"What does style mean to you?"
I expected Maren Swenson to talk about silhouettes, color palettes or timeless wardrobe staples.
Instead, she paused.
"Style is freedom," she said. "It's self-expression. It's self-honor. It's self-love."
That answer became the foundation of our entire conversation.
As the founder of Wild Serenity, Maren helps women build wardrobes they love, but clothing is simply the vehicle. What she's really helping women discover is confidence, authenticity and self-trust.
For many women, especially those navigating career changes, divorce, motherhood, empty nesting or simply entering a new chapter of life, style becomes more than getting dressed. It becomes a way of reconnecting with themselves after years of meeting everyone else's expectations.
Style isn't something you're born with—or is it?
Maren believes it's both.
"We all instinctively know what we're drawn to," she explains. "The challenge is that over time we begin dressing for approval instead of intuition."
Learning what flatters your body can absolutely be taught, she says. But discovering what feels authentic requires something much deeper than following trends.
Why do so many successful women have closets full of clothes but still feel like they have nothing to wear?
According to Maren, it's rarely because they need more clothing.
"It's because they're exhausted."
Many women spend years caring for families, building careers and putting themselves last. Their closets become collections of clothes purchased for who they thought they needed to be—not who they actually are.
That's why one of Maren's first recommendations isn't shopping.
It's a closet clean-out.
Not simply to donate unworn pieces, but to ask better questions.
Why did I buy this?
How do I feel when I wear it?
What was I hoping this outfit would say about me?
Those answers often reveal patterns women have never noticed before.
How do you discover your authentic style instead of following trends?
Maren encourages every client to begin with one simple question before getting dressed:
"How do I want to feel today?"
Whether you're heading into a board meeting, a date night or a hike in the mountains, your clothing should support the energy you want to bring into that experience—not someone else's expectations.
"If I were the most confident version of myself today," she says, "what would I actually want to wear?"
Notice the question has nothing to do with anyone else's opinion.
What changes when women begin dressing for themselves?
Everything.
Maren has watched clients walk into business meetings with more confidence, develop stronger relationships, and finally feel comfortable being fully seen.
"The clothes aren't creating confidence," she says. "They're simply reflecting the confidence that was already there."
Perhaps that's why her goal isn't creating fashionable women.
It's helping women become grateful for themselves.
"I want every client to stop waiting for someday," she says. "To stop waiting for the perfect body, the perfect season or the perfect life before allowing themselves to feel beautiful. I want them to look in the mirror and appreciate the woman they already are."
Because real style isn't about becoming someone else.
It's having the courage to wear who you already are.
"If I were the most confident version of myself today, what would I actually want to wear?
Quick hits for the bottom:
- Favorite denim: Flying Monkey, Kancan & Hidden
- One item every woman should own: Beautiful lingerie.
- Start here: Clean out your closet before buying anything new.
- Most common mistake: Dressing for approval instead of authenticity.
- Question to ask yourself: "How do I want to feel today?"
- "I help women remember who they are—and dress like her."
Maren Swenson, a Utah-based personal stylist, feminine expression guide, and the founder of Wild Serenity helps women reconnect with their identity, reclaim their confidence, and express their most authentic selves through the art of personal style.
Maren is taking twelve women to Las Vegas for the Unapologetic Tour, three days built around one idea: you don't need permission to have this. A penthouse welcome centered on the theme: The Power of Resilient Women.
September 27-30, 2026.