I got styled in 5 spring outfits that took me way outside my all-jeans comfort zone

Personal style is a complex thing and at almost 32, I still don’t have it figured out.

My current style can best be described as nonexistent, meaning I wear neutral, forgettable things on purpose. I have an incredibly small, minimalist, mostly recycled wardrobe. I wear black and white and gray and a whole spectrum of denims, but I don’t own any color aside from one pair of red jeans and one red shirt and I don’t even like the color red.

Non-work casual attire is the hardest for me. What am I saying about who I am when I’m out to dinner or at the movies or trudging through the grocery store? I honestly have no idea.

I guess I know how I want to look — cool, comfortably polished and a little bit carefree — but I really struggle with how to get from what I wear to there.

I put on clothes every day (you’re welcome) but I can’t say I ever really get dressed, not in the head-to-toe styled sense, anyway. So I let the pros at Poole Shop do it for me.

What’s interesting about a styling session is being presented the way someone else sees you.

I think that the dark, straight forward clothes I wear match the dark, straight forward personality I embody.

Poole Shop had some different ideas, tossing out adjectives like “bright” and “bubbly” that have never been used in a sentence about me but that certainly match their colorful collection of clothes.

At first, seeing myself styled in things I wouldn’t normally wear was dissonant, but the more I look at it the more I think I don’t have to be such a storm cloud. Not all the time, anyway.

I think I wear clothes that mimic the way I feel but this experience made me feel differently, which makes me wonder if it works in reverse, too — if the clothes can inform the way I feel.

Here’s a look at the bright, bubbly spring collection Poole Shop styled me in. All photos by Christina Hussey. 

(1) Blue jean alternative for a casual brunch

Ulla Johnson Jumpsuit, $345
Rosantica Angola Beaded Hoop Earrings, $210
Avec Modération Feathered Slip-ons, $315

(2) Springtime floral and rainbow color pops

HVN Blue Floral Dress, $625
Mola Sasa Clutch, $420
Stance Socks (box set), $40
Swedish Hasbeens T-strap Shoes in Nature, $249
Rosantica Small Round Beaded Earrings, $225

(3) Adult spring break

Apiece Apart Top, $350
Apiece Apart Skirt/Dress, $395
Soludos, $99
Lizzie Fortunato Cienfuegos Necklace, $345
Lizzie Fortunato Simple Tooth Necklace, $195
Rosantica Bead Tassel Necklace in Red, $455
Jerome Dreyfuss Leopard Bucket Mini Bag, $765
Swedish Hasbeens T-Strap Shoes in Nature, $765
Citizens of Humanity Rocket Crop High Rise Skinny Jeans, $228
Krewe Sunglasses, $315

(4) Island vibes even on Lake Norman

Dodo Bar Or Dress, $590
Aurelie Bidermann Maya Bead Necklace, $415
Mola Sasa Bangles, $180-$200

(5) Crisp and casual

MDS Stripes Cape Dress, $625
MDS Stripes Red Pants, $395
Lizzie Fortunato Clutch, $398
Avec Modération Feathered Slip-Ons, $315

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Note: This content was co-created with Poole Shop.