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The First Thing I Ask Before I Pick Out a Single Piece Someone walks in with an invitation on their phone, an outdoor wedding in Broussard, three weeks ...
Someone walks in with an invitation on their phone, an outdoor wedding in Broussard, three weeks out, and they're already three racks deep before I can say hey. They've got their hand on a gorgeous emerald midi. It's a beautiful dress. And I still stop and ask the one question I ask every single time, because that dress might be the one, or it might be a return waiting to happen.
Here it is: "Where are you going, and what's the day gonna feel like?"
Not your size. Not your budget. Not the color you think you're supposed to wear. Before I touch a hanger, I want to know the event, because the event is the whole boss of the outfit. Everything else answers to it.
Louisiana doesn't do generic events, and that means we can't do generic outfits. A crawfish boil in somebody's backyard off Chemin Metairie is a completely different animal than a rehearsal dinner at a plantation venue, which is a completely different animal than Sunday brunch after Mass. Same woman, same taste, three totally different right answers.
Here's what "where" actually tells me. It tells me whether you'll be standing on grass in heels (please, no, let's talk wedges). It tells me if there's AC or if you'll be sweating through the ceremony while the officiant takes their sweet time. It tells me whether people will be sitting at long tables, walking a parade route, or perched on a barstool at a spot in downtown Lafayette. It tells me how much you'll move and how much that fabric needs to move with you.
When someone tells me "outdoor wedding, July, 5 o'clock," I already know we're steering away from anything that clings when the humidity hits, and toward something with a little flow and breathability. That emerald midi she was holding? Gorgeous. But if it's a heavy knit, I'm going to gently walk her toward a lighter woven piece in a similar shade so she's not miserable by the time they cut the cake. Same vibe, way better afternoon.
People expect me to ask about the event. They don't always expect me to ask what they want to feel like when they walk in. And honestly, that's the part that changes everything.
Some women want to walk into a room and turn heads. Some want to look put-together and then completely forget about their outfit so they can actually enjoy themselves. Both are correct. But they lead to different pieces. If you tell me you want to feel like yourself and not think about tugging at a hemline all night, I'm not going to hand you the shortest, tightest thing on the wall just because it's the trend. I'm going to find you something that lets you sit, dance, hug your aunt, and grab a plate without a single wardrobe adjustment.
This is also where color comes in, and y'all know color is kind of our whole thing here. If you light up when you put on a bold print, I'm chasing that feeling. If bright makes you feel like a costume and you'd rather have a confident, coordinated look in a softer palette, that's real information too. Personal style isn't about what's "in." It's about what makes you feel like the best version of yourself for that specific day.
Say you come in for an LSU game day. The second you say "Tiger Stadium, we're tailgating first," I'm building an outfit that survives a parking lot in September heat, works with sneakers or booties depending on how long you'll be on your feet, and still photographs like you meant it. Purple and gold, obviously, but the shape of the pieces is decided by the fact that you'll be there for hours before kickoff.
Say you come in for a Mardi Gras ball. Now we're in a totally different world. Formal, indoors, dancing, dress code on the invitation. That changes the fabric, the length, the whole conversation. The color story might still be purple and gold, but the pieces answer to a ballroom, not a parking lot.
The point is, I'm not pulling from what's cute in a vacuum. I'm pulling from what's cute for your Thursday night, in your July, at your cousin's wedding in Youngsville. That's the difference between an outfit you love and an outfit that just lives in your closet with the tags on.
You don't have to show up with a whole plan. That's literally our job. But if you can tell me these things, we'll get you dressed faster and better:
That last one matters more than people think. Dressing for the season smartly and for the occasion honestly is the same skill professional stylists lean on, and even the Federal Trade Commission's guidance on shopping for clothes nudges you toward buying for how and where you'll actually wear something, not just because it caught your eye on the rack.
Because the wrong "right" dress is the one that fit the mannequin and not your afternoon. When I know where you're going and how you want to feel, I stop guessing and start actually styling. You leave with a look that fits the day, fits you, and doesn't need a backup plan.
So next time you come see us with an event on the calendar, don't apologize for not knowing what you want. Just tell me where you're going. I'll take it from there, sis.