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Tailored and True

Motivation: Why I started Tailored and True

April 17, 2017

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Hi friends! Happy Monday!

In the past few weeks, I’ve found myself in a lot of conversations explaining Tailored and True. What it is, why I started it, why I’ve kept at it, and what it means to me. During one of these conversations someone asked me if I’d ever written a post sharing all of this, and since I couldn’t pinpoint a time I had, I decided that I would today.

My first Tailored and True post was in July of 2014, but the idea was born many months before that. I had graduated from college in spring of 2013 and started right away working as an analyst at a management consulting firm. It was a really hard transition for me. I felt that college was a true meritocracy; work a little bit harder and you do a little bit better. Present an smart idea or a exciting experimental result and you gain credibility. It didn’t matter what you wore or what you looked like; in college being taken seriously was all about the quality of the work you produced. All of the sudden I was working directly with clients who were mostly male and mostly my parents’ age and had been working in their given industries for 20+ years. I was trying to get them to take 23-year-old me seriously and listen to my recommendations on things they should change in their companies. I struggled with how to use my wardrobe as a tool for credibility, without feeling like I was compromising my personality to fit into the cookie-cutter type style expectations. I turned to other blogs for inspiration, and slowly started to develop my own personal style.

When it finally clicked for me, it really clicked. I felt good about the way I was presenting myself as both a professional and a person, and I felt so much more confident than I had before. I started raising my hand in meetings, freely sharing ideas, and even piping up in dissent. I started to perform a lot better at work, and be given more freedom and more responsibilities. I truly believe there is a fundamental connection between personal style and confidence, and that fashion can and should be used as a tool for empowerment. When we feel good about the way we look, we’re more willing to take risks, think big, and recognize our full potential.

It is because I so strongly believe this that I decided to start Tailored and True. I thought that if ever this blog helped someone else along the journey of discovering or confirming their personal style, than it was worth it. I continue to blog because I continue to think this mission is so important. As a bonus, Tailored and True has also turned into a wonderful hobby and outlet for me. The blogging community is an amazing one, full of badass and inspirational women from whom I learn so much everyday (quick shoutout to Style Collective – if you are a blogger and not a member I cannot recommend it highly enough), and every time a reader sends me an email or comments on a post, I feel that all of my effort is worth it all over again.

So with that, cheers to personal style, to empowerment, and to living our best lives. Thanks so much for coming along for the ride!

Outfit:

Top: Ann Taylor
Jacket: J. Crew (old, similar here and here)
Bottoms: Sinclair (old, similar here and here)
Shoes: Donald J. Pliner (old, similar here and here)
Bag: BP Brand
Accessories: J. Crew sunglasses (old), Bauble bar earrings (old)

Photography: Kate Comee

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Tagged: casual outfit, chilly day outfit, coat, empowerment, Fashion, lace up sweater, mixed media boots, motivation, personal style, pop of color, red jacket, scallop bag, spring fashion, why blog, why i blog

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Welcome to Tailored and True, a workwear and style blog featuring career advice for women who work. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Where I shop

Nordstrom

J. Crew

Banana Republic

Reiss

Allsaints

ASOS

Bloomingdale’s

Shopbop

Saks Fifth Avenue

Madewell

Zara

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