How I Really Shop: My Honest Guide to Finding Pieces You’ll Actually Wear

If you’ve been following along for a while, you know I don’t share things just to share them. Every piece I post on LTK has been worn, tested, styled more than once, and genuinely loved — or it doesn’t make the cut. I get asked constantly how I find what I find, how I decide what’s worth the money, and how I keep my closet feeling intentional instead of chaotic. So today I’m pulling back the curtain and walking you through everything: my actual shopping process, the categories I focus on, what I look for in a good piece, and how I use LTK to make the whole thing work for you, too.

This is the post I wish existed when I first started building a wardrobe I was proud of. Let’s get into it.

Why I Started Sharing on LTK in the First Place

Honestly? I was tired of sending the same texts to my friends. “Where did you get that?” “Can you send me the link?” I was saving links in my notes app, screenshotting things from Instagram, losing track of sales. It was a mess. When I discovered LTK, it felt like the platform was built specifically for the way I was already shopping and sharing.

What I love most about LTK is that it keeps everything in one place. You can scroll through my profile, see exactly how I styled something, and shop it directly without having to hunt around. There’s no guesswork. And from my end, I can organize things by category, update links when items go on sale, and actually serve you something useful rather than just pretty.

Over time, sharing on LTK shifted from a convenience thing to something I genuinely care about. I started thinking more carefully about what I post, why I post it, and how to make sure the things I recommend are actually going to add value to your life and your wardrobe.

How I Actually Build My Outfits

Let me start with the foundation, because I think this is where most people go wrong. A great outfit doesn’t start with a trend. It starts with understanding your own lifestyle.

Before I shop for anything, I think about where I’m actually going that week. Am I traveling? Mostly working from home? Going to dinners or events? My wardrobe has to serve my real life, not some aspirational version of it. I used to buy things I thought I should own, and they would just sit there. Now everything I buy earns its place because it fits into actual rotations.

From there, I build outfits around anchors. An anchor piece is something strong enough to carry a look on its own — a great-fitting trouser, a structured blazer, a really beautiful pair of shoes. Once I have the anchor, everything else follows more naturally. The accessories, the bag, the layering piece. It becomes intuitive once you stop trying to plan everything from scratch every time.

When I’m putting together a post for LTK, I think about this the same way. I’m not just photographing an outfit — I’m showing you how to actually build something wearable. I try to tag every piece I’m wearing, including the things you might not notice at first glance, because sometimes it’s the earrings or the barely-visible belt that makes the whole look come together.

The Categories I Keep Coming Back To

Over the years, certain categories have become the backbone of what I share. Here’s where I spend most of my time and why.

Everyday Tops and Knitwear

A good top is everything. I’m endlessly searching for the perfect weight, the right neckline, something that photographs well but also just feels good to wear on a Tuesday morning. I gravitate toward pieces that work equally well tucked into trousers or left loose over jeans. Neutral tones get the most mileage in my closet, but I always leave room for a color or print that genuinely excites me when I see it.

Knitwear specifically is something I invest in. A well-made sweater will last you years and only gets better with wear. I look for natural fibers, clean construction at the seams, and a weight that’s substantial without being heavy. When I find one that checks all those boxes, it goes on LTK immediately because I know it’s rare.

Denim

I have tried, at a conservative estimate, hundreds of pairs of jeans. Not exaggerating. Denim is one of those categories where the difference between okay and perfect is enormous, and yet it’s so personal that what works for me might not work for you. That’s why I try to be specific when I share denim — I talk about the rise, the stretch, how the leg opening falls, whether it runs small or large, and what body type I think it works best on.

My current rotation has room for a straight leg, a wide leg, and a more slim-fitting option. Each one serves a different outfit formula, and together they cover about ninety percent of what I want to wear on any given day.

Shoes

If I’m being real, shoes are probably where I do the most research before posting anything. I will wear a shoe for at least two weeks before I share it because comfort is non-negotiable for me. I’m not going to tell you something is wearable all day and then have you come back saying your feet hurt after an hour. That’s not useful to anyone.

I shop shoes in a pretty wide range of price points, which I think is reflected in my LTK. There are investment shoes — the ones you save for, the classics that hold up for a decade — and there are fun, affordable options that are exactly right for a trend moment without breaking the bank. Both have a place.

Bags

Bags are a category I approach with a lot of patience. I rarely impulse-buy a bag. I sit with the want for a while, think about what I already have, and ask myself whether this would actually change how I get dressed. The best bags in my collection are the ones that disappear into my routine — I grab them without thinking because they work with everything.

When I share bags on LTK, I try to give you the practical details: how much it holds, whether the strap is adjustable, how heavy it is, whether the color is accurate to what you see on the screen. These things matter, and I know from experience that you can’t always tell from a product shot alone.

Home and Lifestyle

My LTK has grown beyond just fashion over time, which feels natural because my interests have grown too. I share home finds, beauty products I’m actually using, wellness things I’ve tested long enough to have an opinion on. I approach these categories the same way I approach clothes: real use, honest feedback, and only posting something when I actually think it’s worth your attention.

What I Look for Before I Post Anything

My criteria have tightened up over the years. Here’s what I’m actually running through before something makes it onto my page.

Versatility. Can I style this more than one way? Does it work across at least a couple of different contexts? If something only works in one very specific outfit situation, I’m less interested in it — unless it does that one thing so exceptionally well that it earns a spot anyway.

Quality relative to price. This is less about how expensive something is and more about whether it delivers on what it promises. A $40 top can be excellent quality. A $400 top can be a disappointment. I think about whether the fabric, construction, and finish make sense for the price, and I’m upfront when something is great value or when you’re paying more for a name than for the actual product.

Fit and proportion. This is huge for me. The way a piece fits on camera doesn’t always tell the story. I try to explain proportions in real language — whether something runs large, whether the shoulders hit correctly, whether the length is actually as it appears in photos or if I’ve had to tuck or adjust. Getting this right makes a real difference when you’re shopping online and can’t try anything on.

Longevity. Has this held up after washing? Has the color faded? Are the seams still intact after wearing it a dozen times? I wait long enough to know the answer to these questions before I recommend something, especially for pieces at a higher price point.

Personal honesty. If I bought something, wore it twice, and couldn’t find a way to make it work, I’m not going to post it as a recommendation. This sounds obvious but it’s actually easy to blur the line, especially when something is beautiful in theory. I try to hold myself to the standard of only sharing things I would genuinely tell a friend to buy.

How to Shop My LTK Without Getting Overwhelmed

I know a big page can feel like a lot. Here are a few ways I’d suggest navigating mine.

Use the search and filter options. LTK lets you search within a creator’s page, so if you’re looking for something specific — workwear, vacation outfits, a certain color — you can narrow things down pretty quickly.

Check my most recently posted looks first. I update regularly, and the most recent content usually reflects what I’m most excited about right now. Sales and restocks happen fast, so checking in a few times a week means you’re less likely to miss something before it sells out.

Read the captions. I know, sounds simple. But I put real information in my captions — size I’m wearing, how it fits, what I’d pair it with, any sizing notes you need to know. It’s worth a few extra seconds before you click through.

Save looks you love. LTK lets you save posts, so if you see something you want to come back to, save it rather than trying to remember it later. I also organize my looks into collections when I can, so if you’re looking for a specific vibe or season, it’s easier to find what you need.

On Building a Wardrobe That Actually Feels Like You

I want to take a minute to talk about the bigger picture, because shopping with intention is something I care about a lot.

The most stylish people I know are not the ones with the most clothes. They’re the people who have figured out their own language — a consistent thread that runs through everything they wear. You know it when you see it. Their outfits look effortless because they’ve done the work of figuring out what they actually love, not just what they think they should love.

That work takes time. It involves trying things and getting it wrong. It means wearing something three times and realizing it was never quite right and letting it go without guilt. It means resisting the urge to buy something just because it’s on sale or trending, and waiting instead for the thing that genuinely makes you feel good.

I share what I share on LTK because I want to make that process easier for you, not to shortcut it, but to give you a starting point. If something I post sparks an idea or helps you find a piece that you reach for over and over, that’s exactly what I’m going for.

The Things I’m Always on the Lookout For

A few specific things are always on my radar no matter the season.

A really perfect white button-down. This seems like it should be easy to find, and yet it never is. I’m looking for the right weight (substantial, not sheer), the right fit through the shoulders, and enough length to tuck cleanly. When I find one I love, I share it immediately.

Good quality loafers at different price points. Loafers are the shoe that goes with almost everything, and there are genuinely great options at every budget. Finding the ones that hold their shape, don’t crease awkwardly, and stay comfortable after a full day is something I take seriously.

The transitional layer. The thing you throw on when the morning is cold and the afternoon isn’t. This might be a leather jacket, a longline cardigan, a linen overshirt. Whatever form it takes, a great transitional piece is something most wardrobes could use more of, and I’m always searching for the best ones.

Thank You for Being Here

I genuinely mean it when I say I care about the community that’s grown around this page. The messages I get from people who found something they love, or who felt inspired to try a new way of dressing, or who finally found the pair of jeans they’d been searching for — those mean everything to me.

Shopping can feel like noise a lot of the time. My goal is to be the opposite of that. Thoughtful, honest, and actually useful. I hope this post gave you a better sense of how I approach things and why I do what I do.

Come find me on LTK if you’re not already there. Everything is linked, everything is organized, and I’ll keep adding things as I find them. As always, shop what speaks to you and ignore the rest. Your closet should feel like yours — and I’m just here to help you find the pieces that make it feel that way.