My friend Sharon Beesley broke my heart years ago when she moved from New York City to Guilford, Connecticut. But! She and her family thrived — she built a therapy practice and her kids moved from middle school to high school and, now, to college. Sharon and her husband Rob (who mom-and-dad-ed me through my divorce) are brand new empty nesters. Here, Sharon shares five outfits she wore in a week, including thrifted dresses, gardening overalls, and her favorite swimsuit…
Dress: thrifted. Hair clips: French combs. Shoes: Comfortiva.
“I thrift almost all my clothes, including this dress. My go-to store for anything special is Vintanthro in New Haven. They remember who I am, they know my kids. They’ll be like, tell us about your upcoming event! It’s an old-school shopping experience, where they pull stuff and accessorize, and they’re just so excited for me.”
“Then there’s Goodwill. You might come away with nothing, and you have to do it regularly. I go at least once a week with my kids. These days I’m into vintage sweatshirts and short-sleeve button downs, so I’ll just go to those sections because otherwise it can get overwhelming. It also depends on where you live — I’m lucky because I live in Connecticut and the Goodwills are super good here.”
Tank: similar. Skirt: similar.
“These days, for my hair, I’m doing the whole shower-then-keep-it-wet-and-don’t-touch-it-and-put-in-Perfect-Hair-Day-by-Living-Proof-5-in-1-Styling-Treatment thing. It feels like a movement right now.”
“Being a therapist is SUCH a good job. There’s something about listening to someone’s story for a full hour; I don’t think we get to do that a lot in life. I try to understand exactly what each person is saying. If they say the word ‘weird’ or ‘you know what I mean,’ I’ll push to make sure I’m understanding them correctly and not making assumptions. I have to be careful with my kids because I don’t want them to feel like they’re always in a therapy session. Sometimes I’ll ask, do you want me to offer therapy advice or do you want me to be a mom right now? If they want me to be a mom, I’ll just say ‘that’s hard’ and validate them.”
Tee: thrifted. Overalls: thrifted, “handed down from my son, it’s the best having sons who are into thrifting,” similar. Sneakers: Converse.
“I have a bee tattoo. First, because my last name is ‘Beesley,” and also because I went through a transition period, where I went from being Mormon to being not-Mormon and from being a stay-at-home mom to attending grad school for therapy. I had a lot of feelings about how Mormon woman can’t hold higher leadership roles, whereas bee hives are matriarchal. A few days before I started at Columbia, I had a few hours before I needed to pick up my kids from school. There are a million walk-in tattoo places in New York, so I picked one and got it. It was a thrill. The only problem with the tattoo is that it’s on every pillow from T.J. Maxx to Michaels.”
“As a kid, I was obsessed with gymnastics, and then I didn’t have an obsession for a long time, and now gardening has filled that space. My favorite things are watching gardening shows, reading gardening books, thinking about my garden, planting my garden, and watching my garden grow. My flowers cover the front yard, and I want to give my neighbors an experience — almost like an art installation, mimicking a field of wildflowers in the suburbs! It makes me happy to see people walk or drive more slowly as they pass by. I expect some flowers to get smashed or picked by toddlers — and I want them to. I should put out a sign that says, ‘Please touch.’”
Tank: Old Navy. Leggings: Old Navy. Sneakers: Nike. Dog: “Pluto, the love of my life.”
“I have a gap between my front teeth. Over the years, I’ve spent thousands of dollars trying to fix it — Invisalign, braces, porcelain veneers, temporary retainers, a permanent retainer — and finally, I was like, I’m not fighting this anymore. It only took me 40 years to embrace it, but now I love my gap.”
“Vintage workout clothes are hard to find, so I buy them new. Old Navy has done such a good job — the styling is so nice, the fits are great, and the colors are great.”
“I do Orangetheory. I switch off taking a 50-minute weight lifting class and a 60-minute body class. I’ve taken 1,000 classes, and my husband asked me the other day, ‘So, does it get easier? Is it fun?’ And I was like, no! Every time, I can’t wait for it to be over. But I feel so good afterward. When I’m grouchy, my kids will say, ‘Mom, when’s the last time you went to the gym?’”
Swimsuit: Anemos. Skirt: thrifted, similar.
“My budget for clothes is usually $5 to $10, but I splurged on this swimsuit. I love the back, and I couldn’t find another version anywhere. I wear it to swim, and then I’ll wear it as a top with a skirt, jeans, anything.”
“My three kids just left for college, and I don’t know how I’ll feel as an empty nester. I got married at 21 and had my first kid at 23, so I’ve never really been an adult without kids at home. I’m excited to see what that’s like. I feel like my kids and I are experiencing parallel lives, we’re all going forward and experiencing new things.”
Thank you so much, Sharon! You’re the very best.
P.S. More people share their weeks of outfits, including a cardiologist who loves color, a marketer who misses her dad, and a mom with a hijab and house slippers.
(Photos by Lyndsay Hannah for Cup of Jo.)
