This week, Stephanie Johnson joins me for a conversation about her Hard 75 Style challenge, how working as a shopping Editor impacted her style journey, and her brief dip into Jersey shore style in high school. Enjoy!

Episode Transcript

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Welcome

Welcome to Intuitive Style. I'm Maureen Welton. On this podcast, we explore the overlap between mindfulness and personal style.

Today's guest, Stephanie Johnson, demonstrates week over week in her Substack newsletter, Estilo de Moda, what intuitive dressing looks like in practice. In our conversation, we talk about how her professional experience in fashion has influenced her personal style, how she modifies an outfit for a day in Brooklyn versus a day in Manhattan and about her hard seventy-five style series.

I'm delighted to share this episode with you.

Let's start by talking about your newsletter, which is how we met. Would you just tell us a little bit about Estilo de Mode mag, please?

Yeah. So, I started this newsletter, I want to say two years ago and I wrote like Three newsletters and then I, I kind of stopped sending them out. I got really into it again this past summer and I, I've been more consistent, but it was, it was really an outlet for me to write about what I wanted to write about. I worked for fashion digital magazines previously and a lot of what I wrote about was dictated by an editor or client so I just really wanted to write about style in a way that wasn't filtered and wasn't sponsored. So that's what I get to do.

And it's mostly about personal style and just the way we show up authentically in the world and how we dress ourselves.

Awesome. Well, I have really enjoyed following along. So speaking of which, you really caught my eye with your seventy-five hard style challenge. Can you share a little bit more about what that challenge is?

Yeah! This challenge was started by Mandy Lee. I believe her handle on everything like IG, TikTok, and Substack is Old Loser in Brooklyn. Which is a great name. She started the challenge in 2024 as kind of like a New Year's resolution type thing on social media. And it's an iteration on that, like, seventy-five hard health challenge, which I actually know basically nothing about, but I know that's when you're like very disciplined for seventy-five days. So she just kind of applied it to style. The rules are mostly like get dressed for seventy-five days, document your looks, try not to buy anything new. And, and really understand why you're doing this challenge, like set your goals and intentions. So it could be because you want to save money or maybe you want to slow down what you're bringing into your business. Closet or you just want to get to know your style better.

One of the rules I haven't been so great about is she wants you to really rely on your own kind of inspiration. So don't go on Pinterest or TikTok and just copy someone's look. And then another rule is to organize and clean out your closet before you start the challenge. And I believe also after, so you can kind of see like what you got rid of to start and what you ended with.

What about this challenge attracted to you at this moment? Why did it seem like a good fit?

I started getting into getting dressed, which, which sounds so crazy, but I've been working from home since 2019. So I very much fell into a rut, but I've been trying to get dressed for like two years really consistently. And I saw this challenge last year. And it just didn't feel like the right time for me. I just moved in 2025 and I think I was like, okay, you know, I'd already cleaned out my closet. I purged a lot. I'm living in New York now, which feels like you kind of have to up your style game, so I was ready to take it on starting this January.

One thing in particular about your series on this challenge is that you have a particular rating system for how you think about the outfits. Can you tell us a little bit more about your rating system and how you landed on it?

Yeah, that was something I just made up because my intention with this challenge besides like getting out of my PJs every day was to really learn more about my personal style. So I rate things on a scale of one to five when I wear them. One is like, this really doesn't feel like me. And five is like this, this does feel like me. The scale is really just based on like my intuition, which I know you speak about a lot in your Substack and just really leaning into authenticity. So it could be like how comfortable I feel in this and how much this may be leaned into my style words. It's just been a really helpful way to look back on an outfit and, and get a sense of how I felt when I wore it that day.

It's so fun and so unique to see someone talking about rating your personal style with how it feels and how you experience being in the outfit. Just seeing that as such a focus of of you, how you decide success of your wardrobe, it really resonated with me because so much of the time I think it's popular or accepted to dress for other people and how you're going to be perceived. And just seeing your, your me writing felt really innovative and, and also exciting. And I think really it shows where we're moving as a personal style culture towards caring a little bit more about how we experience our own clothing rather than just letting everything be about how we're perceived.

Thank you. That's exactly what I was going for. And I guess I didn't even think of that, but it is a lot about how I feel versus how other people perceive me.

One outfit of yours that really caught my eye, was that some of your, you know, I think in general you would say, right, that your style is on the casual side. And I noticed that there were a couple kind of more lounge outfits that you rated quite highly. There's a lot of pressure that lounge clothing isn't stylish or doesn't involve effort or doesn't convey effort and. I was just curious, can you share a little bit more about your experience with lounge and how and why that would be something that you rate really high?

It's something I'm kind of working through because I'm not a dressy person. I tend to dress very casual. Like one of my style words is like undone. So if something feels too polished, it doesn't feel like me. Very often if I'm wearing something that feels really comfortable and like layered and it's in a color palette, I like, I'm going to give it a high rating and that tends to be my athleisure outfits. Something I am trying to sift through is. Does this feel like a me outfit because I had fallen into such a habit of always wearing this type of clothing or does it really feel like the type of person I am authentically and want to dress as? So I'm kind of working through that. Some outfits that are really casual might get like a five out of five and some might get like a two out of five because I put no effort in and I just kind of threw on sweatpants.

That goes back to the idea of the challenge and your effort overall to to get dressed. Would you share what getting dressed means to you? Like, what is not getting dressed? What is just putting on clothes?

Yeah, it's like a very basic definition. It's getting out of my pajamas because... Literally, that's it. I have had a job working from home for so long that I could like roll over and just in my pajamas start working. So fully in the morning, getting out of bed, putting on a complete new outfit. The days when I basically threw on something that's like outside pajamas. I'm like, okay, you didn't really do the thing today. I've had a few days in this challenge where I've noticed that, but some days I'm like, okay, I'm going to wear these leggings. And I'm going to wear high socks with them and I'm going to layer a sweatshirt with a turtleneck and I'm going to put on jewelry. So, I intuitively know when I'm making an effort and when I'm not and how to differentiate those two.

Would you say, now I'm putting my, my point of view into this, but like to me getting dressed would be putting on something that I'd be comfortable wearing outside of the house. Do you think, is that any way that you're defining it?

Yeah, absolutely. I think I think that's actually a perfect definition. I think there was a time in my life where I probably could have worn PJs outside of the house, but now I want to always feel like I put a little effort in.

Sure, sure. And, and societal, you know, during COVID it was particularly, you know, different as for what was okay to wear outside. We were wearing a mask anyway.

Yes.

So this is kind of a personal anecdote, but I am curious what you think about this. Going back to the idea of wearing stuff at home that you would be comfortable wearing out of the house putting in that effort. A couple years ago, I had more disposable income and I did a one-on-one personal styling session with Allison Bornstein, the stylist.

That's cool.

It was very cool. And if I could go back, I think the biggest thing that I regretted was I had us focus our conversation on the clothing that I wore only out of the house and I was like anything that I work from home and we don't need to talk about because that stuff is fine. And now if I could play that back I would be like how can I merge the two, how can I make sure that the clothes that I'm wearing at home are also things that I could wear outside of the house, because I also work from home I should have said that. And I have since 2020. Does that idea resonate with you as far as like merging kind of what you would work from home in versus what you're wearing outside of the house or do you view that as a separate?

No, that's so smart, and also that's so cool. I need to hear more about that because I would love to hear what she has to say about my wardrobe. But I realized probably two years ago, like working from home was probably going to be my reality for the foreseeable future. And I love it for a lot of reasons, but. In terms of getting up and getting dressed, it, it wasn't the most productive for me. So did I want to spend the rest of my life building a wardrobe that worked like maybe two days on the weekend, or did I want to feel good every day? So that just meant having to blend the two. So even now when I'm planning outfits for this challenge, I try to give myself like two days a week where I build like a cuter and doing quotes like sweat set. So I don't get so overwhelmed being in jeans every day when, when that's still a transition for me. I think there is a way to blend the two. I think previously there was kind of like the work wardrobe versus the weekend wardrobe. And now I think it's the same.

Let's talk a little bit about your professional experience working as a shopping writer and an editor in the fashion world. I'm curious if you could share any of the ways that professional experience has shaped your personal aesthetic.

In my twenties, I worked for a lot of fashion magazines digitally. So like Who, What, Where and InStyle and People and Glamor and it, it was amazing. But I actually don't think it helped my personal style.

I found myself often comparing to other women I worked with who are maybe more stylish or trying to like emulate their style. You also have access to a ton of brands and a ton of clothes, which can get really confusing. I was trend forecasting. So, you know, you can get kind of wrapped up in like, I should be wearing this. This is what everyone's going to be wearing. One perk of the job that I personally don't miss, but I know a lot of people love was you get a lot of gifts, which is, which is so amazing and so nice, but. In the same way you can't shop your way to personal style, you also can't like build a wardrobe off of a bunch of gifted PR pieces. So I actually think I almost had too much access and I was confusing myself.

I'd love to hear you talk a little bit about, you know, the idea of comparing to people who you considered more stylish. What does that mean to you?

At the time, it meant the women wearing certain designers to be totally transparent. It meant the women who wore heels to work every day and were really polished. And it took me a while to come to terms with the fact that that doesn't feel like me, like being too polished feels like a facade. Or sometimes I would even try to copy someone's style because they would just, they would just know who they were so much. I wanted it so desperately.

So maybe they'd be like, oh, I have, they'd wear these really cool rings that were like heirloom jewelry. And I'd want to go buy like the fast fashion version of that one. What made that cool was it was like part of their family history. So I had to just really learn how to differentiate between like admiring what is cool and what works for someone else and recognizing what wouldn't work for me.

Is there anything that you can think of that helped you kind of loosen your grip on that idea of wanting to emulate other people's style? Because I certainly know I've been there and still get there often myself.

Yeah. I think it helped having gone through it and doing it and looking back and being like, oh, I spent five years feeling like kind of uncomfortable. That didn't really work for me. And I'm a big list maker. So I actually have a list on my phone. That's like, do not buy, like, do not buy heels. You are not wearing heels. Like do not buy those sunglasses that look cool on that girl. You won't wear them. I think. Hey Mrs. Solomon on Style is a really good job of explaining this, but you can admire something and not own it. So I've gotten better about like, looking at someone else's style and recognizing that I love it and that it wouldn't work for me and I can just appreciate their creativity.

Let's talk a little bit then about what your personal style is. How did you decide what to buy and what, what works for you aside from, you know, not buying heels, for example, what are the things that you do gravitate towards?

I think Allison Bornstein style words really helped. And I know everyone kind of leans on those, but Heather, I can't, I can't think of her last name, but her handle is pig mommy, which like I'll, I'll never forget. Cause it's so good. She, when I noticed her TikTok a few years ago, she would talk about getting dressed just every day, just get dressed and document your outfits on pin, like a secret Pinterest board. And I started doing that and then I could look back and notice patterns. So that's when I could see like, oh, I really like when things look kind of undone. And for me, that can mean layered or oversized, just, just not super fitted and polished. Or I found the aspirational word was really helpful for me to lean into like a hobby or something I love. I horseback ride. I'm like a true horse girly. So I love. Like Western style. So I always like to incorporate that as my aspirational like I feel really empowered when I'm riding these horses and like a rodeo setting I think it's really cool. So I like that to reflect in my style. And one of my other words, which is so hard to describe is cool. And that forces me to literally be like, what do you think is cool? Like, I think it's really cool when my mom wears a sweater that she knit herself. I think that's so cool. So like, how can I. Have things that feel special and cool to me in my outfits.

I love that. And just for anyone who's not familiar with Allison Bornstein’s three words. So They're meant to be three words that encapsulate your personal style. One is your realistic word, something that you actively like when you look at your. Your regulars, as she calls them, the things that you're putting on day after day, they're not necessarily your favorite things, but they're realistic things you're wearing. That is your realistic word. The second word is your aspirational word, which is like when you look on your Pinterest, what are the themes that you might see that you're pinning from other people wearing? And then your third word would be Could be a feeling, how you want to feel in your clothing. You know, for example, would be like warm, you know, approachable, comfortable, things like that.

Can we talk then, hearing about your horse girl makes me think of, you know, Texas and I believe that's where you previously lived and you recently moved. So could you share with us like how you're thinking about your style changing with your new environment?

Yeah, that's actually something I am really exploring in my seventy-five hard style challenge. I noticed my environment, like even in New York, Brooklyn versus Manhattan really informs me. How ‘me’ an outfit feels. I could feel very comfortable dressed down somewhere and then I might go somewhere in Manhattan and be like, oh my gosh, I really wish I had dressed up a bit more. So I think Austin, because I already loved that kind of Western Americana look like worked perfectly for me.

I didn't really have to feel like I was wearing a costume cause I actually dress like that. I'm trying to remember that in New York, like I don't need to dress like how the New York girls dress if that doesn't feel like me, but it is hard to not be like influenced by the place you're at.

And, and also, you know, when you think about the climate too, right? Yeah. And, and Brooklyn probably have very little climate in common.

Totally.

I know too that you recently cut your hair shorter. Which can be kind of fun to mark a big move or life change with a haircut. How are you feeling with your shorter hair?

I love it. I change my hair up frequently. I am not very precious with my hair. I'll just kind of do whatever with it. I think living in Austin, the climate is very humid. So styling my hair every day didn't make sense. So I just kind of left it long and with my natural kind of wavy texture. And moving to New York, I was like, oh, I can have fun and cut it short and blow it out. So it's been fun to kind of lean into that.

And going back to kind of the idea of being comfortable in your clothes in Brooklyn, uh, for example, and then being uncomfortable in Manhattan in the same outfit, uh, I know this is something I've seen a couple people talk about here on Substack. I don't remember her name off the top of my head, but I'll include it in the show notes. This idea of like dressing authentically but then when it when it hits the real world it can feel so wrong and I was just curious if you have any Any ways to kind of deal with that pain or that discomfort with being your authentic self and then Feeling wrong about it. I mean, is that even something? Am I even describing this in the right way?

No, you totally are. I think I'm trying to think of my style more as a spectrum. So like. On one end, maybe there's my sweats and on the other end, it's like, what would I wear to a wedding? Like, I'm not always super casual. So clearly I have a way I feel comfortable when I get dressed up and I think it's kind of just like How you like when you go to work, you don't wear sweatpants, but you might not feel inauthentic in your work clothes that are a bit more uniformed. I'm trying to find a balance when I'm certain places and I recognize that the environment is, is a bit flashier or a bit dressier. Like, how can I still feel like me, but take it up a notch? So when I'm in Brooklyn, like I'm wearing a baseball cap and like a leather bomber and baggy pants and sneakers. And sometimes when I go into Manhattan, like instead of sneakers, I'm not wearing a heel, but maybe I'll wear like slides or like mules and that feels like I, it still feels like me, but it leans more in the environment. So I'm not self-conscious necessarily the whole time I'm there. Cause you don't, I think you can stand out and if you enjoy the standout great, but I would rather just like kind of feel like myself blend in and get what I need to get done in that area. So I guess I'm just trying to find ways to tweak my outfits so they lean a little bit more into that the occasion I'm dressing for.

That's such a great example. I mean, I personally think footwear is just such a great way to change the entire vibe of an outfit, especially dress it up or down.

Can we talk a little bit about how you feel in your clothing and maybe how you feel like you talk about what it means to you can tell when you're dressing authentically you can tell when you're dressing intuitively. Are there any words that you would use to describe the feeling in your body? Like, you know, do you feel maybe more relaxed? Do you feel that you're, you're short or more confident or your shoulders back or your. Uh, you know, pulling something down. Are there any kind of words that you would use to describe an outfit that feels right?

Ooh, that's such a good question. I think I'm going to contradict myself now because I said the whole thing wasn't about being perceived, but I am excited to go out in that outfit and like show it off. Like I'm proud of my creation. I'm like, let's get out. Let's go get a coffee. I feel cute. And it's not so much others are going to think I'm cute, but I'm like, look what I did. So I think that's the feeling I feel the most. Definitely leans into confidence. But yeah, I don't know if it's like a feeling in my body as much as just a knowing that I'm proud of what I put together.

I want to clarify, too, the idea of intuitive style or dressing authentically to me Includes the social aspect of getting dressed and we are social creatures and social beings and I think it would be kind of a fool's errand to pretend that we don't care what people think.

Totally.

For me, intuitive style means being aware of when we're dressing for other people in a way that doesn't feel comfortable. And also being aware of when we're dressing for other people in a way that does feel comfortable without judgment either way. Totally. I don't think those are right or wrong. It's more to me about paying attention.

Yeah, no, that's so smart. And like, this is a weird example, but I went to my nephew's birthday party this weekend and I wore an outfit I wear all the time in New York, like once a week. And it was like my loafers and jeans and a sweatshirt and I got to this birthday party and we had to take our shoes off and I felt so silly with like My Gucci loafers on the floor. Like I just felt ridiculous. So I think also like it does matter where you are. You want to feel good and focus on like my nephew's birthday party, not like why did I wear these silly shoes to this event? So I think you're so right. It all matters.

And especially when we think about safety too, right? There can be aspects of dressing, especially if you're a less protected identity, like if you're queer or non-binary or trans or even just a female person. If we think of that sex in the city where Carrie gets held at gunpoint for her fancy shoes, you know, it's like she was not safe because of her outfit, in that moment. Knowing, yes, of course, she's a fictional character, but I think we can relate to the idea of like, there are genuine consequences to getting dressed in a way that feels authentic. So it's, it's not like. I don't think it's realistic or even aspirational to get dressed without considering uh, the social environment that we're in.

No, that's such a good point, like, context especially. Your example, you know, if someone is queer or transgender and they decide to wear a skirt to an environment that doesn't feel safe, but that feels authentic to them, like there's so many instances where people still can't show up authentically. So it's just something to consider.

And I would say this is a very socially aware podcast. We're never going to be recommending that someone wear something that's unsafe.

Love it.

Let's talk a little bit about how your style has evolved over the years. Have you gone through any memorable phases?

I feel like high school was rough. I like don't want to age myself, but for some reason Jersey Shore just had a really big impact on me, unfortunately. I dyed my hair black. I went tanning. I wore like leopard print. My style now that's just, there's nothing about that that leans me. I think I very much looked to other people to inform my style like I kind of spoke to. So, like, if Jersey Shore was the show I was watching, it was that. If it was The Hills, I'm wearing, like, fake pearls like Lauren Conrad. I just... Didn't consider what I liked. It was just like I pulled from other people. I'm happy I experimented because now I can look back and be like, oh, I would not do that again. I think I was just like figuring out who I was in general.

Also, Gym-Tan-Laundry.

GTL for life. It's so bad.

I didn't ever dress like Jersey Shore, but I have the images burned into my brain. Over here on the West Coast we were, we were spared from the culture.

Oh, lucky.

Would you not, would you not wear a cheetah print like loafers or something today?

No, and I've actually, I yesterday was at a thrift store and there was, I hope I say this name right, the Damson Madder, I don't know if I'm pronouncing the brand right, those, do you know those cheetah kind of cargo pants, the leopard print? Oh, cool. They were there and I was like, And they're a great deal. And I, it wasn't me. I'm, I weirdly, there's some animal print that feels more subdued. And I know people think kind of cheetah leopard is a neutral, but it's not on me. So yeah. Yeah. The pass.

That's, that's, that's all you gotta know is. Yeah. Is it, is it a neutral for you? No. All right. Answered. Nope.

We talked about a little bit about your move and how that's impacting your style. Do you have any style goals that you're excited to work towards this year?

Yeah! I've been doing a low buy for two years now. So I try, this might sound like a lot to some people and maybe it doesn't, but I try not to buy last year. It was twenty-four pieces of clothing and this year it's twenty ten in the fall and winter and ten in the spring and summer. And every time I buy a piece, I try to donate a piece just because why did I bring this into my closet if I already had something that worked? So I want to kind of prove to myself I needed it. But yeah, and I also have kind of brands I won't shop with and I, and I try to thrift when I can. So those are kind of my goals for this year.

How did you land on the number twenty for this year?

Last year was twenty-four because I get paid twenty-four times in a year. So I was like, every time you get a paycheck, you can have a portion of it and go shopping. That was my. You know, my reasoning kind of like a budgeting style goal in mind. And then this year I just kind of cut it back a little bit more. So I was like, okay, you did twenty-four and now let's try for twenty and see where we get.

You know, I also recently moved a little bit less recently than you had spent about a year. I have certainly found the experience of moving to change my style a lot and the idea of limiting to twenty pieces seems a little daunting, if I'm honest. I also had some pretty big changes in my size that I've been navigating, but how do you handle that really big, like, culture slash climate change, especially given that you're limiting how many new pieces that you want to bring in.

Yeah, I actually do have some exceptions. I also fluctuate a lot with my size. So I never, for example, if I was to need to go up with jean size, I would never not allow myself to do so. So I allow necessities. So that to me is a necessity. Like I need clothes that fit me. Or like a t-shirt or something like I can purchase that as needed. I also don't really limit accessories. And for me, that's mostly like jewelry because I find it helps me wear my clothing more. So yeah. And I don't overspend on it. So it's not like I'm going crazy.

This is more like, do I really need another sweater at the moment? Probably not. I have a ton. You have jeans that fit at the moment and you like them. You don't need that dress because you don't wear it. So it's really a way to make me kind of think twice before I add something into my wardrobe.

That makes sense. I really appreciate that extra context. You know, sometimes I feel, I feel daunted and embarrassed in comparison to other people's low-buys when I'm like, I, I can't do that. Like, I have two sweaters right now. Like, I, I have to buy, I have to buy new sweaters. So I, I appreciate that, that clarification on, on what your low buys is really intending to do.

Yeah, of course, I think clothes should fit you and, and there shouldn't be a limit on how many you need to get up and get dressed. From there, it's just kind of being like, I probably don't need another white sweater when I have a white sweater kind of thing.

What advice would you give to someone trying to build a wardrobe that feels intuitive and authentic to them?

The thing that helped me most was getting up and getting dressed every day I could and taking a picture of that outfit and then saving it in that private Pinterest board. That really helped me realize what I like to wear. I even went so far as to make like different boards that were like hits and misses. So I could go back and be like, Hmm, it looks like every time I wore X, Y, Z, it was a miss. But every time I wore this, it was a hit. And then you start to find gaps too. I was listening to your podcast recently with Kelly and I think you guys were talking about t-shirt. And how you wear a t-shirt every day. And so you need six t-shirts. Like I noticed I do that too. And I was like, why didn't I just think to buy enough t-shirts. Like, why am I like, why am I recycling t-shirts? So you realize like, oh, I do feel good when I layer or I wear this.

And your personal style kind of, it, it finds itself really when you start getting dressed, I find.

Totally, and I think, not to steal your thunder on your advice here, but taking a really close look at what you as an individual are wearing. Can really help quiet the noise of external pressure. And again, we're not striving for not caring about other people's opinions. That's not necessarily the goal, but. Really giving yourself permission to lean into the things that do make sense for you. Like, you know, so many of the time, so much of the time you'll see like a capsule wardrobe that includes two t-shirts. You know, and if you see that, it's like, oh, that's all I need. To your point, taking photos of your outfit and really paying attention to what you're actually wearing and what you need. That can help bring that to the surface and quiet those external voices.

No, that's so true. And you can realize like you have enough. I think this scarcity mindset on social media can be really prevalent. And when you remind yourself what you own, you're like, oh, I do have enough in most cases.

Thank you, Stephanie. This was so much fun. Where can listeners find you?

Thank you. I loved this. I loved this chat. My Substack is Estilo de Moda, which is personal style in Portuguese for anyone wondering why I have that. Weird name. I am on Instagram, but I don't post much style content there, but you can follow me at Steph_Johhnson17.

I hope we can keep the conversation going.

Thank you, Maureen.

Closing

Thank you to Stephanie Johnson for coming on the pod with me this week. I had such a good time talking with you.

And thank you to everyone who's listening, liking, subscribing, sharing, commenting. In less than a month of this podcast being live, we've already had over 2,000 downloads. I'm just so grateful for everyone's excitement and support for what we're doing here.

I have a quick mic update. This is the first full episode that was recorded with a microphone! So I'm really excited about improving the audio quality in weeks to come as well.

Next week's episode is a great one with Sogole Kane, another favorite on Substack, her newsletter is called Another Fashion Newsletter. Great name. And don't forget to subscribe so that you don't miss any future episodes because new episodes are dropping every Friday. See you next week!

Intuitive Style is produced, edited and hosted by Maureen Welton.

Our theme music is by Noir Et Blanc Vie.

Thank you for listening.

Let me know what you thought of this episode!

Get full access to Intuitive Style at maureenwelton.substack.com/subscribe