#63: Stop Playing Dress Up, Dress Like a Badass.

#63: Stop Playing Dress Up, Dress Like a Badass.

What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? For this chat on Mocktails Or Messy, style, sobriety and self-respect all collide in a way that feels raw, funny and strangely reassuring. Host Ryan Frankowski sits down with “the badass stylist of Pittsburgh”, colour and style expert Julie Shields, to talk about how what you wear can change how you feel – and how you show up in life.

Julie isn’t here for playing it safe or hiding behind black; as she puts it, “I don’t teach people how to dress up. I teach people how to dress authentically.” You’ll hear her describe growing up in Scotland, early experiences with alcohol (including a legendary vodka-and-orange disaster at 16 she can still smell decades later), and how European drinking culture felt very different to the American “forbidden fruit” approach.

That messy story fits the show’s theme perfectly: you get the laughter, but also the quiet reminder of how easily things can go too far. Julie explains her work with colour analysis and style in down‑to‑earth language: why some shades drain you, why others make people stop you in Target to say “this as a whole”, and how clothing can support the person you’re trying to become, whether that includes alcohol or not.

She links style to self-worth, boundaries and business, especially for people in sales who are their own brand. There’s also plenty of chat about being an LGBTQ+ ally, raising teenagers, living mortgage‑free so there’s more money for joy, and caring less about other people’s opinions. Her bottom line?

“If you don’t see yourself in the mirror, then who do you see and why are we playing dress up?” If you’re rethinking booze and want your outside to finally match the stronger person you’re building on the inside, this conversation might nudge you to dress like the badass you already are.