💌 Style Mail: How to really shift your style this year
Don't just make resolutions -> create actual strategies
I hate resolutions. And I know - ‘hate’ is a strong word. But it’s appropriate in this case. Because I’ve always felt like resolutions (specifically the New Years’ kind) can come across as negative. Like something you’ve done wrong in the past or something you must change. And then the resolutions will be judged at the end of the year to see if you were successful (or not).
So, instead of resolutions, I prefer to create intentions. To me, intentions feel more positive & more open-ended. And they come more from a place of growth - and less from a place of judgement.
But, whether you’re setting intentions or resolutions - nothing’s going to happen unless you put some actual strategies behind them.
You know what I mean, right? You may intend to eat more salads - but unless you buy the ingredients & prepare & pack your lunches, it’s not going to happen. And the same goes for your style. So, here we go…
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✍️ Style Scoop
Are you ready to actually shift your style this year? Here are four intentions (that I hear about often from clients) & the strategies you can use to actually accomplish them.
INTENTION: Feel better in your clothes on a regular basis
STYLE STRATEGY: Focus on what you wear everyday
I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard, “I just want to feel better in my clothes.” It’s actually music to my ears (because I love helping people feel better in clothes!). And I want you to feel better the majority of the time - not just when you’re dressed up. So, instead of putting so much energy into what you’ll wear to your cousin’s wedding - think about what you wear for your everyday, going to work, taking the kids to sports practice, meeting friends for lunch life. And put some real time & effort behind it.
Look at the pieces you wear most & what’s on the heaviest rotation in your closet - because this indicates what makes sense for your daily life. And then look for gaps - what’s missing that’s keeping you from feeling better in clothes. You might need to shop for actual pieces (like cute sneakers that aren’t workout sneakers). Or you might benefit from elevating your daily style (by trading out leggings for comfortable casual pants).
Then you can prioritize your shopping trips accordingly, look for opportunities to crank it up a notch & invest more in what you wear more.
INTENTION: Wear more of what you own
STYLE STRATEGY: Deliberately rotate through what’s in your closet
Are you stuck in wearing the same few things over & over? If so, you’re not alone. The good thing is that it’s not that hard to break the habit. Here are a few strategies to make sure you wear more than just 2 pairs of jeans & a few sweaters for the next couple of months.
When you wear an item & put it back in your closet, turn the hanger backwards. And then don’t grab that item again until you wear the items on the unturned hangers. A similar strategy is to place an empty hanger at the back of your closet - and once you wear something, put it behind the hanger. And only wear things that are in front of the hanger for the next month.
And here’s a super simple one for your folded clothes - put the clean laundry at the bottom of the pile. So the unworn styles literally rise to the top.
And one final strategy - set aside an hour or two on your calendar every month to deal with dry cleaning, alterations, etc. So that you stop saying, “I can’t wear those pants - they need to be dry cleaned/shortened first.”
INTENTION: Think of new ways to wear what you already have
STYLE STRATEGY: Set aside time to play & experiment
You might feel like you rotate through your clothes pretty well. But you keep wearing the same outfits - you always wear your floral-print blouse with black pants, ballet flats & a cardigan. And while you like your floral blouse/black pants/cardigan outfit, you know there must be another way to wear at least one (if not all) of these pieces.
But here’s the deal - you’re never going to come up with new ideas if you only contemplate your outfits for 5 minutes every morning. If you feel like you just need a little more time - pick out your outfits the night before. If that doesn’t feel like enough - schedule some playtime on the weekend to try on different ideas, dress up your casual pieces & casual-ize (yes, I made that up) your dressier pieces. And just experiment with different outfit combinations.
And if you’re thinking, “I wouldn’t even know where to start” - give yourself time to find inspiration. Start following people on social media, take a deep dive into Pinterest or anywhere you can find visual examples of outfits & ideas you’d like to try. And before you get stuck on just finding complete outfits to copy, check out this Instagram post on the best way to find inspiration.
INTENTION: Wear more _____ (color, print, dresses, non-jeans pants)
STYLE STRATEGY: Pick a day to do it
First, you need to define what you want to wear more of. Do you want to wear more color? or more prints? or more dresses? or just get out of your blue jeans rut?
Second, you need to see if you already have these things in your closet. And while that might sound silly - here’s a quick story. I have a client whom I’ve worked with for years. And she told me that she loved an article I wrote about color combinations (I think it was this one) & that we needed to go shopping for more color. But I told her that she already had enough color - which she did. So, I created a bunch of outfits combining her existing pieces in different ways.
If you don’t have these things in your closet, then they’re a priority on your shopping list. And if you do (or once you get them), you’re going to use my ‘dress Thursdays’ strategy.
This strategy evolved from multiple clients who told me they wanted to wear more dresses. So, I told them to just pick a day of the week & commit to wearing a dress that day (aka ‘dress Thursdays’).
For you, it might be ‘blazer Tuesdays’. Or ‘no blue jeans Wednesdays’. Or ‘colorful Fridays’. But whichever it is, do it for a month - and then give yourself feedback to see how it’s going.
So, which of these intentions & strategies will you focus on this year? Leave a comment to let me know (or ask any questions, too!).
💡 Client Spotlight
One of the first things this client said to me was, “I think I might be a clothing hoarder.” She’s an author, coach & speaker - and she reached out to me because wanted to get control of her closet (and her shopping). And help define her style.
But the thing was - she already had a great style, she just needed me to point it out to her. Her vibe combines a classic, feminine ease with some sporty & casual elements. She loves color, she loves a blend of structure & flow - and she also loves an unexpected element. Like tailored pants with cool sneakers. Or a pop color blazer with a fun graphic t.
But she had gotten stuck in accumulating clothes. A lifetime of being plus size had left her with some challenging shopping habits - buying mostly sale items, getting things just because they fit, buying multiples, etc. Which resulted in an overwhelming wardrobe.
So, first we focused on a thorough Closet Audit - and as soon as she let go of some clothes, she noticed a significant difference in how she got dressed (because she could actually see what she owned!). And then we skipped shopping & went directly to styling - because I wanted to show her the value & versatility of what she already had in her closet (without adding anything more).
And I’m happy to report that she’s enjoying her wardrobe more, shopping strategically & more confidently expressing her style.
☝️ One More Thing
The fires in Los Angeles have devastated communities & left so many without their homes, possessions & clothes. So, I wanted to share a resource that’s pairing people in need directly with clothing donors.
Read this Instagram post from Seconds Market for information on their LA donation match program. Fill out this form to become a donor. And check out their feed for continuing updates. A couple of things to note:
They’ve received thousands of donor applicants - so please be patient with their response. The need for clothes will continue for several weeks (probably months) - so they plan to get to everyone.
Only donate quality clothes in good condition.
I’m also sharing other resources on Instagram - you can check out my LA resources highlight for what I’ve compiled.
P.S. Since I originally wrote this, I’ve heard that LA (in a good way) has been inundated with donations. But I still think it could be worth getting on their list - since they’re directly connecting donors with recipients. And this could address longer term needs that may arise once people have consistent housing, etc.
Let’s Work Together!
