I am dropping in on this lovely drizzly (for us!) Halloween afternoon to close out October with a little post on daily wardrobe. I know—not the usual thing people are talking about on Halloween. Costumes usually get all the love.
My journey to the next chapter of my life is inching closer: How do I want to appear for my next work identity and non-work life? And why does any of it matter?
Some of it always mattered. Work spaces do impose dress codes. My sense of self also matters and what type of fabrics I’m willing to maintain matter a whole lot. (Have you seen the cost of dry cleaning?)
My husband and I started watching “Emily and Paris” in the past few weeks and it’s been a show I’ve unexpectedly adored. I was familiar with the concept and more familiar with Lily Collins and Ashley Park, stars from the show, for their appearance on David Chang’s Dinnertime Live. These women wear gorgeous outfits and others not-quite-my-taste along with sensual pieces that serve as a reminder our bodies are art that is meant to be draped and revealed within our preferences (again, generally, because work and public spaces have rules).
Leaving my current workspace next week affords me a new level of freedom. While figuring out how I want to appear isn’t likely to drift too far from business casual, I wanted some fresh ideas to approach new employers. I picked up a copy of Emily Walsh’s The Art of Intentional Dressing. Her advice to clear out and deep clean my closet was one of the best places to start, compared with starting with new purchases. My closet isn’t particularly large, so my approach was done in sections rather taking out everything all at once. What was I happiest to do? I donated the two branded t-shirts my current employer provided to me, and due to the styling, I trashed the business unit specific collared shirt they gave me my first week.
Since I’ve been doing a better job of purging items as they are no longer in good shape, there were very few things that I needed to part with for this reason. I discovered one hoodie that fit this criteria, but mostly, I was able to donate several items to Vietnam Veterans of America.
The new organization is a good first attempt at Erin Walsh’s CREATE method. CREATE is clarity, ritual, editing, alignment, truth, and expansion.
Clarity—I want to be someone who feels there isn’t a conflict between their work life and home life. I like cultivating a sense of belonging and my clothing, I hope, makes me look as approachable as I want to feel. I like having a warm personality, talking to others about favorite books and recipes and letting others open up about themselves.
Ritual—I am still developing rituals in my life. I will typically plan the night before what I will wear the following day, unless I work from home and have no planned video meetings. I like opting to wear a cozy pair of jeans and t-shirt for casual days. I tend to buy small scent samples, just like I prefer to buy small makeup products. Right now I have a few Fulton & Roark scents and chose to wear Ghost Trees for Halloween; my outfit to match is a black low cut pleated Lulu’s top with balloon sleeves, medium wash skinny wash jeans, black suede Inkkas booties, and strawberry bonbons earrings.
Editing—This might sound funny, but while red is my favorite color, I am finding I feel more at home in the color black than I did years ago. Originally, I felt uncomfortable wearing black as a petite woman (I’m 5’2” as I thought it only served to make me look more diminutive.) Turns out, I had to find the right fabrics, textures, and silhouettes. Black velvet—love it. Black L.A. Coalition vegan leather jacket, gets compliments with everything. Black jumpsuit, hugs everywhere it should and is as effortless as a dress when it comes to getting ready for the day.
Alignment—This area is a big learning area for me. Red is the color for the first ego center (grounding your presence), so I guess I have a leg up here since it’s been a favorite color for years. Red as expressed in the book is meant to symbolize grounding, security, and survival. Looking at centers, I tend to skip the second color (orange) but follow the premise (Does this create both beautiful expression and healthy boundaries for me?). All other colors and the values they represent seem to be natural for me until I get to sixth center/third eye chakra (intuitive intelligence) and seventh center/crown chakra (unity and transcendent style). I think a large part of my life growing up where the weather barely changes and fashion hasn’t played a role in my work has made me less observant to the impression my wardrobe has on others or how I feel in my clothing. I realize more now how the focus can be more than practicality while honoring the fact I don’t live a life just for the gaze of others.
Truth—Some of my truths: I continue to love sequins, velvet, and denim. I am inspired to save up and get some of my family members’ jewelry resized smaller to fit me; right now those pieces are stuck in my jewelry box but I open it almost daily and it reminds me to think of them often.
Expansion—I’ve tried a few pieces from Rent the Runway and it was fun. Will I do a subscription? Who knows? I did give up my Nuuly subscription as I kept encountering damaged items ending up in my monthly items and while refunded the costs, it ruined the fun of “new things” because I couldn’t trust the process. I’m shorter than most of my friends, so Erin’s idea of trading with friends doesn’t work for me. I will work though on remixing existing items before considering buying new or renting from other subscription places.
Wishing you all a wonderful Halloween.
~Cheryl
