How The Bold Type Became My Postpartum Style Guide

I agonized over what to wear to work on my first day back from leave. Nothing fit the way I remembered, and I could barely string outfits together (go figure, I could hardly string together sentences, either). The show made me look forward to getting dressed again, to make the transition from yoga pants (or more often spit-up covered pajamas) to real pants (or maybe a dress!). Each of these women, be it Jane in a miniskirt and thigh-high boots, Kat in a cool pair of palazzo pants, or Sutton in her skinnies and a tailored blazer, nails the young, creative professional. And, just as I was reliving my early days in digital publishing watching their story lines play out, I was very much reliving that excitement to dress for the job, too. While Carrie made me pine for a pair of Manolos or tempt me to pair a bra top with my cargo pants, the fashion here is experimental, but grounded, contemporary; and I found it when I needed it most.

These women look polished, like they're really trying; none of this effortless stuff that's pervaded style culture for the better part of the last decade. (I'll show you effortless — it's me dressed in my husband's old college shirt and probably no pants at all on a Friday night.) Getting dressed for work was going to take effort, but I wanted it. I wanted to look like I care, because I do. So, with all due respect to Carrie and her iconic outfits (which still very much occupy a large portion of my fashion archives playing on repeat in my brain), The Bold Type served up something I couldn't always find watching Sex and The City reruns and that's the simple answer to this question: what should I wear tomorrow?