By Marie Bradby

For 12 years, while growing up, Lauren Colberg attended parochial school and wore uniforms. It wasn’t until she began attending Western Kentucky University that she had to start thinking about what to wear.

“Choosing what to wear (to work) used to be a struggle for me because I didn’t have to choose my own outfits for so long,” says Lauren, 35, a graduate of Assumption High School.

A brand and advertising specialist for LG&E and KU, Lauren works on a variety of projects. “As a company, we sponsor a lot of events around the community,” she says, “so I help with sponsorship activation.” That includes programs that are offered to customers. “I create awareness of those to help drive enrollment to the programs.”

Lauren works mostly in-house at LG&E. For her work wardrobe, she focuses on comfort and expediency.

Figuring out what she will wear in advance, gives Lauren time to pull together the perfect outfit.
Photos by Sunni Wigginton 

To get ready for work, she lays out her work wardrobe the night before. She and her husband have a 2-year-old daughter, so she says, “It’s better to assemble everything the night before. “I lay everything out, even the jewelry and shoes. If I don’t, I will forget something when getting my daughter ready in the morning. I designate time the night before in order to think it through.

“A couple of weeks ago, I didn’t lay out everything the night before. When I got to work, I didn’t have earrings on. I felt naked. I always wear earrings. If I wear a statement necklace, I wear smaller earrings. If I wear large earrings, I do a minimal necklace or no necklace at all.

“My style is ‘Mom meets work and is trying to figure it all out and put it all together,’” Lauren says. I think there is a group of women out there — busy moms — who are just trying to make it through the day and still look put together, while getting in an occasional shopping trip.”

Lauren says 3 Willows Boutique is her favorite place to shop. 

She doesn’t have a favorite shop or clothing brand. She focuses on the piece. “I have to do binge shopping, because who knows when I’m going to get to go again?” she asks.

“My work wardrobe is really all about comfort and feeling good in the clothes I wear. It’s about specific pieces and finding what looks good on me. Today I’m in a comfortable long-sleeved dress and tights.”

For style inspiration, Lauren looks online, but so far, she hasn’t had good luck with purchasing clothes there. “I’m a person that loves to try things on.” Final piece of wisdom: Every work wardrobe should have… “a comfortable pair of black heels,” she says.