Believe it or not…I am style challenged. Don’t get me wrong, I can copy a look in a magazine, or find nice pieces on sale at Neiman’s Last Call, but adding shoes and accessories is baffling to me. I have to take selfies and send them to more stylish friends to see if my outfits are television ready on HEAT game nights. And those said friends have to drag me to boutiques to try on dresses, which I would normally never wear. I’m more comfortable in fashion mom-landia where pony tails, flip flops and maxi dresses reign supreme. I usually fail in the fashion department…until I met Alison Lumbatis.
Alison was a guest on my the new web show The Mom Interviews presented by LifetimeMothers.com. She’s a fashion blogger in Texas, an author, and a featured contributor in Redbook Magazine. She also does seasonal style challenges through her site Get Your Pretty On, and I participated in her 2015 Spring Challenge. Not only did I find some great new styles, but met some pretty supportive women in her Facebook group.
Here’s my interview with Alison! She’s not only a delight and joy to watch on camera, but is a wealth of information and inspiration. And don’t forget to read below for her style tips!
top 5 things every woman needs in her closet!
- Dark Wash Jeans – Alison says every woman should have great dark wash jeans, and she’s an advocate of skinny’s, no matter what size you wear. She even convinced me to buy some…and they are pretty comfy.
- Cardigans – Cardigans in every color are a must in the GYPO Style Challenges, long and short ones. You can dress up a tee with jeans or dress down a dress. Or just add a much needed splash of color!
- Quality T’s & Tanks – A staple in every woman’s wardrobe, Alison suggest quality t-shirts and tank tops in several basic colors and necklines. I loved when she paired a simple gray tee with camo pants, I would have never known how to style those pants. Or bought them for that matter!
- Comfortable Ballet Flats – I actually bought a few pairs of these and was surprised by how much I loved them. I won’t throw out my beloved and bejeweled flip flops yet, but I am now a believer in ballet flats!
- A Neutral Handbag – One of Alison’s philosophies is to spend your money on quality handbags, shoes and trench coats, things that will last several seasons. A neutral handbag can dress up the most casual of outfits.
I highly recommend Alison’s style challenges if you are well…style challenged! She has some fantastic outfits that look great on any shape, size, or age. And she has a new challenge starting for the summer season that opens on May 22, 2015. It’s amazing how much more confident and happier you feel when you take that few minutes to get yourself together everyday. Hope you have time to ‘get your pretty on’ too!
I took the Spring Style Challenge and it was great. I really needed someone to tell me exactly what to get. There are a couple of styles I’m still getting used to, but for the most part, I’ve been surprised with how much I like things that I might not normally have worn.
I was ticking off all I do have and proud of myself that I do have most of these!! Great tips though and definitely can’t thank you enough for sharing 😉
I love heels (especially since I am a bit vertically challenged) but since I hurt my back, I’ve been wearing flats and LOVE them! Great interview and tips!
I need to do the style challenge because I am definitely style-challengED. 🙂 Great tips!
Great tips! I am more lazy than style challenged but she does make an excellent point about being more productive when you are dressed for the day. When I used to manage a team, I loved “professional dress” days because my team performed so much better than usual.
Me too! And yes you are SO much more productive when you feel good!
Amazing interview Kristen! She definitely makes a good point about getting ready and getting dressed for the day making you more productive! I get so much more done each day when I actually take the time in the morning to get ready.
Great interview. And I’d never heard of Alison’s blog (but I’m off to checking it out. I’m pretty good about “dressing up.” I love the list of must haves, but I’m not a ballet flats person (I’m sort). But I have tons of cork heals;).
I am lovin’ these mom interviews! She had great advice, although I don’t think I could ever wear skinny jeans!
Thanks so much for this awesome feature, Kristen! You are such a great interviewer and it was a lot of fun talking style with you. When we have the right pieces in our closet, it’s so much easier to put together cute and comfortable outfits.
P.S. Thanks for the tip on the Old Navy jewelry. I picked up some great pieces last week!
Yay! So glad I could help YOU!!
Any recommendations for Quality T’s & Tanks?
I’m an outlet shopper – I like J Crew Outlet or Ann Taylor loft! Or Banana Republic outlet!!
This is so cool! I will have to check her out.. and I love love these interviews!!
Thank you SO much for saying that. I was worried about doing “web” interviews, like ppl would think it’s weird to transition from TV to web video. I truly appreciate your feedback – it means the world Ms. EP! Did I ever tell you it’s a dream of mine to be an EP at a sports network? No women hold that position at Fox Sports…
Allison sounds like my kind of lady! It’s like she stepped into my closet! I am a poster girl for the ballet flat, tee shirt and skinny jean look pretty much everyday.
BTW, pinned 🙂
You have the long lean figure for that too!
I know you say you are style-challenged, but you hide it well. I agree with her tips. I like to buy quality ts/tanks and then dress them up with accessories. I have a few nice pair of jeans and I’m willing to spend $$ on them because they look and feel sooooo good.
I like this list. I think it is time I get some new t shirts! I have one pair of designer jeans I only wear “out” or if I want to look good. I could use more cardigans too! I have the flats, the neutral handbag… Fun post Kristin! I hope you are loving being home and doing these interviews!
I have been a stay-at-home mom for 9 years. I can SO RELATE to this post. I love clothes, but I forget that even on my humdrum days, at least 5 people do have to look at me. I truly do get more done when I get ready in the morning and when I have a list or a schedule. Now if only I could be better at sticking to it!
I have tried ballet flats..but my toes like to be free and I have yet to find a pair of ballet flats that don’t bother my toes!! I could certainly use more cardigans in my life too! ha
I used to have a hard time too but Cole Haan fit my feet great in the winter!
So many great tips here Kristen! I love this YouTube series – you’re genius… such a great idea!
I really enjoyed this and I loved the interview with Alison. So fabulous!
I don’t think I’m subscribed to your YouTube channel… I’ve got to remedy that ASAP.
Thanks for sharing!
xoxo
It’s so easy to get into a style rut! I even found that I was in a rut with my office clothes! I just gave in to the skinny jean trend about a year ago, and agree that it can be very flattering, as long as they’re balanced well. The style challenges look like a great way to push every woman’s style boundaries. Thanks for all the tips!
I needed this like the desert needs rain. My wardrobe since quitting my corporate job consists of flannel shirts and worn out jeans. When I try and look pretty for a random night out, I end up looking like either a cowgirl on the run or a skanky cougar trying to fit into clothes made for a 21-year old. Terrible.
Do you remember that movie Clueless? Where Cher had that rotating closet thing with the computer program to make outfits? I need that only with another person or program controlling the outfits.
I also heard a black sweater or jacket is a must for a closet so I bought one and then promptly ripped it. I can’t have nice things.
I have to agree with all of it, although my purse is pink with black spiders on it, because I’m a spider breeder (don’t laugh, it’s a legit profession!) I get tons of compliments on that purse, surprisingly.
#SITSBlogging
Thankfully I have a lot of these–and YES, agree 100% re: neutral handbag. But cardigans could use an update. Great post, thanks for sharing 🙂 Stopping in from SITS Sharefest and hope you have a great weekend!
Agreed 100% with this entire post. I’m not a mom but I am a professional woman who values comfort just a bit more than style… but this is pretty much my uniform for work, LOL! Well, these items plus FitFlops (the cute kinds that Oprah likes with the thin soles).