Live with Purpose: MM LaFleur

30 Aug Live with Purpose: MM LaFleur

I enjoy keeping up with the latest trends but I’d rather spend that time making memories with the people I love! So my curiosity has been on the lookout for a time saving solution for fabulous fashions and style. I am lost for hours on Pinterest but that only gives me ideas, not solutions.

“Would you ever buy clothes online?” one of my good friends asked. “Not a chance,” I answered. I like to try clothes on, see the fit…from every angle. I like to feel the quality of the fabric and see if the seams are aligned, examine the stretch in all the right places, obsess about the silent message the look conveys. Then and only then will I decide about buying an article of clothing.

What sparked my curiosity?

When the MM LaFeur ad for the Bento Box came through my Facebook feed, I was enticed to test my certainty: this certainty that I would never buy clothes on line. I was certain of it. And lately I am testing things that I am “certain” of and learning that being certain is really just limiting me from being curious.

So I clicked the link at www.mmlafleur.com. I resonated with the quest of the founder:

“She made it her mission to put the fun (and the ease) back into the ritual of dressing for work—and to rethink the shopping process altogether.” (Read the Our Story section on the website).  The website is empowering, featuring women from different industries, their hashtag #betterthingstodo and also the tag: “If you have good taste and want to cultivate great work style, but have better things to do…” So I decided to give this a try. I filled out the survey and thought, how could a style survey translate into any glimpse of understanding a person’s fashion style, especially mine? I was about to find out..

I chose the arrival date for my Bento Box. It sat on my dining room table for two days after it arrived. My doubt that anything in that box would actually work had me frozen and hesitant to even open it. Then the very caring and cordial e-mail came, reminding me that I had to try on the items and decide what to keep and what to return. Everything I do is more fun with my daughter, so it was time for the fashion show. We actually have a few fashion shows a year with her and her friends. Now it was my turn.

The fun part: trying it on!

Right out of the box, I was surprised by the quality of the fabric and styling. But the easy stretch was what struck me the most. That’s what they mean by clothes you can live in. The burnt orange dress is one they call the “Etsuko“. Normally the high neckline would not be something I would like; however, this one had just enough form fitting that it just seemed tailored to my body. Plus, it looked flattering from every angle. How often does that happen? With my critical eye, not very often.

Not only are these clothes great to live in, but they really are great to work in…Hosting live TV is both exciting and challenging. My stylist is always watching to be sure my style is both current and appropriate. Can’t wait to get her feedback on these styles!

While Victoria was photo-bombing me here, I was thinking that this will be how she shops for clothes in the future. Will she remember trying on clothes in a dressing room in a mall or will this new way of shopping become the norm for her?

I loved the blue dress (the Aditi) for travel. So easy, wrinkle free. I would have spent hours looking for a dress with a fit like this. I want one in every color!

My fiancé loves the fashions, too. The Bento Box is a perfect example of why I started blogging. I want to find simple solutions and shortcuts so I can spend more time doing the things I love with the people I love.

So this one I loved the fit but it wasn’t quite my color so I simply put it back in the USP return packet and dropped it off. Seriously, it was that easy. There is no charge for delivery, nor returns. I simply kept what I like, sent back what I didn’t like and they charged my credit card only after the 4 day try-on period. Indeed, my certainty that I would never shop online for clothes has been shaken to the core. I really have found a viable solution for buidling a great wardrobe in very little time, so I can share my life’s purpose: finding solutions so you can spend time with the people you love doing the things you love!

Can’t wait to see what else the future holds. If I can buy clothes online, anything really is possible.

So when I find something I like, I buy it in every color. Please share your experience of shopping for clothes online with me! My mind has been changed and I’m going all-in.