my overstuffed closet caused an identity crisis – here’s how i got through it

Fashion & Beauty

My Overstuffed Closet Caused An Identity Crisis – Here’s How I Got Through It

Drescription

There was a time in my life – we’ll call it the business casual era – when I owned thirteen blazers but not a single pair of pants I actually liked. I had work blazers (essential), dinner blazers (aspirational), date blazers (optimistic), and the emergency funeral blazer (because one must always remain prepared for stylish grief, I guess). I had one blazer that only worked with a single top, and one top that only worked with a specific bra, which had to be hand-washed, which meant that outfit was basically cursed.

My closet wasn’t just a clothing repository: it was a museum of my life choices. Party dresses I rarely wore to parties, jeans too uncomfortable to sit down in (a minor detail), a pair of boots I adored even though they made me walk like a marionette, and an alarming number of clothes I’d purchased for a version of myself that had only rarely shown up to claim them. I bought clothes the way some people buy self-help books: aspirationally, and in a panic. My closet was bursting, but my daily pronouncement remained: I have nothing to wear.

It took an embarrassingly long time (and probably a few too many existential crises in front of an open wardrobe) to understand the real issue. My problem wasn’t a totally catastrophic lack of taste (though I’m sure some of you might offer a counterpoint) – the problem was that I wanted to outfit each aspect of my personality. Put simply: I was picking pieces for too many different versions of myself.

It wasn’t just that I didn’t like my options. I had built uniforms for disparate lives – I had outfits for crust punk basement shows and for summer on the Cape; for bougie branded parties and for the local DSA meeting; for ice skating competitions and for blending in at the recording studio when my boss told me to throw out any other woman’s résumé, as they likely only wanted to sleep with the band. (Being a woman is super fun, right?!)

But it wasn’t just that I was playing dress up. I was, as it turned out, costuming (and not in the fun, let’s go to a masquerade ball kind of way). No – this was the insidious, slow-creep kind of costuming where you wake up one morning, stare into the abyss of your closet, and realize that every single garment was acquired as a uniform for a specific performance – like it’s for someone else, or some version of you that isn’t the one currently staring back.

The moment that finally cracked me wasn’t a high-stakes occasion. It was a Friday night, and I was trying to find something, anything, to wear for dinner with my best friends – friends who have known me forever; who neither require, nor expect, a polished version of me. And still, I was stuck. Staring into my closet, I was confronted by a veritable sea of options, and somehow, none of them felt right for a night of shared appetizers and gossip with this group of friends. The thought struck me: I don’t know how to be myself here.

I had attire for dates, for international flights, for funerals (see: emergency blazer, above). But for pasta, or errands, or love/hate-watching And Just Like That? Nothing.

Now, let’s be clear: it wasn’t that my clothes were languishing with tags on. They weren’t monuments to my aspirational shopping. Au contraire: these pieces were operational. They weren’t just for imagined futures – they were my daily-wear costumes for a very real, very scheduled life. I had outfits for tour buses, for awkward backstage photos, for investor pitches where I tried to look like I understood spreadsheets. Outfits for dive bars (a different kind of pitch), for brand dinners (smile, nod, don’t spill), for handing over a P&L statement with a brave face.

Each look had a function, and each function came with a slightly different me that needed to be appropriately outfitted. The problem wasn’t that the clothes weren’t useful. The problem was that I had compartmentalized myself into so many different women that I could no longer find any discernible overlap. My closets were an archive of who I’d been in specific, calendared moments, but offered zero guidance for who I was when the calendar was blissfully, terrifyingly empty. (I’m sure you can guess what happened next.)

Then the world hit pause, and my meticulously curated calendar went with it. No shows, no shoots, no strategy dinners, no meetings that could have been emails. Just me, my increasingly judgmental closet, and a rotating cast of sweatpants. For a while, I convinced myself it was temporary. That at any moment, I might be called to dress for something, anything. (And at one point, I was – a Zoom wedding. I watched as their outdoor ceremony was crashed by an NYPD police boat.) But the months unspooled, and the clothes just hung there, smug and silent.

So again, I cracked. Not because the clothes were useless, but because they were suddenly, profoundly unemployed. No meetings to navigate, no flights to catch, no crowds to stand in. Just me, at home, day after day, month after month, staring down a closet meticulously built for a schedule of events that no longer existed.

I still remember when it happened: I started pulling pieces out of my closet with the manic clarity of a woman bleaching her kitchen grout at 3 AM. (Ask me how I know.) Blazers, blouses, and the chain-covered boots that had complemented my once-purple/green/blue hair – out they went. I didn’t weep. (And I certainly didn’t hold each one and thank it for its service like some organizational guru might suggest, despite my sentimental nature.) I bagged them. I moved on. The truly absurd part wasn’t the volume of what I owned, but how perfectly each item had once fit into a part of my life that no longer needed costuming.

After the Great Wardrobe Eviction, I assumed Style™ would reveal itself. That’s the promise, isn’t it? Pare things down and your True Self, fashionably clad, will emerge like Venus from the clamshell. You’ll make a Pinterest board. You’ll define your five essential adjectives. You’ll effortlessly build a capsule wardrobe in soothing shades of camel, oat, and existential despair. Supposedly, your closet becomes a temple. You become the kind of woman who wears linen jumpsuits to run errands and owns exactly three sweaters, all named.

I didn’t believe all of it, but I wanted to believe some of it.

Yet nothing arrived. No style epiphany, no sartorial lightning bolt. Just a significantly emptier wardrobe and the creeping, deeply unsettling realization that I had absolutely no clue what I actually felt comfortable in. I knew what had worked for various roles, but me, unscripted? Blank canvas. I didn’t necessarily want a capsule wardrobe, with all its implied monastic chic. I just wanted to get dressed and feel like myself. Instead, I felt like an actor waiting for a casting director to hand me a new character. I’d cut the noise, but the signal, it turned out, had packed its bags and left with the blazers. It was just…quiet. (And not the good, meditative, Gwyneth-on-a-silent-retreat way. More the bleak, is this all there is? kind of quiet.)

Eventually, I gave up on “finding a look” – which always sounds like you’re searching for a fugitive – and started looking for a standard. If I couldn’t dress for a specific context, maybe I could dress for some core values. Rules were made (because when in doubt, make rules). Natural fibers, exclusively, because a 2024 trip to pristine Antarctica had instilled in me a deep, lingering climate guilt. Fewer things, but better things – things that might actually survive more than three dates with my laundromat’s 8-load machine. No more shoes I couldn’t walk a respectable city mile in, no more patterns that were impossible to match, no more tops that were held hostage by that one specific bra.

What came next wasn’t some cinematic reveal: it was just Tuesday. No makeover montage, no triumphant strut. I just got dressed. Badly, at first. And then slightly less badly. Some days, I looked goofy. Other days I looked like myself, or at least someone I’d be friends with.

It’s a weird, slow, deeply unglamorous process, this excavation of what you wear when you’re not specifically anywhere – no event, no deliverables, no audience. Just Tuesday. Just you. It turns out, when you’ve spent a lifetime building wardrobes for very distinct, very real contexts – studios, offices, cities, farms – you can accidentally skip the fundamental step of figuring out what you throw on to buy milk. Or to go to dinner. Or, crucially, to sit alone on your own couch and feel like yourself.

There’s a very fine, often line between personal style and collective bargaining with your self-esteem. For me, it wasn’t about insecurity – not really. I think it was more about range – I was so worried about dressing to fit in that I somehow forgot to ask what I’d wear if no one else was there. I think that if you really want to know who someone is, don’t look at what they wear – ask what they keep and never don, just in case. I kept a lot. I did wear almost all of it, at some point. But when I was finally alone, I realized I didn’t know what any of it meant. Not about the world, but about me.

These days, when I get dressed, the outfit isn’t the answer. It’s the question. And at least now, I have a much better idea of who I’m asking.

How To Start

So, your closet? Does it feel less like a curated collection and more like a holding pen for a witness protection program of various past selves? Are you staring at a bewildering array of “stuff” and thinking, Surely, one of these things must feel like…me? And have you, like me, Googled for help only to be met with blindingly obvious advice that makes you want to scream into the nearest sensible scarf? (Wow: Buy what makes you feel good? Oh man! Insightful! What wise chestnut is next? Avoid hitting yourself on the head with a hammer?)

I’ve been there. It sucks. Here’s what I’ve found helpful when it comes to clearing the clutter and making room for Style™, whenever it decides to show up (any day now, I’d hope).

Pare Down

Donate: I donate my basics to Goodwill. You can also keep an eye out for those in your community who are in direct need of aid – Jess and I pooled our donations and were able to outfit a Pasadena teacher who’d lost everything in the Eaton Fire. (Shoutout to Sara Tramp for organizing!)

Trade: Got stuff that’s seen better days? (Like, way better days?) Anything stained, ripped, or hole-y? Don’t throw it in the trash – I swear by Suay’s $20 textile bags, whose cost can be reapplied to any Suay product. (I love this business. Like, they’ll deal with all my icky textile crap, and I can get a stellar lumbar pillow out of the deal?)

Sell: Okay, I admit I clung to some of my “splurgier” uniforms – I mean, pieces. Wedding guest dresses I swore I’d wear again (I didn’t), trousers that promised a new, leaner me (they lied), matching sets that looked great on the hanger (the betrayal!!!). I’ve had a ton of luck offloading these pieces on Poshmark, though! I initially balked at the time commitment, but then I made $200 back on a dress I’d only worn once. It was an incredible return for 5 minutes of my time. (There are alternatives here, but this is the only one I’ve vetted.)

Consign: If the thought of photographing another blouse makes you want to lie down, look for local consignment shops. (If you’re in LA, The Left Bank is a solid bet.) Just let someone else do the work and collect a (smaller) check. Worth it. (If you’re a size 12 or above, your clothes are always in demand at consignment stores, FYI.)

Index (Or Indyx)

As it turns out, I suffer from a peculiar affliction: I cannot, for the life of me, conjure images in my mind. When people talk about their “mind’s eye” or “imagining the audience in their underwear” – well, I always thought that was a literary device. Metaphorical. Implied, not literal. A charming turn of phrase! It was only recently I learned that most people can, quite literally, see things in their heads. (Given a natural inclination towards distraction, perhaps this is a mercy. I would likely spend my days conjuring pastries.)

But this posed a silent, daily problem for my wardrobe. I knew the facts: I owned black linen pants. There were tank tops, somewhere, in that drawer. My favorite dress was red, with zodiac signs. But I couldn’t see them. Couldn’t picture combinations. Getting dressed was a daily archaeological dig involving pulling everything out and sighing dramatically.

Enter: Indyx. (Link Up readers, you may be familiar.) Cataloging my clothes felt absurd at first, but it was – and I’m not being overdramatic – transformative. I can actually scroll through my clothes like an ultra-specific personal shopping app. I can play mix-and-match before creating Mount Laundry on my floor. I can see what I actually wear (and, more importantly, what I consistently ignore). It’s a process, not a miracle cure. You could do the same thing with a photo album on your phone, but Indyx is prettier.

Live Out of A Carry-On

This one has been the most helpful, I think. I’ve spent 4 of the last 5 months living out of a carry-on suitcase. I’m not even suggesting that you have to travel to do this – you could also try it at home! – but there’s something liberating about pulling only what fits in a carry-on suitcase and learning how to mix-and-match from a refined, edited collection of only essentials.

Suddenly, faced with a severely limited selection, I was forced to actually style things. That button-up? Can I tie it? Can I tuck it differently? That dress? Can it be a skirt? Can it be layered? It stripped away the paralysis of too many options and forced creativity. It also gave me a clear metric for success: when I felt genuinely bummed out that something was in the laundry hamper because I wanted to wear it again, I knew I’d found a winner. These were the pieces that felt like me, even in miniature form.

And Rent, For Some Variety

PRAISE BE TO THE NUULY FOUNDERS. I’m still on the hunt for my Style™ – it feels like a mythical creature, sometimes – and opening my subscription is my low-stakes safari. Six pieces a month means I can try cuts, colors, and general aesthetics I wouldn’t commit to buying (or, honestly, even trying on in person). It’s a lifesaver during the brutal LA “winter” (read: jacket season) and the holiday party circuit (no more staring mournfully at unworn sequin dresses!). It’s experimentation without the commitment – perfect for this phase of life, while i figure out who I am. (I guess I’m just starting that mid-life crisis a few years early, huh?)

What say you? Any thoughts? Tips? Advice? I can’t be the only woman whose path to self-discovery involved staring blankly into a closet, can I? Has this happened to you? CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT?

IT’S TIME TO ORGANIZE – Small Entry Organization Hacks For Those Of Us Who Are “Mudroom-Less”

My favorite mom quote goes as follows – “Without systems there is chaos. Without systems there is chaos“. One of you deserves credit for it, left sweetly in the comment section two years ago, and I chant it ALL THE TIME. This applies to every single part of our lives, and as someone who unfortunately isn’t innately gifted in the organization realm, and yet abhors visual mess, I HAVE to create systems, or else the house is so chaotic and messy and it actually affects my mental health (thus the choice to live more minimally with less stuff). Labels are my boss. Baskets make me feel safe. So when we were brainstorming about how to talk about organization in the New Year, I ranted about all my pain points at the mountain house – the “no mudroom entry,” the exploding vanity, the lack of linen closet, the hall utility closet that housed both the vacuum and the board games. All solvable, WITH A SYSTEM that includes starting with the right product. And even though we knew we were moving to Portland it still seemed like a good time to come up with some better solutions – both for guests that stay, my family when we return in winter/summer, and of course for the blog. So we partnered with Target to highlight their new and always loved organizational products to ease our chaos and make our homes and brains calmer after the holidays. Systems, it’s all about systems :) The “No Mudroom” Entry We packed in a lot of solutions up here, for ideas for all your pain points. Not everyone can enter and exit through a designated mudroom, especially apartment dwellers, and us. But walking into chaos, stepping over shoes and the visual pile of coats drives me NUTS. Now the elements that you MUST have here are simple – A Drop Zone (could be the bench or the tray on the shoe rack) – This is for mail, keys (if you don’t have hooks), and bags. Get yourself a tray, bowl, or basket (and a hook if you want to never have to look for your keys again). Shoe Storage – This could be a shoe shelf like this (which is nice because it can be wheeled away if you have guests over), a trunk, or a basket. While I prefer something more enclosed, getting my kids to “drop” is a challenge enough so ‘arranging’ is a monumental feat. Plus a shelf keeps them from getting scuffed up and you have less searching to the bottom of the basket time. Someday, crossing fingers, we’ll graduate to this. Don’t have a coat closet? ME NEITHER! So you need either hooks on your wall, a coat rack, or a freestanding piece of furniture. The first two are better for small spaces (plus wet coats can’t dry off in an armoire). 3. A Place to Hang Coats/Scarves, and Hats – Could be standing or to save space use a wall-mounted hook system like this. Use the anchors provided (I’ve skimped on those before), try to do a weekly depopulation based on the weather, and put away coats in hopefully a coat closet nearby, leaving just what you need here. 4. Designated Baskets for Daily Needs – Under the bench: 1. “House shoes/slippers” (easy to change into when you come home, 2. “Dog accessories” (leashes, bags, treats), and 3. “Hats and gloves”. I love these baskets with the wood on top, but opting for something more closed will make it look cleaner (just make sure you know what is in them so you don’t have to do the “search and bury”). Shout out to that bench – please note the good joinery under the seat!! So good. The “No Entry” Entry For those of us with even less space or perhaps at the back, side, or kitchen door we have a one-piece unit for all of those same needs – it’s pretty genius. At the top you have hooks for coats/hats and scarves, then a bench to sit on for shoes and a surface for a drop zone, with shoe storage underneath. ONE AND DONE. It’s a small space solution that packs a ton of function into one piece. All you need is a 4′ blank wall near your door and you can live a better life in a small space. Pretty sure someone should write a book with that title. So no, you don’t need “an entry” to have an entry. You just need a good, solid system and Target has truly made it even easier.

The Expertly-Planned River House Primary Closet Reveal

My brother (and SIL’s closet) technically isn’t my design but once I saw it all done by the incredible team at California Closets I was so excited to style and shoot it with my team. I’ve been so happy with our closet (also by CC) and while it’s certainly a luxury full-service situation, you get exactly what you want at the end with the final design solution being so functional and customizable. Have a lot of gowns and jewelry? They know how to maximize that. Do you have mostly utilitarian boots, jeans, and fleeces? They got you. It’s such a fun exercise to go through – to really list what you have and even more importantly what you wear frequently. Ken and Katie worked with Amy Bodi of California Closets – I was sooo happy with Amy’s design of my closet so I knew they were in good hands with California Closets’ Oregon team. One of the first steps Amy does is talk through their lifestyle, AKA – what their real needs are for clothes storage. Ken and Katie (like most PNW folks) are very casual, and neither of them have typical office jobs that require multiple wardrobes. Of course, you want to design it for universal functionality in case someone does have a lot of gowns, they will be able to store them. But for the most part, Amy took the information and designed the closet to meet their needs. She sent through all the drawings where you can see clearly where the jeans could be folded and stacked, where the blouses could be hung, or where the full-length dresses would live. She might have even done the same exercise with them where I counted out roughly how many sneakers vs. boots vs. tall boots vs. heels and designed the shoe racks to make sure that there weren’t any major holes (I even have a place for my tall boots but this lady – and her husband – love some thigh highs, LOL). The customization and thought-through custom design approach is what you are paying for (well, that along with the incredible installation service – this closet took under 2 days!). Here are some shots of it without clothes in it so you can see the general layout, materials, and how they match up with the design plans. Ken and Katie chose black stained wood, with white faux leather handles, and brushed brass accents. They added a few bells and whistles you’ll see below and decided against adding extra cabinet fronts for easy access (the closet has pocket doors on both sides and can be shut off easily. They opted for a lot of drawers and shelves for jeans, and the hanging space is pretty flexible for hers or his (and some but not too many spots for long dresses or suits). We couldn’t believe that this went from blank to totally done in 2 days. Their crew are absolute pros. This is because they have their own designers and installers instead of using subcontractors, meaning they know this product. That ensures the quality is always extremely high. Before we get into the beautiful photos, here’s a little video walkthrough! (just wait for the ad to play:)) The finished product, as you can see turned out so easy to manage and keep organized, met all of their needs (and more) and I actually had to bring in a bunch of my clothes to help fill it, LOL. While Ken and Katie aren’t huge fashion folk they know that a house of this size and budget needs a really thoughtfully designed closet for future owners, so they still went for it. As you can see it’s a pass-through closet between the hallway and their bathroom (I love a closet very close to a bathroom if you can lay it out that way). Amy and the California Closet team designed it so that the drawers and shelves are on one side, all the hanging on the opposite, and miscellaneous or seasonal shelving with bins up top. The opposite view shows their Maddox wall organizer which is great for setting out clothes, or more realistically, steaming them or hanging belts and robes. The finishes are all very high quality and coordinated. It’s a nice detail that puts the simple hook to shame. California Closets did such a great job of allocating each shelf for different things (and please note the mirror that is tucked away by the dresses – you’ll see it down below. The closet rods are wrapped in faux leather which is such a nice high-end detail (and makes it so easy to slide hangers). Ken and Katie went with only one full-length hanging rod, the rest for blouses, jackets, or pants. Above, we bought bins for seasonal items (or things like Spanx, slips, and specialty clothes). Secret Accessories FTW Two things that Katie and Ken went with are the pull-out hamper and again, a mirror that slides out and pivots – GENIUS. You could obviously use the hamper for laundry of course (it slips out easily), but they use it for dry cleaning. I think one of the biggest benefits of California Closets is the drawer customization (which is harder to get off the shelf, obviously – ha, pun intended). It precludes the need for a dresser in your bedroom – underwear, bras, socks all the annoying little stuff can have designated areas as well as T-shirts, athleisure, etc. For Katie, we styled sweaters, sweatshirts, and shoes on the shelves, but could easily have put jeans if you didn’t want to hang them up. When it comes to shoes, California Closets has a lot of different suggestions (for instance, Brian and I aren’t big shoe people so we did some pull-out drawer shelves and taller cabinets for my tall boots). For Katie and Ken, they wanted flexibility with the shelves so they selected shoe shelves on top (for heels or more occasional shoes) and we styled the rest of the shelves with everyday shoes, but those could easily be for stacks of anything, or baskets full of scarves, etc. The leather and brass detail make it look so high-end and luxe. There are a lot of different options (or you can use your own like we did for our closet). Quite possibly the best perk of this are these jewelry pullouts (that are lit with special lights). Listen, in case you are a robber you should know that these are all either my jewelry or props we bought for the shoot, but if you have fine jewelry this is such a lovely way to keep them organized, not to mention visually pleasing. A huge thanks to California Closets for designing and partnering on my brother’s closet. It’s a total luxury because you get it all totally customized for your needs and installed by professionals. If it’s in your budget for even a simple design solution it’s pretty darn incredible. Thanks, Amy Bodi for helping my brother and SIL – they are extremely happy:)

Should You Let Your Coneflower Go to Seed? Why Gardeners Say It Depends on Your Garden Goals

Key Points Letting coneflowers go to seed supports natural reseeding, saving you the hassle of replanting. Dried seed heads act like a self-sustaining bird feeder, attracting and feeding goldfinches, sparrows, and other birds through fall and winter. Coneflower seed heads add texture and seasonal charm to your garden’s autumn look. If you've been maintaining your coneflowers all season long and aren't sure what to do next, we asked pro gardeners to weigh in on whether you should let them seed or not. They share everything you need to know when it comes to seeding and all the benefits that come along with it, so you can have a flourishing garden for next year. Meet the Expert Edwin Dysinger is the co-founder of Seedtime, a garden planning and management app. JoJami Tyler is a certified Gardenary coach and founder of Fancy Pants Gardens. Tracy Smith is an outdoor green goods buyer for Terrain. Should You Let Coneflowers Seed? Yes, you should let your coneflowers seed, as there are many great benefits that come with it after the gardening season is over, our gardening pros say. Letting them go to seed is the process of letting the central cone dry out, which will become dark and spiky to the touch, Tracy Smith, an outdoor green goods buyer for Terrain, explains. "Coneflowers, also known as Echinacea, are wonderful additions to your garden; however, they are prolific and if allowed to go to seed, will naturally reseed themselves, often returning the next season with even greater vigor," JoJami Tyler, a certified Gardenary coach and founder of Fancy Pants Gardens, says. All the Benefits of Seeding Your Coneflowers The seeds are a valuable food source for birds. Coneflower seeds provide forage for wildlife, especially birds, during the fall and winter time, Edwin Dysinger, the co-founder of Seedtime, explains. "The seeds are a magnet for birds, especially goldfinches in late summer and fall, helping sustain local wildlife. It’s like having a natural birdfeeder that you never have to maintain," Tyler says. Other bird types you can expect to see are sparrows, towhees, and finches, Smith says. They'll reappear next year. If you're looking to have coneflowers in your garden the following year, letting them seed will allow them to naturally grow without the worry of replanting. Tyler explains how this is a great method for filling in gaps in the garden with hardy blooms, especially if you have a lot of space to cover. Visual aesthetic. Smith explains how the texture and color of the dark seed heads will create an attractive visual aesthetic to the garden, especially as we approach fall. How to Help Your Coneflowers Seed Leave the seed heads intact. After your coneflowers have flowered, don't deadhead them, Tyler says. Instead, she recommends letting the blooms dry out and form seed heads. " In autumn, as the flower fades, seeds will mature and begin to drop," Tyler explains. Distribute seeds manually. Once they're dry, collect the mature seed heads and separate them by gently rubbing. Then, scatter them over your soil and gently water, Tyler says. "Seeding in the fall is especially helpful because it allows the seeds to naturally cold stratify on their own. But it can also be done in the spring once soil temperatures have reached 65°F or more," Dysinger says. Cover them lightly. Since coneflower seeds are tiny and need some light to properly germinate, Tyler suggests slightly pressing or sprinkling the soil on top instead of burying them deeply. How to Seed Coneflowers Indoors Sow the seeds. Dysinger recommends sowing the seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost using a good, moist soil mix. Either minimally cover or don't cover the seeds at all for proper germination. Let them germinate. The germination process will take around 10-20 days, so make sure there's enough light. Transplant outdoors. Once the seedlings have two to three true leaves and there's no danger of frost, move them outdoors.

Could These Be The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Comfortable Rompers?? 7 Women Give Their Honest Reviews

As a “romper” expert, I have had a lot over the years and liked many for different reasons. But once I bought my first Pistola, it quickly became the one I reached for. It’s flattering, while being roomy. Cute while having big pockets for a phone, etc. For us, our job being relatively physical, so having an easy-to-move-in “outfit” that is cool in the summer, always comfortable, and cute (for camera) is a Venn diagram miracle. I find myself telling any stranger who flatters me in it that it’s the best comfortable romper on the market, so I figured I’d see if my team agrees. So today you’ll see their new summer line on a few bodies (yes, I reached out and they sent them to me and my team with no obligation to say anything at all, let alone something positive). Here is what we think: Emily Size: Small (I’m between 4-6 (so I guess a 5, lol) Height: 5’4″ with a short-ish torso True to Size?: I love how it fits and wouldn’t want smaller or bigger, but admittedly I want it to not be tight AT ALL. No body-con rompers for me, thank you. Size down if you are in between, like me. Official Review: MASSIVE fan. They have some structure while being lightweight (some other brands that are canvas are great, but too hot for most months). The cotton is thin enough to be cool, but thick enough not to be cheap poplin that doesn’t keep its shape. It gives more “utilitarian,” which I also want (and is the whole point). The huge pockets are fantastic for work or just for weekend cleaning, so I can keep my phone/podcast on my person as I run around the house. The red one – I’ve worn the red one almost every day since I got it – oh, and it washes great, too. I don’t need to steam it, and they don’t wrinkle up in an annoying way. I have the denim version that drapes/falls really well, too. The green one – This one is new to me and I really like it for a dressier version (great for summer office) but l’ll likely wear it less since it does cinch at the waist (I might have sensory issues, guys!). But it’s really flattering and cute for a slightly dressier/less utilitarian vibe. Jess Size: Small Height: 5’4″ True to Size?: I think so but only if you like a looser fit, otherwise consider sizing down. Official Review: Needless to say, I was so so excited to get a Pistola romper. Em has been wearing them for a while now, and every time I think how cute they are. When I first put it on, I immediately felt the quality and loved all the details. But after staring at myself for a minute, I was afraid it might be slightly too big. I even panic messaged Caitlin, who was the one in contact with Pistola, that I might need to swap. I then adjusted the waist to cinch it in, and I was so much happier! As you can see, I went vintage shopping (with Caitlin) and felt great the whole day…although we both forgot to get any good front shots of me in it in the wild, lol. I will mention two things that I think are worth considering. I think the top is a little roomy, in general. Great for maybe tall, longer-torsoed, or bustier people (plus, I do think it’s also just the look). However, with the adjustable waist, it fixes that problem for us shorties. But if you like a more fitted look, I would size down (maybe even 2 sizes). Also, there are snaps AND buttons going down the front! Which is great because you are secure. I just wouldn’t wait too long to go to the bathroom because it’s a 2-step “undoing” process:) Overall, I really love it and will absolutely be wearing it all summer. Recommend! Arlyn Size: Extra-Large Height: 5’3″ True to Size?: Totally. I followed the measurements on the online sizing guide, which led me to an XL, which is typically what I am with pieces like this. (For reference, I waver between a large and XL in tops because I’m very busty, and wear XL bottoms or anywhere between a 14 or 16, depending on the brand.) Official Review: I have a complicated relationship with rompers in general. I always love them on other people, but because I’m petite, on the rounder side, and, again, chesty, it’s very hard for me to ever get a comfortable fit. Either the crotch is too low and rubs in weird places, the shorts ride up, the top is too small for dem boobies, or it has way too much fabric everywhere for the size I need. BUT, I have to say, I did think this was a good fit. However, as Jess mentioned, my goodness, you’re caged up in this thing! There’s an internal layer of snaps and a top layer of buttons. Secure? Yes. Overkill? Perhaps. The fabric is thick and sturdy, so it’ll likely wash really well and last a long time, but it does feel a bit stiff at first, FYI. I may need to break it in a bit to feel more comfortable, but it sure is cute. Caitlin Size: Large Height: 5’8″ True to Size?: True to their size chart? Yes. True to my understanding of my size? No! I almost grabbed an XL here – it’s my go-to size when ordering from any new brand – and am so glad I checked the chart before adding to cart. (I technically could have fit into a medium!) I have a super long torso and normally need to size up, so I was pleasantly surprised by how comfy and roomy the large fits me. Official Review: I LOVE THIS ROMPER. (I love it so much that when it was delivered at my house, I took to Slack and proclaimed “just got my romper and I LOVE IT,” followed by “taking all my restraint not to throw it in the link up this week lol.”) I love that it’s loose and breezy around the legs, a little more formal up top, and that I can tie it as tight or as loose as I’d like. It’s a total blank canvas – easy to dress up, easy to dress down – and it’s one of those rare pieces of clothing that you could wear both to the grocery store and to like, any conservative church on your summer European vacation travels. The fabric is weighty and luxe – I’m just blown away by the quality. Pistola, I see you!!! You have a new fan :) (PS. I was shocked to read the other gals’ commentary on the buttons. This one just hag regular ol’ buttons. I can pee without issue!) Mallory Size: Small Height: 5’7″ True to Size?: Yes! Official Review: This is a solid piece – the quality is great and the fabric is thick. The fit definitely works for a longer torso because the crotch is a bit lower. It also has double-layered buttons so skin doesn’t peek through when you sit down, which I think is a really smart design (but know it will take you a bit to take off during bathroom trips). I also really love the white version of this romper, which I was initially nervous about getting (and ultimately went with the black) because I thought it might be see-through. But now that I know how thick and high quality the material is on the black one, I think the white would be SUPER cute and easy to style too:) Gretchen Size: Large, fits me perfectly Height: 5’9″ True to Size?: I am normally a size L/XL and debated about ordering a size up, but I am super glad I didn’t. While I’d say this romper is true to size, make sure to check your measurements with theirs. Mine lined up best with a size large. But when I first tried the romper on, I was a bit worried it was maybe too loose, wondering if I could’ve maybe squeezed into a medium. I wasn’t totally swimming in it, but I’d wanted it to feel just a tad more fitted in places. HOWEVER, mine now fits perfectly after a wash. The group shot with Marlee, Em, and me was taken pre-wash, and my selfie is the romper straight out of a cycle. I don’t feel like it necessarily shrank per se, but just that it tightened up in all the places I wanted it to, while still feeling plenty comfortable and roomy. Added bonus–these are a breeze to wash! Official Review: I’m absolutely in love with this romper and heading back to buy it in another color–I’m serious. I love just how unbelievably easy, cute, and comfortable it is. Like, it’s so simple to throw on and run around in–a full outfit in one–but more than that, I just look so dang cute and put together wearing it (that, yes, it makes me want to toot my own horn!). I love what the zip front does style-wise, but it also makes it very quick to slip in and out of (for bathroom breaks, etc). The waist tie situation is great to cinch you in, and the material is casual, breathable, and hangs so nicely. I also like that you can roll and snap the sleeves up or leave them down. I’m partial to the latter. This piece is very much “ME” and I know I’ll be reaching for it all summer long–heck, I’m wearing it as I type this. I’ll be watching Pistola closely to see if they release it in more colors! Marlee Size: Small Height: 5’8″ True to Size?: Yes! Official Review: I am not typically a romper girl, but I was pleasantly surprised about this one – I feel like my biggest issue with rompers is typically the fact that they “ride up” if you know what I mean… but this one, I did not have to worry about! The length of the shorts was great and was roomy enough in the leg that I didn’t feel constricted, and long enough that I didn’t feel “exposed” (but not too long that it’s an awkward length). The shorts part also has a little cuff with a button holding it in place, so if you wanted them to be longer, there’s some flexibility there. I really like the buttons on the side – it fits true to size in the waist and was perfectly roomy, but if you wanted it to be a little more snatched, you have the option to take it in a little bit. I love the look of the pockets and the utilitarian vibe, but the highlight for me was how soft the fabric was. It’s so cute with sneakers for a casual look, but I think the way I’ll wear this the most is dressed up with some tall boots and a cute purse:) I think it’s fair to say that we all very much approve of these very cute rompers. So if you are in the market, we recommend Pistola hard:)