Starting the Season Strong … And in Style

After the oppressing heat of the summer, the constant running, travel, and family gatherings, the back-to-school rush can be just as hectic. But that moment when you’re finally able to pause and get back to your own routine allows you to breathe a sigh of relief. 

There is something about that first cool morning where the humidity drops and the pressure subsides that carries a refreshing energy. A chance for a restart and a reshuffling of priorities. While the summer was all about family, friends, and community, fall can feel a bit more grounded. The return to school and work, however reluctantly, gives you the opportunity to take stock and reassess. 

We spend so much of the year focusing on other people’s needs – making sure our boss has the correct projections, that our kids are prepped for their activities, and reminding mom that she needs to go to the grocery store this week. 

What about you? Does even reading that phrase make you feel guiltily self-indulgent and simultaneously fired up? 

As women we feel a deep responsibility to others, especially the people we care about the most. But you are just as important as all the people you regularly put before yourself. 

While reassessing your personal goals and ambitions can be anxiety-inducing, especially if you aren’t where you wanted to be this time of year, the energy of fall brings this magical lift to our spirits that enables us to look again with fresh eyes. Not because we need to start over, but simply because we need to look again. 

What were your goals for this year? Are you progressing towards them? Did you even set any for yourself? If not, maybe it’s time that you did. Maybe it’s time that you channel some of that incredible energy you pour into everyone else into yourself. It’s never too late to start again or for the first time. 

Just like your daughter’s first-day-of-school outfit, the one that gives her a boost of confidence and a little spring in her step as she embarks on a new year, your clothing can do the same for you. 

Clothing isn’t just something we put on our body because we’ve assimilated to social norms of not running around in our birthday suits. It’s a tool for expression. It inspires power and confidence, especially when we feel like we’re expressing our authentic selves. And while a fabulous pair of shoes isn’t going to make your opinionated client less of a pain, feeling strong and self-assured will help you walk into that challenge with a renewed sense of resolve.

But if your closet has been leaving you feeling stuck and uninspired, fall is an excellent time of year to review it and try again. Here are my three recommendations for harnessing your closet’s potential: 

Revisit old favorites

Pay attention to how pieces make you feel. Do you remember pulling out a blazer for an interview and feeling powerful or confident? Do you have a dress that made you feel feminine that you used to look forward to wearing on date night? Have you worn either since then? 

Those pieces quickly get buried when we go on autopilot wearing the same black pants to work everyday. We don’t need our clothing to be one more thing on our to-do list. But what if your “regulars” were those items that made you feel amazing instead of just being easy? Reset your autopilot for better results. 

Challenge yourself to rethink what you have

Our default is often to look outside of ourselves and our closets for inspiration. But it’s not that you don’t have anything to wear. (You know you do.) It’s that you’ve been wearing everything in the same five combinations. If you do the same things, you’ll get the same results – a lackluster attitude about your clothing. 

Instead of grabbing the same blouse/pant combo, take one of your “go-tos” and swap out one item. Try those pants with a sweater. Try that blouse with a skirt. Swap out your pumps for a pair of sneakers on casual Friday. Mix it up and see what happens! 

Try something new 

When you do finally need to look outside your own closet for some fresh ideas, think beyond the retailers that have autosaved your credit card. If you know what styles and silhouettes you like and work for your body, the accessibility of the internet makes it so easy to find alternatives that have a similar aesthetic. Exploring new options can be fun! And it only takes a few pieces to breathe new life into your existing wardrobe. 

Does any of this sound overwhelming, intimidating, or just like too much work? 

Join me for my Fall 2023 Live Your Life in Style program, where I’ll teach you how to reimagine, rethink, and reinvent your existing wardrobe while helping you understand your unique style and how to use it to inspire creativity and expression in your own life. 

Find out more at www.emilykonig.com/live-your-life-in-style.