At first glance, JuJu Taylor seems impossible to miss. She gravitates toward vibrant colors, layers her wrists with bold stacks of jewelry, and somehow makes statement pieces feel effortlessly wearable. Her style is joyful, intentional, and unmistakably her own.
But there was a time when none of that existed.
Like so many women, JuJu remembers the years after becoming a mother as a season when she quietly disappeared. Black yoga pants became the uniform. Makeup slowly vanished from the morning routine. The messy bun wasn't a style choice, it was simply survival. Without realizing it, she had stopped showing up for herself because everyone else came first.
"You don't wake up one day and decide to stop caring," she says. "It's a season you ease into, and then one day you look up and it's been three years."
It was an honest conversation with a friend that finally stopped her in her tracks. "Your brand is Julianne Taylor Style," her friend told her. "You're designing all these fabulous products, and your personal style doesn't match your brand."
Then came the phrase JuJu says she'll never forget.
"You look like you’re wearing I give up clothes."
"It hit like a gut punch," she admits. "Mostly because she was right. But that’s not the energy I want to walk into a day with, and I was wearing it anyway."
She didn't reinvent herself overnight. She simply began making small choices that reminded her she still mattered. Real pants instead of leggings. A swipe of lipstick before leaving the house. A colorful headband. A favorite bracelet. "It wasn't about being seen," she says. "It was about signaling to myself that I was worth the effort." Those small decisions became something much bigger than a new wardrobe. They became a way back to herself.
Today, JuJu describes her style in three words: bright, deliberate, and joyful. She doesn't dress for trends or for social media. She dresses for the woman she wants to be that day. "My mood comes first. The mirror comes second," she says. "If I've got a high-stakes meeting, I want to feel strong. If it's lunch with a friend, I want the outfit to match the energy."
Living in Charleston doesn't hurt, either. "This city is pastel and wrought iron and flowers falling over walls," she says with a smile. "It's hard to live here and dress in beige." That same philosophy now shapes every part of her life. Whether she's curating jewelry for JuJu Loves, speaking to groups of women, or encouraging someone online who's struggling to rediscover herself, her message remains remarkably consistent: you don't need permission to take up space.
"Do it scared," she says. "I've never done a single thing worth doing that didn't make me a little nauseous first. Brave shows up about ten minutes after you start." JuJu knows firsthand that success isn't measured only by numbers. After building a seven-figure home décor business, she made the difficult decision to walk away when the business no longer reflected the life she wanted to live.
"You can absolutely succeed your way into a life you don't want," she says. Today she's building again, but this time with a different definition of success, one rooted in joy, purpose, and helping other women remember their own worth.
Ask JuJu what she's most proud of, however, and she doesn't mention the companies she's built or the audiences she's inspired. She talks about her children. "My kids watched me disappear," she says. "And they've watched me build a life I actually want." That's the legacy she hopes they'll carry forward, not that their mother wore bright colors or built successful businesses, but that they watched her choose herself again. "I want them to grow up believing you're allowed to want things," she says. "You don't wait for permission. You don't shrink to make other people comfortable." She adds, “it also helps that I’m married to someone who’s perfectly content watching me shine.”
Perhaps that's why JuJu’s story resonates with so many women. It isn't really about fashion at all. It's about the season so many mothers know intimately, the one where they slowly fade into the background, and the courage it takes to step back into the light.
Sometimes that journey begins with a bold pink jacket.
Sometimes it's a bright statement earring.
Sometimes it's simply choosing to believe you're worth the effort.
That instinct also led JuJu to launch JuJu Loves in 2024, a curated shop of bold, statement making jewelry and accessories. "Every piece is meant to give you a little jolt of confidence, whether it's the star of the outfit or the thing you never take off," she says. For anyone who could use a little inspiration, she offers "Surprise Me JuJu," a gift box where her team shops for you based on a quick style questionnaire.
Looking for more of JuJu’s signature encouragement, colorful style, or thoughtfully curated collections? Visit juliannetaylorstyle.com or treat yourself to some sparkle at jujuloves.com.
Follow along on Instagram or TikTok at @juliannetaylorstyle and @shopjujuloves for daily inspiration.
"This city is pastel and wrought iron and flowers falling over walls, it's hard to live here and dress in beige."
"It's about the season so many mothers know intimately, the one where they slowly fade into the background, and the courage it takes to step back into the light."