small business founded by a dad with a clean mission, which I always love.

• Hair Health: I think Nutrafol is such a unique gift option. Hear me out, hair and scalp health gets so easily neglected as we get older, especially for men. I love that this helps support healthy, strong hair so the cool dads can feel their best. The shampoo is 2-in-1 and the serum is easy to use after the shower and doesn’t leave the hair feeling greasy. It also great for cool grandpas too ;).

• Fragrance: Also such a great gift. Scent is so tied to memory, and I’m loving these from Le Père, which actually means “father” in French. They’re unique, they feel special, and they’re even better when layered. I also love the discovery kit so they can mix and match and find their favorite.

• Sneakers and sunglasses: These are items they wear every day, and the right accessories can instantly make an outfit feel more modern and cool. I especially love these Kenneth Cole sneakers and my husband is obsessed with his pair. They are a more elevated alternative to a Samba, still easy and casual, but with a slightly sharper silhouette. Black square frames like these create that effortlessly cool vibe.

• Hats: It wouldn’t be a Father’s Day gift guide without a hat. My husband is a big hat guy, so I loved finding options that feel sporty and casual, but not like workout hats or sports team hats. I think my husband would love retro vibes of the BY Parra one and bonus points, its a cool dad three color combo of red, white and blue.

• Men’s bags: Bags are big this year, and I think they’re such a great gift for any dad who commutes, goes to the gym, travels, or just ends up carrying everyone’s stuff. These feel modern and masculine without feeling like a purse. I know my husband needs this upgrade, he’s always grabbing his old backpack from, dare I say, post-college days? These instantly make the look feel more intentional.

I linked a bunch more on my ShopMy too: coffee gear (my husbands favorite, he’s coffee obsessed), accessories, clothing, screen free digital cameras (we have one and its so fun to use!) and a few more easy upgrades for the cool dads.

This was such a big week in culture. The Knicks energy. The blue and orange. The entire city feeling electric. I lived in New York for three years, so I do feel like I get to borrow a tiny bit of the collective delusion and excitement happening over there right now.

Then with the World Cup starting, there are suddenly so many good intersections happening between sports, color, fashion, and identity.

I also played soccer for most of my life growing up, so I’m not solely a fair-weather fan, right? I played midfielder and rocked Nike cleats in high school so I do kind of know what is going on here.

This week we talked soccer core, color, outfit formulas, and all the little style details that make getting dressed feel more alive.

As always, think of this edit as the deeper recap of what we’ve been talking about on Instagram. The reels are fast. They’re made for the scroll. I have to hold your attention, and somehow make a complete point before everyone emotionally moves on. Whew. But there is always more underneath, so this is the slower version. The version where we can actually sit with the ideas a little longer.

Let’s get into it.

Three Color Rule

I reposted an oldie but a goodie this week, one of the original three color rule reels. These color combos are sooo good, and apparently you guys still love them too.

Those reels are really meant to be inspirational. They’re there to get you excited about color, to help you notice combinations you maybe wouldn’t have thought of, and to remind you that getting dressed can feel a little more alive when you start playing with color intentionally.

I also have a few other color-based reels that go more in-depth on the color theory of it all, because obviously there is always more happening underneath the surface.

I’ve gotten so many requests to make some kind of color guide, a book, a color wheel, or something you could actually keep in your closet and reference when you’re getting dressed.

I keep thinking about a Cool Mom / Cool Dad Color Wheel, something that helps you build better color combinations in the moment without overthinking it.

Would you actually want this?

I really like the idea so please feel free to DM me with any additional thoughts.

Dress The Part

I have gotten so many questions and DMs about fit, proportion, and how to find clothes that actually work for your body and make you feel confident. This is something I’m really passionate about, and I’m trying to incorporate more of it into the content because I think it’s such a missing piece in personal style. I have a proportions quiz here if you’re unsure of your body type.

As I mentioned last week, I’m working on a series called The Foundations of Style, where I can go more in-depth on all of these topics and challenges. For now, we get the 60-second Instagram version, and this week we started with the best dress silhouettes for each body type.

Inevitably, when I post something like this, people love to comment that they like a certain style better, or they don’t care, or it’s too hot to wear that, or whatever else. I get the concerns but these posts are not “YOU CAN ONLY WEAR THIS.” They’re a starting point to learn the basics. I want you you to see the differences and understand why something works or not. More importantly, I want you to know why another piece might feel slightly off even if you technically like it, because that is a very easy styling mistake to fall into.

Then you can take that knowledge and use it in your own wardrobe when you’re getting dressed. That’s the whole point. Not rules for the sake of rules, but language for what you’re already feeling in the mirror.

I also have a few articles on this as well. You can find more for dads here and moms here.

Summer Park Dad Fits

Cool Dads, it’s hot, you’re tired, and it is very easy to default to the comfiest thing you own, which for many of you means basketball shorts. But just because the temps are warm doesn’t mean we have to completely default.

I see so many dads at the park wearing clothes that don’t really fit, don’t feel intentional, and honestly end up looking a little sloppy. This is not about being judgmental. I know how much getting dressed can shift how you feel, and taking a few extra minutes to put on something that works can genuinely set the tone for the whole day. (It’s almost like taking the few extra minutes to make your bed in the morning, or waking up and not looking at your phone right away, its that intention that sets the day.)

You’re worth the effort. And the good news is, it doesn’t have to be complicated. A better-fitting short, a cleaner tee, a slightly more intentional shoe, these are easy swaps, but they make the whole look feel sharper.

That’s really the point of this series. I am not here to make anyone feel bad but to remind you that YOU are allowed to care how you show up too.

Soccer Core

I love Sambas. I own a pair, and I think they are genuinely a great shoe for men and women. The silhouette, the comfort, the colors, it really is a good shoe.

If you are looking to upgrade your summer sneakers, I hate to break it to you: Sambas have peaked. When we talk about trends and the trend curve, we are past late adoption here. They have officially been everywhere for a few years now.

So consider this a little PSA to maybe try something new and feel fresh. There are so many other low-profile sneakers that give you a similar feel but look a little more current. Canvas sneakers are coming back around, hiking-inspired shoes are having a moment, and of course Adidas and Nike both have other soccer-style options that feel a little more unique.

This isn’t me saying you can never wear Sambas again. Wear them. Love them. They’re classics for a reason. But if you’re buying a new summer sneaker and want your outfit to feel a little more interesting, I’d look somewhere else first.

This is Everything

Cool Moms and Dads, if you can get out of the house with your partner, even just for a few hours, that little bit of time is truly healing.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in work, kids, schedules, chores, bedtime routines, and the general mental load of keeping an entire household alive. And it is very easy to fall into the “I’m tired” trap, (hi, it’s me). But when you can make intentional time for each other, it breaks down that stress we all carry.

My mom has always said, “The marriage comes first, then the family.” I don’t think I fully understood that until becoming a parent. OF COURSE my kids are my entire world. They mean more to me than anything, but my marriage is the foundation of everything, and if the foundation isn’t strong, the cracks can start to show throughout the whole household.

So taking time for each other matters. Remembering who you are as partners and not just parents, matters. Remembering who you are as people, matters.

If we’re being honest, it’s also just really fun. Who doesn’t want to get dressed, eat pizza, drink a little champagne, and get tipsy with the person who means the most to them?

Are You Cool Enough?

I loved starting this new mini series where I take the outrageous, amazing runway and couture fashion and translate it into realistic inspiration for the everyday.

Personal style is not just following trends or wearing whatever the algorithm feeds you. Let’s get in touch with our personality, the texture, the weird little references, the humor, the fun flair that makes something feel like you.

That’s what I love about looking at runway. Sure, walk around in full couture at preschool pickup if you are truly inspired, but I like to be reminded to play a little. To look at the craziest shapes, color, proportion, styling, funky attitude and then translate it into your own real life.

I’m definitely going to keep doing more of this. And be honest… would you ever wear the cat heels??

Hot & Fun

I’ve been working on adding more personal moments to the page in a way that still feels natural, not overdone, and actually relatable. So making this carousel felt like a perfect way to do that.

I love when I find posts that are such a specific vibe and somehow perfectly resonate with where I’m at in life, and I hope this one did that for some of you too.

Also, slightly random tangent, but “Hot & Fun” immediately made me think of the N.E.R.D. song. Anyone remember that?

A Few Things I’ve Been Thinking About

These are the questions that have been sitting with me this week, and they’re the foundation of everything we’re building here:

1. How do you do it all? Or do we even have to?

How are we supposed to be creative, be ourselves, be partners, parents, bosses, daughters, sisters, brothers, employees, friends, and still have time for everything?

How do you feel tired and burned out, but also somehow still full of ideas? Because sometimes I feel like I’m bursting at the seams with creativity and energy. Like I have to get it all out, do it all, be the best, be the first, keep going, keep making, keep becoming. And then, at the exact same time, it can feel so overwhelming.

I think that’s the strange tension of this season of life. You can be wildly inspired and deeply exhausted. You can feel grateful and stretched thin. You can want more and also need rest. You can love the life you’re building and still wonder how you’re supposed to hold all of it.

I think that’s why style still matters to me in the middle of all of this. Not because an outfit solves it, but because getting dressed can be one small way to remember yourself. A color you love, a shape that feels good, a little bit of effort when everything else feels like survival mode.

I don’t know if balance is always the right word. Sometimes balance feels like one more thing we’re supposed to achieve perfectly. Maybe it’s more about rhythm. Knowing when to push, when to soften, when to create, when to be present, when to let something be good enough, and when to admit that you’re not a machine.

Being a full person is a lot. Being a creative person is a lot. Being a parent is a lot. Being someone who cares deeply about the life they’re building is a lot.

So maybe the goal isn’t to do it all perfectly. Maybe we just need to find small ways to come back to ourselves during it all.

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

• Jumping on the world cup bandwagon I need a real jersey or kit as they say. Thinking maybe this, this or this one.

• I’ve been looking for a summer espadrille and I love these in the Cotton Candy colorway.

• We might be doing some lake and river adventures later this summer, how chic are these water shoes?

• Trying to decide what to get my husband for father’s day. If you need some inspo too, I’ve started a collection for that linked here.

If you missed any other shopping links, be sure to bookmark my shopmy or LTK.

Want to Be Part of The Colorist?

I would love to start seeing more of what you’re wearing, experimenting with, and trying in real life.

Tag me on Instagram if you’re testing out a color combo, trying a new silhouette, or just having a good outfit moment. I love seeing what you’re wearing and highlighting people in this community.

And if you want actual feedback, you can submit your outfits here. I’ll review select submissions on Instagram, and I’d love to see what you’re working with and help you train your eye a little more along the way.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here!

The next few months feel like they’re going to have such high energy: summer vacations, the World Cup, warmer weather, more plans, more color, more reasons to get dressed. It feels like things are about to get electric.

I’ve also been quietly chipping away at something new.

For the last few months, I've been thinking a lot about what sits underneath style. The foundations that help you understand why something works, develop your own eye, and make style feel like yours again.

I’m calling it The Foundations of Style.

Think of it as The Colorist School of Taste.

We’ll go deeper into the foundations of style: how to find it, understand it, build it, and actually start seeing style for yourself. I’ll be introducing three frameworks to help you build your own eye, make stronger choices, and begin making style your own, no matter what season of life you’re in.

I’ll share more as it gets closer to launching, but think bi-monthly themes, deep dives into singular topics, and possibly some longer-form video so we can really get into it.

Before I build it, I’d love your input.

And I’d love to hear from you in the comments:

What’s the hardest part about getting dressed right now?

Is it finding your style? Shopping? Building outfits? Feeling like yourself again after a life change? Something else entirely?

I’ll be reading every response and using them to shape what I create.

And for now, think of this edit as a deeper recap of what we’ve been talking about on Instagram.

The reels are fast and made for the scroll, but there is always a lot more under the surface than I can fit into 60 seconds. I have to stop your scroll, hold your attention, and somehow make a complete point before everyone moves on. Whew.

So here is the slower, deeper version.

Let’s get into it.

Island Time

Started the week with a packed Summer Beach carousel: 44 outfit ideas for wearing some of summer’s biggest trends. Easy, savable, and ready to pull back up when you’re packing for your next beach trip.

We’re not traveling until the end of summer, which feels forever away, but I’m already mentally styling the suitcase. I also have a black raffia cowboy hat from last summer that is still one of my favorite pieces, so needless to say, raffia is still going strong for 2026.

You’re Hot Then You’re Cold

More color! I get so many questions about how to wear and understand color, so I make these reels to hopefully break it down in a way that feels simple, but still impactful.

I also get comments sometimes from people saying they don’t think certain color combinations are “bad,” and I totally get that. It’s not about right or wrong in a hard-line way. Style is personal, and sometimes the unexpected choice is what makes an outfit interesting.

But when we’re talking about true color theory, color matching, and how to combine multiple colors in a way that feels harmonious, there are a few rules that make everything clearer. I’m not trying to make getting dressed feel like more work, but to help your outfit really sing. To make it feel intentional instead of chaotic, or mismatched in a way that doesn’t quite land.

The second you start combining multiple colors, things can get busy quickly. A few simple base rules give you a place to start, and then you can decide when you want to follow them, bend them, or break them on purpose.

This week we talked about tone and temperature, and how to use them as a base for building outfits. Once you start seeing color through that lens, color matching becomes so much easier and honestly, way more enjoyable. It gives you a place to start, especially when you want to play with bolder combinations.

It is summer, after all, so go ahead and reach for the saturated, bright, lively colors. Hopefully this inspires you to play a little more.

Cargo is Back

Next, we got into 5 summer trends for the cool dads.

This is your summer refresh: bolder color, better shorts, easy layers, and yes cool dads, even a neck scarf as an accessory.

This one is definitely polarizing. People either love it or hate it, but I think it adds just the right amount of character and personal flair to an outfit. It takes something that could feel basic or default and makes it feel a little more intentional and a little more styled.

My husband tried it out for our date night this week and, for the record, I approved.

Blue Crush

I was really excited to make this reel on a trend I’ve seen quietly emerging, but I think will be everywhere this summer: the board short.

Think of it like the Adidas track short’s younger sister. Similar sporty energy, similar easy material, but maybe even brighter colors and a more laid-back, beachy vibe.

I personally think this one is so playful, and maybe partially because, as a teen, I badly wanted to be a surfer girl. Living in Arizona, but still kind of adjacent to the California surf scene, I thought I would be so cool if I could surf. Plus, I was obsessed with the movie Blue Crush. Anyone else?

I also got a lot of questions and concerns that the track short might not be “in” anymore, or that it feels hard to keep up with the trends. But think of the board short as an alternative option, or a little micro-trend you can add into your summer looks.

Don’t worry, the track short trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It will be on heavy rotation for me all summer long.

Read The Room

This week I also introduced a new mini series on date night.

I love the idea of getting dressed up and putting in a little more effort for date night beyond our default looks. There’s something really sweet about still romanticizing the time we get together, even when it’s casual, simple, or squeezed into a busy week.

I think small effort and intention, for yourself and for your partner, goes a long way. Plus, getting dressed with a little more thought can shift the whole energy of the night. It makes it feel less like you’re just going through the motions and more like you’re actually marking the moment.

In this series, we’ll be showing more behind the scenes of getting ready: how we’re putting our looks together, how we’re inspired by the places we’re going, the food we’re eating, or even the movies we’re seeing. It’s a creative way to get dressed together and build a little concept around the night.

Trust me, it makes even the simplest date feel more special.

Let It Go

And this one is our cool mom summer refresh.

Hear me out: I know those puff-sleeve mini and maxi dresses have been a thing for a while now, but I think it’s time to let them go. There are more elevated, updated dress styles for summer that still give you the same ease and comfort, but feel more modern and more flattering.

Think less volume up top, cleaner lines, better proportions, and silhouettes that work on more body types. Still easy. Still wearable. Just a little more current.

Also, sorry, but if you’re wearing a crossbody bag outside of the park or actual kid activities, it might be time to reconsider. I know I get a lot of flack for this one, and I get it. When you need to be hands-free, chasing kids around, carrying snacks, wiping faces, doing the full mom Olympics, yes, of course, wear the crossbody.

But when you’re going out for date night, girls’ night, brunch, errands, or just trying to make the outfit feel a little more intentional, the crossbody bag is usually not doing you any favors. Especially the ones that sit right across the chest. They can break up the outfit in a weird way and make the whole look feel more practical than styled.

I love changing my bags depending on the occasion. Not every bag has to be your everyday, goes-with-everything bag. Sometimes the outfit needs a little color, texture, shape, or something more playful to make it feel finished.

A beach bag, a date night bag, a brunch bag, an errands bag they all serve a different purpose and create a different feeling. It’s one of the easiest ways to shift an outfit from practical to intentional without changing the whole look.

Dress Weather

We wrapped up the week with two more carousels, starting with summer dress inspiration. This one was made to be easy to save and come back to when you need outfit ideas quickly. Summer dresses are one of those pieces that seem simple, but the styling can really change the whole feeling.

And the other was a little more of a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of my life and my outfits.

I wanted this one to still feel relatable to the cool mom archetype, but with more of my personal flair layered in. A way for you to get to know me and my style a bit more, while still connecting to the mom moments I’m sure we’re all living through in one way or another.

I like to think of myself as slightly introverted, but also witty and dry-humored, especially once you know me. So I’m slowly going to open the door a little more.

For now, this carousel was made up of weekly looks inspired by nature (oh and yes, I still do very much use Pinterest), the feeling of never being alone (hello, two toddlers), and two of my other favorite things: espresso and champagne (or sparkling wine, depending on how technically correct we’re being).

A Few Things I’ve Been Thinking About

These are the questions that have been sitting with me this week, and they’re the foundation of everything we’re building here:

1. Is personal style discovered, or built?

We talk so much about personal style, but what does it actually mean? Is it fixed? Fluid? Instinctual? Or something we build and discover through experience?

I like to think of personal style as a compilation of our thoughts, feelings, experiences, references, memories, and desires and the way we choose to express all of that visually in the world. It’s not just “what you wear.”

It’s how you see yourself, how you want to be seen, and the small choices you make every day to close the gap between the two. But how do you actually have it?

I think personal style comes from broadening your scope, collecting experiences, and then filtering them through your own point of view.

If you grew up around punk culture, the way you see and express things is probably very different from someone who barely listened to punk music. But then maybe you move, change, grow, enter a totally different world, and suddenly you’re holding two very different references at once. So what happens?

Does one fall away? Do they merge? Do they clash until something new forms?

I love thinking about this because every phase of life feels like it gives us something new to collect, something old to shed, and a few anchor pieces to carry forward.

The real work is staying open. Collecting, editing, filtering, trying, noticing. The more we practice that, the more we strengthen the muscle of making style personal.

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

• Board short summer, I have yet to get a pair, but I’m loving these.

• I also have been liking the technical hiking / board short cross over mini skirts. Feel sporty and chic option instead of a tennis skirt. Like this here, here or this here.

• I have Dedcool Mochi Milk which I love, I also want to try Mineral Milk. I’m curious do you rotate perfumes/colognes or are you a signature scent kind of person?

• I LOVE these Tory Burch sandals and think they’re soo fun. Probably not my most practical shoe choice, but definitely a wishlist item. I’ve seen a few other influencers wearing them (I’ve been influenced!) and they look so cute for summer.

If you missed any other shopping links, be sure to bookmark my shopmy or LTK.

Want to Be Part of The Colorist?

I would love to start seeing more of what you’re wearing, experimenting with, and trying in real life.

Tag me on Instagram if you’re testing out a color combo, trying a new silhouette, or just having a good outfit moment. I love seeing what you’re wearing and highlighting people in this community.

And if you want actual feedback, you can submit your outfits here. I’ll review select submissions on Instagram, and I’d love to see what you’re working with and help you train your eye a little more along the way.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here!

Subscribe now

I spent the week dabbling in a few new ideas and categories, while still keeping the core thread intact: helping you understand fashion, translate it into your real life, and build a stronger sense of personal style.

Think of this edit as a deeper recap of what we’ve been talking about on Instagram.

The reels are fast and made for the scroll, but there is always a lot more under the surface than I can fit into 60 seconds. I have to stop your scroll, hold your attention, and somehow make a complete point before everyone moves on. Whew.

So here is the slower, deeper version.

Let’s get into it.

Seeing in Technicolor

We started off the week with a color theory themed carousel, which was very much my happy place. I have so much fun working with color and creating combinations that help you see, understand, and actually use color in your real life.

Color can be tricky. It is one thing to love a bold color combo in theory, and another thing to put it on your actual body and feel comfortable walking out the door in it. But when you get it right, it really sings.

The foundation of a good color combination is usually rooted in basic color theory. And once you start seeing color through that lens, it becomes easier to translate it into your wardrobe, experiment with new pairings, and try bolder combinations without feeling like you are guessing.

Be sure to save this one for your next color moment.

Liar Liar

Okay, to be honest, I was a little nervous to post this one.

I love a good conversation, and I am very here for healthy, open discourse, but you never really know how something is going to land on the internet, am I right?

I am going to start sharing more of the core beliefs behind The Colorist around here, because I think it gives important context for what my reels, ideas, and conversations are actually built on. I am not just here telling you the next big trend for the sake of keeping up, buying more, or feeding the machine. It is much deeper than that.

With this reel, we talked about what I like to call “the cult of whatever.”

I get a lot of comments that completely miss the point of my posts. Things like, “leave us alone,” “don’t be so judgmental,” “who cares,” or “just let people wear whatever.” And I get it. No one wants to feel picked apart.

But the point is that you should care.

When we stop caring completely, when we stop tending to ourselves, when we slip into apathy and default mode, that is usually a sign that something deeper has gone offline. Getting dressed is not shallow. It is a form of identity. It is one of the ways we communicate how we see ourselves, how we move through the world, and how we want to be met.

So no, I am not here to be mean or judgmental. I am trying to push you to see yourself clearly. You matter. Your presence matters. And you should treat yourself like that is true.

And also, it is Instagram. I have about three seconds to get your attention. A little drama comes with the territory.

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

We ventured into beauty again this week. I’ve slowly been dipping my toes into this topic because I know most of you are here for the fashion, but beauty and self-care are such a big part of the whole picture too.

I personally love beauty. I grew up watching my mom get ready, and I have always felt like good makeup and hair are really just an extension of a good outfit. It all works together.

Now, since we are still being honest here, I will say that I am a very Type B hair person. You will rarely catch me with a perfect blowout. One, because I have naturally wavy, coarse hair, so it always wants to look a little messy anyway. And two, because it takes forever. I have always been like this, even pre-kids, so at this point, I just lean in. My go-to is a French twist. Chic, easy, and honestly, it looks even better when it is slightly undone.

For this reel though, we talked about emerging makeup trends. Things are shifting back toward more natural skin, brows, and lips, while still leaving room to play with color through blush, lips, and little expressive details.

I love it. I am a natural makeup girl myself, so this is very much my lane.

And this is not just personal opinion. Vogue, Allure, and Who What Wear are all calling out similar beauty shifts for 2026, so it feels like we are entering a softer, fresher, more wearable beauty moment.

A little less overdone. A little more alive.

And of course, we followed it up with a carousel for easy sharing and saving.

Diamonds (Jewelry) Are A Girl’s Best Friend

Next, we got into accessory trends, specifically jewelry.

Fun fact about me: I used to have a jewelry brand called Bluebeard with my sister when we lived in LA. We designed, crafted, and made everything ourselves, completely self-taught, using the lost wax casting method. Basically, we would hand-carve each piece out of wax and then cast it in metal. We sold online and in stores, and it was such a creative, chaotic, formative chapter.

My sister is an incredible artist and has the most impeccable taste. We have amazing creative chemistry together, but we are also sisters, if you catch my vibe. We were young, living in LA, and eventually went in different directions to make more money and survive, as one does. But we learned so much, and I still wear some of those pieces today.

So this reel brought me back to my jewelry days, and I loved making it. We discussed five summer jewelry trends. Think sea inspired, chunky and eclectic.

Are you all interested in more jewelry talk? Because I have lots to share.

And then, again, we followed it up with a carousel to break it down even further.

Margaritaville

We rounded out the week with 10 trends for beach vacations, because summer travel is about to hit in a big way.

These pieces are perfect for the beach, but they also work for any warm-weather moment where you want to feel styled, relaxed, and still a little unexpected.

Summer dressing can be hard because we lose a lot of the layers that usually make an outfit interesting. So instead, we have to rely on color, proportion, texture, accessories, and those small styling choices that make a simple look feel intentional.

And I have to say, I love the direction SS26 is going. Colorful, a little boho, kind of sporty, and just fun.

Like maybe you are going to a party on the beach or maybe you are just channeling that feeling in your everyday life.

Either way, I am here for it.

A Few Things I’ve Been Thinking About

These are the questions that have been sitting with me this week, and they’re the foundation of everything we’re building here:

1. Is anyone actually original? Or is our taste already being built and fed to us?

Especially now, with the internet, it can be hard to tell if any idea is ever truly original.

So many of us are circulating the same images, the same references, the same inspiration, the same trends, the same “aesthetic.” It makes you wonder: was that my own thought, or did I just see it enough times that it started to feel like mine?

So even when I look offline for the inspo, I come back online and find it reflected back at me. Has every corner of the real world become digitized?

Maybe that is why everything starts to look the same. The same outfits. The same interiors. The same coffee table books. The same vacation photos. The same version of “cool.”

And listen, I love the internet. It has opened up so much. We get to see the world, learn from people we never would have found otherwise, build businesses, create communities, and connect over incredibly specific ideas.

But I also think it has flattened things. It has made style feel more accessible, yes, but also more copy-and-paste. More performed. More like an identity you can put on online, rather than something you have actually lived your way into.

That is the part I keep coming back to. Personal style is not just about collecting inspiration. It is about digestion.

If everything can be referenced online, the only thing left is living enough life that your references become filtered through you.

Your taste gets stronger when it has texture. When it is shaped by places you have been, people you have loved, books you have read, music you have listened to, mistakes you have made, rooms you have sat in, seasons you have moved through, and versions of yourself you have outgrown.

That is what makes style feel alive. So maybe originality is not about inventing something from nothing. Maybe it is about taking what you love, what you have seen, what has shaped you, and letting it pass through your actual life experience before it becomes yours.

Which brings me to the bigger question:

How do we gather more lived experience in a world that is constantly feeding us secondhand inspiration?

And how does that lived experience become the foundation of personal style?

2. How can I have more fun?!

Summertime is here, and you can feel it in the air. The weather gets warm, the UV gets turned up, and suddenly something shifts. You want to feel sun-kissed. You want to stay out a little later. You want a little mischief, a little freedom, a little “who cares, let’s see where the night goes” energy.

But as a parent, that feeling gets pulled back almost immediately.

Of course, there is so much fun in creating magic with our littles. Seeing the world through their eyes is one of the most special things in the world. The popsicles, the pool days, the tiny sandals, the wonder over the smallest things. That kind of joy cannot be replicated.

But sometimes, I want fun that is just for me. Not as a mom. Not as a business owner. Not as the person holding the schedule, tracking the nap, managing the bedtime routine, and mentally preparing for the early wake-up.

Just me.

I want to remember what it feels like to be a little less serious. A little less work-focused. A little less responsible for every moving part. I want to feel more playful, more spontaneous, more connected to the version of myself that did not need a reason to get dressed up or stay out late or try something new.

And maybe that is part of personal style too. Not just asking, “What looks good on me?” but “What makes me feel alive right now?” What makes me feel more like a person, not just a role?

So I guess this is what I am sitting with:

How do we find balance inside our own identities?

How do we make room for fun, play, beauty, and a little bit of mischief again?

And what does it look like to create moments that are not productive, not practical, not for anyone else, but simply because they make us feel more alive?

I’m curious. What does fun look like for you right now?

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

I feel like I have the “shoppies” recently, I guess I’ll blame the summer energy. Part of me just wants to buy it all and say eff it, anyone else?

• I’ve been eyeing these Peche heels for awhile. The color just screams summer. Oh and these! This Ganni x Melissa collab is so good.

• I love sunglasses so much, I feel like they really express who you are. I have been digging the big, black, slightly sporty shape and I found these on Revolve. These Polo ones too. A little smaller, a little sportier and definitely in red.

• I really *need* new tops. I’m a big t-shirt gal, when you find a good one it goes with everything. I am trying to venture out more into “dressier” cuts and fabrics to spruce it up a bit, especially for date nights. I like the sheer fabric with texture and shirring here, this one with the asymmetrical fringe hem here, and this draped asymmetrical neckline top here. Easy to rotate with a variety of looks.

• And if you haven’t hopped on the jelly trend yet….maybe these will convince you? Love how they have a small wedge, feel slightly sporty and come in bold colors.

Want to Be Part of The Colorist?

I would love to start seeing more of what you’re wearing, experimenting with, and trying in real life.

Tag me on Instagram if you’re testing out a color combo, trying a new silhouette, or just having a fun outfit moment. I love seeing what you’re wearing and highlighting people in this community.

And if you want actual feedback, you can submit your outfits here. I’ll review select submissions on Instagram, and I’d love to see what you’re working with and help you train your eye a little more along the way.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here!

Not in a “here are the five things you need to buy” kind of way. More like a way to actually see what’s happening when an outfit feels off, when your closet no longer feels like you, or when your style needs to evolve because your life has changed.

I call it The Colorist Style Triangle.

But before we get into the details of this framework, I want to give you the backstory, because this came from a season when I felt like I had completely lost my ability to get dressed. Which is wild, because if you know me, you know fashion has always been my thing. It’s what makes me feel most like myself and how I see the world.

When Getting Dressed Felt Easy

I’ve spent almost two decades learning how to see through fashion professionally: color, proportion, fit, fabric, trend cycles, production, why one version of something works and another one doesn’t.

I’ve worked with some incredible brands, training my eye and deepening my understanding of how to translate an idea into the real world and the mass market. How to make and style something that works across many different walks of life.

For a long time, I knew myself, my body, and the world around me so clearly. I loved having conversations through fashion. It felt natural and fun. I would be giddy to get up and get dressed for work, or even just to run errands, like a little kid playing dress-up or Cher in Clueless flipping through her closet. How do I want to feel today? Who am I going to show?

But then I became a mom.

My body changed (hello +40lbs and a c-section scar), my time changed (neither of my babies ever slept through the night before 12 months), my priorities changed (survival mode for 2 humans), and suddenly the skill I worked so hard on building in a career and for other people, had to become very personal.

I had to use that same eye on myself, and honestly, that part was harder because the old rules didn’t work the same way anymore. I was grieving an old version of myself while trying to recognize the new one. Talk about whiplash.

And it was more than just losing my closet, I wondered:

Who am I anymore?

What am I trying to say to the world?

I didn’t have the language or the eye to navigate this new chapter.

When the Old Formulas Stopped Working

There’s a very specific kind of disorientation that happens when your life changes but your closet hasn’t caught up yet. This also doesn’t have to just be postpartum.

There are so many seasons of life where we can feel a similar kind of disorientation: becoming a parent, becoming a dad, changing careers, aging, moving, grieving, healing, or simply realizing the version of yourself you used to dress for no longer fully fits.

You’re not starting from zero. You’re not suddenly unfashionable. But you don’t recognize yourself in the same formulas anymore.

Your outfits that used to work don’t work the same way. The shapes feel different. The proportions feel different. The amount of effort you can realistically give is different.

When I Lost My Map

At first, I blamed my body. None of my pre-baby clothes fit, which was honestly really depressing and felt so far off from where I was. I would look in the mirror and see someone I didn’t recognize and wondered if my body would ever be the same again.

Then, I thought the problem was my clothes. So at first, I tried to solve it through clothes that fit this new body better. New jeans, better basics, etc. But even when something technically fit, it still didn’t always feel like me. I could put on the right jeans, the right silhouette, the right “flattering” piece, and still feel disconnected.

And here’s the thing, I was trying to dress a changed body with an old version of myself. I was trying to bring my old fashion language into a life that had completely shifted.

Then, I thought the problem was me. After that “buying new things” phase, I completely leaned my fashion into motherhood and wore what was comfortable: think activewear and oversized T-shirts. These obviously functioned and were comfortable, but I had completely lost myself and my intent in getting dressed.

The problem was I wasn’t looking at the whole picture. My outer world knowledge was always there. I could still see what was current, what felt dated, what proportions were shifting, what colors worked together, and why one outfit felt more intentional than another. But knowing what worked in fashion was not the same as knowing what worked on me, in this body, in this life, in this season.

The real shift happened when I stopped attacking each piece separately. How does my body, my fashion eye, and my new identity work together?

The Tool That Helped Me See Again

Through self-discovery and observation, I started to notice that the people who still look like themselves through different seasons of life intuitively understand three things, even when everything around them is changing:

Read more

I can’t believe Memorial Day Weekend has already come and gone. Time feels like it is flying by. Do other parents feel this way? Like we’re living in some kind of time warp of chaos, laundry, snacks, work, and somehow it’s already June?

Anyway, diving into fashion.

As always, think of this as the edit behind the edit: a deeper look at the reels, the thought process behind them, and the context that doesn’t always fit on Instagram.

Things move quickly over there, so here’s a slower look at what I shared this week, what I was thinking about, and why it matters.

Bring It On

I started off the week with a retro activewear carousel. Vintage ’90s and Y2K activewear is so hot right now, and honestly, I’m here for it. I love the colors, the cuts, and the fact that there’s just more personality.

I’ve been seeing this really take off with Gen Z and a younger demographic, but millennials seem a little more hesitant to fully adopt it. Maybe because we actually lived through Y2K fashion the first time around? Which is fair. Some of us have earned the right to be cautious.

But I will always take a sporty, flirty workout look over a plain monochromatic one. I can’t be the only one who thinks the workout is better when the outfit is better, right?

Pumping Iron

Then we jumped over to cool dad gym outfits, which has a very similar vibe to the moms’ activewear trend: more color, more relaxed silhouettes, a little retro, and a lot more personality.

I think women tend to understand the trend videos and the “don’t wear this” hooks a little more easily, but there is something about the men’s videos that makes people so angry. Sometimes when I read the comments, it feels like a full social experiment on fashion and identity.

But overall, I do think these tips help a lot of people. Most of the time, it’s not about completely changing your style, it’s just small tweaks that make everything look a little more current and intentional.

And then I shared a carousel with more gym outfit inspiration, because sometimes it’s easier to see the direction visually.

Let’s Go Shopping

Then we geared up for a big weekend of Memorial Day sales with an in-person shopping and try-on.

When there are so many good sales happening, the number one mistake I see people make is buying something purely because it’s on sale and then regretting it later. And trust me, I’ve been there too. I am not above being personally victimized by a 40% off email.

But shopping intentionally to fill actual gaps in your wardrobe makes your purchases go so much further. A good deal is only a good deal if you’re actually going to wear it.

We also did a giveaway to celebrate hitting 100K followers and to say thank you for being here. I’m genuinely so grateful for this community and excited to keep building it with you.

Fashion Fix

This has quickly become one of my favorite series, and I’ve loved seeing all the positive feedback around it too.

I think it’s such a helpful way to look at real outfits on real people and talk through the simple fixes or swaps that can make everything feel better. There are so many nuances that go into getting dressed, proportion, fit, styling, color, personal taste, lifestyle and I think seeing it on different people with different styles makes it so much more useful.

I’m going to keep doing more of these because I really do think this is one of the best ways to help you build and train your eye.

Letting You In

This reel was fun to make because it let you in on a little behind-the-scenes here at The Colorist. Life these days is mostly chaos with little pockets of fashion sprinkled in. Being a mom of two toddlers while growing this account so quickly has been a very fun challenge, but still, a challenge.

I wanted to share a little dose of reality too, because like most parents, I’m also just trying to embrace the chaos. Some days it looks polished, and some days it’s laundry, snacks, work, and trying to film a reel in between tiny toddlers running around.

Cheers!

And for the third part of my cool miniseries, we dove into taste.

Funny enough, I’ve been planning this one for a long time because it felt like the natural progression from cool, to trends, to personal style. But clearly taste is having a bit of a moment on the internet right now.

It feels like everyone is trying to prove they have taste, or prove they’re a tastemaker. But I think in this increasingly digital age, we sometimes forget that true taste is built through lived experience. It’s not just about positioning yourself as someone who “gets it.” It’s about developing your eye through culture, curiosity, beauty, failure, expression, and actually living your life.

And the point of taste isn’t to prop yourself up above other people. It’s to create more beauty, more meaning, and more self-expression from a life well lived.

I love this series so much.

A Few Things I’ve Been Thinking About

These are the questions that have been sitting with me this week, and they’re the foundation of everything we’re building here:

1. How to find inspiration and creative spark as a busy parent and then actually have the time to execute on it and build something?

   The ideas are there. The vision is there. But real life is also there.

   Kids need snacks, laundry is somehow never done, work still has to happen, and suddenly the tiny window you had to be creative is gone.

   I’m learning that creativity in this season looks a little different. Having enough ideas and passion has never really been the issue for me. If anything, I’m a very efficient executor and do-er, firstborn daughter over here.

   And when you find the thing that really fills you up, the ideas come easily. The obsession is there. The spark is there. But the question becomes: how do you keep up in this digital age while also being a mother, wife, friend, and actual human being?

   How do you capture all of it without feeling like you’re constantly trying to trap lightning in a bottle?

   So I’ve been working on batching my time in a way that gives me enough structure to execute, but enough space for play and creativity too. Because I don’t want to just produce endlessly. I want to stay connected to the thing that made me want to build this in the first place.

2. Where does personal style actually come from?

   Especially now, with the internet, Pinterest, and access to literally almost anything in the world, I keep thinking about this question:

   How do you actually create style that feels personal? Lived-in? Unique? Authentic to you?

   I saw something the other day about people wanting the identity of a subculture without actually belonging to it, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Because style used to come from going places. Being places. Living through something. You became someone through the experiences you had, the people you were around, the music you listened to, the cities you walked through, the jobs you had, the risks you took, the life you actually lived.

   But now, so much of style can be copied instantly. You can pull the references, buy the pieces, save the moodboard, and technically “get the look” without ever living the thing that created it. That’s when style starts to become just interesting enough to catch your eye, but not personal enough to actually say anything.

   Take “hipster” culture, for example. In broad strokes, it was supposed to be anti-mainstream, individual, a little countercultural. But at a certain point, everyone started looking exactly the same while trying very hard to look different.

   I think that’s the tension of style right now. We can literally see everything online, even the unimaginable with AI generation. Yet, taste is drying up and this digital abundance is flattening everyones voice.

   You need references filtered through your actual life. Your body, your routines, your values, your memories, your work, your climate, your motherhood, your friendships, your phases, your obsessions, your constraints.

   Because who cares if an outfit looks aesthetically correct if there’s no real person underneath it?

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

• These adidas crochet shorts, so cute or summer or as a swim cover up

• This super cute shell necklace. Ocean inspired jewelry is having a big moment right. Love this in the silver so it doesn’t feel too nautical.

• I was gifted these red sunglasses from the brand Sardine. They great for summer and you know red is still having a big moment.

• This Isabel Marant x Havianas collab is insane. Loving these and the tie dye is fun in these.

  ---

Want to Be Part of The Colorist?

I would love to start seeing more of what you’re wearing, experimenting with, and trying in real life.

Tag me on Instagram if you’re testing out a color combo, trying a new silhouette, or just having a fun outfit moment. I love seeing what you’re wearing and highlighting people in this community.

And if you want actual feedback, you can submit your outfits here. I’ll review select submissions on Instagram, and I’d love to see what you’re working with and help you train your eye a little more along the way.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here!

Until next week, hope that helps!

Subscribe now

I’m so excited and grateful to share that there are now 100k of you on Instagram. I truly love the community we’re building here, and it feels like we’re only getting started.

Thank you so much for being here.

As always, think of this as the edit behind the edit: a deeper look at the reels, the thought process behind them, and the context that doesn’t always fit on Instagram.

Things move quickly over there, so here’s a slower look at what I shared this week, what I was thinking about, and why it matters.

Crying on The Internet

With that said, going into the weekend I got vulnerable and shared my journey and the why behind everything we’re doing here. The Colorist has always been about so much more than getting dressed. It’s about style, identity, taste, and finding your way back to yourself through different seasons of life.

A Color Story for the Dads

We kicked off the week with a Three Color Rule for the cool dads, one of my favorite posts to make. It brings me right back to my colorist days and always feels so playful and creative. For this one, we leaned into more summer-y color combinations, but kept them easy enough to actually wear in everyday life.

Because everyone can use a little more color in their life, am I right?

I also broke it all down in a carousel for easy inspiration you can save and come back to. Think of this as your color cheat sheet.

Who Wears Short Shorts?

Summer is coming, so we moved into summer bottoms for the cool moms.

Listen, I’m an avid cut-off lover myself, but we can’t only wear those all summer. Plus, the extra-short, extra-tight, super-frayed version is starting to feel a little passé. This season, the silhouette feels a little more relaxed, streamlined, and modern.

Does that mean you need to throw out all your cut-offs? Absolutely not. But maybe reserve them for the beach, the Fourth of July, or something more casual like that.

Overall, the summer bottom uniform is relaxed and polished, with a little more shape and structure. Think boyfriend cuts, longline Bermudas, cotton poplin, and linen.

And I broke it all down in another carousel with 20 outfit ideas for easy summer inspiration. Think of this as your summer moodboard.

No Offense

We finished off the week with part two of my Pilates Moms trend conversation.

The first reel took some heat, so naturally, I had to make a part two. I wanted to dive deeper into the activewear shift: why we’re moving in this direction, what’s changing, and why this isn’t just my personal opinion.

We’re entering such a expressive moment in activewear, more color, more personality, and some new silhouettes to play with.

Because let’s be honest: getting to the workout is already a flex, so the outfit might as well be one too.

A Few Things I’ve Been Thinking About

These are the questions that have been sitting with me this week, and they’re the foundation of everything we’re building here:

1. How do you keep developing your taste when every season of life asks you to become someone new?

   How do we continue to build and rebuild ourselves? Our lives, our taste, our sense of style, our identity? The Colorist is still very much in its infancy. I started this account in January, and now we’re almost at 110k followers, which feels surreal to even type.

   I have such big goals and dreams for this space, and I’m really trying to envision where it’s going and how to build it with intention. It feels like a dream come true, but I also know I want this to be bigger than just me. I want it to become a place where we can keep learning, evolving, and developing our own sense of taste together.

   And it has me thinking a lot about my own life too, my family, the life we’re building, the different versions of ourselves we move through, and how style fits into all of that. Because fashion and style don’t exist in a vacuum. They change as we change. Through motherhood, work, aging, confidence, identity shifts, body changes, new seasons of life, all of it.

   So the question I keep coming back to is:

   How do I share that with you? How do I teach style in a way that isn’t just about what to buy or what’s trending, but about how to keep discovering who you are as your life keeps changing?

2. When did getting dressed stop feeling like play?

   Something I’ve been thinking about this week is play, especially from watching my kids get dressed. There’s so much lightheartedness in the way kids choose what to wear. They’re not worried if something is “flattering” or if it’s too much or if it makes sense to everyone else. They just choose what feels fun. What feels like them that day. The superhero shirt, the sparkly shoes, the color they’re obsessed with, the outfit that makes absolutely no sense but somehow has the most personality in the room. There’s something really beautiful about that.

   I feel like somewhere along the way, getting dressed can start to feel like a test. Like we have to get it “right” before we leave the house. But personal style needs room for play. That’s how we train our eye. That’s how we build taste. That’s how we discover what actually feels like us. So maybe the lesson is to bring a little of that childlike ease back into getting dressed.

   Try the color. Wear the unexpected shoe. Let the outfit be a little more fun than practical sometimes. Worst case? You change. Best case? You had fun and wore a really good conversation starter.

3. What if cool wasn’t about being above anyone, but about seeing things more clearly?

   I’m creating a multi-part series here for paid subscribers where we go deep and start from the ground up. We’ll break down cool, trends, taste, fit, personal style, what it actually is and how to figure it out, fashion rules and how to break them, pop culture, color, identity, and so much more. Basically, a little dissertation on how to authentically find yourself through personal style.

   This is such a layered and intricate topic, and I really want the time and space to explore it properly, learn alongside you, and help you build a stronger eye and deeper sense of self through style.

   Would you be interested in this?

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

• Just got these pink Zara wedges. Modern, minimal and easy to wear

• It’s getting hot here in Arizona so that means I need to rotate out my summer active wear. I do a mix of gym and sunrise hiking so I’ve been looking at these, these, and these.

• This may be a funny thing to mention, but I was gifted Each & Every deodorant and I have to say, it may be one of my favorites I’ve tried. I’m very particular about deodorant. I want it as natural as possible: no aluminum, no synthetic fragrance, and typically no baking soda, but I also need it to actually work.

  Tall order, I know. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I got the Alone Time scent, and it’s really lovely.

The Pieces You Were Loving This Week

• These white pants. Lighter than denim, but just as chic especially with that waistband

• Texture and crochet is a huge trend right now and these jean shorts feel like summer in a short

• These red sandals are perfect for every summer occasion

• Of course the Adidas Firebird short, I mean every cool mom needs a pair

• These uniqlo easy linen blend short

If you missed any other shopping links, be sure to bookmark my shopmy or LTK.

Want to Be Part of The Colorist?

I would love to start seeing more of what you’re wearing, experimenting with, and trying in real life.

Tag me on Instagram if you’re testing out a color combo, trying a new silhouette, or just having a fun outfit moment. I love seeing what you’re wearing and highlighting people in this community.

And if you want actual feedback, you can submit your outfits here. I’ll review select submissions on Instagram, and I’d love to see what you’re working with and help you train your eye a little more along the way.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here!

Until next week, hope that helps!

Subscribe now

First, I just want to give a shoutout to all the cool moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day. Being a mom is truly the most special thing in the world. Hearing the pitter-patter of little feet coming down the hall this morning made my heart so happy.

And really, being a mom, being a parent, is the foundation of so much of what this space is about: showing up intentionally and authentically for ourselves and for our families.

So here’s to continuously finding ourselves, while raising the next generation.

Now, back to fashion. As always, think of this as the edit behind the edit: the deeper view into the reels, the “why” behind them, and a little more context than Instagram allows. Things move fast over there, so here’s a closer look at what I posted this week, how I was thinking about it, and why it matters.

Fashion is Art

Started off the week with a bang, covering the Met Gala, whose theme was Fashion is Art, with the through line idea of the dressed body.

I broke down my three most on-theme looks, three major misses, and three best dressed. I always love this night in fashion because it’s one of the rare moments where fashion is appreciated purely as art and entertainment, watching designers and their muses interpret a theme together.

That said, this year left me a little underwhelmed. The theme was more open-ended than in years past, but still, so many people looked like they were dressed for any other red carpet. Like… hello, did you get the memo? It’s the Met Gala.

There was also some controversy around the sponsor and co-chairs this year, but one piece of context I found really interesting is that the Costume Institute is the only curatorial department at The Met required to fund itself. The Met Gala is its primary fundraiser, supporting the department’s exhibitions, acquisitions, publications, and operations.

So while the politics of major donors can get complicated, the reality is that this event is also the lifeline for one of the most important fashion archives in the world. Fashion history, preservation, and exhibition depend on funding and this is the night that helps make that possible.

I also put together a fun carousel below breaking down the color I saw at the Met Gala, and there was a lot of it.

A lot of red, especially, which felt interesting after last week’s Color in Culture discussion. Red keeps showing up as a signal of expression, visibility, and wanting to be seen. You can watch that here.

There were also some really strong color theory moments: high-saturation palettes, tonal dressing, strategic contrast, and unexpected pairings that still felt intentional.

The Met is a great little case study in how color can turn a look into an actual statement.

Hands Free

Then we moved back into cool mom fashion. I’ve had a lot of requests for practical but still stylish bags, because yes, sometimes we really do need our hands completely free.

And listen, I get it. I’m a mom of two. I go to the park. I bring all the things. Sometimes we just need to be practical.

With all the advice I give here, the point is never to make your life harder. It’s about having discernment and making it work in the context of your actual life. So if a backpack genuinely makes your day easier, then by all means, wear the backpack.

But we can still do it with intention. The goal is not to let practicality become an excuse for “whatever works” or “I don’t care.” We can be functional and intentional at the same time.

So I broke down some of my favorite crossbody bags, belt bags, and ways to style a fanny pack more intentionally because cool mom style still has to work in real life.

World’s Best Boss

And now, on to the office for cool dads.

Summer is here, the weather is warmer, but you still need to look professional which can be a tricky balance.

I rounded up seven key pieces to help build out a summer office wardrobe that feels polished, but not stiff. The goal is to think about lighter fabrics that still hold their shape, pieces with texture to add depth, and a little bit of color to keep things interesting.

And for shoes, look for lighter-weight materials, softer structure, and rich colors that still feel elevated.

Because summer office style shouldn’t feel confusing or like you’re trying to force your winter wardrobe to work in July. It should feel lighter, sharper, and still put together.

I also created a carousel with inspiration for these seven pieces.

Sometimes it helps to see everything broken down visually, so it’s easier to save, reference, and come back to later when you’re trying to build a wardrobe that actually works. And yes, this one is also for the cool moms to send to their husbands, because we all know the cool moms are usually the ones looking out for everyone’s style.

I’m like a cool mom, IRL

Hello from the other side, this week I shared my first “try-on” video.

This was a big deal for me: getting in front of the camera, showing more of myself, and being a little more personal. But I also think it’s such a fun way to build community and show that yes, I do in fact take my own styling advice.

We started with my favorite look, and the one I will absolutely have on rotation all summer: the sporty park mom outfit.

I broke down a few different ways to style it, plus the main tip that makes the look feel intentional instead of like you’re just wearing gym shorts.

Spice Up Your Life

Rounded out the week with a Colorist classic: the Three Color Rule, this time for Mother’s Day.

Color is such a powerful way to shift your mood and change how you see yourself, so I created a few fun color combinations to bring a little more energy, softness, or polish to your Mother’s Day look.

And because sometimes it’s easier to see the formula visually, I also broke it down in another carousel so you can save it, reference it, and try it later.

A Few Things I’ve Been Thinking About

These are the questions that have been sitting with me this week, and they’re the foundation of everything we’re building here:

1. Summer dressing, how do we stay true to our style while still being practical and keeping cool?

I live in Arizona and the summer heat here is not joke. We’re talking 115+ degree temps, and let’s just say that makes it hard to get dressed. Or honestly, to do anything at all.

I’ve heard people say you can tell if someone has true style by the way they dress in the summer, and I kind of agree. There aren’t as many layers, jackets, or accessories to hide behind, so you really have to know your taste, understand fit, and be intentional with the details. Summer style forces you to simplify, but simple doesn’t have to mean boring.

2. Fashion as a social construct and social signal, is that actually a thing? How does style signal class, taste, belonging, or even difference? And if it does, why?

I’m not just talking about who can afford luxury items. I’m more interested in the quieter signals: what you wear, how you wear it, how much effort is visible, what reads as “polished,” what reads as “too much,” and how all of that changes depending on where you live.

I’ve received messages from people asking how to find this balance in their own lives. Maybe they live in a small town or somewhere more rural. Maybe they love getting dressed, but feel misunderstood, judged, or like they stand out too much in their environment.

So how do you navigate that? How do you stay true to your taste without feeling like you’re performing for people who don’t understand it?

These are all really interesting concepts, and ones we’ll continue to dive into here.

3. It’s become incredibly clear: most of us were taught how to shop, but never taught how to see style.

I’m feeling really inspired by the community - the questions, conversations, outfit dilemmas, and ideas that keep coming up here every day.

And the more we talk, the more I realize how many of us are craving something deeper than just another outfit idea or shopping link.

Behind the scenes, I’ve been working on something that expands on what we talk about here: developing your own sense of color, taste, discernment, and personal style. Not just what to wear, but how to build your eye so you feel more empowered in your own expression.

It’s still in the early stages, but the idea is to create a deeper space for learning. Think monthly themes, guided style concepts, color theory, taste development, and the kind of fashion education most of us were never really taught.

Because style isn’t just about buying better things. It’s about learning how to see what you like, what works for you, and who you are.

Would this be something you’d be interested in?

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

• I’ve been looking for a good minimal sandal that can be dressed up or down but still has a slight edge. I love these in red! I feel like they’d look great with the sporty mom park, great with any pair of denim or super summery/vaction-y with white pants.

• I just discovered the jewelry brand, AGLAGLA, and this piece is like a color wheel in a necklace. I think I might need it!

• I’ve been using Merit Beauty since they launched, and I really do love their products, especially because they sit on the cleaner, more minimal end of the beauty spectrum. I recently tried their foundation, and it’s been really lovely. It feels light and dewy, but still buildable, which is exactly what I want for everyday makeup.

  You can find your shade here.

• My husband got these shorts recently and has been wearing non-stop. He went back and got two more colorways. I will say they ran a bit big for him and he had to size down. PLUS they’re 50% off right now!

• I’ve also been using this Crown Affair leave-in conditioner, and it smells so good like a spa day in a bottle. It feels like a tiny little ritual every time I get out of the shower, and honestly, for moms, sometimes that’s all we need.

If you missed any other shopping links, be sure to bookmark my shopmy or LTK.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here! Until next week, hope that helps!

Rugged. Easy. Effortless.

It seems so simple, but somehow it’s weirdly hard to get right. And especially with men’s style, when the outfit is this minimal, there is less to hide behind. No big styling moment or dramatic layering. No statement piece doing all the work.

Which means the whole outfit comes down to fit.

So let’s get into the key things to look for when reaching for jeans and a tee.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• What to look for in the perfect pair of jeans

• What to look for in the perfect white tee

• What color combinations work best and how to style them

Let’s get into it.

Set the Foundation With the Perfect Jeans

The jeans set the tone for the whole outfit and if the fit is right, then it will carry the whole look. The biggest mistake I see is usually going too far in either direction: either too skinny and tight (goodbye mid 2000s), or too baggy and low rise (goodbye angsty teenager look).

To achieve the cool vibe we want the fit to feel clean, modern, and easy.

Here’s what to look for to find the perfect pair of jeans:

Fit: start with relaxed fit or straight fit.

Read more

We got into some fun things this week and honestly, there has been so much good fashion lately. With the seasons changing, it feels like we’re ushering in a little new energy, too.

As always, think of this as the edit behind the edit, the deeper view into the reels, the “why” behind them, and a little more context than Instagram allows. Things move fast over there, so here’s a little more insight into what I posted, how I was thinking about it, and why it matters.

Best Friend Advice

This week kicked off with Fashion Fix Episode 2, the series where you submit your outfits, I rate them, and help make them even better.

I really love this series. I’m so inspired by the community we’re building and by the outfits you’re all putting together. It’s such a fun way to put into practice everything we’re talking about here: how real people style their looks, what’s already working, and how small swaps can help bring out that effortless “cool” vibe.

This week, I tried a little more of a rapid-fire format so I could get through more looks instead of doing one deep dive. Do you have a preference? I’m trying to strike the balance between respecting your time on Instagram, while still giving you real value and insight.

If you’re interested in submitting your outfit for review, you can do so here.

Not Princess Diana

Then we threw it back to an earlier post that I shortened and made a little more digestible.

And I’m calling it now: this is the number one cool mom look for summer.

I’ve been watching this one build for a while. When I first researched for the original post about two months ago, images were honestly kind of scarce. This time? Limitless options. That is usually a sign something is moving. The look is definitely polarizing on the internet, but I love it. It’s sporty, chic, a little unexpected, and easy to make your own. And honestly? It’s so comfortable.

This sporty look is one I’m suggesting to replace the oversized tee and bike shorts. Now, everyone loves to say Princess Diana made the oversized tee and bike shorts look chic, and yes, she absolutely did.

But…she was Princess Diana.

Most people I see wearing that look now are not styling it like her. She had that effortless thing we’re all chasing, so we cannot keep using her as an excuse for default, or even worse, lazy styling. Not to mention, that look came back in a big way around 2020-ish, so now in 2026 it has fully peaked.

And for even more styling tips and inspiration, I broke it down into an easy, digestible carousel below.

The Chic Adam Sandler?

If sporty mom style is already a little polarizing, Bermuda shorts might be its even more controversial cousin.

But that’s also kind of the whole point of a trend. It should push you out of your comfort zone a little. It should make you play, have fun, and style something in a new way. Bermuda shorts have also been building for a while, and this summer they feel especially relevant. I love that they can go either direction: relaxed and casual, or dressed up and surprisingly sophisticated.

The trick is balance. If the short is longer and looser, the rest of the outfit needs a little structure, a slimmer tank, a cleaner shoe, a belt, a blazer, or something that makes it feel intentional instead of accidental. I also made a carousel with more inspiration below, especially if you’re wanting to try the trend but are struggling with how to style them.

“That’s All”

This week Devil Wears Prada II dropped!!!

I loved the first movie when it came out, and I think every fashion girlie has a special place in her heart for it. So naturally, I had to share a little BTS from working in fashion and give my take on whether The Devil Wears Prada actually portrays the industry truthfully.

I’ve worked for some amazing brands over the years and learned so much. I’ve also had very stressful moments along the way. Fashion can be such a cutthroat business, which is funny, because it’s not like we’re saving lives, but somehow the pressure can make it feel like everything is on the line.

With that said, it really did train my eye. It taught me to notice the small things, to have discernment, and to care about presentation in everything I do because after all, the devil is in the details.

I also gained personal confidence, a point of view, and learned to trust myself. It’s funny how clearly you can see the lessons once you’re on the other side.

I worked in product development, production, and eventually as a colorist, each role so different, and each one equally rich in learning. Sometime soon I’ll dig into how I became a colorist, because it’s such a niche role.

Anyway, “that’s all.”

Seeing Red

This week I did my first Color in Culture series, something I’m thinking could be biweekly, or maybe monthly. An analysis on the color trends and patterns I’m noticing across fashion, beauty, music, tech, interiors, culture… because it’s all connected. This one was short and sweet, but so much fun to put together.

Red is having a huge moment right now, in fashion, music, tech, and beyond. It’s been cool to see it building as this collective movement of expression and personality.

And honestly, it makes sense.

With the imminent AI shift, the overstimulation of our feeds, and the sameness that can start to creep in everywhere, we’re yearning for something more. Something deeper. Something that actually speaks to us and lets us express our authentic selves.

And red is the color to do that. Bold, powerful, strong, passionate, red is not a color you wear quietly. It’s a color you wear when you want to be seen.

I also made a carousel with some of my favorite ways to wear red below.

A Few Things I’ve Been Thinking About

These are the questions that have been sitting with me this week, and they’re the foundation of everything we’re building here.

• Why do so many people pretend clothes don’t matter when getting dressed is one of the most personal choices we make every day?

Taking care of yourself, showing up with intention, and presenting yourself in a certain way affects how you move through the world. Whether we like it or not, people do read us based on how we’re dressed. Clothing sends signals before we even speak. It can communicate creativity, confidence, authority, effort, ease, rebellion, taste, or belonging.

That doesn’t mean we should dress for everyone else, but it does mean clothes have power. This is the part I’m most interested in: getting dressed isn’t just external, it can also reflect how you view yourself. Sometimes the right outfit helps you remember who you are or who you’re becoming.

• The Met Gala. Is Fashion Art?

I’m so excited for the Met Gala this year, and the theme feels especially interesting, maybe a little vague, but in a good way. I love the intersection between the dress code, Fashion is Art, and the exhibition theme, Costume Art which will be divided into a “series of thematic body types,” ranging from the naked body, the classical body, the Pregnant body and the aging body,

What feels exciting to me is that the focus isn’t just on fashion as art, but on how fashion and the human body work together to reinterpret, transform, or strengthen that art. Because clothes are one thing off the body, but once they’re worn, they take on a whole new meaning.

I’ll be doing some fun coverage and dissecting best dressed looks, color moments, and any trends I see emerging.

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

• Debating between these red painter pants from Banana republic or these, low rise loose denim pair from Gap. Both in red of course. Should I do a try on when I receive them?

• I’ve been eyeing the Salomon XT Whisper for a bit and saw someone wearing them in my gym class this morning. They look super cool, I like the black/silver and the black/acid lime.

• This ring is on my Mother’s Day wishlist. Love the shape of it!

• And these jelly kitten heel in the blue color, perfection!

• I posted these cargo pants on my story a few weeks ago as an alternative to something that was sold out, and multiple people DM’d me saying they are that good. So… maybe I need to try them?

If you missed any other shopping links, be sure to bookmark my shopmy or LTK.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here! Until next week, hope that helps!

It’s the quintessential effortless cool look, the one that feels like it shouldn’t take any effort at all. If you can pull that off, you must just have it, right? But in reality, most of the time it doesn’t land the way we imagined. It looks…fine but a little flat.

Let’s fix that.

In this article, I’m walking through a simple 3-step formula to make jeans and a tee actually look cool, every time.

1. Why jeans and a tee so often fall flat

2. The MSR formula (this is the fix)

3. How to adjust for your body

4. Outfit formulas you can actually use

There’s a lot to unpack here, so I’m breaking it up properly.

This is part 1, cool moms. Next week, we’ll get into cool dads.

Let’s get into it.

Why Jeans And A Tee So Often Fall Flat

Most of the time, the issue isn’t the pieces. It’s that most people style them exactly how they’ve always seen them styled: safe, balanced, and a little too expected. The look usually has the same fit, same proportions, same energy across the whole outfit. When everything matches like that, there isn’t any tension or point of view.

The MSR formula

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Think of this as the edit behind the edit (a little more inside my brain).

I saw Cady Heron wearing army pants and flip-flops, so I bought army pants and flip-flops

If you missed it, I posted part 2 of my cool series, this one’s all about trends. This series has such a special place in my heart. It’s kind of my baby… my magnum opus, if you will. It’s really the center of everything I’m trying to do here.

Because sure, I and a everyone else on the internet can tell you what to wear, but the point isn’t to blindly follow it. It’s to train your eye so you can synthesize all of this on your own. That’s where real style comes from. It’s not copying, it’s expressing something that’s already yours.

So my job is to show you how to see it. Your job is to actually do something with it.

Anyway, go watch it. Maybe twice! I’m really proud of this one and can’t wait to keep building on it.

Sorry, Not Sorry!

I also talked a lot about Birkenstocks… which, apparently, is deeply upsetting to people. To be clear, I don’t have a real issue with the shoe itself. It’s how people wear them. They’ve become an excuse for lazy styling.

And yes, the shoe leans a little ugly. That’s part of it. But what’s interesting is how its meaning keeps changing. Functional → anti-war, hippie → ’90s grunge → normcore → post-COVID comfort. That kind of constant identity shift doesn’t exactly scream “timeless” to me.

And if we’re being honest… half the people wearing them now weren’t five years ago. That’s the part I care about, the blind trend adoption. (Again, go watch the trend video!) Also, full transparency, I own a pair. Gasp! Rubber, light lilac, I bought for a beach trip about five years ago. I wear them intentionally, not as a default.

Maybe we need to deep dive into how to actually style them, because there are ways to make them feel chic. I linked a few I like here, especially the Proenza Schouler ones. Always loved those.

We Need to Breakup

Then we got into matching summer sets. I get it, they’re easy, comfortable, come in fun colors. But right now they’re reading very “COVID-era, bought on Amazon.”

There are better ways to feel that same ease without looking like you gave up. There are moments where they can work, but overall, it might be time to move on. Watch the video for how to break them up and make them feel more intentional.

Bird Watching

I also did a color combo piece inspired by nature, and honestly, I just had fun with this one. When was the last time you made something just for the sake of it?

I’m constantly stopping on walks because a flower or a bird catches my eye. The colors are insane. Like… what do you mean a hummingbird looks like that? And the way it shifts in the light?

Nature is so cool.

Warning, Graphic

We also got into graphic tees because everyone loves a good one, and there are a lot of bad ones out there.

I worked in menswear at Lucky Brand for a couple of years and spent time with the knits and graphics team, so I picked up a lot about what actually makes a tee feel good vs. cheap. Think fabric composition and weight, the type of ink and printing, distressing. These are all the things you can see but don’t always know how to articulate. Like why a vintage tee just hits and a new one falls flat.

If you’re in the market for a graphic tee (new or old) the reel has some great tips so be sure to check it out.

Cool, Cool Summer

And dads, I haven’t forgotten you. We covered five summer essentials. Simple pieces you can mix and match into a ton of combinations without overthinking it, with some of my favorites linked here.

And moms, I see you too, helping your husbands stay stylish! All jokes aside, whether you’re helping each other or not, getting dressed should feel fun. It should feel like you. That’s why these mini trend and wardrobe capsule breakdowns can be so helpful. For a quick, straightforward version, check out the Instagram carousel here, save it for easy reference.

You Are Beautiful

We also got into beauty this week, a bit of a shift from clothes, but really it’s all connected. I polled in Stories and about 85% of you wanted beauty tips, so we’re dipping our toes in. I want it to feel useful and educational, not just influencer-y, so I’m finding that balance. We started with color theory for eyeshadow, which was a fun one! Find your match below.

A Few Things I’ve Been Thinking About

These are the questions that have been sitting with me this week, and honestly, they’re the foundation of everything we’re building here:

• What is timeless?
  What actually makes something timeless? And is this something we all agree upon or is it unique to each of us?

• Why does talking about style make people so triggered?

  I’ve gotten a lot of nasty comments just for discussing something simple, like jean shorts or Birkenstocks. Why does that upset people?

  Is it because fashion is more tied to our identity than we realize? Even if you say you “don’t care,” what you wear is still a reflection of how you see yourself or how you want to be seen.

• Does caring about fashion make you superficial, an overconsumer, even a bad parent?

  I’ve also gotten a lot of comments that being a good mom or dad means you don’t care how you look. Is that really what makes a good parent?!

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

• This Campsnap screen-free digital camera is so fun. It reminds me of being a kid again, taking a photo and not knowing what it looks like right after. They come in great colors, so of course I chose my signature Colorist pink. Such a good gift, and fun to bring on your next summer adventure. Great for kids too.

• This skincare brand Prequel, been loving their Half & Half Peptide moisturizer. Feels similar to the Rhode Glazing Milk, but a fraction of the cost.

• On that note, I was also gifted a vitamin C serum from Remedy Skin and have been liking it so far. I got some melasma during pregnancy, so I’m always trying things to help fade it. Too early to tell results, but it feels great and is easy to use. Has anyone tried it yet?

• This large smoky quartz necklace from BaubleBar has been in constant rotation. Thinking about adding a smaller one in a brighter color. Beads are so in right now, I love the texture and pop they add to any outfit.

• These sandals from Target are a chicer take on a flip flop. My sister sent me a pic from the store and I had to have them. Studs and embellishments are big this spring, so they’re an easy way to elevate a casual look and make it feel more expensive than it is.

If you missed any other shopping links, be sure to bookmark my shopmy.

As always, I’m so happy you’re here! Until next week, hope that helps!

Think of this as the edit behind the edit.

There’s a lot coming that I’m really excited about, but for now, here’s what we got into this week.

Weekly Roundup

No More Copy Paste

I launched a new series called Fashion Fix, you submit outfits, I break them down, and show you how to make them better.

This is honestly one of the most useful things we can do here. Because it’s not about copying an outfit, it’s about training your eye. Learning how to see proportions, color relationships, and small details that shift something from fine to intentional.

If you want to be featured, you can submit your look here.

And to be clear, this is meant to be constructive. The goal isn’t critique for the sake of it, it’s helping you understand why something works (or doesn’t) so you can apply it to your own style.

No, I’m Not AI!

I also put myself in a series for the first time Cool Mom IRL. Hey, hi, it’s actually me.

I’m a mom of two, and I’ve spent my career as a colorist in fashion. This whole account is really about translating what’s happening in the industry into something you can actually use in real life.

You’ll start seeing more of my own outfits mixed in, not as “this is the look,” but as real-life examples of how these ideas play out day to day. (And yes, we’ll be getting my husband involved too for all the dads.)

The bigger goal with all of this is building discernment.

Noticing details.
Understanding why something feels off.
Figuring out what you actually like versus what you’ve just been defaulting to.

That’s where your personal style actually starts.

Get Out of Your Head

As an ongoing thesis here at The Colorist, I don’t see fashion as just putting an outfit together, I see it as authentic self-expression. It’s not about chasing a “style word” or labeling yourself as minimalist, classic, edgy, whatever. It’s about a feeling.

How do you want to show up?
What energy are you putting into the room?

I did a quick post this week on getting dressed from that place instead of starting with labels.

Who Doesn’t Wear This

I also spent time breaking down one of the most default outfits out there: jeans and a tee.

It’s easy. It’s what most of us reach for.
But default doesn’t have to mean forgettable.

Small shifts, proportion, fit, structure completely change how that outfit reads. So instead of overthinking it or buying a whole new wardrobe, I showed a few simple swaps that make it feel current and intentional.

You can check out part 1 below, and part 2 here and 3 here.

For paid subscribers, we’re going deeper on this in this week’s article, getting into body type, proportion, and how to actually apply this to yourself, not just the quick points in the reel.

Coming Up This Week

Episode 2 of the Cool series is coming and we’re getting into trends.

What they actually are.
Where they come from.
Why they matter.
And how to use them without looking like you’re just copying what everyone else is doing.

I’m also launching a new series called Color in Culture, which I’m very excited about.

This is where I’ll start pulling references from outside of fashion, pop culture, tech, and connecting the dots on what colors are showing up and why.

A Few Things I’ve Been Thinking About

These are the questions that have been sitting with me this week, and honestly, they’re the foundation of everything we’re building here:

• What is taste?
  What actually makes someone “have taste”?
  And is that something you’re born with or something you can train?

• Why does nuance in getting dressed matter?
  Why do small shifts color, proportion, texture completely change how something feels?

• What is my summer feeling?
  We’re in that transition moment. Winter had a clear outfit formula, but now everything opens up again, and it can feel a little undefined. I’m figuring that out in real time too.

What’s Been Catching My Eye (In No Particular Order)

• These zara vinyl strap sandals (leather thong and base so not as slippery as an all vinyl shoe)

• These nylon drawstring shorts and these cropped pants (they remind me of the movie Blue Crush, who remembers that epic soundtrack and Kate Bosworth’s breakout role?)

• Silver rimmed glasses, Miu Miu vibes but revolve price like these. No I don’t wear glasses but all the cool girls are wearing them, ok?

• This color blocked tulip bag is perfection!!! The color blocking, the shape, can’t decide which colorway is my favorite.

• This Dedcool Mochi Milk scent is divine, I just got it and can’t stop spritzing it! It’s sweet but has sandalwood, musk and amber undertones.

If you missed any other shopping links, be sure to bookmark my shopmy.

Until next week, hope that helps!

Summer is coming and we need to talk about shorts

Summer style can be harder than cooler weather. No layers, no jackets, nothing to hide behind. So most of the time the entire outfit comes down to your shorts.

If those are off, everything can feel off.

In this article, I’m breaking down a simple 3-step process to filter through hundreds of options and find the right pair:

1. What to avoid when buying shorts

2. The right inseam of shorts based on your height

3. What cuts to actually look for depending on body type

I’ve also included what key terms brands use when describing their shorts so you can actually find them.

Let’s get into it.

MEN

1. The Fit Problem For Men

Most men default to one of two shorts:

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Below is an easy cheat code (for men and women) to fix it and instantly make your outfits like more intentional.

We’re going to do a deep dive on socks, what styles to wear, what’s trending and why they matter:

1. Crew socks vs. no-show

2. How socks change the vibe of an outfit

3. How to choose based on your proportions

You can also shop my sock edit here.

Let’s get into it.

THE BASE SOCK FORMULA (MEN & WOMEN)

• Trendy Option: Crew or quarter sock.
  → The most current, styled choice right now. Instantly makes an outfit feel intentional and directional.

• Safe option: No-show sock.

  → Always a safe fallback. Clean, minimal, and elongates the leg line.

• Avoid: Athletic / ankle socks

  → They hit at an awkward point on the ankle and make the outfit feel like an afterthought.

  

SOCK STYLING FOR MEN

Sporty / Athletic Fits

For the gym or a more athletic look, you can confidently go with a crew sock. It leans into that sporty, slightly retro feel and makes the outfit look intentional.

If that’s not your vibe, a no-show sock still works. Cleaner, more minimal, and slightly more refined.

Things to Note

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Most of the time, it’s not. You don’t need more, you’re just missing the few key pieces that pull everything together.

The ones that take an outfit from:
fine → intentional
random → styled
basic → elevated

Once you have a few of those, you can rewear what you already own and make it feel completely different.

THE 4 BRIDGE PIECES THAT FIX MOST OUTFITS

These aren’t trend pieces, but they’re the glue that make everything else in your closet come together and look intentional, not just thrown on. Think of these as anchors. They are starting points for your outfit that can easily be worn various times in various ways.

We’re going to break down these 4 pieces and how to use them as anchors to build more versatile outfits:

1. Oversized button down

2. Lightweight jackets and cardigans

3. Belts

4. Minimal sandals and refined flats

You can also shop my the spring edit here.

Let’s get into it.

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