A New Reality... (Time to Clean?)

Over the last couple of weeks I have had so many interesting conversations with friends about what we are currently experiencing. Perspectives on this situation vary enormously. So much depends on a variety of factors.

What is your current working situation? Is your job at risk? Do you have children? What ages are they? Do you have school aged children who are e-learning? Do your kids need supervision during the day? What level of supervision? Do you live in an area where you can easily get groceries and other basics? Are your supermarkets missing the items you need/want? Do you find yourself cooking a crazy amount of meals? Are you trying to care for a child (multiple children), hold down a job, clean a house, make meals and do laundry all at the same time? Do you have an aging parent? Do you have a family member with a pre-existing condition?

There are vast ranges in the amount of stress we are experiencing. We are worried about the health of our loved ones (not to mention ourselves), the state of the world, the state of our job, all the way down to what’s for dinner! Just thinking of all of this is exhausting!

Then you start thinking about your physical health. So many of us are maximizing at home workouts combined with getting outdoors when we can. I am committed to finding time in my day to get in a workout. In some cases, I feel like a workout is not enough and I need more. Yoga is the morning to calm my nerves, a run in the evening to get out all my anxiety. All that anxiety then weighs on my mental health.

I know you are all feeling varying degrees of this. I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone. We’re all just trying to take one day at a time and remember to breathe. For some of us there is more down time that others. I don’t find much during my week but I have been able to clean out a few piles and organize a couple rooms. I call this progress!

One thing I have been trying to do is find activities that distract me. I’ve taken to watching old episodes of “I Love Lucy”. I’m trying to read more. I color with my kids. Anything that I think might relax or distract me… I’m in!

I’ve been asked if I would consider hosting a virtual closet clean out. This sounds amazing. If you find you have an hour or two or would like to dedicate an hour or two to cleaning out your closet and would like to have some help, reach out to me. It’s spring after all! Spring cleaning should be in our bones this time of year. Let’s clean out your closet together and feel a little lighter when it’s done! If you prefer to take on this task yourself, here are a few suggestions.

• Take everything out of your closet. You need to start fresh.

• If you are on the fence about an item, try it on. You need to see how it fits on your body. Especially for an item that you have owned for awhile but haven’t worn lately. Your body changes so items will fit differently over time.

• Use a full length mirror. If you don’t own one, seriously consider the purchase. It’s so worth it! You need to see how you look from head to toe in any outfit.

• Don’t keep an item because you think it will look good when you lose weight. It has to look good now or it’s time to let it go.

• Be strategic about how you put items back in your closet. Think about how you get dressed in the morning and organize your closet to make getting dressed as simple as possible.

This is very trying time but I find comfort in the idea that we are not alone. We are in this together. Exercise helps. Talking to friends and family helps. Keeping active helps. Find what helps you the most and hold on to that. This is an amazing opportunity to be strong together.

Set Your Style Goals for 2020

What do you want your style to say about you this year? How do you want your style to make you feel? What changes do you want to make to your wardrobe to better flatter your body and your personality? Have you ever thought about your wardrobe in this way?

I would say that most of us don’t think about our wardrobe in a strategic way. But we should. How do you decide on what to buy and how to fill your closet? We should be choosing items that fit not only our bodies but also our lifestyles. We should be choosing items that compliment what we love about your current wardrobe. We should be donating items that sit in our closets unworn month after month.

When you start to think about your wardrobe in this way it can be both overwhelming and empowering. In order to feel more empowered than overwhelmed, try to think of it in steps. First steps are to clean out your closet and donate items you no longer use. Only keep what you love and what fits. Now look at what is left and make a list of what you need to fill out that wardrobe. Start with the very basics. What do you need for your everyday life? This answer will be different for everyone. Think about where you go, the places that you frequent, and what you need to wear to those places.

Perhaps you got hung up on the part where I mentioned “fit”. Perhaps you sped right by it but shouldn’t have. Let’s stop here for a moment. How do you define the right fit for your body? We need to be brutal when trying things on. Take a good look in the mirror. Are the seams hitting all the right places? Is the hem where it should be? What about the length? The right fit for your body should flatter your shape. And because everyone is shaped differently the clothes you try on will not fit you the same way they do the model… any model.

This is where it makes sense to focus your efforts first. You might be thinking… what comes next? Once you’ve got a handle on the basics, you can start thinking about colors, textures, patterns. What silhouettes and necklines flatter you most? What clothing gives you confidence and why? When you start to break down your wardrobe this way, it can actually make shopping and deciding what you wear in the morning, much easier.

So here is to a bright and bold new year! Make all your style goals now and let’s get started.

It’s hard to find styles that are universally flattering. In lieu of such, see some examples of simple silhouettes from J. Crew below to give you an idea of where to start.

Long sleeve everyday cashmere crewneck

Long Sleeve Ruffle Front Top

Long Sheath Dress

Ruffle Trim V-neck popover

High rise Cameron pant

Long Sleeve Dress in 365 Crepe

The Importance of Personal Style & a Powerful Message

One of the first questions that I always ask my clients is “how would you describe your personal style?” There is no wrong answer to this question. The answer is and should be entirely dependent on your personal preference. You’ve spent years if not decades building your wardrobe (whether you realize it or not) and in the process deciding what you like and don’t. You find styles that you’re attracted to or items that you fall in love with. Perhaps over time you find that you gravitate towards a more classic/preppy wardrobe. Perhaps you prefer to keep up with a trendy wardrobe. Maybe you like skirts and dresses over pants. Maybe you demand comfort and live in whatever wardrobe provides that. The options are endless, but what matters is that you recognize and identify a style as your own.

My personal style is classic with splashes of trendy and preppy thrown in for fun. I like timeless pieces that will last several seasons. I like a neutral base with pops of color. I feel confident in black and/or white and always heels. It took me a while to figure this all out but now it’s how I define my wardrobe.

As a part of the process in defining your personal style, you may also be deciding what looks best on you and how you want to present yourself. This is where it’s worth putting some thought and consideration to your wardrobe. Be deliberate in your decisions regarding what to wear, what to buy and what to purge. What you ultimately keep in your wardrobe will be a reflection of those decisions.

Staying true to that personal style and living in it, allow you to be comfortable in any situation. Whatever the occasion, you can dress appropriately without having to abandon your style. One example of this that I love is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, recently sworn in as the youngest woman to ever serve in Congress. This strong woman showed up to her swearing in ceremony in red lipstick and hoop earrings. Why is this significant? Ocasio-Cortez tweeted about her lipstick & earrings. Here is what she said:

This young Congresswoman was making a point. She stood not only for her district but for all young women struggling to figure out how to fit in. She showed us all that we can be true to our personal style, be true to ourselves and who we are in any situation. We can pave our own way… make our own path.

I’m impressed by the strength and confidence in this young Congresswoman. But we all have the ability to do the same. Perhaps not on such a large scale, but each of us encounters situations where we might hesitate to be ourselves. Summon that confidence to be exactly who you are by thinking of your own version of lipstick and hoops, whatever that might be.