Last week, I stood in a Fort Lauderdale hotel room and almost dressed as someone I’m not.

My man was playing in a national basketball tournament. Which, if you know me, is comedy. 

I do not own a jersey. My Pinterest board is Emily in Paris, not courtside.

And yet … standing in front of my suitcase before the first game, I felt it start. That old familiar tug to look the part.

The edgy, tight jeans. The fitted top with the logo-forward bag. Makeup done to the nines. The hair, the lashes, everything fitted perfectly.

I mean, isn’t that what a basketball wife is supposed to wear?

Let me be clear about something. There is nothing wrong with that look. On the women who love it, it is gorgeous. It is an art form. It is fully them. 

That is the whole point of personal style – when a woman is wearing what is actually hers, you can feel it across a room.

It’s just not me.

And still, standing in that hotel room, I almost reached for a version of it. The slightly tighter dress. The heavier makeup.

The performance of a woman versus being the truest me. 

I’ve made this mistake before. So I knew exactly what was happening.

Here’s the truth about every style mistake I have ever made.

Every single one was a self-image confession. Not a fashion failure. A small, quiet admission that in that moment, I didn’t trust myself.

What it says, quietly, is: I don’t believe I’m enough for this room. 

But remember this: Dressing for the crowd is letting the crowd write your story.

So I put the fantasy aside and got dressed as myself. 

Some days that meant elevated athleisure – good sneakers, white tee, the jacket that pulls it together. Some days, a crisp button-down and good jeans. One day, a sundress.

Every day, me.

On today’s podcast, I’m walking through three style mistakes I’ve made – and what each one was actually confessing. Listen here.

Because when you know what your clothes are confessing, you stop being dressed by your old self-image. You start dressing as the most self-expressed you.  

In love & style,

I dress for how I want to feel, not how I think I should look.

There’s a difference between putting on an outfit because it makes you feel like yourself and putting on an outfit because you think it’s what the moment requires. 

One feels like home. The other feels like work.

Veronica Beard Perezzi Linen Button-Down

Just as chic courtside in Florida as it is at the farmer’s market back home, the Veronica Beard Perezzi Linen Button-Down is my go-to for looking polished without overthinking it.

The asymmetrical design adds just enough interest to make it feel special, while the breathable linen fabric is classic and comfortable. You know I love it with jeans, but it’s also perfect with trousers or a skirt – whatever reflects your personal style.

My Top 3 Style Mistakes (and the Self-Image Story Behind Each One)

Have you ever looked back at old photos and cringed? Not because the trends were bad (ok, maybe a little bit because of this), but because you can see right through the outfit to the woman who was trying so hard to be someone else.

I’ve been that woman more times than I care to admit. And looking back, I can pinpoint exactly what I was trying to prove each time.

In this episode, I’m sharing my top 3 style mistakes and what they taught me about my self-image.

// TheEDIT

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