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Welcome back to let's Get Dressed. Before we dive into today's episode, make sure that you're following the show both on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so that you don't miss a new episode. In case you want to watch today's episode, you can head over to YouTube. The full episode is available there too. And when you're done, leave us a review. I always love to hear what you guys think about the episodes and it really helps the show. Go now. Let's go get dressed. Hi everyone. Welcome back to another episode of let's Get Dressed. It's your host, Liv Perez. Welcome back to another solo episode. As you guys know, we do these at the end of every month and if you ever want to submit questions for them, you can always slide into my DMs literally for anything. Maybe you have styling questions or you have a wedding coming up you need help for. And it's also the place that I check the most frequently for end of the month amas. So if you ever have any questions, always know you can submit them here. I love doing these episodes. I feel like it's such a great time for us to catch up after, like a month of amazing guests and different conversations. I feel like it's a great time also for me to share my thoughts and opinions on things we've talked about. I also just like love being able to connect with you guys and hear what you are interested in, the things you want to talk about and the questions that you have. It's like our monthly hangout. It's so interesting. Ever since I started doing these a few years ago. And by the way, it took me so long to start doing solo episodes. My old producer really encouraged me to do them and it took like months of convincing for her to get me to get on the mic by myself. And now that I have done it for a few years, I absolutely love it. Is that a crazy thing to say? Probably. But that's okay. I try to not listen to it back as much as possible because yes, even though I've had a podcast for like six years, I still can't stand the sound of my own voice. Anyways, these solos are always our highest downloads and so I wanted to say thank you to you guys for always tuning in when it's just me and you guys for, you know, sitting down for 30 to 40 minutes and hearing me rant. But also I would love to know why you guys resonate with them so much. It will really help me to tailor the content in this episode and also Go back to our team and make these episodes better for you guys. So if you have a chance today, please shoot me a DM or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I really want to know why you guys love these so much. And of course, the things that we can be doing better in them too. I really want to introduce Phone in episodes. It's something that I'm planning and hoping to do for the fall. We can put out a theme or like a question for the episode and I'd love to be able to have you guys call in and kind of answer them mid episode. So I'm thinking about those for the fall and if you want them, let me know because again, any decision that we make for this podcast, creatively, editorially, any of those things all come from you guys. I want to hear what you guys are loving and what's working and what's not and and be able to bring you more features and segments and things that excite you guys and really help you get dressed every day. So with any of these new ideas, please let me know what you think about them and if you'd want us to implement them into the show. While we're talking about that, I'm thinking about doing a live event, a live podcast taping. There are so many of you who I talk to on Instagram and through the podcast, and I really want to meet all of you. So I'm thinking about doing something in the fall in New York City. Again, another one of those things where I want to know if you guys would come and you would be interested in hearing let's Get Dressed Live. So another thing to slide into my DMs. Basically, I'm just trying to get you guys all to talk with me this week, but I again, you guys are really the driving force behind the new things that we bring to the table for this podcast. And the more I hear from you guys on what you are loving and what you want to see more of, the more we can bring those things to you. So please be a part of the feedback loop. I always really appreciate it. A little reminder that this is actually our last episode until the first week of September. We are going off for summer break. However, of course, I would never leave you guys hanging for that long. You are going to be seeing reruns of some of my favorite episodes we've ever done in the feed for the next four weeks and they will also be on substack so you won't be rid of content for the next month. I really love the episodes we have planned for you guys. There's a lot of closet talk, a lot of reorganization and smart buys, and of course, really, really interesting, amazing guests. So I know you guys are gonna love it, and I'm so excited about September. So the theme of today's episode is something that I feel like I've had a massive shift in in the last year of my wardrobe. I actually woke up the other day and had a really big realization, which is that I think I had my biggest style growth spurt to date in the last year. And I feel like we all go through those in life. You know, there's that saying, like, every seven years is it for women, your hormones change? I don't know. Something along those lines. But I also feel that way with fashion. Like, I can actually go through my history and recall very specific moments where I feel like I hit a stride with my style or it elevated me to the next level. And where I'm at right now feels like I've hit that moment. And now that I've had time to reflect on it, I want to share with you guys how I got here because I really think it's been a life changing revelation for me. And it's something that you can do too, because it's not, you know, a pair of jeans that I bought or an expensive bag or something I had to spend a lot of money on, but it was a complete shift in my relationship with my clothes and how I look at my closet every single morning. So this all started a few weeks ago when we had Gabs Gofus on the podcast. She was writing about a series on her substack called In Between Outfits. And these are the outfits that you wear for errands to the market, to pick up your kids from school. They're the things that get us through everyday life. But if you are a content creator like Gabs is she noticed she wasn't sharing them because she never thought they were interesting. And that kind of took her down this rabbit hole of like, okay, well, if we're not sharing them and we don't find that they're interesting, are we investing in those pieces? Are we really, like, highlighting these things that are, like, the core of our wardrobe? And I loved this series. I, like, consumed it voraciously on her substack on her TikTok and invited her on the podcast to talk all about it again. One of my favorite episodes we've ever done. Highly recommend going back into the feed and listening to it. One thing that I realized during that Conversation is that I didn't have any in between outfits. And if you asked me right now to put one together, I would stumble. I'm a serial overdresser. It's something I've learned about myself in the last decade of getting dressed. I. And I think that's also, like, a product of my work, right? Like, I'm really good at getting dressed for the big events, the big moments, the brand dinner, the, you know, shiny thing. But when it came down to what I was putting on in the morning for a random day, whether I was, like, working at home or meeting friends for a coffee, I really struggled. Like, it was the time where the most clothes were left on the floor. It took me the most amount of time. And the mental exhaustion that came out of it was becoming a huge issue in my life. And we've all been there, right? Like, it's the morning, you're rushed. You're trying to get a thousand things done before you get out the door. If you're smart, you've, like, laid out your outfit the night before, which, if you are one of those people, all the power to you. I am not one of those people. Maybe I should become one of those people. But for the rest of us, you know, we've got maybe 10, 15 minutes in the morning to make ourselves look presentable and get ourselves out the door. I think what's really challenging about those moments is you've already exhausted so much mental effort on putting yourself together before you've even left the door to take on your day. And on top of that, you will probably look at yourself in the mirror at one point in the day and be like, ugh, I hate this part of my outfit. Or, like, I just don't look good today, right? Like, we've all just had that universal experience of not giving our personal style the, like, time and love that it deserves in the morning. So I asked Gabs to come over and kind of be my second set of eyes. I wanted me, the serial overdresser, to meet with the queen of everyday style and see what came out of it. I really wanted her to just, like, see what I wasn't seeing. Which, by the way, this is one thing that I like, really recommend. Have a friend come over. We had the best time. We had lunch, we hung out, and I loved getting her pov. Very grateful for her time and effort. For starters, I was missing a lot. She was going through my, like, racks of clothes and was like, liv, this is all so fancy. Like, where are your casual clothes? So, for starters, I was missing a lot. In my defense, I was missing some things. Things got a little wild when, like, she had styled me in an everyday outfit that was, like, you know, a casual pair of, like, linen pants and, like, a cute tee. And then I, like, reached for my totem evening clutch, as she called it, and she was like, what are we doing here? Things got crazy, so, you know, we figured it out. But there were definitely a lot of pain points in my wardrobe, so I felt really validated by that. I was like, okay, it wasn't me. Like, I don't have bad style. I wasn't figuring it out. I didn't have the tools to put it together. Very validating experience, let me just say that. And if I'm being honest, this probably was one of the most vulnerable pieces of content I've ever posted. So much so that someone on my team called it out and was like, I'm really proud of you for posting that. Like, that was pretty vulnerable. And I think it was because, you know, I have this podcast, and it wasn't the version of me where I was helping you guys and giving you advice as someone in a position of expertise. It was me in the position of, I really need help with this. And that was a really different frame of mind for me. I ended up getting a ton of responses on this video. So many DMs, so many emails, and I remember one of them actually identifying with the vulnerability of it all. One, the video. But also the fact that she, too, was an overdresser and that this type of content was so, so helpful. She actually said, I love the realness and honesty here. I'm an overdresser, too. And this episode was incredibly helpful. And I remember replying to her being like, we're all figuring it out together. You know what I mean? Like, no one's style is complete. No one's style is done. There's always something to learn and always something to improve on. It really made me realize that, one, we are all just trying to figure it out. Everybody can learn something, and your style is never complete. But two, I, in that moment, didn't realize it, but I was actually solving for one of the most universal issues we all have when it comes to getting dressed every day. I wasn't sitting there being like, I'm not stylish, and I wasn't doing it to try to become more stylish. I was actually trying to find a way to spend less time thinking about what to wear every day and still look really good. That first goal is all about looking better, right? But the second goal is about living better and feeling better. It was really a moment where I was like, this is a life hack. So in today's episode, I want to share all about what changed, right? Like, my mental. That changed the toolkit that I kind of have now made for myself every day. And this, like, major mental life shift that has transformed the way I think about getting dressed every day. And it's going to make your life easier because honestly, I don't think the goal anymore is about having better style, right? Like, it's not about, okay, how can you look better? It's actually about how can we get your mornings back. All of this is coming at a really interesting time because what I've learned about myself in the last few years is that summer is the most introspective time that I have for my personal style. Last summer, I actually went through kind of a similar but smaller version of this. I had one of my best friends, stylist Thomas Christos Kikis, come to my house and kind of revamped my entire wardrobe. And I feel like that was like the mini version of this, right? Like, we got rid of half of my closet. It was huge. Like, I remember walking into my closet the next day and being like, oh, my God, like, this is the start of something new, right? Got rid of half my closet, put together a Pinterest board of esthetics and vibes that I wanted to go for and really made some smart purchases that felt like grown up, you know what I mean? That I could wear to work, that I could wear to podcasts, like the perfect Celine jacket, a great pair of knee high boots, like, the perfect pair of jeans. It was a very tailored buy to, like, fashion Olivia. These are the pieces that are gonna get you through work as a fashion professional. And again, that changed a lot for me. I really felt like that was the start of this year long transformation of beginning to know myself. And because at the end of the day, I really think that that is what ST style is all about. It's taking the time to create moments like that for yourself where you're spending time with your closet, figuring out who you are and how you want to get dressed every day. And it's interesting that this happens for me in the summer, right? I can think of the correlation between, like, what we wear and why this is happening. And, like, summer is so paired back, right? Like, I'm in jeans right now and a tee. And I've been in kind of an iteration of that every day. Whether it's like track pants or, like, an easy pant and a top. Like, we're kind of itching for something more after a while, you know what I mean? Like, we want to spice it up. And since we don't have, like, jackets and sweaters and layers and things to play around with, it kind of forces you to look at your everyday basics, the things that get you through life, and make sure you have the right things right? Like, do you have a pair of easy, effortless pants that you can wear to the market and still feel really good? Like, do you have a good amount of white tees? Like, it's really, again, a moment of introspection for what you have and the gaps in your closet. And I've talked a lot on this podcast about how summer style for me is actually where I feel my most insecure. Again, I think it's because I'm good at the layers, I'm good at the things. Like, it's been kind of hard for me to get dressed in prior summers and not feel, like, overly girly and overly feminine. Some of the most, like, quintessential summer items are like, a doan dress, right? And that's me sometimes, no shade to do. I love doing, but the archetype of that style sometimes doesn't work for me. And I have a closet of a bunch of dresses. And I have noticed, like, the last two to three summers, I haven't been reaching for those dresses. I keep them because I think a good summer dress is a good summer dress. And, like, there's a time and place for it. But I have really been itching to find those, like, summery staples, especially as someone who lives in LA and, like, those summer staples definitely bleed into other seasons, but I have been itching to find pieces that feel mature and feminine without feeling too youthful. All to say, this was the first summer ever where I actually really liked what I was wearing. Like, I'm looking through pictures from the last two months, and I'm like, yes. Like, that feels like me. There's, like, cohesion. And, like, I don't feel like I'm just wearing something random because I feel like I have to because it's summer. Like, all of this is really intentional, and I'm really proud of that. Snaps for me. We've gotten here 32 years later, you know, And I think it's because, starting with last year's clean out to now, over the past year, I have really begun to treat my personal style not equally, but almost as. Equally as important as I do treat my physical and mental wellness. I go to the gym twice a week. I go to all my workout classes. And because I wanna feel good, right? Like I eat healthy because I wanna feel good, I see a therapist, I go on long walks, I take care of my mental health because I know those things are going to keep me up every day. I won't say that it's equal in my opinion, but like a close third to me has become my personal style. Because at the end of the day for me, it's a form of self care. It's how I get up every day and decide how I wanna present myself to the world and how I physically feel good. And I think that reframe has been so important. I will say that the effort for it feels a little bit less. Right? Like I have just implemented some tools that I pay attention to on a quarterly basis to keep my closet and my mind kind of in harmony. Right? Here are a few things that I do every quarter. I'm cleaning out my closet. Every single quarter, without a doubt, I'm going through, I'm making sure everything is in good condition. There's nothing that needs to be dry clean, nothing that needs to be tailored. It's something that I'm wearing, it's something that I'm still gravitating towards. And I don't mean you need to sit there and get rid of a bunch of things. I just mean take inventory, go through it and make sure that everything still feels aligned. I actually did that this morning. I went through. I was like, wait, there's like six things in here that I need to get tailored and needs to go to the dry cleaner. Like let's get those things out and let's get them going. Right? Same thing for shoes. Make sure. Do any of your shoes need to be fixed? I will scream this from the mountaintops. There's that trend going around right now. Things worth the money. Resoling your shoes is probably one of the things that is most worth your money. I have pairs of shoes that I've gotten from the realreal that have like lived multiple lives before they've come to me and they now get multiple more lives because I've resold them. If you're LA based DM me, I have a few great cobblers who I love who will resole your shoes. Just shoot me a message. Another thing that I do is I keep an ongoing list of things that I need in my wardrobe. Is it a great black shoe? Is it a gray cashmere sweater? Maybe it's A skirt that will go with all these tops that you have. I keep this running list so that I can see what I need, so that when I'm out in the world shopping, I don't impulse buy. I'm like, okay, I actually know what I need. Like, let's, let's stick to the list so that I can make getting dressed every day feel easier and better. And then, most importantly, I keep my closet spotless. That thing is always clean. Always. I am vacuuming for dust. I am like making sure everything's hung nicely. I'm making sure that all the button ups are buttoned up on the hanger. I keep my closet space pristine because it is the first place that you see in the morning. And a messy room is a messy mind. I'm a big believer in that. So make sure that you're keeping that space really clean and nice. I think of it like personal style hygiene, right? Like we brush our teeth, we go to the gym. You got to keep that area clean because that is again, the first point of contact with how you are going to feel your best self every single day. And I've said it, we've all experienced it. There is nothing like a good outfit that you feel supported in and held in to completely alter your day. There is such a connection between the mind and body in terms of what we're putting on every single day. It will change how you feel, it will change how you act, it will change how you navigate through the world and how you navigate other people. I am such a firm believer in this. The amount of times I can think about people saying like, oh, fashion is so materialistic. Like, I'm just not into that stuff. One of the reasons why I am so passionate about having this podcast and talking about fashion all the time is because investing in your personal style will change your life. A really good example is I was listening to an interview with Pia Mance recently and she talked about starting her business Heaven Mayhem and wanting to embody physically this businesswoman that she is. And she invested in really beautiful, well tailored clothing and it helped her move through the world differently. She was more confident she was able to embody this business that she has. And it really made a difference in terms of who she was showing up as, as the founder of this business. Now I'm not gonna sit here and say like, go buy expensive clothes, you're gonna look different. But I think the fact that she put the time and effort to say, I wanna buy clothing that makes me feel like my best self and makes me Embody the businesswoman that I want to be, I think is a really wonderful thing. And that could have been really well tailored suits from Zara or a bag for the from the Row. No matter what it was, I think the fact that she put the time into visualizing and manifesting who she wanted to be definitely made a difference in how far her business has gone. She is someone who I actually will go to her feed, like all the time and be like, okay, like, I love how she dresses as a businesswoman, but also someone who loves fashion. I am here to remind you that it's for you. It is for you to show up as your best self every day, for you to feel good and empowered and be the visual manifestation of who you feel like you are on the inside. To me, it's a crucial part of the puzzle piece of self care. Now, I know there are a lot of skeptics about this. I actually remember talking about this last summer and saying and encouraging people to spend a little bit more time in their closet. Right. I always say you're not going to find your personal style when you are getting ready, rushed in 10 minutes in the morning on the way to work. You really have to practice it and spend time with it. And I actually remember we got a really bad review on the podcast when I spoke about that because I encouraged people to spend an hour on a Sunday in their closet trying on outfits and seeing how they feel. And someone was like, she lost me. I could never spend that amount of time in my closet. I'm so busy. I don't have the time. Personally, I think there are so many of us that spend time scrolling or, you know, on the Internet or watching tv. And I think again, if you are someone who cares about how you show up in the world, I think you can even spend 30 minutes, whatever it is. I just think that dedicating the time is everything. And if you're still a skeptic, there's actually a phenomenon out there right now called Wardrobe Rage. And Maggie Sellers just talked about it on her podcast, Hotspot Rich. Such a fan of this podcast, guys. If you're not listening to it, it is so, so, so good. I learned so much from her. Definitely go subscribe and listen to the pod. But so she talked about this phenomenon called Wardrobe Rage. And for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it is not this idea that you are angry at your clothes, but it's that moment when you are standing in front of a full closet thinking, I have nothing to wear. I'm you know, trying on three or four outfits before work, changing shoes, all the things. And it's that, like, invisible mental load that we take on before we leave the house every day. On the podcast, she actually stated that women spend 17 minutes a day on average, putting a look together just to get them out the door, which is the equivalent of 119 days in your career. That friction is really real. And I'm sure every single person listening to this podcast has felt. And the reality is, the unfortunate reality is that this is exacerbated for women. I think about so many experiences that I have had getting ready in my closet where I have wanted to feel like a businesswoman. And I've spent so much time thinking about how I can pick my clothes to do so. And again, this is not something that I think impacts men at all. Like, I actually. And no shade to my husband, but I actually think about the amount of times that we have been at weddings or, you know, needed to get ready for events, and the fact that I have to spend three hours the day of usually getting ready, hair and makeup, making sure everything looks great and my husband sometimes will, you know, like there was one time I remember he was like fully napping and 30 minutes before we were supposed to leave for a thing, I woke him up and was like, we're leaving in 30 minutes. And he got ready in 20 minutes. And I was like, my God, there is such a. An uneven mental load of fashion when it comes to men versus women. And that's just fact. Not even counting, by the way, the amount of hours as women we spend before events, thinking about what we're wearing, how we're getting it, spending money on, you know, hair, makeup, whatever it is, making sure we have the right undergarments. Maggie actually brought up this example that she had just experienced in the south of France when she was there for work. She was giving a speech and she was wearing, I think, a dress where she needed to have, like, stick on undergarments. And because of the heat, they started to shift a little bit. And she made the game time decision before she went to go make her speech that she was just going to take them off because, you know, you don't want to deal when you're up there. Like, they move around and sometimes they're really uncomfortable. And she got the footage back and she was looking back at it and she wasn't exposed, but it wasn't the version of herself that she felt best suited for for that event. And it resonated with me so much because I Think of so many moments where we have all had wardrobe snafus. Like, I've told a story a million times of when I went to a fashion show and didn't realize that this dress was, like, somewhat sheer and see through. And I think the entire fashion industry saw my undergarments. Definitely saw the up half, upper half. But I was mortified, and it stuck with me for years. I now am so conscious anytime I'm going anywhere of what I'm wearing and how it looks different under every single different light. And again, mistakes happen. We're human. We learn from them. But all to say, I think wardrobe range is a really real thing, and it really impacts women in a huge way, whether we are getting ready to go to an event and making sure that everything's in place to even just the way that we wake up and want to present ourselves on a daily basis. Again, that mind body connection is real. It's something that I've worked hard to do so that I can walk into my closet in the morning, be one with my morning, not add extra stress, and really actually, like, get my closet to work better for me. So I want to share with you guys a few tools that I have implemented in my wardrobe that have helped me work with it and not against it. One, you have to give yourself permission to. Ms. Law Roach, I just saw him do an interview, I think, with Questlove, and Questlove asked him, what have been some of your biggest red carpet misses? And he was like, I don't really have any with my clients, but I definitely have some with myself. And I think that that is the true mark of personal style. Like, you have to be willing to miss because you are putting yourself out there and trying. And this happens to me all the time. Like, I'm rushing out the door, I'm putting on an outfit, I'm trying something new, and I get up there into the world and I'm looking at my outfit and I'm like, what am I wearing? Like, how did this come together, right? And younger me used to spiral like, the day was over at that point. The bad outfit, the day was over. Adult me sits there and is like, what don't I like about it? Does it not fit my body well? Do I not like the colors? Do they not compliment me and take note? I'm literally writing in my notes, don't wear this top with this thing. Don't wear this color. It's not. It doesn't suit you. It's a moment for you to learn what works for you. And what doesn't. So allow yourself to miss. Allow yourself to make the mistakes. At least you're out there trying new things. Okay, next, as you're getting dressed every day, take note of who you're dressing for. I used to do this thing where I would go in my closet, and depending on who I was meeting, I would be like, oh, like, I think they'd like this. Or, like, I wanna look like this in this crowd or this community. And that's not personal style one. But two, I think that's really toxic. So I'm glad I acknowledged my toxic traits. But also, that's pretty real. I think a lot of people do that. So as you get into your closet every day, take a minute, think of how you feel, and create what you want to wear around that. Did you go out to dinner last night and have some wine and enjoy yourself? And so you feel a little bloated that day, and you want a little bit of, like, protection? Okay, maybe we're reaching for the black blazer, right? That, like, covers us a little bit. And black always kind of makes us feel strong, right? Is it summer? And we're feeling, like, flirty and fun? Okay, we're reaching for the dress. So take a beat, think about where you're at, and decide on what you want to wear from that point, not from the eyes of others. Because, again, this is your style, your closet, no one else's. And I think the more that you allow outside opinions in, the further we get away from who we actually are. Also, this is a really good thing to think about as you're going into buying things. I feel like I see this a lot of times with friends. People will go and buy things because they want people to see that they have them and not because they actually want them. So make sure as you're making new purchases, it's something that you really want. It's something that you're gonna wear forever and not gonna wear it just for, you know, one or two months because it feels cool, and then you're never gonna wear it again. Number three, Catalog everything. I feel like I already get to do this for my job. I take a lot of pictures of what I'm wearing, but whatever it is, the mirror in your house, take one picture, add it to a folder. There's no way that we can remember every outfit we've ever worn. So making sure that you have a visual archive so you can wake up in the morning, just scroll through, pick, boom, done, have an archive. A visual archive will really take away. So Much of that stress in the morning. And on that note, repeat outfits. I am so proud. You gotta repeat outfits. Like if you wear something and you love it, and you love how you feel in it, do it. Like, I actually think that Monday through Friday when I'm home on my laptop building this podcast, I'm in like a pretty similar iteration of the same thing. Jeans, white tee, maybe a different sweater. Then the next day, jeans, different white tee, different sweater. Iterate on the things that you love to wear and let that like weird idea of outfit repeating go out of your mind. The biggest thing in the repeating of the outfits that I really recommend, especially for people who are going to the office every day. Spend an hour in your closet on a Sunday. Yes, I said it. One hour. You can do it. And build five to 10 outfits that you are obsessed with that you will wear all the time, no matter what, and cycle through those, just all the time for the office, cycle through them. And who knows, maybe sometimes you get excited and you pull in a different skirt or a different belt or thing, but having those five to 10 core pieces you know you love for those mornings where you're in a rush will give you all the time back in the morning. And then lastly, like, get a little help from your friends. I have loved and feel so lucky that I have two people who have spent an hour plus with me in my closet both last summer and this summer. And it doesn't matter. It doesn't need to be a professional stylist. It could be your friend, just someone else who has a great eye and knows you that can come in and help you have a fun day in your closet and and encourage you to try different things. That has been so helpful for me. And again, if you are someone who really cares about your personal style, I think it's a no brainer. Especially if it's a friend who, you know, loves fashion. Get their pov. Style is never finished. It's an evolution. You are always learning and trying new things. If you are someone who wants to work with a professional stylist, I really recommend Alison Borenstein. She does virtual appointments. She's amazing. She's been on this podcast before, um, and I really recommend her if you want to sign up. Or you can like ask for it for a birthday or a holiday gift. She's amazing and it's so worth it. So that is what I have been thinking about this month in July. I'm so grateful to have had this little growth spurt. I feel like I've learned so much about myself and love what I'm wearing. And I hope that my tips will help were helpful for you, especially as we're going into soon a new season, and it's a good time to take some time with your closet and reassess what you have. Okay, I want to end today's episode with a few Q and A questions that you guys have submitted. The first one, such a good question. How do you decide how much you want to spend every month? I think the reality is I don't have a set amount, right? Like, if this isn't, I don't take a percentage of my earnings, and I'm like, this is what I'm dedicating to spending one. I'm a really big believer in if you're not wearing something, give it a new home. You can sell it on the realreal. You can sell it on Poshmark. And for me, that's something that I do in my own closet. So I actually have, like, kind of, like a separate fund that I use when I'm selling things and giving things a new home. That's what I use to buy new things. So again, I kind of let that, like, be its own little world, and it lets me decide how much I'm spending on new clothes after I've gotten rid of things. I think that's really important. You have to let go of some things to bring some new things in. And that's something I really live by. But also, I'm pretty strict with my shopping, right? Like, I never impulse buy. You will never see me buy something on the spot. I will always try it on and say, I'll think about it and come back. And I also only shop around my inventory list that I have for my closet. So I always have that list, as I mentioned earlier, of things that I need. And it's really helpful for me to not impulse shop, because a lot of the times I'll go somewhere and try on a great dress and then remind myself, but you have so many dresses, and you don't need it. What you actually need right now is, like, a great brown shoe that would already go with everything in your closet. So. So making that list has really helped me not impulse shop and be really, really conscious about what I'm bringing into the closet. Next question. What do you do with an item that was once an item that you've invested in, but it is no longer in anymore? Unbelievable question, because I think we have all experienced this. I experience this a lot with shoes because I feel like I'm definitely like, I never buy trendy things, but with shoes, I might be a little bit more willing to. And she. Her example that she brought up was actually the Chanel dad sandals. And I had a really similar experience. I didn't get the Chanel ones, but I got the Prada ones. And I wore those to death. I wore them every day. I wore them all the time. And then one day I realized I just kind of stopped wearing them when I feel like I wasn't reaching for a really chunky, big shoe. And I kept it, and I kind of kept it. Like, not. It wasn't front and center in my closet, but I kept it as, like, a part of my archive. So my first piece of advice with that is like, table it for a little bit. Don't immediately get rid of it. You know what I mean? Like, give it a little bit of time. You might feel reinspired by it in a few months. I also really recommend this for designer buys. Like, I'm not someone who likes to ever sell my designer buys, because a lot of things come back in style, right? Like, my great example is the Balenciaga City bag. I had that for years, and I'm so glad I didn't sell it, because now it's back in fashion. So table it for a second, give a little bit of breathing room, and see if you naturally gravitate towards it. If you don't actually gravitate towards it again, not everything that you invest in needs to be a forever piece. And sometimes you think it's gonna be a forever piece, and it doesn't end up being. That's okay. We have a lot of options today. You can sell it, resell it. And I think the biggest thing with that is, and something that I learned a lot through, you know, trial and error with my closet this year, is if you have a piece of clothing that fills a category but it's not the right piece for you, I recommend selling it and getting the best version of that. So say you're someone who doesn't wear, like, dad sandals anymore, but you need a really great black flat, and you don't have the capacity to invest again in another pair. I would consider selling that pair and making room to find that maybe more forever piece of that you're going to wear for a really long time. So, again, I think first I table it, give it some breathing room. And then after a few months, I think you can really reconsider if you're not actually wearing it, to give it a new home and get something that you will wear. This is why they tell us to not buy trendy things. But, you know, sometimes you can't help it. Sometimes you look at something and it does feel like it's going to be forever. And again, that's okay. It's all part of learning what works for you and what doesn't. Okay, lastly, what are we wearing to the beach this summer that's not shorts? You've come to the right place because as you guys know, I rarely wear shorts. They just, they don't work on me. They don't work with my proportions. It's a shame, but whatever. Plenty of other options. I have a pair of linen pants that I've been wearing to death this summer. They are from EB Denim. I will link them in the description of this episode. I love them. They're so light. I've been wearing them with a bikini. I've been wearing them on vacation. They're the perfect pair of pants. So try to find yourself a very thin, kind of loose, easy pant because that will feel kind of similar to wearing shorts. And if not, I think great sarongs are always a good buy. I have a vintage Gucci one that I love so, so, so much that I will not leave the house without on vacation. And I actually was at Earl irl, the store in LA the other day and Laurel Panton, who is the owner of the store, was wearing a sarong, like a silk sarong with a long sleeve striped shirt underneath. And she styled it like an actual skirt. I was obsessed. She looked so good and it made me be like, we all have these sarongs and we only keep them for the beach. Maybe let's try styling them in everyday life. So I would recommend building your arsenal of great sarongs. You can wear them to the beach, you can wear them in the summer. I don't know where hers was from, but it was like a paisley silk skirt that she wore long and tied on the side and then she had like a long sleeve striped shirt tucked into it. So cute. So definitely going to be trying that soon. All right guys, last solo for the month. This was so much fun. I love doing this episode with you guys. I am again going to be off for the month, but if you need me, you know where to find me. You can always slide into my DMs. Always comment in the broadcast channel. I'm posting in there every week and the replies are on in there. And then I'm so excited for you guys to hear some of the episodes that we'll be re airing most importantly, I'm so excited to be back in September and bring you guys more. Let's get dressed. It's going to be such a fun season, and I thank you guys so much for the support, for tuning in every week and joining me on this journey. All right, guys, see you soon. Bye. Sa.
Date: July 27, 2026
In this solo episode, host Liv Perez dives into the universal struggle of "why getting dressed feels so hard," especially when it comes to everyday outfits versus big moments. She shares her personal style journey over the past year—with practical strategies to streamline and improve the daily process of getting dressed. Liv discusses her “style growth spurt," lessons learned from recent wardrobe audits, the emotional and mental load of clothing decisions, and actionable, self-care-centered solutions aimed at reclaiming your mornings and making personal style more fulfilling.
Quote:
"No one's style is complete. No one's style is done. There's always something to learn and always something to improve on." – Liv Perez [17:40]
Memorable Moment:
Liv recounts Gabs’ reaction to her closet:
“She was going through my, like, racks of clothes and was like, Liv, this is all so fancy. Like, where are your casual clothes?” [21:01]
Quote:
“There is such a connection between the mind and body in terms of what we're putting on every single day. It will change how you feel, it will change how you act, it will change how you navigate through the world and how you navigate other people.” – Liv Perez [39:22]
Liv’s Quarterly Routine:
Actionable Advice:
Quote:
“Style is never finished. It's an evolution. You are always learning and trying new things.” – Liv Perez [01:02:52]
On Personal Vulnerability:
“This probably was one of the most vulnerable pieces of content I've ever posted...it wasn’t the version of me where I was helping you guys and giving you advice as someone in a position of expertise. It was me in the position of, I really need help with this.” [23:45]
On Theory vs Practice:
“You're not going to find your personal style when you are getting ready, rushed in 10 minutes in the morning on the way to work. You really have to practice it and spend time with it.” [47:44]
On Letting Go:
“If you have a piece of clothing that fills a category but it's not the right piece for you, I recommend selling it and getting the best version of that.” [01:11:18]
On Wardrobe Maintenance:
“There is nothing like a good outfit that you feel supported in and held in to completely alter your day.” [39:05]
On Style Evolution:
“Style is never finished. It’s an evolution. You are always learning and trying new things.” [01:02:52]
"Investing in your personal style will change your life." – Liv Perez [39:42]
Liv will be back in September after summer break, encouraging listeners to reach out with ideas, feedback, or questions. She emphasizes community and collective learning: “We’re all figuring it out together.” [18:05]