When I reached out to Lauren Petrowski to ask if she would be willing to grab coffee and let me interview her for my little “unknown” blog about ATX style, I didn’t know what to expect. We had only met a few months prior at SXSW, but it was there I’d realized 3 things right away - Lauren was honest, hilarious, and had amazing style. Well turns out, Lauren is also awesome and wrote me back agreeing to meet at one of her favorite coffee spots to chat all things fashion (potential bias towards animal prints, and who can blame her), ATX influence, being a mom, and the freedom that has brought her an infectious spirit that simply radiates.

It’s been a really big year for you…
A lot of changes, definitely!

Describe in one word what that change has been for you.
Freedom.

I wrote a post the other day about freedom where I said it doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing as comfort. A lot of good can come with freedom, but it can also come at a cost. For me it means getting out of my comfort zone because for so long I was very comfortable in what I was doing.

Tell me more about that.
I was a morning anchor on Good Day Austin on Fox 7. I worked there for almost 12 years as a morning anchor as well as one of the hosts of Good Day Austin for more than 5 years. Basically a 5 1/2 hour morning show…

So what time was that alarm clock going off?
I woke up every morning at 2:30 AM. Well, first my alarm went off at 2:15, and then I got out of bed at 2:30, was at work by 3:30/3:45, and on-air by 4:30.

Were there the positives being up that early?
Yeah, I mean you get your day done and have your afternoons to enjoy other things. And I am a morning person, well I don’t think anyone is a “2:30 AM morning person” but once I got up and got going & was at work with my co-workers, in the zone, had my coffee, I was good to go.

Being a news anchor I assume there was some type of dress-code - what was that like?
I really think my “on-air style” is very different from my “off-air style.” Really bold colors, solids, look great on camera. So I had a lot of jewel tone, solid dresses and literally a whole color-coordinated closet full of them. So everyone morning I would go through the rainbow of solid color sheath dresses, which I do think look really great on camera by the way.

But away from tv news I love to have more fun with my style. I love prints, and I love mixing prints & patterns, wearing more playful things, and accessorizing more.

You’ve since transitioned from tv news. How has that change been for you and what you’re doing now?
It was a super difficult decision to make. Probably the most difficult decision I’ve ever made in my life because I’ve always wanted to be in the news. Since I was 14, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and ended up interning at FOX 7 my senior year of college. From there, I got a job right out of college, working as a news reporter in Corpus Christi and being on a morning show in Austin was my ultimate dream.

So I really loved my job, and that’s why it was a really difficult decision for me. But sleep was the biggest factor, and after I had my son in 2015 things definitely got more difficult because my life wasn’t my own anymore. Before him I would take a nap when I wanted, go to sleep whenever I wanted but when he came along I was a mom in the afternoon. I would pick him up pretty much right after I got off work and I was just really really tired…I wasn’t the mom I wanted to be and I wasn’t the wife I wanted to be. So that was really the driving factor, along with having to work holidays. You know the news never stops and I was so ready to not work around Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years, and just enjoy that time with my family.

What else has this new sense of freedom brought to your life?
I’m excited to say that I’m a freelance media expert.

Oh I love that!
It’s a working title.

Now I really love it!
I also have a lifestyle blog. I’m a huge foodie, I love to travel, love to entertain and I love to share things that as a mom have helped me in hopes to help other moms. I’ve been doing some corporate on-camera video work, some MC’ing of events & moderating panels, doing corporate media training…

Out of all of it, what’s been the biggest gift so far?
Being able to do whatever I want to do. It’s really nice having the freedom to invest my time in what I’m most passionate about, what kind of work I want to do, what I want to promote & post and who I decide to work with. I have total freedom and it’s honesty something I’ve never had in my working adult life.
Also, not being confined to a strict schedule has allowed me to go out and do more things, go to more events, restaurant openings, and really have more time to explore those things when before I was limited to just the weekends.

How has this impacted your style & being able to put on what is unique to you?
That definitely goes along with the freedom, because now I’m able to dress however I want. And of course I want to look professional if I have a meeting, but I’m able to have a little bit more fun with it, adding in fun patterns & accessories that I wouldn’t have been able to do working in tv news. I’m also able to define my own style, where I’m not thinking as much about “how is this going to look on camera or what are my managers going to think about this outfit, and the viewers, what are they going to think?” It’s really about what I want to wear and what makes me happy today.

Let’s talk about Austin. How has this city impacted & inspired your love for fashion?
I do love how casual Austin is because I’m a casual person. I mean, I’m a jeans & T-shirt girl! I love to get dressed up every once in awhile but I appreciate the fact that you can wear just about anything in any place in this city. So I’m never concerned if I’m going to be dressed up enough, or nice enough for this place. I never have to worry about being intimidated. And I love that people have their own style in Austin. You’re going to see a little bit of everything wherever you go & people making their style their own.

Austin is a place that loves music, embraces culture, and makes you feel comfortable being whoever you are. So whether it’s mixing a band T with a cute skirt, or adding fancy heels to dress it up, I love mixing something casual and adding a fancy accessory. I do think it’s Austin that’s inspired my fashion the most.

How does being a mother influence what you decide to put on every day?
When I’m with my son, I definitely want to dress for function! But still look cute. My son has also inspired me because my husband’s a surfer, dresses like a surfer, and so we’ve kind of dressed our son that way. So I get Vans that match my son’s, throw on a pair of overalls and make it functional because my son is super active, and I want to be comfortable & be able to chase after him.

What is the one article of clothing that defines you & why?
Jeans. I ultimately love to dress for comfort so I always have a pair of jeans wherever I travel. It’s so important to me to have a pair of jeans that make you feel good, makes you feel comfortable, and are your every day go-to pair.

Last question - what are your favorite Austin shops & boutiques that you’d recommend for those not familiar with the city?
Oh there’s so many! A few of my favorites are BeeHive, Moss Austin, and Estilo.