HER Style Podcast Episode 274

Feeling Happy to Get Dressed Again as a Mom of Young Kids: Carrie's HER Style Collective Success Story
Host: Heather Riggs | Guest: Carrie
Release Date: September 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Heather Riggs sits down with Carrie, a mom of two young kids, to explore her journey from feeling uninspired and disconnected from her personal style to regaining excitement and confidence about getting dressed every day. Through joining the HER Style Collective, Carrie discovered not only practical wardrobe solutions, but also a renewed sense of self and joy in her daily routines as a mother and woman. The conversation candidly addresses the struggles moms face with style, identity, and body changes, and how intentional wardrobe choices can have a transformative impact.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Carrie's Starting Point: Style Frustration and "Losing Herself"

• Carries Introduction and Context ([02:08]):

  • Carrie is a mom of two (ages 3 and 5) working from home in PR.
  • She describes her wardrobe as having "taken a dark turn"—both in color palette (all black, wintry clothes) and in the way it made her feel.
  • A friend’s suggestion of a color consultation sparked her realization: “I think I've lost my personal style. And I don't even know where to begin.” ([02:33])

• Recognizing the Need for Change ([03:22]):

  • Carrie speaks about hesitating—thinking maybe she should wait a year. But then realized: “That's a whole year of my kids’ childhood and my motherhood where I feel yucky.”
  • Her daughter’s honest question—“Mommy, why aren’t you wearing a dress?”—became the push to seek support.

Motivation to Join HER Style Collective

• Taking the Leap Amid Motherhood Chaos ([04:04]):

  • Heather and Carrie discuss the mental hurdle of prioritizing oneself. Carrie admits: “I kind of needed like a style coach… I just couldn't get that I wouldn't even make the time for myself.”
  • The conversation recognizes how brutally honest (yet loving) children’s comments can be and the deeper reasons for making change.

• Goal Setting Beyond Wardrobe ([04:22]):

  • Carrie wanted more than just clothes—she wanted to reflect on “who do I want to be? And just trying to start that process now of…how you look reflects how you feel.”
  • She saw this as an opportunity to move into the next phase of life, mentally and stylistically.

Life After the Collective: Tangible Shifts

• Day-to-Day Ease and Confidence ([05:33]):

  • Carrie describes her new mornings: “I can go into my closet and literally within a minute be dressed and in something that I like…It looks put together. I look like I’m going to go drop a kid off at school, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. But it looks good and I feel good, and it doesn’t take long.”
  • Contrasts with her previous state: “I had sort of just even stopped looking in the mirror…throw on all this black stuff and boots and just run out the door.”

• Big Wins and Core Lessons ([07:06]):

  • Two transformative lessons:
    1. Shopping intentionally for her real life:
       • “What do I do every day? Where am I going in the next few weeks and months, and what do I need for those occasions versus a closet full of aspirational things that I’ve bought?”
    2. Creating a functional, color-cohesive wardrobe:
       • “Buying colors that go together is incredible…that, I think, was the biggest point of success…everything was really in these sort of muted, low contrast colors that would match and go together and just worked for me.”

• Avoiding Old Shopping Habits ([09:46]):

  • Carrie emphasizes how she used to do “huge hauls” of seasonal pieces that weren’t practical, which she rarely wore.

"A Little Bit of Myself Again"

• Discovering Her Body Shape & Dressing for Now ([10:12], [11:18]):

  • Carrie learned she’s an hourglass shape: “I spent 40 some years not knowing…as soon as you said that, it helps me know how to dress.”
  • She overcame the urge to wait until losing weight: “Even if I hadn’t [lost weight], what I’ve realized is that this program would have been the biggest shift even if I had never stepped on my exercise equipment…I think it's knowing how to dress.”

• Motherhood, Body Changes, and Self Acceptance ([12:38]):

  • Honest admission: “I had kids late in life, and…they're both extended breastfeeders…That was not my plan in life…I'm like, covered in boogers, and I can't find a bra because…different. And I was like, well, this can't be my motherhood experience. This cannot be how I remember my kids when they're little is me being like, blah.”
  • Renewed perspective: “I'm just glad I got started…and had a great summer, a better summer because of it.” ([14:05])

Ripple Effects: Confidence & Routine

• Positive Impact on Social Life & Routine ([14:05], [15:17]):
  • “A little bit of, like, feeling like myself again…I always felt put together…And then I was like, oh my gosh, I've completely lost myself here.”
  • Even with mishaps (like her son peeing on her at a birthday): “It was fine. You know, it was cute and it dries.”
  • “It does make me feel more outgoing again and like, more social. And I'm like, okay, I look a little bit better. I can say hello versus being like, oh, just jump in the car.”

Ongoing Style Goals and Applying Lessons

• Evolving Her Style System ([15:50], [16:39]):

  • Working on fall wardrobe and simplicity for herself and her kids.
  • Goal: “How do I mature into a, like, grown up lady's wardrobe? Just somebody looking like somebody's mother…continuing this evolution…starting to figure out how to elevate for certain occasions too.”
  • Relates to the ongoing, repeatable nature of the HER Style framework.

• Travel Made Easy ([17:09]):

  • Packing is now simple: “I've never had an easier time packing for a trip…I just picked a few outfits and threw them in the suitcase and it was done.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Realizing the Need for Change
  “That's a whole year of my kids' childhood and my motherhood where I feel yucky.” — Carrie ([03:22])

• On the Power of an Intentional Closet
  “This idea of saying, well, what do I need?...That to me was just like, oh.” — Carrie ([07:32])

• On Color Cohesion & Wardrobe Ease
  “Buying colors that go together is incredible. It makes everything easier. First of all, they're your flattering colors…But then your closet matches, things go. And it's just…that, I think, was the biggest point of success.” — Carrie ([08:23])

• On Waiting for the “Right Body”
  “What I've realized is that this program would have been the biggest shift even if I had never stepped on my exercise equipment.” — Carrie ([11:47])

• On Self-Rediscovery
  “A little bit of, like, feeling like myself again…I always felt put together…And then I was like, oh, my gosh, I've completely lost myself here.” — Carrie ([14:05])

• On Shopping Smarter
  “I'm not spending money on clothes and I'm not spending hours on shopping. I know what I need and I buy it and it fits and it's great. I mean, that's just…It's saved me so much.” — Carrie ([20:08])

Rapid Fire Round (with Timestamps)

• Go-to outfit right now
  “Wide leg jeans or a loose cropped pant and a more fitted tee and top…and these little slip on clogs, which apparently are on trend, but very comfy.” — Carrie ([18:03])

• Color she's loving
  “My best white…white is not the same white for everybody…had a whole set of creamy white shirts that I was wearing all summer, and I loved them.” — Carrie ([18:25])

• Most-worn pieces
  “Truly, those clogs. But also, I…started putting [my] pretty little pair of diamond stud earrings on…” — Carrie ([19:01])

• Style in three words
  “Definitely casual, natural. But I also think this is two words, but grown up.” — Carrie ([19:30])

Takeaways for Listeners

• You don’t have to wait for the “right” body, season, or circumstances to start feeling good in your clothes.
• Focusing on creating a wardrobe that fits your actual life — and having a supportive system — can free up time, money, and emotional bandwidth.
• Even small changes, like knowing your best colors or preferred silhouettes, can unleash confidence and a sense of self.
• The HER Style Collective isn’t just about fashion — it’s about reclaiming joy and self-worth in motherhood and beyond.

For Those Considering HER Style Collective

• “Save yourself some money and some sanity and just go through this program. It's like you just need it more than you know…I'm not spending money on clothes and I'm not spending hours on shopping. I know what I need and I buy it and it fits and it's great…It's streamlined everything and it's taken this big quarterly seasonal burden right off my plate. Now I get dressed and I love it.” — Carrie ([20:02])

This episode is an honest, uplifting example of how intentional style coaching can impact not just your wardrobe, but your whole sense of self — especially for busy moms rediscovering who they are.