MEETUP SESSION RECAP: STYLING WITH CHERYL & CLAIRE

What a fun time we had at the 2025 Addiction Meetup. We are so grateful for all of you who embraced the new opportunities we created for this year – and were gracious with us as we figured out a few kinks for our first time. It was a very cool experience for Cheryl and Claire to get to address a couple styling questions and concerns in a fun, intimate setting with some of our favorite people!

A big part of the lesson – and arguably the main takeaway – on styling yourself was to own it. Truly commit to it. As Claire so memorably put it, “Tell yourself, ‘I look good! I’m a bad ass!’ And then walk out the door in it. What’s the worst that’s gonna happen?” She went on to elaborate that she even challenges herself to decide, “What character am I going to be today?” Because in the end, fashion is fun, that’s why we’re all here.

The gals also emphasized the importance of knowing your proportions and respecting them. Believe it or not, Cheryl didn’t even know her own measurements, which flabbergasted Claire. “How do you possibly shop online if you don’t know your own measurements?! I will not buy a piece if the measurements aren’t listed. Most female garment sizes mean nothing!” So, as part of the session, all the attendees were given a quick reference card to keep in their wallet and measured by Esther Bowen in our pattern department, and also sent home with a little DDR-branded measuring tape because, ya know, things change.

(To that same end, always pay attention to style/fit notes! If it’s slim fit and you want it a little more relaxed, size up. If it is stated to be boxy or oversized, and you’re wanting it to be a little more fitted, size down. And so on.)

The gals also addressed things like not feeling the need to chase every trend, but not shying away from trying new ones. Barrel jeans came up a lot, and the gist? Do NOT knock them until you physically try a pair on! You’ll truly surprise yourself; they work on so many more heights and shapes than you might imagine. But do let them be the volume in your look – pair them with tucked in, tied up, or cropped tops/jackets to give it a balance.

And finally, what you’re probably all reading this recap for, the links to the unbelievable fashion hacks they introduced: the Stitchy and the Tucky!

Stitchy Stitch Gun – a perfect little travel-sized gun that creates a temporary stitch (think, clothing tags) that can hold things like a bra strap to your garment, your sleeves folded up, or even a rudimentary hem job to get you through the day! Pro Tip: You can also turn your regular bras into racerbacks with a single click!

The Tucky Tucking Belt – the solution for when you want a cropped/tailored top look, but not the bulkiness of tucking it into say, your Bandit Pants or a pencil skirt, or the hassle of tucking it up into your bra. This little adjustable beauty just goes around your waist and allows you to tuck your top right into it! Best part? Not having to retuck every time you go to the restroom!

We hope y’all had a great time and learned a little something, and if you didn’t end up with a Stitchy or a Tucky in the giveaway, go on ahead and get yourself one!

Play nice. Be free. Dress with confidence.