← Her Style Podcast | Shopping, Color Palettes, Fashion, Wardrobe, Outfits, Clothing
Her Style Podcast | Shopping, Color Palettes, Fashion, Wardrobe, Outfits, Clothing
289 | How Annette Simplified Her Closet, Mastered Her Style, and Built a Wardrobe She Loves
00:33:28
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- [00:00]
A
If your closet feels like a chaotic mix of impulse purchases, half loved pieces, and outfits that no longer fit your lifestyle, you're going to love today's episode. Meet Annette, a Herstyle Collective member who went from add to cart shopping habits and a work from home style rut to curating a wardrobe she genuinely loves. In this conversation, she shares how she simplified her closet, rediscovered her true style after weight loss, and started dressing with ease, purpose and joy again. You'll hear how we combine color science, wardrobe strategy and psychology to help Annette move beyond trendy influencer buys and build lasting style skills instead. From discovering her best colors using my custom color methodology to mastering outfit planning systems that make getting dressed effortless, this episode is packed with insights that teach you the skills, systems and mindset shifts behind lasting confidence and effortless style. If, after hearing this conversation, you're ready to experience the same kind of transformation for yourself, doors to her Style Collective are open right now. Head to herstylellc.com collective to get all the details and start building a wardrobe you love. Welcome to Her Style Podcast where we're all about empowering you to show up and get dressed every day with confidence. I'm your host, Heather Riggs, a 15 year and counting certified image consultant and color specialist ready to build a wardrobe and a personal style. You get started. Okay, welcome to Her Style Podcast. Me and that. I'm so glad to have you here.
- [01:47]
B
Oh, I am so excited to be here with you and I appreciate it's such a privilege to be here.
- [01:53]
A
Well, a lot of the women in our community got to know you a little bit through our recent wardrobe Revamp boot camp. You were one of our team leads supporting the women through that journey. So you are a familiar face and voice in the community. But I would love to just start by hearing a little bit more about you.
- [02:08]
B
Awesome. Yes, thank you. Okay, well, there's a lot to unpack on that because there's a lot into my current season. So a little bit about me. My husband and I are originally from Michigan and we transferred to living in Texas about 23 years ago. And so that in and of itself was a huge shift because the weather could not be more different. You went from gray skies and chillier weather to hot a lot. So from snow boots to sandals and everything in between, I do not miss shoveling snow at all. And as a result of that, I do not complain about the Texas heat. It's the end of October and we're still in the high 80s, so it tells you a little bit about fall Here in Texas.
- [03:01]
A
It sure does.
- [03:01]
B
Yeah.
- [03:02]
A
Yeah. That is a big change.
- [03:03]
B
Yeah. And it's hard because, you know, you look at all the fall clothes and you're like, yeah, that's not going to work. So we love to travel, we're big wine drinkers and so we combine those two fun activities together. And we have many friends who like to travel with us. So we have big groups who go to different areas of wine country. So it's, it's a hobby of ours and it shows how we connect with people. So I know that I've talked a little bit about that in some of our coaching calls and my getting ready for those particular trips. But here's where the kicker is of my season is I'm in this huge transition. So like many, I've been working at home and now I'm going back to work. So I need work clothes and office appropriate clothes. Although we do have a more casual setting and jeans are appropriate, which is great. However, I'm also about eight months away from retirement, so I'm going to be. Yay for me. I'm going to be retiring early. So I'm trying to balance this. How do I dress for my life now, which has this kind of six month work span and it's only a few days a month, versus my next life starting in June, which is very casual, moving to a beach town, shorts and T shirts and tanks. But still looking cute in that world too.
- [04:42]
A
Yes. Okay. This is so good because I think anyone listening can relate to an aspect of that story and that's what happens. We tend to go through some kind of big transition, whether it was your initial move to a whole different environment and realizing that the clothing that you had for one area is not going to work for the next because the weather is so vastly different. And now you're in this exciting season of life where you get to travel and you get to do things with friends and you're so close to retirement. And so it's being strategic and building a wardrobe that works for all of these different phases of your life and understanding that the process is never over because your life is going to keep evolving. And we've seen you go through so many changes just since we started our work together earlier this year. So thank you for giving us all of that insight into maybe some of the challenges that have been coming up for you along the way. And I would love to hear what. I mean, I don't love to hear it because it's always hard when we go through struggles. But what were Some of the things that were tripping you up, any frustrations that you were really facing on a day to day basis with your wardrobe before you joined her style collective. Let's go back to the beginning of your journey with this process.
- [05:49]
B
Well, I actually think that the beginning of my journey is going to resonate with a lot of people because I mean, we all went through Covid and shutdowns and this remote work and endless video calls where really you got into an arrangement with yourself that from the waist up you needed to look presentable and you only had to concentrate on that. So I think for me, my style became really, really casual. Leggings and a T shirt. And as we went on and you had more meetings virtually, you get more comfortable with the individuals that you're meeting with. So your dress tends to get even more casual. When it came time to the world reopening and restaurants opening and you could go out with friends and see everybody, I felt like my, my, my wardrobe and my closet was a hot mess. Plus adding on, I was fortunate enough to lose a significant amount of weight. So I felt like everything was outdated, not me and didn't fit. So you have that trifecta of trouble that I was, I was trying to, to get over and this whole I need to get back into the office. It was this, this pressure to. I need to get close, I need to get closed now. And I don't, I don't know. Can we just do Granimals for adults? Please know how to mix and match.
- [07:20]
A
Because seriously though, why does it have to be so hard? Yeah. Especially for women. I know.
- [07:26]
B
Yeah. So that was, that was my state and my frustration was. And I just didn't think that my closet refle did me. It just had a hodgepodge of stuff and it just was not inspiring.
- [07:40]
A
Yeah, it sounds like what so many women have gone through of letting our wardrobes get super casual during the COVID season. And also you've had so many transitions since then too. So from go to go from working from home and not really being around people to now having to go back into the office and also having all of this free time and things that you want to do. I'm sure you don't want to go out and there to the wineries and have your travel adventures and feeling like, you know, you're in leggings and you're so casual. Right. You want to have fun getting dressed and enjoying all of those different aspects of your life now. So how have some of the steps like going through the closet Audit looking at what you described as the hodgepodge of your wardrobe and creating Pinterest boards and exploring what you want your signature style to look like right now. How is all of that impacted the way that you shop and get dressed?
- [08:34]
B
Well, so the closet audit, okay, that was probably one of my love hate relationships with one of the things that you asked us to do, but it was so worth it for me because these days, shopping is just really so much easier, I feel like when you. When you spend the time and do the work in the closet audit, which, by the way, I did it twice because I didn't like my pictures the first time. And then I got in the groove of really methodically just going a section at a time, finding pictures online, having better quality, and got a system to doing it. And it was so worth it because now my entire closet is on a Pinterest board. So if I wanted to meet with you and say, hey, these are all the tops I have, let's put something together. You know, we live in different states. We could do that and we can have a conversation around putting something together for an event or something that I'm struggling with or when I'm out shopping, I can pull. I can pull it up and say, okay, well, really, do I really need another pair of green olive jeans or something? Because, you know, I have these two pair that are kind of similar and you don't end up buying the same things over and over again. So it's just really so easy to shop now, which I still don't like doing, but it's there and it's nice to have now.
- [10:07]
A
You have the strategies to do it with more confidence. Even if it's not one of your favorite activities, you can get it done and do it in a way that you know is going to work well for your overall wardrobe. I think that is the general consensus with the closet audit there is that I don't want to do it. I'm going to drag my heels coming into it. And then on the other side, I'm like, wow, that was one of the most valuable things that I did over the last three months in this process. And to your point, being able to see what's in your closet from a different perspective and being able to check in on that, Are you buying too many of the same things on default and just giving you that awareness to look at it through a fresh lens and also for us to be able to collaborate on that. I think we have plans later on our group coaching call today, in fact, to look at some missing pieces for you together. And it's so nice for me to be able to actually see what's in your wardrobe without being in your closet with you. It's so nice to be able to team up with people all over the world. So, Annette, you've shared a lot about some of the nitty gritty of the process, but what was your favorite aspect of the program?
- [11:09]
B
Oh, how much time do we have?
- [11:12]
A
We have as much time as we need, friend.
- [11:15]
B
Oh, well, okay. So doing the quiz was a huge turning point for me because, as I said, I felt like my closet prior was this hodgepodge of stuff. And then I did the rabbit hole of following influencers and just buying whatever they said to buy and everything, and that still didn't work. So the quiz was great because I am so solid, natural, casual, and elegant. It's unbelievable. And that was an epiphany for me to actually put words and then through the program have you describe what that looks like and people in real life that it looks like by giving us the examples of if you know this actor or actress, this is typical of their style. But I had three aha moments that I think really stuck with me. One was discovering my best colors, and that was truly fun because, you know, I started with shades of gray and all black because it was easy, and black and jeans went with everything. But it wasn't just how it made me feel by knowing your colors and getting the true colors that really complement you, and it's how you show up in them. And an example, I had dinner with friends, and really, I had on jeans and a nicer, solid T shirt in one of my best blues. And we sat down at the restaurant, and they were both looking at me going, oh, my God, you look so fabulous. Oh, you look so great. And one I haven't seen in months, and the other I hadn't seen in weeks. And I'm thinking to myself, this is a T shirt. Yeah, it's just a T shirt. But it was in one of my best blues, and it complimented my coloring, and so it made a huge difference. So wearing my best colors and exploring colors in my palette was really, really nice. Second, big aha. And this was kind of a dull moment for me, which is planning your outfits ahead of time. We all do this when we go on vacation, right? You're going on vacation. Are you going to Colorado to ski, or are you going to Florida for the beach? What's your weather like? What activities are you going to be doing? What types of outfits and Things do you need to plan? And if we do that for vacation, why can't we just do that for regular normal life? And it was just like I just sat down going, this is such a basic thing. But then you started saying, okay, well maybe on Saturday or Sunday, start planning at least for a few days in advance, hang them up in your closet. That way when you get up in the morning, this is what I'm going to put on and I'm going to go out the door. And it's such less stress. And I was like, this is really. That's why I say it was my duh aha moment. It was. I plan all the time, but I didn't plan for my life on a daily basis.
- [14:22]
A
You are so right. I hate to interrupt you and I want to get to the third aha moment that you had, but I'm over here having my own light bulb moment. Because as much as I talk about planning your outfits in advance, it never dawned on me that that is something that women generally do naturally for vacation. And so now I'm just sitting here thinking, why is it that for vacation we care so much about the outfits? I know we have to. We are forced to select things ahead of time because we are traveling and we have to pack certain items in a suitcase. And so therefore requires that thought and preparation. But sometimes we really do prioritize. I need to look cute for this trip. Maybe because we're going to take more pictures or something like that. But it is interesting that we don't do that for our day to day life, even if it's not this monumental occasion, just to be able to feel our best in the everyday moments too and celebrate them just like we would a vacation. So thank you for sharing that. I feel like you just gave me a really big aha moment through that revelation you had.
- [15:20]
B
Well, and it's so nice because then you can, I mean, just pretend you're on vacation all the time. This week I'm going to be on vacation and these are all the fun events that we're going to be doing over the course of the next week. And. And I have a busy week coming up. I have an event to go to tonight and I have two days of work in the office coming up this week. So I need to sit down and plan and just treat like this week is a vacation and how do I want to look cute at work? So.
- [15:48]
A
Okay, that is the most genius hack. You are officially my new co star, Annette. I mean, seriously, that was so good. All right, now let's get back on track. Tell us this other third aha moment because now I'm like, I'm all in. I want to hear everything.
- [16:01]
B
Oh, I love our coaching calls and I love our private Facebook group. It's just. Our private Facebook group is just these girlfriends you don't really know, but you know you have them and they've got your back. And you can post questions when you're unsure on, is this, is this really my print? Do I really get this concept? Is this really going to look good on me? And should I add this to my closet? And the nice thing about it is that we are all kind of working from the same playbook. It's not somebody who's trying to sell you something and telling you, oh, that's going to look great on you because I want to make my commission on that top, that or that dress you're going to buy. It's really honest to good. Buy this pair of jeans over that pair of jeans. Buy this blouse over that blouse. I think this, this color is better on you and it's all from understanding. Oh, so you're natural and classic and that's going to really fit you and it's really going to suit you. And I really, really do enjoy and love the friendship that you have on there and helping people. We helped somebody pick out a dress for their 50th birthday, and that was a lot of fun. And, and just, just those two elements of this is my safe place to ask questions that otherwise you would think are dumb. And you're going to get true, honest answers according to what's best for you, not what's best for them.
- [17:42]
A
That is one of the most beautiful descriptions of our community. Not only describing it as the friendship which it really becomes, but the fact that you can trust that you're getting genuine const. Advice. People aren't just there to butter you up either. We see something that can be improved, we're going to tell you because we're all in it to help each other look and feel our best. And nobody's trying to sell you something which I think is really tough to find in the world right now is unincentivized style information and advice. And so that is something that is really special about the community. And like you said, everybody is working from the same playbook. So you're not going to get conflicting information or advice either. We're really all on the same page and growing together.
- [18:24]
B
Yeah, it's just, it's, it's great. And, you know, it just, just like the advice, I posted an outfit that on paper on the outfit library. You know, it looked like it was gonna go, and then when I put it on it, I looked frumpy. And then we talked about it on a coaching call, and then I went back and did some tweaks and reposted the picture in the group, and it was just like, this big aha for everybody. It's like, oh, my gosh, so much better. The sweater's tucked in different pants, added the belt. Look at that. We APPL all the advice, and it's like, oh, now I feel good about wearing this, and I'm going to wear this out tonight.
- [19:02]
A
Yes, yes, exactly. And sometimes it is just making those small little adjustments that you didn't think of before. You couldn't quite pinpoint what was off. And having the community there to be able to take a neutral look and just give you some suggestions is so incredibly helpful, as you are in the final stages, as you are now, of just perfecting those outfits and coming up with all of these amazing combinations to use for the activities that you have on your calendar. So you're in the sweet spot right now. You've been through the whole thing, and now you just get to continue refining and going through it again for the season ahead. So. And I don't know if there was anything else that you wanted to share on that note, but I would also love to hear if there was a specific moment in the program when you realized this was really working for you when everything kind of started to click.
- [19:51]
B
So for the longest time, I lacked the confidence, and I know I. I've talked to you several times on my lack of confidence in I was doing. And I think when it clicked was there was a style challenge, and it was. The challenge was take a summer piece from your wardrobe and style it for fall. And I was like, okay, I'm going to do this because my palette is very beachy. My palette is very summer by design, because I need. I wanted that when I asked you to. To select colors that would favor me because I knew my future season was going to be life. And so this challenge served me really, really well. And so, you know, I. I took that. Okay. All the colors in my palette, they're meant to go together. So pick my beachy with maybe the fabulous chocolate brown that everybody is the color of the season. And so I went in my closet, I pulled a top, jacket, pants, belt, handbag, and shoes in under two minutes, threw it together, put it on, had my husband take a picture, and I Was like, okay, I did that. I did this in. In two minutes without any thought to it. I just. My colors were all there, and I could take a summer piece and do it for fall, and it's like, it works.
- [21:19]
A
Oh, I love that it was a challenge for you. And also a challenge like, let's see if this is actually what Heather said it was going to be. And as easy as she always claims it is to get dressed in the morning and under two minutes and a big. That's a big challenge. I know transitional dressing can be really hard to take pieces that you don't normally wear and try to wear them in a different season or in a different way. And so that is. It really just speaks to all the work that you've poured into to understand how your wardrobe best is applied to you. And. And doing all the foundational steps to get to that point where it's just now, like, you can snap your fingers and throw an amazing outfit together in under two minutes. Wow.
- [22:01]
B
Yeah. It was fun. It was a lot of fun. Instead, that was the turning point of. All right, I actually didn't know I have this, but I have this.
- [22:11]
A
Yeah. And how fun, too, to be able to look at your closet now. It's streamlined and you have color choices. It's not just, okay, how am I going to make this summer outfit of black and gray work for fall? Black and gray. Hearing you describe the chocolate brown browns and the olive greens, just. It feels so warm and cozy and just perfect for you and your natural environment. So you might have already answered this, but what was the most surprising or unexpected thing that you learned about yourself or your style through the collective?
- [22:43]
B
So I think it is how I now appreciate the. The other styles more than I did before. I mean, I am just solid natural with a good dose of classic. Yeah. I like ease. I like comfort. I like keeping things effortless, but still fun. But I am really loving when I see more things that are in the elegant or the alluring, and I have a better approach. Appreciation for them. And I didn't expect to. I thought, you know, I, you know, for. For years and years, this is what I gravitate towards. This is what I always buy. And now that I know more about those styles and what pieces would be in those styles, I'm really excited to explore finding some of those pieces that resonate with me and still are true to myself. But. But, you know, I. I really want to have them help elevate some of the things, because natural is kind of. It's very level Setting. It's. It's. It's very consistent. And some of those other styles just really put some oomph into the way that you can look when you embrace them, but still being true to yourself.
- [24:06]
A
Yeah. And I don't know that you would have gotten to this place without doing all the work on your own wardrobe. Wardrobe first. Because now you are more confident in your decisions and more empowered to decipher what works best for you. And I think before you go through all of that work, you kind of default to the things that are comfortable for you. And only once you really master that, I think, can you start to step out with confidence. And so it makes sense to me that now you're at the place of, okay, I'm really great and solid with what I have, and I'm ready to take a baby step out and maybe elevate this piece or try something a little spicier just to start to have even more fun and playfulness in your closet. So I think you are in that sweet spot of knowing what you love and being able to play around with some new things as well.
- [24:56]
B
Absolutely. I think prior, it would have felt like I was wearing a costume and something that wasn't true to myself, but now that I know more about it, I'm more educated and have. Have more practice at it. It wouldn't feel so foreign, like, does this look right? And. And when you're putting on a piece that doesn't suit you, just the. The confidence is not there for you and to. To feel good outside and. And project that image and how you want to portray yourself, you've got to feel good inside, and you have to have that confidence inside of, yeah, I look really good in this. And then it shows. Yeah.
- [25:35]
A
And you're able to pinpoint that right away now. And if you don't feel that way, I think you can more easily troubleshoot what's not working. And you also understand the nuance of all of those style types. So Annette's alluring is probably going to look really different than someone else's alluring, because you're still going to maintain that natural, classic aspect to it and just bring it in in a way that really suits you on a personal level. So that's such a fun thing for me to see, too, as everyone's style coach is the unique blend that everybody brings to the style types and that do ever end up looking the same, even if on paper, someone has the exact same style types. The way that you put it together is so uniquely you, and that's a really fun thing for me to get to watch evolve. So, Annette, tell me how is the collective influenced your shopping habits? I know you said you are not a big fan of shopping, but tell us a little bit more about what that's looking like in this new stage.
- [26:30]
B
Oh, okay. So first of all, I now own a belt. I know, super random, right? But I didn't have one before because again, I just, you know, wore my tops outside. I wasn't doing I tuck. I, I didn't realize that, you know, when you're, when you're trying to match some elements like a shoe and a handbag or a belt and a handbag and repeating colors, that's an added style aspect, not just to keep your pants up, up, if you will. And so now I'm kind of obsessed and I have several in my collection. So really improved accessories. I, I'll be honest with you. I still follow influencers because they're great for telling me what the trends are or heads up on sales. But I don't buy anything that they're saying anymore. So I'm fine. Hey, do the legwork for me and tell me kind of what the trends are. But if some of the trends don't suit me and, and don't suit my style, so that's okay. So I'm just not copying what they're saying anymore. Even though I kind of listen to them from that aspect. I'm not buying what they're, what they're saying. But really my buying habits have changed because, you know, if I'm considering a piece of, I put it in my cart and wait and then I maybe go back the next day and say, really? Do I still really want that? But I ask myself those basic questions, you know, does it fit my style? Will it flatter my figure? Is it in one of my best colors? Oh, my gosh. Don't even get me started on my husband looking at my color palette because he even says, is that on your chart? And what would Heather say?
- [28:19]
A
I love when the families hold us accountable.
- [28:22]
B
So yes, yes, he's, he's been paying attention too. I love it. But the big thing is you've taught us how to ask deeper questions because those are the easy ones. If you just take the quiz, you know, is this in, in my style or is it in my color palette? But those deeper questions for it and those little check ins have made a big difference in what I have chosen. I had a gorgeous, this beautiful suede on trend pencil skirt that I bought. But then I started Thinking about how often I was going to wear it from now until retirement, I'm like, okay, even though it's not horribly expensive, I'm still not going to wear it a lot. So it went back because my cost per wear was too high, and that money was going to be better served into something else that I was going to get a lot of use of. So shopping habits are completely different.
- [29:17]
A
I am so proud of you for being that discerning about what makes the cut in your closet these days. And I think the fact that you're at a place where you can follow someone online and see it as information instead of influencing, that's such a small but powerful shift that you can filter out. Okay, this is what they're showing as the trends. These are the cute things that they're wearing. Now. I'm going to take that as information and decide what I want to do with it. And if there's anything that applies to me, rather than just impulsively going along with what they're saying or being influenced, I think it's so cool that you're just taking that insight instead and then maybe making the decision to do nothing with it, and that's okay, too, and you can appreciate that, and you can just leave it there. So, Annette, just to wrap everything up with a bright, shiny bow, how do you feel about your wardrobe today compared to before you started following this whole process? This.
- [30:13]
B
So I've recently picked out some new pieces, and I really feel that they're aligned with my signature style and my life. You know, my beginning phases, when I first started with you, way back in the closet challenge was leggings in a T shirt zone, and I've upgraded. Now, don't get me wrong, I still have athleisure, but I have better athleisure, and it's way more cute. So even if I'm just hanging at home watching football on a Saturday, which we tend to do with friends, we're big college football people. I like feeling put together, even in a casual setting like that. So it's that sweet spot where style meets ease. I'm not sacrificing my comfort. I don't feel frumpy anymore. And these new pieces feel like myself, relaxed and confident, and it's a fun shift. And I. I enjoy getting dressed now. And so I'm really loving my wardrobe today compared to where I started. And now I just think I'm going to start looking for some of those star pieces that we've talked about that might go into that alluring and, and feminine that we talked about earlier. And so that that would just be that shiny bow on my wardrobe that I feel would just make it feel complete.
- [31:41]
A
I cannot wait to help you find those perfect finishing touches just to kick everything up a small notch. And for me, that's what it's all about. That it feels fun and easy and effortless to get dressed now. Even for those at home activities or going out to dinner with your girlfriends and one of your best blue T shirts and hearing all the compliments, that's what it's all about. It doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to be personalized for you. You. So Annette, thank you so much for sharing your experience with us and for all of your time today. It's been such a treat having you.
- [32:11]
B
Oh, thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me. This is truly a privilege. I listen to your podcasts all the time and I can't believe now I'm here on one of them. And I hope this serves our sisters well and our friends in the future. And I'll say if you're thinking about it, stop thinking. Invest in yourself and just, just do it. So, always a pleasure to be with you, Heather. Thank you so much for having me.
- [32:37]
A
Oh, you're the best friend. Thanks so much. Thank you for listening to today's episode. If you want to stop copying everyone else's style and start dialing in your own swoon worthy signature look, head over to take my free 5 minute personal style quiz which you can find at the link in the show notes. If you've enjoyed our time together, please be sure to rate, review and subscribe to her style podcast so you never miss an episode. Finally, I invite you to make this a two way conversation and send me a DM over on Instagram eatherigstyle to let me know how I can best support you on your style journey. I'm always here for you in style and service. Until next time.