Like it or not, summer is coming to an end. And with it, a change of wardrobe.
September has always felt like the real start of the year to me.
Something about it resets everything. Probably left over from school days and the beginning of a new class.
It is like, after all the holidays and sun, there is this fresh energy and appetite for what comes next. And one of the best ways I know to bring that energy to life is to show up accordingly.
And what I mean by that is simple: to embody the person and the mindset you want to have, you need to start showing up as her. And for me, the first step is always dressing like you already got there.
This autumn, I am working on building a new business and bringing a completely new concept to life, which requires completely new levels of confidence, audacity, elegance, and vision from myself.
Some of those I have more than others.
And I know that to get where I am going I need to grow enormously as a person. I can do it. But it starts with showing up as her first.
So I guess this is a some form of manifesting.
You picture how she dresses, how she walks, how she carries herself. And then in real life you go and play that part. Day after day, one step closer to the person who made it possible.
So what does she wear, the woman who smoothly built a brand and a business in a country that is not hers, in a language that is not her mother tongue?
Wearing the confidence
When I think about confidence I think about a person who is considerate and respectful but does not apologise for her opinions or her presence.
She does not over-explain. She knows her value, her style, and what makes her unique, and she is comfortable enough with herself that she does not need to make a number of it either.
She is the person who walks into a room, says nothing, and somehow everyone notices.
She has this energy that is so magnetic precisely because she knows she can do it without asking permission. Not arrogant. Just clear on where she comes from and where she is going.
If I think of a brand that embodies this, I think of Khaite first.
Their pieces are classic, elegant, and timeless which makes them reliable and easy to understand. But they also have character.
There is this quality and energy to them that makes the person wearing them speak louder without ever raising her voice or making a show. It is as if wearing Khaite you are quietly indicating: I got this. I am not afraid to go after what I want, and I do not need permission. I do not need to be in the spotlight to be seen.
It’s the ultimate if you know you know kind of confidence. And that is magnetic.
So on my shopping wish list this autumn: a few pairs of Khaite jeans, the boots I have been wanting for far too long, and one of their clutches to finally add a pop of color to my far too comfortably all-black wardrobe.
Wearing the audacity
Confidence is what gets you started. But to keep moving forward when you cannot see the whole path, you need a fair amount of audacity.
Sprinkled with some so called delulu thinking.
Because going after things that are not exactly normal and easy - like, moving to a new country, building a career in a completely different industry from the one you trained for, in general doing things that genuinely scare you - requires a belief in yourself that the evidence does not always support yet.
My way of training that muscle is to adopt first of all the mindset that you can and should be unapologetically yourself.
Not loud, not performative, but distinct. Someone who shows their true colors without waiting for permission.
And to dress that part, the best practice is in the details.
Think about: not so safe accessories, pieces that give you looks (good or bad). The kind of thing that makes someone think who does she think she is.
Because when you do something that not everyone before you has done, you need to be comfortable with the doubt, the strange looks, and the what on earth are you doing kind of comments.
After all, when you can stay completely unbothered by what others think and just show up as yourself anyway, you cannot go wrong.
You should never lose your voice or your vision just because the mainstream is pushing you somewhere else. You know what is right for you. And for your wardrobe.
This autumn for me it is oversized sunglasses, unexpected details and colors in bags and clothes. Nothing too crazy but enough to divide opinions.
And that is exactly the point - to spark some discussion.
Wearing the elegance and vision
Finally, you need to dress the credibility.
Perhaps I have been biased by all those years in legal and banking environments, but if you look too much like an outlier when you need to convince and fit in, it is not working in your favor.
So, say you have an office job but you also have a character.
What that means is that you need to find a middle ground. Something that speaks the language of those around you so that you radiate the needed credibility, but equally carries some statement of who you are and how you see the world.
Clearly, this can mean many things. For me, it comes down to tailoring and the unexpected use of material.
You have something in your style that signals you understand all the layers. Something that tells people you have opinions and standards.
In my wishlist for this fall, this means classy knitwear from brands like Rohé, but with that unexpected detail or cut that makes it interesting.
And when they say “I love your cardigan, where did you get that”, you can be sure that you have a point of view that speaks, and people want to listen.
What it is really about
Ultimately, it is never about clothes for the sake of having them or following trends.
It is about the statement, first and foremost, for yourself. Because how you dress, like it or not, is a story you keep telling yourself about yourself every single day.
And I am not saying you need to go crazy shopping every three months. Not at all. But you should feel empowered in your choices. Even if that means wearing the same outfit on repeat.
This is how you manifest her. One outfit at a time.
Now, I would love to hear your go-to brands for feeling like the version of yourself who already made it.
- Maria