I can’t cease psychoanalyzing the style selections of MotherTookay, splayed out throughout a number of seasons of Hulu’s runaway hit Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Thankfully, I put an finish to my insanity forward of the present’s third season, once I sat with the solid to ask them nearly each vogue query we have ever had at PAPER.
When the member of Utah’s self-proclaimed “MomTok” have been catapulted into the mainstream by a mega-viral story time from core member — and newly christened Bachelorette star — Taylor Frankie Paul, amid numerous different movies and controversies and traits, Hulu nearly instantly flew in a digicam crew and started working. The ensuing present, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, grew to become an in a single day sensation, garnering the ladies model offers, followers, and a worldwide highlight on Mormon tradition shared solely with Bravo’s parallel actuality TV hit, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
But in contrast to the otherworldly Real Housewives, viewers praised MotherTookay for his or her trustworthy portrayals of younger motherhood, unafraid to movie in sweats and a messy bun, or all completed up in glam and a good looking costume. PAPER, in the meantime, grew to become fixated on the assorted fashions showcased by the TikTookay pattern cycle time-capsule. From “pilgrim” stylish attire to co-ord units and “Utah curls,” tv had by no means seen something like these ladies earlier than.
The group’s hair professional, Jessi Draper Ngatikaura, explains that “Utah has a very specific look,” which Mikayla Matthews echoes. “Blogging and social media was huge in Utah too. So I remember being 14, 15, 16 and wanting these boots that these influencers were wearing, or this bag that every influencer had.”
Layla Taylor sees the consolation because the Utah staple. “I feel like Utah is really big into active wear. I feel like a lot of leisure — that’s what I’m wearing right now.” Jen Affleck, contemporary off an look on Dancing With the Stars, says that “You can tell when someone’s from Utah. They’re wearing either Free People, or what’s that brand? Made by Mary?” Jessi interjects, saying that “Bohme is a big Utah boutique as well.”
As for traits they wished they’d have skipped, Mayci laughs once I ask. “My husband hated the white, chunky Fila sneakers. He hated those, unfortunately I had those.” Mikayla tells us that “Looking back at our videos from like 2020, I wanted to actually throw up.”
Jessi explains that for her first season on the present, “I had heavy lash extensions, just stuff that’s not as in now. I changed all of that, and stepped into my own the following seasons.” She has a extra holistic strategy now. “To be honest, our clothes, yeah, we’re elevating a little bit more now, but we only started filming the show a year and a half ago, so I feel like trends haven’t changed that much. But you always watch yourself back, and wish you could do things a little differently.”
There’s extra, of course, a lot extra. From who has a stylist within the group to whose wardrobe they’d prefer to burn — run, Taylor and Whitney! — the group was unafraid to dish on each vogue query we threw at them. Read our complete interview beneath, and watch the brand new season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives when it premieres on November 13, streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
I’m curious: how into vogue and traits have been you earlier than becoming a member of MotherTookay, or doing this present?
Layla: I’ve at all times cherished vogue and expressing myself via clothes. I really feel prefer it’s such a cool factor to do. You can sort of present who you’re as an individual earlier than you are even capable of open your mouth. I’ve a purchasing habit.
Jen: Jessi has impressed me, as a result of now I’ve the identical stylist as her, and my stylist occurs to reside 5 minutes from me, so, all because of Jessi.
Jessi: I really feel like rising up, I used to be at all times the one which was dressing up. I simply at all times needed to do my hair and make-up, however I’m within the hair business, so it sort of goes hand in hand. I’ve at all times cherished that. I really feel like Utah has a really particular look. We have a Utah vogue factor occurring, so I at all times obtained into that. But now that we’re on this world, it’s been opened as much as me, and I’ve labored with stylists and completely different manufacturers, and it’s been actually enjoyable.
Mayci: I believe we’re at all times eager about traits and issues like that. At least for me, I’ve two older sisters, so I really feel like I at all times relied on them rising as much as train me the traits and magnificence and issues like that. But I really feel like I’ve a unique type than them, and it most likely simply comes from all being collectively and the traits and what you’re seeing on-line.
I believe you gravitate rather a lot of the time to what you see in society, and I say that as a result of I’m actually obsessive about maroon proper now. I don’t assume I actually cherished maroon till this yr. I don’t know, I had my eye on this maroon Prada bag, and I’m like, I want that bag, however I might by no means see myself shopping for maroon earlier than. I weirdly adore it now.
Mikayla: I don’t know if I’d have the cash, earlier than, to purchase it. Back then, I wouldn’t even give you the option.
Mayci: That’s true.
Mikayla: I believe we’ve at all times grown up with the traits, as a result of I really feel like running a blog and social media was large in Utah too. So I bear in mind being 14, 15, 16 and wanting these boots that these influencers have been carrying, or this bag that each influencer had. I really feel like that’s at all times been a factor. I believe now we’re immersed in it extra, and have extra sources.
Mayci: I believe its exhausting to seek out time although, with our schedules, to be so on pattern. One factor I do love is European type. Like, once I went to France final summer season. I used to be like, I simply love this type. I at all times hear that they’re the style makers, and the traits begin there, after which they make it to the US.
Do you will have a pattern that you just picked up, both as a result of of TikTookay or MotherTookay, that wanting again now, you’re like: I want I skipped that.
Mikayla: Oh my lord, a ton.
Mayci: I’m certain there’s most likely a ton. My husband hated the white, chunky Fila sneakers. He hated these, sadly I had these. I’m pondering of a pattern… that is earlier than MotherTookay, this was the tip of my school years, like 2016. Those chokers got here again, the black ones? I positively was responsible of the chokers. There’s some pictures the place I look again and I’m like: Why? Why did you do this?
Mikayla: Looking again at our movies from like 2020, I needed to really throw up. Oh, my gosh…
Jessi: I might say for me, wanting again on how I appeared in season one, I had a lot filler. I had heavy lash extensions, simply stuff that’s not as in now. I modified all of that, and stepped into my very own the next seasons. But to be trustworthy, our garments, yeah, we’re elevating a bit of bit extra now, however we solely began filming the present a yr and a half in the past, so I really feel like traits haven’t modified that a lot. But you at all times watch your self again, and want you might do issues a bit of otherwise.
Jen: Honestly, for me, I wouldn’t change something. Even me not washing my hair on a regular basis. I’ve no regrets in the direction of that, as a result of that was the fact of my state of affairs. I used to be postpartum, I wasn’t getting rather a lot of sleep, we have been filming all day, and the fact of being a mother is usually you seem like a bum, typically your hair doesn’t look excellent, and although individuals had points with it, and my essential hashtag was #JenAffleckGreasyHair… I used to be like, relatable.
Being on the present, and eager to really feel put collectively whereas being filmed… do these really feel like added pressures, whenever you’re pregnant on the identical time?
Jen: I might by no means actually put an excessive amount of strain on that. I believe the principle strain at all times is simply the drama that we’re bringing, the story that we’re telling, after which the garments and hair? Obviously, these issues are crucial. They’re enjoyable, nevertheless it’s not my primary precedence, therefore why everybody’s at all times giving me crap for my hair and rather a lot of issues. I positively assume it’s enjoyable, although, and now that I’ve a stylist, the identical stylist as Jessi, it’s positively been a sport changer.
Are there any favourite outfits that you just’ve worn on the present, or put on repeatedly in your on a regular basis life?
Layla: I really feel like one of my favourite seems to be was my reunion look. I like dressing up, and we don’t do this rather a lot on this group. I adore it. I really feel like we’re very… pro-being snug. When we go to different individuals’s homes, we’re not going to be glammed up. I like that, after we are capable of costume up, and placed on a fairly costume and get all cute.
Is there a staple you’ll say is crucial to Utah vogue, or important to your group?
Layla: I really feel like Utah is admittedly massive into energetic put on. I really feel like rather a lot of leisure — that’s what I’m carrying proper now.
Miranda: Neither one of us are actually dressed up.
Jessi: It’s very boho. I really feel like everybody wears Free People, and it’s boho-esque. Maybe it’s the modesty of all of it too, as a result of the Mormon tradition. We have rather a lot of that, however you might positively simply inform when somebody’s carrying stuff from Utah.
Jen: I really feel like, sure, you may inform when somebody’s from Utah. They’re carrying both Free People, or what’s that model? Made by Mary?
Jessi: Bohme is a giant Utah boutique as properly.
Jessi, because you’re within the hair enterprise: Is there a glance with hair that you just assume of because the “Utah haircut.”
Jessi: Oh my god, the Utah curls, the lengthy extensions. The typical curl all of us had in season one and two. I really feel like when the hair was the main target when the present got here out, I reid to evolve a bit of bit, and assist us all elevate our hair. We try new seems to be now — we took Jen darkish, as an alternative of the standard Utah blonde. It’s been enjoyable to mess around with that.
Once you began working extra within the public eye, on this present, did you begin working with a stylist? Did you begin working with manufacturers?
Layla: I principally choose them. I don’t work with a stylist. I personally take pleasure in choosing out outfits and placing items collectively. It’s actually enjoyable. I don’t work with any manufacturers particularly. I simply store in all places, if I discover items I like. I like wanting on The RealReal. There’s additionally a spot in Utah that Natalie, Miranda’s mother-in-law, really launched us to. It’s referred to as Name Droppers, and so they have classic, couture items and stuff like that. I like discovering distinctive issues that simply make you’re feeling assured.
Miranda: There’s a couple of women that I believe have a stylist, however we, for probably the most half, select all the things that we put on. And Mason and Chase’s mother, she’s a stylist, so she’ll ship me and Layla stuff typically, she has nice style. But for probably the most half, we select our stuff.
If there was anybody else’s closet that would steal for a second, who wouldn’t it and why?
Mikayla: I believe I must say Jessi’s, however the sizes…. Her pants wouldn’t match over my one leg. She is the teeniest, tiniest little factor. But her closet might be as massive as my essential dwelling space.
Mayci: I must say Jessi, for a similar motive. I might discover something that was my type in her closet, as a result of it’s so massive, and she or he has so many footwear.
Layla: I used to be going to say Miranda.
Miranda: My primary could be Layla for certain. Probably Demi could be my second.
Layla: I used to be going to say Demi for certain. Or, really, Whitney. Hot take.
Miranda: She switched it up.
Jessi: I might say Miranda, really. I really feel like she has actually distinctive items, and she or he has such a novel type, for her. I might most likely say her.
Jen: I might say Jessi could be my first choose, as a result of I’ve already don’t that.
Jessi: You’ve crashed my closet a couple of occasions.
Is there anybody’s closet you’ll burn?
Jen: It could be Taylor… as a result of it might be…
Jessi: Just Crocs and sweats.
Jen: Sorry, the cros and sweats must go.
Jessi: I might agree with that. Or, season one Whitney, when she dressed like she was on the prairie. Season one Whitney’s type was attention-grabbing…
Jen: Season two Whitney too…
Miranda: Early day Whitney, that will be burn. Now, Whitney? I might positively be rummaging via her stuff.
Layla: Don’t shoot me, Taylor stans…
Miranda: Oh yeah, most likely Taylor…
Layla: I simply would like to see her… she’s our comfortable queen. She loves a very good pair of sweatpants, and extra energy to you! But I really feel like I might like to see her in additional elevates seems to be from day after day.
Miranda: Yes, I might like to see her actually discover her type and are available into her type a bit, whereas additionally sustaining the comfortable Taylor.
You had your first reunion final yr. Did you’re feeling nervous going into that format, vogue clever? Did you’re employed with a stylist? Did you will have something you hoped to realize, along with your look?
Mayci: I used to be pregnant, so I used to be like: I’m not carrying any colour. So once I get pregnant, I simply get swollen and puffy. And so for me, I used to be like: I simply need to put on black. I did even have like, 5 choices and I let the present producers select for the reunion. I really didn’t love my costume, I’ll be trustworthy. It was most likely my least favourite of the 5 nevertheless it was nonetheless ok. But there was nothing particular about it. I look again, and I might have completed higher, nevertheless it was ok.
Mikayla: Being pregnant is difficult, after which being postpartum is even tougher, as a result of its like that awkward in-between. I purchased a bunch of stuff for being pregnant, and so they don’t match me now. So your garments are both too small or you’re, like, Adam Sandler and also you’re drowning in your garments. But I used to be pregnant additionally for the reunion.
Jessi: The reunion was humorous, as a result of we came upon about it on the final minute, so I simply had to make use of a costume that was in my closet. I’m hoping if we get future reunions, we are able to have a bit of extra time to place seems to be collectively, now that we’ve got a stylist too. It’s enjoyable to plan for these issues.
If there was a Utah staple, vogue or pattern clever, that the remainder of the nation ought to undertake — what wouldn’t it be and why? Or, is there a Utah pattern you need to see go away ceaselessly?
Miranda: Go away ceaselessly? I really feel like we’re popping out of the quick, extensive legged pants. They’re imagined to be excessive waters, nearly… I really feel like these are tremendous standard in Utah, and I believe they appear nice on some individuals, nevertheless it’s only a actually exhausting form for everybody’s physique. It’s not likely flattering on everybody. I used to be, sadly, one of the those that I didn’t really feel prefer it was very flattering on.
Layla: Knee size shorts which are tighter… I like a very good pair of shorts, or like, knee size shorts, however the ones which are tight? Also, it’s as a result of ladies that put on clothes in Utah in the summertime, that’s what they must put on, sadly. The bermuda, actually 2000s mother quick? I’m like, no no no.