ANH SUNDSTROM: Smart design. It was exciting to see how you took pieces that could appear simple and added functional elements that made them smart: a hidden button where shirts commonly gape on women; snaps that keep stubborn bra straps out of sight; adjustable hems on pants. As a brand, M.M. is like a book club I want to be part of. M.M. stands out from any other brand—your voice is very distinct, and I felt that from the very beginning of the brand.

Classic, polished, and elegant.

I loved it. I liken it to walking through Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, because I’ve been fashion-adjacent, but I’ve never truly worked in fashion. It’s been incredible to get a glimpse of the design process, especially with Miyako at the helm. 

I love the Merritt jardigan, and I wanted that to be the jumping-off point for our collaboration piece. But I also wanted it to stand out on its own as a product. Miyako and I really liked the idea of the sleeveless jardigan—M.M. hasn’t made something like this before. And since I live in the Bay Area, something that could be layered for year-round wear just made sense. As part of that brainstorming process, the design team took an old Merritt jardigan sample and cut the sleeves off so we could decide if it was the direction we should go. It looked great, so we went ahead. 

The part I took really seriously, and where I was most excited to contribute, was trying on each sample. I would envision myself in a fitting room, trying on a piece that I was considering purchasing, and identify all the pain points I would have as a customer. I was able to share with the design team, “Here are the changes I would love to see in this piece,” and then the next sample arrives, and all of those changes have been incorporated into the garment. It’s like magic.

In the first few samples, the armhole was gaping a bit, so we finessed that. We also lowered the neckline slightly and shortened the hemline to make it more approachable for more women of different heights. I appreciate the design process so much more now: There is a lot that goes into the creation of a garment and how it ultimately looks when a customer receives it.

It’s actually stunning on its own—the lines are really clean. I’m excited to take it with me to Vietnam and Singapore, because the knit is light enough that it’s not going to feel too warm. It’s sleeveless, but it gives me the coverage on my hips that I want. 

I get questions all the time from women who work in really hot climates, and this is going to be the perfect piece for them. It has the polish of the Merritt jardigan, but it allows you to be a lot cooler. And then, of course, for fall and winter, layering it over the Axam turtleneck is just so easy.

Get a $40 travel steamer. There are some great travel-friendly pieces out there (for example, the jardigan never really needs to be steamed), but for something like a blouse, a quick steam is the easiest way to make a good impression. It’s a two-minute task, but it takes your outfit up 10 notches.

I spent many years working in medical-device marketing, and I started my blog as a creative outlet while doing that job full-time. I had always loved fashion, but I also loved my career. Blogging about personal style in the workplace was my way of merging the two worlds. It also became a way for me to find my personal style. I thought I had a personal style back then, but the instant feedback that comes with taking photos helped me discover what felt truly “me.” As with many things, finding your personal style takes trial and error. In my case, that discovery process has been documented over hundreds of outfits over the years.

When I started my blog in early 2010, I didn’t see it as a career path—there was no such career path. The concept of brand partnerships and paid opportunities didn’t exist. 

Really, for me, it was about making female friendships. I was traveling a lot for work, which presented me with the opportunity to meet blog friends IRL. There are so few opportunities to meet new friends as an adult, so the blog was hugely rewarding even before my first brand partnership came along in late 2011.

I definitely don’t see myself as a big-time player in the content-creator world. In a lot of ways, I’m under the radar—I think I have a really niche audience. 

My growth has been slow-moving, but steady. I share my outfits every day, and that hasn’t changed since 2010. I know that I could have moved into family content and shared more of my children’s lives and my lifestyle, but I’ve chosen to stay true to where it began. It’s always been about helping other working women find ways to be excited about getting dressed Monday through Friday.   

In an era where we are increasingly pressured to share more, I would say that “staying true to me” means creating and maintaining boundaries—and having the conviction that we are each entitled to those boundaries, whatever they may be. My husband is a very private person, and we want to shield our children from this world that I’ve stepped into. To me, that’s the most important thing. I feel so incredibly grateful that I still have loyal readers and longtime brand partners like M.M.LaFleur despite having those boundaries.

I used to feel like I had to prove myself in my career. Clothing, at that point, was a shield, or armor. And I needed that in a male-dominated industry. My mentality was, “I’m going to look as polished and professional as I can.” 

At this stage in my life, I can step into a room and say, “I belong here.” My clothes help me convey that I have the confidence to be there, rather than helping me get into the room. Now,  what I’m wearing reflects how I feel and where I am in my life.