From Hater to Fan Girl: My LuLaRoe Capsule Challenge

You Got A Party On Your Pants, Girl

Back in August a childhood friend and LuLaRoe Fashion Consultant, Cheryl Holloway, messaged me to see if I would be interested in trying a pair of the brand's ubiquitous leggings.

Cheryl: "You'll love them!"

Me: "Oy!" Followed by "Ummmmm" and finally, #icant (hashtag included).

I didn't have anything against LuLaRoe, specifically. Okay maybe I did. Fine! I thought the crazy cat lady leggings were cheesy and was getting annoyed AF at the relentless stream of Facebook notifications inviting me to a pop up party that always seemed to be hosted in a random closet in Norfolk, Va.

LuLaRoe leggings are sweeping the nation

Secretly curious to try the rabidly followed leggings brand you can only buy on Facebook for myself I relented with a warning that I would never leave the house in whimsical printed leg wear.

And Then This Happened

60K Views Can't Be Wrong

So yes. I got the leggings, tried them on and made a popular video about my reaction. Like, VERY popular. Guys. I have been making videos for years and nothing has ever generated this level of engagement and enthusiasm. Best part? All the comments were nice. I liked these LuLaRoe pizza print legging loving ladies and I wanted more of their attention.

Ever the content opportunist, my mind was swirling with ideas. How could I put my signature capsule wardrobe, fashion-classic spin on a brand fundamentally committed to clashing prints and flash sales?

I reached out to several LuLaRoe Fashion Consultants and pitched the idea of collaborating on 10 Key Pieces: LuLaRoe Capsule Challenge. They would each donate a garment and I would create dozens of looks from the limited collection. The kickers:

No crazy prints or wild colors
Garments must coordinate with my Fall 2016 Capsule Wardrobe
Overall aesthetic reflective of my personal (non pizza pant wearing) style
I would add my own accessories

With 7 LuLaRoe Consultants at my disposal, I figured the process would be easy peasy. I'd look at some pictures, select a few styles in my size, the Consultants would send them, Amanda would snap some pics - Voila! Post up by Labor Day. Typical retail brand collaboration.

Turns out LuLaRoe isn't your typical retail brand.

My LuLaRoe capsule had to reflect my personal style

How To Catch A Unicorn

It didn't take me long to crack the code on what fuels the billion dollar LuLaRoe machine: Good old fashion FOMO. Just because you have a taste for pizza pants, it doesn't mean you can just order up a pair. LuLaRoe Consultants don't control their inventory. From sizes to prints, they get what they get and you get a few hours to shop that inventory once a week.

To claim your coveted leggings, you must show up often and early to your LuLaRoe Consultants' Facebook hosted pop up pizza parties. Even then it's practically impossible to locate your favorite flavor from just one Consultant. Best to have several pizza pant purveyors on speed dial so you can scour their menu as soon as it posts and type SOLD! before anyone else grabs your slice of the pie.

You think it's hard to find pizza pants?

Try landing a black and white striped Cassie pencil skirt in size S.

Never happened.

This month's LuLaRoe unicorn: Halloween leggings. I'll bet you can't score the Frankenstein print.

Sizes, Smizes

Another challenge I encountered creating my LuLaRoe capsule was sizing. While the leggings are pretty true to their OS claim, everything else seemed to run very big and very long. Just when I thought I'd nailed my LuLaRoe skirt size (XS, based on a Cassie) I scored a classic black XS Azure skirt and damn well if didn't fit like an XS: Tight. Grrrrr.

Tailoring is out, too. Why? Because LuLaRoe would rather you not, that's why. Instead, they provide countless ideas on how to knot or tie or reconfigure the garments to work for your height or styling preference.

Good thing I'm inventive.

Drumroll, Please

Challenges aside, once my LuLaRoe 10 Key Piece Capsule came together I was very pleased with the results. Some highlights:

LuLaRoe fabric is indeed very, very comfortable
The Classic and Perfect Tee tops are roomy and hit the mid thigh in the right spot
The Julia dress is versatile and easy to layer
The Cassie pencil skirt is a fashion shape shifter - I styled it as a skirt, a top - even an infinity scarf!
All garment styles work together, which is essential for building an effective capsule

I am very pleased to present my hard earned and tirelessly sourced 10 Key Pieces: LuLaRoe Capsule.

10 Key LuLaRoe Pieces

LuLaRoe 10 Key Pieces Capsule | Top, left: (Large Image) Perfect Tee, striped; (Smaller Images) Julia Dress, coral; Azure Skirt, black; Classic Tee, grey; Julia Dress, black print, grey sleeves. Bottom, left: (Smaller Images) Leggings OS, poppy print; Sarah Cardigan, heather grey; Julia Dress, black solid, grey sleeves; Leggings OS, solid grey; (Large Image) Cassie skirt, leopard print

Paired With...

LuLaRoe 10 piece capsule wardrobe accessories

My Own Accessories | From top, left: New Balance 696 sneakers, grey ; LuLulemon Vinyasa scarf, grey and black stripes; Sugar Skull print scarf, red; Louis Vuitton pouch; Loeffler Randall Matilde boots, olive; Joie anorak jacket, army green; Loeffler Randall Large Perforated Pouch, silver; Hermes silk twill scarf, red print; Loeffler Randall Studded Hobo tote, grey; Yves Saint Laurent Muse bag, crackle metallic, embellished with Hermes Twilly, orange; Loeffler Randall cut out platform booties, black; Leopard print booties; Diane Von Furstenburg gold strappy sandal; GAP denim shirt dress; Hermes silk twill scarf, black print

The Results...

Stay tuned Thursday for the first in a series of LuLaRoe outfit variations created with my 10 Key LuLaRoe Pieces.

On Deck! Key Piece #1: The exceptionally versatile LuLaRoe Perfect Tee, Striped.

10 Key Pieces: LuLaRoe Perfect Tee, Striped — 10 Key Pieces: LuLaRoe Perfect Tee, Striped

Do you love LuLaRoe? On a quest for unicorn leggings? Wonder where I scored that awesome cheetah print Cassie? Talk to me! (And dammit if you've read this far, click the little heart below!)

xoxo Jenn