What Living in Europe Taught Me About Style
I didn’t grow up around fashion.
What some people may not realize about me is that I didn’t grow up around fashion at all.
I was raised on an Indian reservation in South Dakota. Life was simple, rural, and very practical. We drove to Valentine, Nebraska to shop at Sears, and even then, a lot of things had to be ordered and picked up later. My mom never wore makeup. She kept short hair, dressed casually, and fashion just wasn’t part of our world.
In fact, before moving to California as a tween, I had never even been inside a mall.
And then suddenly, everything changed.
Not long after moving to California, I was scouted as a model. Within a few short years, I went from wearing braids every day on the reservation to flying to Tokyo and then Paris for work.
I was young. Sixteen, seventeen years old. And completely out of my depth.
I didn’t know what to wear to castings. I didn’t understand fashion. I just started observing the women around me and learning quickly.
And honestly, the biggest lessons I learned had very little to do with trends.
Buy the best quality you can afford and keep it for a long time
The women I admired in Europe didn’t seem to buy endless amounts of clothing.
Instead, they bought fewer things, but better things.
Beautiful shoes that had clearly been worn for years. Great coats. Good bags. Jewelry they wore daily.
They took care of their clothes, repaired things when needed, and repeated outfits constantly without apology.
That idea completely changed how I viewed getting dressed.
Staying within your color palette makes getting dressed dramatically easier
I noticed very quickly that many stylish women had a consistent palette.
Navy, cream, black, camel, olive, denim.
When most of your wardrobe works together, you naturally create more outfits with less effort.
It’s one of the simplest ways to make your closet feel calmer, more cohesive, and more wearable.
Take care of your skin
This one sounds simple, but it stayed with me.
The most elegant women I met invested in their skin long before they invested in makeup trends.
Not perfection. Just care.
Good skincare, sunscreen, sleep, hydration, and consistency go a very long way over time.
And honestly? I still think that’s true.
Looking back now, I realize the women who influenced me most weren’t necessarily the trendiest women.
They were the women who looked comfortable in themselves.
Everything worked together. Nothing felt overly complicated. And there was a quiet confidence in that simplicity that stayed with me long after my modeling years ended.
Why This Still Shapes How I Dress Today
And honestly, I think that’s why I’ve always been drawn to pieces that work with everything instead of pieces that demand an entire outfit around them.
A good wardrobe — and good jewelry — should make life easier.
That idea is part of the inspiration behind the Summer, Simplified series I’ll be sharing over the next few months. Less overwhelm. More well-chosen pieces. Getting dressed in a way that feels polished, effortless, and wearable in real life. Along the way, I’ll also be sharing some of the wardrobe, beauty, and everyday favorites that I personally return to summer after summer.
And for June, I created a special Everyday Bar Edit built around that exact idea: easy pieces designed to layer into what you already own and become part of your everyday wardrobe.
Because the women whose style stayed with me most were never the women wearing the most.
They were the women who knew exactly what worked for them.
Explore the June Everyday Bar Edit
To kick off the Summer, Simplified series, I created a special Everyday Bar Edit for the month of June featuring two of my most wearable everyday pieces: the Everyday Bar Necklace and matching Bar Post Earrings.
Simple, versatile, and easy to layer into what you already own, they’re designed for repeat wear all summer long.
For the month of June, the Everyday Bar Edit is available for $55 (30% off).
SHOP THE EDIT