I’m Erin Flynn, Cladwell Founder
Welcome! I’m the founder of the personal styling app called Cladwell.
Here is where I frequently write, curate, and share honest stories about what it’s like to build a business, live with intention and style.
Transparency lives here. So glad you made it.
Show Up.
Fifteen years ago, I dressed mostly to impress others. It was the era of sweatpants and Uggs, tunics and wedges, and I was not one to miss a trend. I was playing quite a variety of characters in my own life, and it showed in my fashion choices. Although I'd like to forget, Facebook memories LOVE to remind me.
After I cringe a little, I celebrate that I’ve evolved since then. Weathering multiple seasons of life—college, young professionalism, motherhood—revealed new versions of myself. I’m not the same as I was 15 years ago, so why would I expect my style to be? I want my internal evolution to be authentically expressed on the outside. Back then, I was dressing for others. Today, I’m dressing for no one but myself, and it feels good.
When I sense the subtle shift of change in my life, I remind myself it’s good to evolve—inside and out. I recall that staying safe equals getting stuck, and move forward. I remember that I always have a choice in who I am and how I dress. I decide, once again, to show up and be seen for who I truly am TODAY.
Through Cladwell, I want to share with you the same freedoms. Don’t wear the heavy burden of proving yourself, meeting others’ expectations, or playing characters. Travel light in forward motion. Show up and be seen as you truly are.
on my mind this week…
A much-needed reminder from Gregory Mckeown. This quote is from the book "Essentialism” which had a profound impact on how I live my life and think about my career. Life can feel as if it’s coming at me sometimes like the waves keep hitting while I’m trying to stay afloat.
I can’t control what happens to me and a lot of what happens, does so for no apparent reason — it would be silly to pretend otherwise.
I use this saying as a constant reminder that whether or not I have a choice in what happens, I always have a choice in how I react.
New
!!!
New !!!
You can now grab any URL from the web and add an item to the Cladwell Personal Styling App.
If you’re like me and prefer to have the “exact item” in the app or bought something new. It’s easy to grab the URL, remove the background, and ta-da!
ADD ITEMS BY URL
“It’s going beyond tokenistic gestures and asking the question, “What more are we doing with communities to ensure sustainable livelihoods?”
The Guardian hosts a fascinating interview with indigenous designers in Australia.
The moral of the story is this: "To make our wardrobes sustainable, we must cut how many new clothes we buy by 75%."
We confuse "sustainability" with " buying sustainably" but as fast as fashion retailers are producing clothes and changing styles (Shein released 314,877 styles since the beginning of the year) so much has to do with how much we buy, not what we buy.
How I picked my photoshoot outfits.
The last time I did a photoshoot was circa 2018. Needless to say, a lot has changed since then, like having a child and going through a pandemic. So it was time for some new photos. But it can be hard to narrow down just a few outfits to represent who you are.
So here was my process:
Found inspiration from some of my favorite creative women (Jenna Lyons, Joyce Lee). I noticed they predominantly styled timeless basics in each photo shoot.
I opened up the Cladwell App and looked through the basics that I loved and reflected on the part of my identity I was going for “creative entrepreneur.” It also needed to match my color palette (soft autumn).
Then, I planned each outfit in the app, tried them on, and narrowed it down to my favorite 3. These photos needed to last the test of time.