How to Master Polished Maximalism: Mixing Prints, Color & Finding Your Style with Julia Berolzheimer

0:00Julia Berolzheimer: I feel like I have such an inner maximalist that I don't know how to harness. And I think a lot of people feel that way. It takes effort and nothing about my style is effortless. I put in a lot of effort because I always want to get better. Julia, I'm so excited to have you on the show today. You're someone that calls yourself a polished maximalist. I love maximalism in the way that I love color on color, print on print, embellishments, all of the details. but I like it to feel sort of polished and refined at the same time. I often think about like, can taste be nurtured or are you born with it?

0:37Julia Berolzheimer: And I always say, I think it's 50-50. The older I've gotten, the funkier I want things to be. I think having kids also triggered a lot of evolution. Oftentimes we think of the phrase, you've changed, as negative. I take it as a compliment. Back to being women in your 30s, I've realized that the way my body feels is different every week and that changes my style literally every week. Absolutely. We're getting dressed to live, not for pictures. I don't think I have any rules I try and follow when I'm getting ready or shopping.

1:12Welcome 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. Julie, I'm so excited to have you on the show today. We have someone here who is like up there in contributors to me to my shopping addiction.

1:45Julia Berolzheimer: Oh, thank you. I'm so honored to be here. I'm so excited. I've been looking forward to it for a long time. Good. I'm so glad. Also, you are wearing the shirt that you got when we met, which I think is so kismet. and full circle. It is a hundred percent. This is by Patricia Votto of One Ave. And we saw each other, I think it was this time last year. And I wasn't even here for fashion week. We were here for work and I was just visiting her office and I've worn this shirt so many ways. It's been like the best purchase. It's very you. Print, fun, amazing. I love how you have it styled too. What's that skirt?

2:21Thank you. This skirt is old Michael Kors. If you guys, okay, if you guys are listening audibly right now, I recommend going over to YouTube because it's just so, so, so beautiful. You look amazing. Thank you.

2:32Julia Berolzheimer: Of course. So just in my little Canadian tuxedo for the day. I love it. Thanks. Feels good. So tell us a little bit about how you're going to help us get dressed better today. Yes. I mean, I want to just share how sort of I approach getting dressed, how I approach owning my own style, figuring out my own style, and just feeling good. Because at the end of the day, that's what everybody wants to feel, is feel good in their clothes, the way that they're sort of leading through their life. I have this saying that I think of in my brain a lot as I'm getting ready every day. And I remember when I was younger, I asked someone, like, what's like your closet like?

3:14And they looked back at me and they were like, what it's actually like or what I wish it was like. Yeah. And that to me is such an interesting distinction because I feel that way when I think of your style. It's like my closet is one way, but I wish it was like yours.

3:28Julia Berolzheimer: Oh, thank you. I feel like I have such an inner maximalist that I don't know how to harness. And I think a lot of people feel that way. I think to be a maximalist is to like fully embody joy in your dressing and be really bold and brave. And I think a lot of us, again, want to feel that way. Yes. You're someone that calls yourself a polished maximalist. Yes. So I would love for our listeners right now, if you could just break down what that means. Like, how would you yourself describe your style? I like to say that it means I love maximalism in the way that I love color on color, print on print, embellishments, all of the details.

4:06Julia Berolzheimer: Like, I will layer two prints, but I like it to feel sort of polished and refined at the same time. Like I still love things to feel classic and not overdone for the sake of just being like out there. I sort of, I layer and then I take back a little bit. But I, I love color. And so I sort of lead with that in my style. I probably have the least amount of black things in my closet than I have of anything else. I love seeing other people in really just chic, all black outfits. Right. But when I'm wearing it, I feel sort of sad. I understand. I don't feel like myself. And when I put on color, I feel confident and I just feel like myself, really.

4:52The wearing black correlating to sadness, I think is so interesting because one of my favorite creators, Brenda Hashtag, I don't know if you know her.

5:00Julia Berolzheimer: I don't, but now I have to go look her up. She is your polar opposite and I adore her and I really adore her style, but she only wears black and white her entire closet. And she posts about it all the time. Yeah. You would be astonished. It's like the top row is all white. The bottom row is all black. Wow. I mean, I follow people who are sort of minimalist. There's so many people I follow and I can appreciate their style. And when I've tried to sort of do my own take on it, I don't feel like myself. Right. But she's not a minimalist, in my opinion. She wears like, yeah, there's like an in-between.

5:33Sometimes it's minimal, sometimes it's not. I actually asked her, I was like, sometimes when you're in all black, Like, do you feel sad? She was like, no.

5:39Julia Berolzheimer: No, she feels like herself. Totally. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, there's so many other ways you can be a maximalist without color, just like texture, you know, embellishment. There's so many different ways, like just the fabric alone can tell its own story and add so much detailing. So, you know, if you're afraid of color, it doesn't have to be color. I love that. It's a great point. Have you always been a maximalist? Take me back to like college Julia. Like what did that look like? Because I know you've been in the space for a really long time. You're one of the OGs in the blogging Instagram era.

6:14Julia Berolzheimer: I would say I've always had maximalist elements and I've always had very polished elements. So I would say my style has evolved a lot over the years. But talking about college Julia, I mean, it was like top shop feathers, you know, so it It was very much, I think one of my favorite dresses in college was a Topshop dress that I wore to a formal with my husband, Thomas. And so I've always loved color. My style definitely read more feminine, sweet when I was younger. And the older I've gotten, the more I've sort of grown up with it. And anybody that knows, we used to have a clothing line called Gal Meets Glam Collection.

6:58Julia Berolzheimer: and we had collectors. We had a couple of people who had hundreds of our dresses and it was very polished. It was sort of like a young Carolina Herrera inspired by, but with print and color. And so I think I'm just like the more grownup version, more polished version of that now. I really love that you just said that you kind of veered away from sweet because I think for women, as we get older, there are a lot of things that I begin to cut out of my wardrobe because they feel sweet. They feel sweet, 100%. And as a 32 year old, I'm like, it's not that I don't want to feel sweet. It's just that I don't feel like the evolved version of myself.

7:34What were some sweet things that like you got rid of? Like any ditzy floral, really.

7:40Julia Berolzheimer: And I think having having kids, putting them in sweet things made me realize how sweet some of the things I had were. You're like, we can't match. It doesn't work. Yeah, I understand. And so that that really also triggered a lot of evolution. and just growing up. It's interesting when you grow up online. I've been on the internet for 15 years. I'm 35. So I started when I was 20. I was in college and I've had different lives. And I think it's exciting to evolve. And I think it's exciting when oftentimes we think of the phrase you've changed as negative. I take it as a compliment. I want to change.

8:22Julia Berolzheimer: I want to get better over time. Like I want to keep pushing myself and my boundaries. And I hope I didn't peak when I was young. If I do have something that reads more sweet, I want to balance it out with something more masculine or something funky. The older I've gotten, the funkier I want things to be. Even our home, the evolution of my home style has really changed. Like I used to want really soft, palatable colors. And now we just painted our library like grape, like a deep moody purple with a chartreuse rug. Very cool. It's just I want funky. I want interesting. I want color. And again, nothing sweet.

9:07Julia Berolzheimer: I think there is a science behind how that color can make you feel energized. Absolutely. And even just I'm somebody that's very affected by my surroundings. Being around color is really important to me. We bought an old new home and it, so we bought it. We moved into a new home last year, but it is a very old home. It's a 200 year old home. Wow. And the previous owners had very like soft taste. And so being around somewhere that was like very like lack of color everywhere and the design evolution takes a long time, home stuff. So it's been mentally challenging for me. And the rooms where we've added color, I only want to spend time in those rooms.

9:53I love that you're so impacted by that. Was your childhood home bright and colorful? No, my mom had like no interior taste. Back then it was like shabby chic, like everything was white. It was Martha Stewart era. My mom's whole house is white.

10:05Julia Berolzheimer: My mom and I are very close. We could not be more different. My grandmother, my mom's mom, was so fabulous. Okay. It's got to come from somewhere. Her home was fabulous. Yeah. And she loved fashion. Yes. It always comes from somewhere. It has to. Yes. I often think about like, can taste be nurtured or are you born with it? And I always say, I think it's 50-50. Like I think you have to get it from somewhere, but then you have to go out there and do the things to nurture it. Yes. And I love that. That's why you're saying like your home is colorful because I think your surroundings, what you look at every day, who you follow on Instagram, the colors of your home, like what you are looking at and taking in every day, like that's how you nurture your taste.

10:46Julia Berolzheimer: Absolutely. I think there's a saying like you are what you're around. You are what you eat. Let's just say. You are what you eat. Like you become who your friends are. Like totally. You know, without you even realizing it. And so, yeah, like I think I've just sort of have created a world that I just, even when we travel, I'm so picky about like the hotel I stay in. And because I want the room to feel exciting. So you're looking at like design. Yes. That for you is crucial. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. If the room is worse than my house, I don't want to be there. Ooh, I want to know like the coolest looking hotel you've ever stayed in so badly.

11:25Pasolacqua, Lake Como. I have not been there and it's on my list.

11:28Julia Berolzheimer: It is. But I've not heard of that hotel. It is old Italian glamour. It's just beautiful. And Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda. Someone told me to honeymoon there and I wish I'd listened to them. It is my number one favorite hotel of all time. You feel like you're in somebody's, I mean, it was a home. It's just so fabulous. So fabulous. Is that close to Lake Como? Don't ask me anything about geography. I have no idea. You're in Soho. We're in New York City.

12:04Okay, while we are always talking about really good buys on this show, we have officially reached one of my favorite fashion times of the entire year. and that is sweater weather. There is something about putting on that first sweater of the season that makes me irrationally happy. And maybe it's because I live in LA and have to wait approximately a thousand years for the temperature to drop a little bit. But the second I can wear jeans, a sweater, a great shoe, and not think too hard about the rest of my outfit, that is truly my ideal fall uniform. So today I wanted to talk and share with you guys about the sweaters that I'm so excited about for fall and more importantly, how I actually want to style them.

12:39And thanks to Macy's for sponsoring this segment. So one thing I love about sweaters is that they can completely set the tone for an outfit. You can go really classic, really sporty, oversized, casual. And Macy's has such a good range right now. The first one I've pulled is this three people mock neck zip front cardigan. It's this relaxed textured zip that feels very easy and cool. And I love that it's almost somewhere between a sweater and a light jacket. Like when you wear a sweater like this, that's the outfit. Jeans, a t-shirt underneath, and you're good. I would wear it with like probably a loafer or even like if you are on the go, it's great with leggings after a workout or a sneaker if you want something that is comfortable but still really pulled together.

13:21Then on the complete opposite end, I found this sweater from Polo Ralph Lauren. It's the Big Pony Rugby Sweater. This is my dream sweater. I love a graphic sweater. I'm obsessed with it because it plays into that like sporty retro thing that feels really good for fall. But also, again, it is the outfit. It's this like relaxed fit. It's 100 % wool. So it has a little bit more structure and weight to it. And again, this is the outfit. Like you're letting the sweater do all the work. I love the indigo color. It would look so good with like a dark navy and your favorite fall boot with some very simple accessories.

13:54I also, I think I really like the idea of doing it with a skirt to make that like rugby shape feel a little unexpected. I have this like long leather midi skirt that I think would be so good with it. And then I also think everybody needs one classic crew neck in the mix, which is where this Lands End double trim crew comes in. I am obsessed with the red and white version of this. It feels very classic, but I love a double layer like so much. Again, another moment where I feel like it pulls the outfit together. It's 100 % cotton, which we love. It has that double trim crew neckline and it's really just like relaxed and comfortable.

14:30Again, this is one of those things that you can put on any day in the fall. I also really would love it under like a fall jacket, like a blazer or a houndstooth. And maybe a ballet flat. You can tuck the sweater in with a belt. So good. I think this is my sweater formula for fall. It's a one everyday easy layer that makes getting dressed like so seamless and quick. And you don't need 100 sweaters. Give me like two or three really good ones that feel both classic and also like a little it personality and you'll be able to cycle through them all season long. I'm so excited for the fall season. I'm so excited for all the layers.

15:03And again, it always starts with a sweater. So I'm so excited for the season ahead. Thank you so much to Macy's for sponsoring this segment. And you can shop now for all of your fall sweaters and everything you need for sweater weather at Macy's. Quick break from today's episode because I have a fall trend cheat sheet for you guys. And I know a lot of you are thinking, okay, what am I actually supposed to buy? There is so much out there in the world. And of course, I have the answers, courtesy of Macy's. First, I would always go for something chocolate brown. I feel like this is the time of year where it really starts creeping in and it is the official fall mascot.

15:37It's everywhere. I especially love it in suede, like think a great suede jacket, bag, or shoe. It adds so much richness and texture to any outfit. Second, dark indigo denim. This is the biggest shift that I make when I go from summer to fall. It is the easiest update because you can wear it exactly like your favorite jeans, but that really deep saturated wash immediately makes the whole look feel more polished. And then finally, I really love anything with that like retro Americana feeling. Think heritage plaids, checks, stripes, classic reds and blues. I think you should pick one thing you absolutely love and work it into what you already you own.

16:14Fall is such a fun time to get dressed and Macy's makes it really easy to find all of those fall updates all in one place.

16:24So when did your point of view really start to take shape? Because I really relate to what you're saying about like the feather dress, top shop dress in college. There are very specific moments for me as I've gotten older that I reflect on so fondly. and it's like my fashion eras were defined by certain pieces. Like I can think about all the eras where I got a piece, I wore it to death and it became like who I was at that time. So when for you did you feel like things really started to click?

16:54Julia Berolzheimer: I'm maybe turning 30, like entering into my 30s, like feeling more like an adult for the first time is when it really started to shift. but I feel like it didn't really start to click until maybe three years ago where I really felt like I was finding my stride and I felt more confident in who I was, what I liked. And I would just clean out my closet all the time and recognize the patterns of the things I was taking out and just stop buying them. Because sometimes you create patterns and when you're shopping, you rebuy those things just out of habit. And you have to tell yourself, like, I don't wear this anymore.

17:41Julia Berolzheimer: I should not buy this again. Like a ditzy floral dress. Like, I almost feel like it's ingrained in me to want to like a sweet cotton dress for summer. But I never want to wear that. I want to wear the white crisp dress and pair it with some funky colors. This is making me really happy because I am that age and I have never felt more aligned with who I am and what I'm wearing. Yes. Like there was a time where I hated everything I wore all the time. Yeah. And it wasn't because I didn't have nice pieces. I just my style hadn't caught up to who I was yet. And I think people don't realize that the way to fix that is actually giving your style time.

18:22Like you have to put in the work. You have to like go into your closet and try things on and experiment. And like it's not just going to happen while you're getting dressed in the morning if you actually care about your style. Exactly.

18:32Julia Berolzheimer: And it it takes effort. Yes, it takes effort. And nothing about my style is effortless. I put in a lot of effort because I always want to get better. Anytime I've done something, a project or I've had collections in the past, the minute it comes out, which is usually a year later, I hate it because I'm already on the next thing. Like I'm always just pushing my mind of what I think is better. I feel like in everything I do. I really appreciate that you said all this started to change in your 30s because I feel like we're fed a little bit of propaganda that your 20s are the best time of your life and you're in college and you're free and you don't have responsibilities yet.

19:15The only great thing about your 20s is that your skin is great. You couldn't pay me millions of dollars to go back to my 20s. No. I am like so myself. I love who I am. I'm so happy in my life. I feel like I've really like figured out who I am in my 30s. And it's like a very different people are like, oh, you have freedom in your 20s. But the type of emotional freedom you have in your 30s is everything.

19:37Julia Berolzheimer: I couldn't agree more. I am so much happier now. And I look back at my 20s and you have so much time that you waste so much time. You don't even realize I'm so much more efficient now. Yeah. With limited time, I get so much more done. You know how to get you're just you're seasoned. It's just as better. You figured it out. Yeah. We figured it out. Like I get why Gwyneth is like when you turn 40, you're like your brain gets like an upgrade and then you turn 50 and it just is like a new upgrade. God, let us all be like Gwyneth in our 40s and 50s. Okay. Please, please, please. I would really love that.

20:14One thing you and I have talked about a lot when it comes to your style and figuring it out, and I wonder if this has been helpful for you in this journey of figuring out who you are, is Pinterest. And we've had conversations about how it's so helpful for you and you like spend hours on there.

20:28Julia Berolzheimer: And I would love to hear a little bit about that as someone who has a little bit of friction with it. Yeah. I mean, I am somebody who loves to just mood board. I use a platform called Milanote where you can upload imagery and add notes and you can basically create a mood board. I love to just mood board things. I mood boarded our house before we even found it because I was like, I will manifest the house that we want. And so I designed each room in my process of manifestation. And so I'll do that. Like before a trip, I'll mood board like the vibe of the outfits I want to have. Or like before a season, I'll mood board like all the runway looks I loved, what I want to buy, what I'm seeing coming out that I want to buy.

21:13Julia Berolzheimer: And then I'll sort of look and remember things that I have that's within there. Like, oh, I don't need another pair of leopard flats. I have the ones I bought last season. And then I'll kind of narrow it down to the things I feel like I actually want to buy for the season ahead. Okay. My one question for you. Yes. And this could just be an amazing, guys. This could be anything. Have you ever had the experience where you make a mood board of something and then what actually happens doesn't live up to that? I mean, yeah. Do you know what I mean? Absolutely. Like I will mood board things and then I'll like, I'm like, it didn't look like my mood board.

21:47I know. It didn't look like my beautiful mood board.

21:48Julia Berolzheimer: We'll have shoots where I mood board and I'm like, this is the vision. Right. The thing is, if I try and replicate the mood board to exactly, I think it's because you're setting your expectation. Right. That's when my expectation gets defeated. Okay. If I realize that it's not working, that's when I have to shift. Like if we're doing a shoot and I'm like, the thing that I wanted to shoot is not working, then I have to like, well, like turn on music and just change the situation. And then I'll figure out my own what I'm what I'm trying to capture. not me trying to sort of like capture on the mood board, but it gives you at least a starting point.

22:29Julia Berolzheimer: But you have to be like willing to adjust and shift. But yes, expectation versus reality is real. That's always been my thing with Pinterest sometimes. And I remember I had a very like harrowing experience when I was in college and I was using Pinterest. And this was like the era of street style. Like you had the Hailey Bieber's on street style looking unbelievable. And I was like, click, click. I'm buying that whole outfit. I'm going to look just like that. See, you can't do that. That's not. And then I'd get it and I'd be like, oh, I just realized that that really cool picture of her. Like, I don't look like that.

22:59Yes.

23:00Julia Berolzheimer: I tried. I feel like you have to take it as inspiration, not recreation. That's why like I'll mood board when I'm doing collaborations. Like I often look for things that are not in that genre. I want to think outside of the box from that category. Like if I'm looking for fashion, I look at interiors. I don't want to copy somebody's outfit. I just want to be inspired. It's almost like I don't want to see other people's outfits. I mean, obviously I save outfits and fashion, but I want my inspiration to come from thinking outside of the box in a different way. So interesting. Yeah. Like I save so much home stuff because I find interiors to be so layered and interesting and we can pull so many cool style directions.

23:47Julia Berolzheimer: Like the Dries Van Noten stores, I find just the interiors inspiring for my outfits. I've always been really inspired. I think it's a Lynn Yeager quote, but she said like in order to really understand fashion, you have to understand everything else in the world. You have to understand art and politics and interiors and all these things. And that's how you become informed about what we put on every day. And I've always like felt that to be so true. It's like if you want fashion inspiration, don't look at fashion. Yeah. Cause then you, you'll want what you see. Yes. And I still do that. I think it's very, very natural to want what we see, but then you don't want to recreate it.

24:27Julia Berolzheimer: You want your own version of it. Yeah. You told me the other day that you referenced a Pinterest board that you made years ago for a brand project that you're working on now. So do you just have boards for everything? I have boards, just random boards. Like on a Saturday, it's raining. We don't have anything, I will just get online and be inspired by something and then start researching. Like one day I was researching vintage Cartier, like perfume jewelry and ended up creating this whole board of all these like random objects. And then a year later, a friend who is a designer reached out to me and I was like, actually, I have an entire board of these things that I had saved.

25:15And it just it always comes full circle or gives me inspiration when I'm working on something.

25:22Julia Berolzheimer: So it's just it's just fun. And not everything turns out to be something, but I feel like it just it's fun to get your creative juices flowing. I love this. I'm inspired. I'm going to spend some time doing it. I really want to see what it would do for me because, again, I find that my references are always very confined. Yes. Because I'm only looking kind of at the same things. I'm really good at spending time in my closet, but I'm not great about kind of expanding my visual horizon. So stay tuned. I'm going to give this a try. Okay. I want to get into things that feel a little bit more practical for our listeners, especially when it comes down to your style.

25:56Again, polish maximalism, I feel, is something that a lot of people want but don't know how to get. So I want you to walk us through first. And you're wearing the perfect outfit for it today. Talk to me about mixing prints. Like, what are the rules? Do you even follow rules? Like, how does it work? And how does it feel right for you?

26:15Julia Berolzheimer: Yes. I don't really have any rules because every time there's a rule, I feel like there's always a case where it could be broken. Right. But I always start with one piece. Like I, I, I wanted to wear this, this shirt. Okay. And to me, a lot of my pairing is dependent on the texture. So do the textures look good together? Like this needed something like not shiny to break it up, which is why I wanted a white t-shirt. Like prints don't have to have the same color story in them. I often find if there's like one tiny thread of a similar shade. Like I normally wouldn't wear chartreuse on chartreuse, but because this has like a deeper, more grounding green, it works.

27:02You know what else I think? And looking at you when I've kind of looked at so many of your pieces, I think jewelry plays a really big role in being the connector between prints. Like this necklace that you're wearing pulls in. It just kind of pulls it all together. Whereas if you weren't wearing that,

27:19Julia Berolzheimer: I would still love what you're wearing, but it almost grounds it in a weird way. Yeah. I love jewelry and I feel like it is really this sort of finishing, polishing piece every time. I like almost never leave the house without jewelry on. And I also feel like it's an easy way, fun jewelry is an easy way to make something feel more playful and fun. Like if you're just wearing a pair of jeans and a white tee, you have a funky colorful necklace on that feels really playful and not boring and like maybe some leopard flats or something right you're the only person I know that got that fabulous Blasi the world the planet the planet necklace that was like the one piece I desperately wanted I know it's so funny I actually saw it in the store the day it came out and I was like that's a Julia piece yeah for those of you wondering we're talking about the first collection from Chanel you guys remember the show had all the planets hanging in the sky they made a necklace that was also all of those planets and the colors were so beautiful.

28:19And I was like, who's going to buy this? And then literally the next day I get on Instagram and Julia's like, guys, look at the necklace I got. I was like, yes.

28:27Julia Berolzheimer: And I've styled it with so many outfits. I'm sure it's really beautiful. The tones are perfect. The tones are good. It's got like a really delicious red and turquoise. But then again, it has like the grounding colors, like black and chocolate. And so I wore it with a black tank top, but then I like a polka dot ish skirt and I wore it in Spain. It's like funkier. I like what you just said, because I wonder if with jewelry you think shape is important. Like yes, circle polka dots. Like, is that something that you think is helpful for people in pairing things that feel a bit more maximalist? Like, do you pay attention to the shape of things in that way?

29:06Maybe I'm overthinking it. No, no.

29:07Julia Berolzheimer: I think when I put it on, I often like sometimes I'm like, there's too many round things. Or in that case, the skirt, it wasn't polka dot. It was sort of like a in between a polka dot. And it's sort of like the new Chanel where you're like, is that leopard or polka dot? Yes. OK. It's sort of that. Yeah. And but sometimes I'll put things on and there'll be I like a mixture of shapes. Yes. So I don't like matching shapes. Are there two prints for people listening that you think always go well together if they're starting from scratch? I mean, I feel like a stripe and any sort of other all over print go great.

29:47Julia Berolzheimer: Like this to me is a stripe. So it's sort of easy to pair with a lot of prints. And this is an easy sort of all over print that can be paired with something smaller or something bigger like a stripe. Totally. I'm thinking right now, if I wanted to do a mixed print and I didn't know where to start, you're so right. I would put on a pair of like striped pants and then maybe like a cool printed top or the opposite. Yes. Like a striped top and something else going on in the bottom. The stripes always really ground it. I think that's a that's a good. And if you actually look at interiors, like a lot of interior designers do that as well.

30:23Julia Berolzheimer: Like a stripe and a paisley. Yes. Yeah. Exactly. I know this morning you said you started with the shirt. Do you always start with a statement piece or do you have like an idea of an outfit you want to accomplish always? I don't always have an idea. Sometimes it's a color palette I want to mix. Sometimes it's just one piece I really want to wear. Sometimes I think an outfit will be fabulous and then I put it on and it's terrible. So then you start from scratch. Yep. It's hard to have an equation because everything's so like nuanced and different. And also it kind of depends on how you're feeling that day.

30:53Julia Berolzheimer: That's the only way I get dressed. Yeah. It's like how I want to feel that day. How like are you feeling bloated or are you feeling like not or I don't know. Like it is all so nuanced of the day ahead. You know, are you going to be sitting all day? Are you going to be walking? So it just really depends on like the day I have sort of, you know, if I'm going somewhere, do I have a statement thing that I'm styling around? Back to being women in your 30s. Yes. I've realized that the way my body feels is different every week. And that changes my style literally every week. Absolutely. Like I actually find more than ever, I'm not wearing my true size anymore.

31:34Not because I don't fit in my true size, but like I want everything just like a little bit baggier, a little bit boxier. And I don't know why it took me so long to get to that realization. Like I was always just buying my size. Yes. And I would get things and I'd be like, this looks so tight on me. Like, why am I wearing it like this? Yeah. So I don't pay attention to my size anymore.

31:52Julia Berolzheimer: Especially again, women in your 30s. Like I'm just a bit more flexible and I want to feel a bit more like relaxed. Yeah, I think being comfortable at the end of the day. Yeah. We're getting dressed to live, you know, not for pictures. Yes, I'll take a picture of my outfit, but the things I wear, the things I post to my Instagram and my site, like that's what I'm wearing. That's what I'm walking to take my kids to school or at pickup. Like these are real outfits. And I think it's why they resonate with our followers. They're not costumes. I'm not putting them on with sky high heels to go snap a photo.

32:28Julia Berolzheimer: and so I want to be comfortable at the end of the day. I love that. Very important. Comfort is key. Yes. Someone once told me that you should never be wearing more than three colors at once. What do you think about that? I break that rule all the time. All the time. I mean, I'm trying to think maybe like three main, like lead colors. Okay. I don't know. I'd have to look back. I'm sure I break that all the time. I think some of my best outfits are like where I blended the most amount of color. Also, I have so many things in my closet that have like 12 colors on the one item. So the answer is no.

33:04Julia Berolzheimer: Yes. I wore a rainbow libertine coat in Paris. Beautiful. And everybody on my Instagram was like, that is the most beautiful coat I've ever seen. So I don't believe that. I don't know. I'm just like a rainbow girl, though. Do you think that if something is loud in color, you prefer it when it's a bit more tailored in silhouette? Or do you like something that's loud in color and kind of bold in silhouette? It just depends on the type of print. Like that rainbow coat is a stripe. So it feels a bit more classic, I guess. So I don't know. It's like nuanced. And so I feel like there's no rules. Like when you box yourself into rules, then you rule out the possibility of like playfulness and trying out new things.

33:53Julia Berolzheimer: I don't think I have any rules I try and follow when I'm getting ready or shopping. Almost everything is feeling. And I think a lot of times when you are comfortable enough to not pay attention to a rule, it's where you find your groove a bit more. It is. It is. And the one rule I like to say is I invest in statements and save on staples. So like a lot of people like to invest in their staples. So they'll buy like, you know, their$5 ,000, the row black coat or they're saving up like that is the coat they want. I will save. I will buy, you know, an inexpensive black coat because to me, a black coat kind of looks like like I'm sorry, but a$500 black coat kind of looks like the row black coat.

34:45Julia Berolzheimer: I completely agree with you. But a$5 ,000 embellished, who knows what coat, libertine coat, one of piece. When it's done by a lower price point brand, they can't replicate the craftsmanship or the quality of the fabric. So it just ends up looking cheap. Like we think of like the, you know, a$300 coat that's embellished doesn't look expensive. so I like to invest in the really specialty pieces and then I save on like all of this all of the staples because they all look the same no I love this I think I'm one of those people who feels like I believed the propaganda of invest in the everyday bag that you're gonna wear all the time and look I believe in that and it's something that I will always do but I actually feel like in my closet right now I just cleaned it out last week I woke up on the wrong side of the bed I was having a really bad day.

35:43And I was like, I'm going to clean out my closet. And you know what? I actually, it's great we're having this conversation because I had so much to do. The emails were like in the hundreds. And I was like, nope, I feel the wave of needing to clean out my closet. And it's a rear feeling. So I'm going to ride it. And I did it. Yeah. And I ended up getting rid of so many bags that I just like had that I thought I was using and realizing that I didn't have anything in that department that felt special.

36:09Julia Berolzheimer: Yeah. Like I have a few things, like a few evening bags that I love. But I was feeling like they were all just like so kind of basic. Yes. And it was that moment when I was like, I need to start investing in things that feel really special and become kind of the indicators of my personal style. Like, I don't want to only have just like the great black bag and the great brown bag. Like, what are the things that just feel unique to me? I want to ask you, though, because as someone who's about to embark on this journey, Yes. How do you get over the fear of potentially getting sick of something when you're investing in the special things?

36:44I think you have to kind of know what you like and be honest about it.

36:49Julia Berolzheimer: Okay. How do you figure that out? I think through trial and error. If you are scared about trying it out, buy something at a lower price point and test it out and see how much you wear it first. Like if you want a leopard bag, get a less expensive leopard bag and see how often you wear it and then invest in the expensive one once you figure that out, if you're nervous. For me, like I just, when I look at the bags I wear the most, it's the fun stuff. Like I have a black bag and that's the bag I wear the least. So often like if you are just wearing, and I love a white tee and jeans, but that funky bag that immediately makes your outfit feel cool, makes it feel fun.

37:35Julia Berolzheimer: And so I think oftentimes people are scared that they won't reach for it, but it becomes like the outfit maker so many times. And maybe it doesn't match, but that to me is cool. When everything is matching, it just feels boring. What you just said is exactly how I feel. It becomes the outfit maker. Yes. And I, when I was looking at my bags, I was like, none of these are outfit makers. Yes. They're outfit blender inners. Yes. Like, and there's so many fun brands that are inexpensive, like go on Etsy, go on Etsy and find some cool person making something for$100. There's all kinds of people who will take fabric or buy fabric on Etsy and go take it to somebody to like sew into a little pouch or something.

38:19Julia Berolzheimer: Like I was an idiot and bought one of the satin Prada pouches. And I was like, I could literally make this. It's so funny you're bringing this up. I just went through this. I wore this like beautiful vintage dress to a friend's wedding. And it would have, it was chartreuse and it would have been perfect with one of those like vintage tassel bags. And I'm on the internet and I see one on Moda for a thousand dollars. And I was like, I'm not buying that for the one time I might wear this to this wedding. I haven't worn a bag this style before. I go on Etsy. There are custom ones for like a hundred bucks.

38:52Julia Berolzheimer: I love Etsy. I love Etsy. I find, I get so much stuff on Etsy. There's so many. I always buy my kids Halloween costumes on Etsy because I am not crafty, but there is some mom somewhere who is making homemade costumes and I will pay you an arm and a leg to make my kids because I can't. But there's so many talented people and you can find something for a great price made out of beautiful, cool deadstock fabric. So you don't have to spend a lot of money to get the funky bag. Obviously, there's really cool ones from, you know, designers, but I'm there's something at like every price point now. Before we move on from Etsy, tell us how you shop on Etsy.

39:33Like what are you searching? How do you know it's a good vetted person? Like tell us, tell us your magical ways. I will search keywords.

39:41Julia Berolzheimer: So I really went down an obsession with more moire fabric. Okay. M O I R E. Okay. So I would just search like moire fabric bags and just save a bunch of vendors. I look at how many sales they've had and how many stars they had. So if they've only had a couple of sales, I'm probably going to pass. Like I want somebody who, who is sort of seasoned, seasoned a bit. Yes. So that's sort of using keywords. And then oftentimes like Etsy will sort of, if you liked this, then you'll like this at the bottom and it will lead me down a rabbit hole. I just started working on a home and I think in one of your sub stacks recently, you had these like insane Etsy lamps.

40:25Oh yeah. The lamp. Oh my God. Twisted. Oh my God. I will

40:28Julia Berolzheimer: go down like interior rabbit holes, which will then lead you to fashion stuff, which Pinterest has actually gotten really good too of serving the real specifically the real real ads based on the interiors I'm saving yes the real ads are very specific that whoever's doing that over there is doing a good job because I'm getting stuff that I'm like I haven't hearted that but how did you know I'd like yes yes it's specifically to the real real yes and I'm like this looks like the room I just saved and now I need this outfit okay I want to get into what you're buying because whatever you're buying, I'm buying.

41:07And it's about to be fall. Where is your mind in terms of like what you want to be buying and wearing as we're going like into fall season?

41:15Julia Berolzheimer: Paying attention to what's coming out for fall and then what's been on the runway this week. There's so much more personality and color and interest again. And I'm hearing everybody kind of like whisper that at the shows too, like minimalist or quiet luxury is dead. And that was never really my vibe anyways. How did you survive that era? I just have never been impacted by what's happening elsewhere. When I sort of cull the internet in the morning of like paying attention to what's dropping everywhere, I'm so fast because I'm like, I like, I like, I like, or like the site now has nothing I don't like.

41:49Julia Berolzheimer: It's all like cream and black. So I'm just like very quick to decide what I like. I was never drawn to that aesthetic. Tell me, I'm so curious, what is that like fashion media diet you just spoke about, like, what are the brands and sites you're checking every day for new arrivals? I mean, for retailers, Net-a-Porter, My Teresa, Moda, Shopbop, Tucker Nock, which has gotten better and better. They have some like really great designer brands now. I'll check Bergdorf's. I'll check Forward. And then I'll check all of the small brands based on like when they get new arrivals. I really love Chan Lu.

42:29Right now, I feel like their pieces have so much

42:32Julia Berolzheimer: personality. It's a great price point. The fit is really cool. Their fabrics are great. They're just, I feel like, constantly coming out with some really great things. Chan Lu's had a very good year. Yeah. I've seen so many great pieces from them. I originally just thought it was a jewelry brand. And then I would see people wearing things on Instagram, and I couldn't believe it was from them. They have this one. I think he wore it. It was a printed coat with like the feather trim. Yes. Unbelievable. It's so, so amazing. Yes. Silk printed. They just get colors really right and fabric really right.

43:06Julia Berolzheimer: And I really love their pieces because they're very forgiving. So nothing is fitted. It's all kind of loose. But the cut looks flattering on, which is great. Any other brands you love specifically for like that color shape print? It's been a minute since I bought anything Zimmerman, but their past two collections, I've been really into. I completely agree. They've really gone this like Chloe little sister route. Yes. I love Drees. Like every season, Drees gets color so right because they blend funky, bold colors with moodier colors. I also think Reformation is crushing it right now. It just feels like cool.

43:49They have such great, solid colors.

43:52Julia Berolzheimer: And I think Doan too. Those are some that come to top of mind. You brought up Reformation. And for me, I go get all my basics from Ref. Like I have great teas from them. A lot of my jeans are from them. My trousers are always from them. Where do you go to find basics? And like, what do you consider a basic as a maximalist? I mean, I love a great basic, like a white tea. Right. What's your go-to white tea? Perfect white tea. That brand is literally called Perfect White Tea. Yes. This is Perfect White teeth. I actually love their pants too. Like all the things they make are just like easy. Great.

44:24Julia Berolzheimer: I love Donnie. Donnie is sort of a great third taffeta cargo pant is a staple for me. I'm obviously a great pair of jeans. I love Kalmeier. Like I feel like they have a bunch of just beautiful like silk blouses, their jeans. Those have become sort of staples. Kalmeier is really dangerous for me. It's so good. Because it is, she makes pieces that again, feel like really elevated basics. And I will convince myself that it's okay to spend that much on that. Because I'm like, I'm gonna wear that for the rest of my life. Her show this week. It was so good. I'm done for. It was so good. Like, am I about to mode a pre-order and just be so upset for a few days?

45:06I think so. Yes.

45:07Julia Berolzheimer: Even the new collection, the embellished pants and the little mini dress. The embellished jacket from the show this week, the white one that had, oh my God. So it was so beautiful. It was my favorite show I've seen this far. Totally. You know, the shows I've seen this week, so many embellishments that I feel like that is what we're going to see a lot into fall. Again, the personality dressing. Yes. Like whether it's a tassel or an embellished jacket or a fringe skirt or an eyelet, like all at Proenza, there are a bunch of eyelets. Like I think all those little embellishments are really going to be what we see so much in fall.

45:44Julia Berolzheimer: Yeah. And it's, it's so interesting because I feel like it's almost like the runway was inspired by what's trending on social because so many of those elements I feel like have really been booming on just like people pulling vintage because like resale has been so big. And I think it's because fashion was sort of sad and boring for a while. And so people were shopping resale and pulling those like fringe things, those kind of funky embellished things. So it's almost like they were paying attention to people. Like I follow so many sort of like funky, cool Spanish girls or like Scandinavian street style.

46:26Julia Berolzheimer: And that has all been live and well. and so it feels like it's all just becoming everywhere now. Those I'm here for. Those are my favorite follows. The Scandi girls, the Spanish girls. Yes. They know how to dress so well. Yes. Like and they know how to do the colors. It's very up your alley. Like I'm always very inspired and I try to follow more people like that because again, you are what you surround yourself with. I always try to do that to push myself a little bit outside of the comfort zone. Yes, me too. Yeah. Okay, I'm very excited for this. We have a segment on the show called Receipts which is where we have our guests share their most epic splurge for their wardrobe.

47:03So tell us

47:03Julia Berolzheimer: what is your favorite thing that you've ever invested in for your wardrobe? Oh, I mean, it's the necklace I'm wearing, actually. This necklace, I think it's the most expensive thing I've ever purchased. Her husband's nodding with his eyes closed. It's by Sherman Field. She's a designer based in LA. And she actually started The Row with Mary-Kate and Ashley. Casual. And she's the coolest human. Her jewelry is like spectacular. The gold is like, it's so heavy. You're like, oh, I get why it's so expensive. It is just like beautiful. She has her own color of gold. And so it's just like perfect. It has hints of silver, hints of gold.

47:52Julia Berolzheimer: She has a couple things online, but because the price of gold changes every day, she really can't sell online. Right. And most of it is all custom anyways. But the minute she posted a picture of this necklace and I texted her like three seconds later. You're the only person who said jewelry so far, which I love. To me, jewelry, like if I were, if I could only spend a lot of money on one thing, it would be jewelry hands down because fashion will wear and get ruined over time and like who knows your kids could be bigger than you smaller than you like doesn't matter jewelry like is the thing that will live forever and you could have something from you know like great great great great great great great grandmother it makes it even more special and it will just like good jewelry will stand the test of time will never lose its value hopefully unless you know who knows where diamonds are going.

48:45Julia Berolzheimer: Right. But gold, no. Right. And so I just, I don't know. I love jewelry. And again, like you could have really great jewelry with a white tee and jeans. And I don't know. Jewelry is like my favorite subject. What are some of your favorite jewelry designers? Because I'm not someone who buys a lot of jewelry. How much time do you have? Okay. So I love Sherman Fields. Okay. Brent Neal. Okay. I'm a big fan. I have a stack of three right here. gorgeous yes I also love to buy vintage so I'll go on auction sites another like I'll go down auction rabbit holes for art and jewelry oh my gosh amazing amazing steals and I'll use Claude to help me find auction items like if I'm looking for like a Bulgari cabochon necklace I'll have Claude find like all the auction houses that have one coming up and I will place really low bids and not follow it.

49:40Julia Berolzheimer: And if I win, I win. Okay. So what are some auction houses that you love to look on? I mean, I will go on live auctioneers that you have to dig though. And it's like way more of a gamble. There's some smaller places like Doyle that have, that will have great like art and jewelry. Amazing. And there's a bunch of others that I honestly couldn't name off the top of my head, but that I have saved in sort of my auction house cloud thread that will just pop up when I'm searching for something specific. Okay. Our last segment of the show is one that's called Let's Get You Dressed, where we allow our listeners to submit events or things they have coming up.

50:17And it's funny. I actually got the perfect one for you this morning. Someone was like, Hi, Liv. I am starting a new job really soon. And I want to buy a few new things. She was like, I want a good work wardrobe, but I want it to be fun. And I feel like when I saw that, I was like, that's a Julia question because I feel like all workwear is so stiff. Like every website you go onto, it's like the perfect like pencil skirt and things like that. But where would you tell someone to go find fun work wardrobe that's still appropriate for the office?

50:52Julia Berolzheimer: I feel like you don't necessarily need to go to one place. I think looking for the items, like the silhouette that is appropriate for work, but picking things that are in like a more interesting fabric or color or print, like this is a pencil skirt. And that would be so good with like a white button down. Exactly. Even like a black blazer over it. Like you could make it feel a little bit more refined if you don't want to, you know, walk into work in like a full colorful outfit. or a blazer that's more interesting with a really like simple tailored cream pant. I think workwear gets boring when you're looking at the things that are it's tailored and it's gray.

51:33Yeah.

51:34Julia Berolzheimer: You know what it's like? It's the straight black pant. Right. Like it's the things that are it's like a double boring. Right. Like a blazer doesn't have to be boring if it's in a great color or a great fabric or a print. And same with a pant, same with a pencil skirt. So I feel like it's not necessarily the shape. It's more about like what's making the shape. Totally. I would say like stay away from going on websites and buying like the matching set. Yes. Like go find, if you see a great pair of pants, great. Buy the pair of pants and wear it with the black sweater you already have, the white button down you already have.

52:09Exactly. Stay away from just like

52:11Julia Berolzheimer: the monotone or like pieces buying all of your pieces from one place yes Bowdoin right now has a pair of deep purple trousers under$200 that are it's like the reformation purple right now yep they're so great you could easily get those and wear them with a blazer even like a denim jacket that you have in your closet with just a simple t-shirt right and the pants feel sort of more work forward pair of ballet flats but the color is really fun yep so it's just like it's looking for the things that feel appropriate, but I'm just like researching more on brands that have just like a better play on color and print.

52:51No, I love that you said don't buy everything from one website. I feel like because we've gotten so used to like returning things, I have friends who are like, I'm just going to go buy a bunch of things on Revolve. And I'm like, take a beat, make a list of things that you need and want. Like, what are you looking for? Are you looking for a great pant? Great. You're looking for a great skirt. Great. And don't buy from all one place. Then your style is really going to look kind of the same. Exactly.

53:16Julia Berolzheimer: And yes, it's like when somebody's in head to toe designer, like that's not style to me. That's right. Like having enough money to buy it. Yes. I am. We have a we have a no full look policy in this house. Yeah. Yeah. Like if you if you want to get a funky blazer, go on the RealReal or Vestia and find something designer for$250 that's interesting and fun and cool or the pencil skirt. Right. And then pair it with like your favorite white tee or white button down. I love AYR for staples. So good. They make great work wear. I love their shirts. I also have been having a lot of luck on Depop and Poshmark lately.

53:54I feel like anytime time, a brand like I love Tory Burch. I have worn Tory Burch for 15 years and there are pieces from her old collections that I love and still think about. It was really formative for my early style and there are pieces that I want for my archive that I will go on Poshmark and find and they're all there and like ready to go. I've gotten so many old pieces from her. Yeah. Poshmark, if you're looking for something, 90 % of the time it's on Poshmark. Okay. I've never bought anything on

54:20Julia Berolzheimer: Poshmark or Depop. So that's good to know. Yeah. I feel like also knowing the collection that you loved when searching helps you find, helps narrow it down and find things. Or you can have like saved searches. Yes. This is what the Vogue Runway app is great for, which is you have to pay for a subscription for it, but you can like save collections you've loved and you can search for things by collection. Oh, cool. I didn't know that. For the fashion novices. Yeah. Julia, this was so fun. Oh my God. I could talk to you for literally another two hours. Thank you so much for coming on and making time during a crazy week.

54:52I loved having you. Of course.

54:54Julia Berolzheimer: Thank you for having me. Of course.