MIRTH moment with mary glenn mcelveen

ever since we saw mary glenn mcelveen’s gelato-eating, sailboat-lounging positano pics on instagram last summer, we’ve been taking notes on fashion from this southern charmer. mary glenn is all over sunny yellow tones this summer, and we put our heads together to whip up a custom mirth with m.g. style’s stamp of approval.

when mary glenn came on board to collab with us, we were thrilled – we’d been crushing over her effortless, cool girl style. we had the chance to meet her in person while she was spending time in houston and we immediately bonded over our southern roots and mutual love of caftans.

we love mary glenn’s reimagining of our oaxaca caftan – a true maxi length, double wrap top stitched belt, and hand block printed with our modern lapis shell design in the happiest yellow, which took many lab dips to perfect.

read on to get to know more about mary glenn and shop her summer mirth picks.

xo katie & erin

tell us about mg style. what does a typical work day look like for you?

everyday is different which is one of the things i love most about what i do! it's hard to describe an average day, so i will describe an average week. i know most people do not like mondays, but i love them. i block off my calendar every monday and work on client invoices, lookbooks, shopping links, and plan my week ahead. i schedule closet edits on tuesdays, wednesdays, and thursdays. i typically do at least on edit each day, but will sometimes double up if it's a busy time of year. between appointments, i'm responding to emails, sending clients shopping links, and walking my dog. each night is dedicated to my other job... instagram! it helps having a husband who works from home, but also has long work hours. so after we eat dinner together, both of us go back to work - my form being sharing my most recent finds and creating visual collages. fridays are spent working from home where i am mainly playing catch up from the week and taking virtual closet edit appointments. it's nice starting and ending the week at home.

what is your number one piece of advice for someone feeling stuck or overwhelmed when getting dressed?

stay true to who you are! with social media and fast fashion, it's so easy to get lost in the sea of trends and trying to dress how others are dressing. my goal is to help my clients avoid the noise and simplify their style and what they should be purchasing based on this. when i work with clients, i always like to start with what is in their closet by pulling out the pieces the client loves and seeing if there is a common theme. i ask a LOT of questions in between. i think this helps give them a clear direction of what their style truly is, which helps it be less overwhelming.

how would you describe your personal style in 3 words?

elevated, timeless, and chic. my style has certainly evolved over the years, but i would say the one thing that has remained constant is doing my best to add an elevated touch to each outfit i put together. and after spending so much time in people's closets, i have seen firsthand how many clothes people own that are rarely ever worn. don't get me wrong, i love a fun trend, but i try to stick to classic and versatile pieces that can be styled in multiple different ways and speak to women of all ages.

what are the top 3 things you reach for again and again in your closet?

1. a good pair of jeans // i always tell my clients to invest in this category. nothing is better than finding the perfect pair of jeans that you can wear all of the time.

2. a comfortable everyday shoe // this could be a fun sneaker for some women or a pretty loafer for others. the goal is to find a shoe you can wear multiple days a week that works with most outfits in your closet.

3. an accessory // for some outfits, this might be a black belt. for others, it could be a gold layering necklace or a neck scarf. adding an accessory is one of the easiest ways to elevate a very simple and basic outfit.

we absolutely love the print and color you selected for our oaxaca dress collaboration! tell us what drew you to the dress style, print, and color?

i love it too! i wanted to pick a pattern that had a "wow" moment. this pattern is bold, but still timeless in its own way. the bright yellow color is what pulled it all together for me. i am pretty neutral in my overall everyday style, but for this dress, i wanted a color that really stood out. it's happy, looks good on everyone, and gives you that summer feeling.

how would you style the dress?

1. beach ready // this dress makes the perfect beach to lunch outfit. wear it over your favorite swimsuit with some fun pearl necklaces and a neutral sandal and you're good to go all day.

2. everyday casual // i like that removing the waist tie gives it a more casual feel. i would wear this dress with your favorite white sneaker and some easy gold stackable necklaces for an effortless but fun look.

3. out to dinner // adding the waist tie easily elevates this dress - especially when you add heels as well. i would wear something like this out to dinner with a white espadrille and statement earring.