Are you in a style rut? Here's how to get out of it.

Summary

Sustain This! Podcast Episode Summary

Title: Are You in a Style Rut? Here's How to Get Out of It
Hosts: Alyssa Beltempo, Christina Mychas, & Signe Hansen
Release Date: November 20, 2024

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of Sustain This!, hosts Alyssa Beltempo, Christina Mychas, and Signe Hansen delve into a common yet often overlooked challenge faced by many: falling into a style rut. Drawing inspiration from their community's "Ask Us Anything" segment, the trio explores the reasons behind style ruts and offers actionable strategies to rejuvenate personal style without overwhelming changes.

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Understanding Style Ruts

Causes of Style Ruts

The conversation opens with Signe discussing her personal experience:

“I can only wear around 10% of my wardrobe... everything’s getting stuffed in there and there's no color coordination.” ([05:34])

Signe attributes her style rut primarily to significant life changes, such as pregnancy, which naturally alters her wardrobe needs. Christina echoes similar sentiments, highlighting that a lack of preparation and morning chaos can lead to repetitive outfit choices:

“I just kind of rely on Old Faithful, the same pieces.” ([05:38])

Alyssa adds another layer by discussing the paradox of choice, where having too many clothes can lead to decision paralysis:

“The paradox of choice analysis paralysis. Like, this is a thing.” ([07:27])

Impact of Life Changes

Life events, including moving, starting a new job, or pregnancy, can disrupt established dressing routines, making it challenging to maintain a consistent style. Signe emphasizes that these changes often force individuals to reassess their wardrobe, inadvertently contributing to a style rut.

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Strategies to Overcome Style Ruts

1. Wardrobe Audit and Organization

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the importance of conducting a wardrobe audit. Christina shares her approach:

“I took everything out and I refolded it, and it just created this nice sense of uniformity.” ([05:34])

By decluttering and reorganizing, one can gain a fresh perspective on their clothing, making it easier to experiment with different combinations. Alyssa concurs, suggesting an inventory check to understand what pieces are underutilized:

“Why do I have, like, X amount of this? And not being judgmental or harsh, but it's like, do I need these?” ([08:20])

2. Capsule Wardrobe Implementation

Signe advocates for the capsule wardrobe system, which limits the wardrobe to essential, versatile pieces. This approach reduces decision fatigue and encourages creativity within a confined selection:

“I couldn’t imagine myself going back, so... it allows reassessment.” ([09:50])

3. Styling with Existing Pieces

Instead of shopping for new items, Alyssa and Christina emphasize the importance of maximizing current wardrobe staples. Alyssa recommends setting daily outfit challenges, like dressing up for a simple grocery run:

“I dress always really nice to go to the grocery.” ([14:00])

Christina adds that incorporating accessories or minor tweaks can significantly alter an outfit’s appearance without extensive changes:

“Playing with accessories is a nice way to even get out of the style rut.” ([21:54])

4. Building Daily Habits

Establishing a consistent morning routine can streamline outfit selection. Christina shares her strategy of preparing outfits the night before to alleviate morning stress:

“Weekend can be very chaotic, but organizing helps.” ([07:22])

Alyssa highlights the importance of integrating small habits, such as taking outfit selfies or setting aside time for outfit planning:

“If you have those habits already built into your style, then it’s easier.” ([20:03])

5. Mental Health Considerations

The hosts acknowledge that style ruts can sometimes stem from deeper emotional or mental challenges. Alyssa suggests using clothing as a tool to uplift one's mood:

“Use your clothes as a way to pull you out of whatever kind of mental state you’re in.” ([20:55])

Christina supports this by encouraging self-compassion and using clothing for self-expression rather than judgment:

“Push back against the judgment on what's good enough.” ([11:51])

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Practical Tips to Refresh Your Style

1. Conduct a Wardrobe Edit: Regularly assess and organize your clothes to identify underused items.
2. Create a Capsule Wardrobe: Simplify your wardrobe to essential pieces that can be mixed and matched.
3. Incorporate Accessories: Use accessories like jewelry, belts, and scarves to transform basic outfits.
4. Plan Outfits Ahead: Dedicate time each week to plan and prepare outfits, reducing morning decision fatigue.
5. Set Small Challenges: Challenge yourself to wear something new or unused from your closet each week.
6. Leverage Daily Habits: Integrate outfit planning into your daily routine, such as during your morning coffee or commute.
7. Use Visual Inspiration: Refer to outfit selfies or Pinterest boards to spark creativity without shopping.
8. Embrace Flexibility: Allow yourself to prioritize comfort when needed, balancing it with intentional styling.

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Overcoming Psychological Barriers

The discussion underscores the importance of addressing the psychological aspects of a style rut. Christina points out that often, the urge to shop stems from a desire to feel better rather than genuine style improvement. By fostering self-trust and utilizing existing wardrobe items creatively, individuals can break free from the cycle of constant shopping:

“Styling is always the hard part, you know?” ([17:49])

Furthermore, Signe emphasizes the value of self-appreciation and recognizing the versatility within one’s existing wardrobe:

“There’s something there that’s already working for you.” ([16:06])

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with the hosts reinforcing that escaping a style rut doesn't require drastic changes. Instead, minor adjustments in mindset and daily habits can lead to significant improvements in how one perceives and utilizes their wardrobe. They encourage listeners to share their experiences and strategies, fostering a supportive community environment.

Christina concludes with a call to action:

“Let us know in the comments if you've been in a style rut...” ([28:48])

The episode serves as a comprehensive guide for anyone feeling stuck in their fashion choices, offering practical solutions grounded in sustainability and mindful consumption.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Signe Hansen ([05:34]): “I can only wear around 10% of my wardrobe... everything’s getting stuffed in there and there's no color coordination.”
• Christina Mychas ([05:38]): “I just kind of rely on Old Faithful, the same pieces.”
• Alyssa Beltempo ([07:27]): “The paradox of choice analysis paralysis. Like, this is a thing.”
• Christina Mychas ([08:20]): “Why do I have, like, X amount of this? And not being judgmental or harsh, but it's like, do I need these?”
• Signe Hansen ([09:50]): “I couldn’t imagine myself going back, so... it allows reassessment.”
• Alyssa Beltempo ([14:00]): “I dress always really nice to go to the grocery.”
• Christina Mychas ([21:54]): “Playing with accessories is a nice way to even get out of the style rut.”
• Alyssa Beltempo ([20:03]): “If you have those habits already built into your style, then it’s easier.”
• Christina Mychas ([11:51]): “Push back against the judgment on what's good enough.”
• Christina Mychas ([28:48]): “Let us know in the comments if you've been in a style rut...”

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This episode of Sustain This! offers a thoughtful exploration of style ruts, blending personal anecdotes with practical advice to help listeners embrace a more intentional and joyful approach to their wardrobe.

Transcript

[Alyssa]

Welcome to Sustain this, a podcast where we discuss mindful consumption, personal style, and the quest for living a more intentional life. I'm Alyssa, a sustainable stylist.

[Christina]

And I'm Christina, a shopaholic turned minimalist. Ish.

[Sina]

And I'm Sina, a color consultant and slow fashion style coach.

[Alyssa]

Together we will unpack the nuances of what it really means to be a conscious consumer and find more joy in what we have right now. So grab your tea, your coffee, or whatever floats your boat and join us in the conversation. Let's go.

[Sina]

Yay.

[Alyssa]

Yay. Okay. Welcome, everybody. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for joining. Today we're going to chat about something that we all struggle with, what to do when you're in a style rut. And this topic was actually inspired by one of the questions we got in our Ask Us Anything series of questions which we answer in our community. So we have a online YouTube community. It's a lot of fun. Every month you can ask us questions about anything style related, not style related, if you want. And at the end of the month, we answer them. So we had a really good discussion about this and we wanted to bring it up on the podcast. But yeah, if you like, if you like digging a little deeper, then definitely give the membership a join because it's a lot of fun. What do you both do? Maybe we should talk about, like, what are the things that get us into style ruts in the first place?

[Sina]

Great idea.

[Christina]

Well, Sina, you were saying that you've kind of been struggling with one lately.

[Sina]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I, I'm currently in my, my third trimester of pregnancy. Very, very round belly at this moment. And I can only wear. I think I said in the, in the memberships episode as well. I think I wear probably around 10% of my wardrobe, maybe even less actually. One pair of leggings that I wear, one pair of kind of tailored trousers, slash sweat pants, hybrid kind of pants that I wear, and then all of the oversized jumpers. Just anything that basically fits over my bump at this point. And yeah, I feel like kind of in a rut because when I look back, I feel like I was at such a good place with my style last year. I feel like I really nailed down my style last year. I was at such, such a great place. And when I look back at pictures from last year, I'm like, it just feels me. It fills me with a little bit of sadness not being able to wear these outfits. And I'm. I can feel myself like Longing to wear more stylish outfits. But at the same time, I also know that, you know, it's just. I've. I've tried it before. I know it's just right now, and it's going to blow over and try not to be at least not hard on myself. But it's. Yeah, I'm definitely kind of in a style right now because I'm facing like a whole new chapter of life. Both being pregnant and my body doesn't look the same. But also the first few months after the baby comes, I know that I won't have energy to really dress up, probably. So that's definitely one major thing that can cause a style rut. I think anything life related like that will always kind of throw you off a little bit, whether that's pregnancy or a move or getting a new job or whatever it might be. I think there are many, many different reasons as to why we get into a style rut.

[Christina]

For me, for my. Whenever I find I'm getting into a style rut, it's because I am not preparing well. Okay. It's for. It's for a couple of reasons. One is like, again, the feeling of unprepared so kind of rushing in the morning. So when I have to go to work, like, I'm the type of person I wish. I wish my morning routine when I have to go to work was calm and I, you know, wake up and do morning pages and have my cup of coffee and meditate and like, no, I. I get up, like kind of the last possible minute and I, you know, do my whole routine, make my coffee. And then by the time it's time to get dressed, it's like, throw something on and you're out the door. And thankfully, like, I feel like my wardrobe is very cohesive and it's. I've kind of curated it over a time that a lot of the pieces are very grab and go, but sometimes it still feels like I just end up reaching for the same pieces over and over again. And it creates a lot of underutilization of my closet and sort of undermines when I do buy something where it's like, oh, I'm gonna wear these five different ways. And this other criteria that I feel like I want to meet when I'm buying something new. And this kind of predictive value that I'm putting on this piece, I find because I don't give myself time in the morning, I just kind of rely on Old Faithful, the same pieces. And it's not even like, because I'm a huge advocate for knowing your style, uniform, and sort of having a few outfit formulas that you can rely on, but sometimes I don't even go there, you know? So I'll just. And I'll literally grab, like, the same blazer, same T shirt, same pants, same sneakers, and I'm out the door. And it just makes me. I feel like I'm in a rut. Not because I don't feel good, because those outfits still feel great, but it's more. I have so many beautiful clothes that I'm not wearing. Yeah. Because I have myself. Yeah. Like, I haven't given myself time to even just, like, look in the mirror. I'm like, on the. On my body and out the door. Yeah, yeah.

[Sina]

So I relate to that too. Yeah.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Sina]

I think I've mentioned before, like, I will put my outfit on the. On the bathroom sink, and I'll just wear the same.

[Christina]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sina]

For a solid week.

[Christina]

Yeah, totally. So. Yeah. And then I feel like another thing that we talked about in the. In the Secret podcast was kind of a lack of organization. So on the weekend, the last week, I just felt like my drawer. Not that I. I don't have a dresser, but I have this little, like, IKEA system that I have a lot of my, like, tank tops and my workout gear and all that stuff in the drawers, and it just felt so messy and so cluttered and kind of just like everything's getting stuffed in there and there's no color coordination. So I took everything out and I refolded it, and it just created this nice sense of uniformity and sort of reinspired me to. It just felt re. Inspiring to see my clothes laid out nicely, and it just makes you want to put them on when everything is organized and clean and everything's in its place. But as I was going through that stuff, it was like, oh, there's this tank top. I haven't worn this in a while. Let's mental note to put that together. So I think even if your closet feels like a mess or there's like, no kind of order, or it feels a bit chaotic, I think even so, not even decluttering, but just kind of going through and reorganizing your wardrobe, it gets you kind of into your closet and you're like. It's tactile, right? Like, you're feeling your clothes, you're looking at them, you're seeing what you have physically, and it just. It's. It feels easier to experiment and to play when things are. Are orderly and organized and in their place. Too.

[Sina]

How about you, Alyssa? What gets you and what gets you into a style rut?

[Alyssa]

I think having too many clothes gets me into a style rut. I just. Like, it's the same. Well, yeah. Like, just. It's. It's similar in the whole timepiece. Right. Like, it's like when you don't have time. But for me, it's like, I'm looking, and I have so many clothes, and I'm like. But I really just like these. So I get that. I just get frustrated. Yeah. Like, the paradox of choice analysis paralysis. Like, this is a thing. So that gets me. So that's where an audit. Like I said, I don't. I don't immediately do a big declutter, but I will do an audit at that point and be like, okay, how many of these do I have? How many of these? What am I wearing? What am I not? Because then that gives us. I think we spoke about this in the secret podcast as well. Cena, you mentioned this, like, so, like.

[Christina]

A wardrobe inventory, almost.

[Alyssa]

Yeah. Like. Yeah. Yeah. An inventory. Why do I have, like, X amount of this? And not being judgmental or harsh, but it's like, do I need these? The answer is usually no. Like, all of these things. And the other thing is, to be honest, by the end of the season, I'm just like, I'm. I'm over jeans. Like, I'm just over it.

[Christina]

That's how.

[Sina]

Yeah.

[Christina]

In the summer, like, I feel that. The summer a lot. Yes. Yeah. Seasons, actually. I feel like you're right. Seasons can put you into a style red, because sometimes you just can't wear anything else.

[Alyssa]

Yeah.

[Sina]

You're like, yeah, I always like you, Cristina. I always feel that way. Like, end of summer, it's like, yeah, okay, I'm done with all of the shorts, and, like, now I just want to wear sweaters and jeans, and it's the exact same thing. When spring comes around, it's like, oh, now I can wear all my lighter layers and all of my light jackets. Yeah. That's why I love a capsule wardrobe, because, like you, Alyssa, I feel like I. I do get fatigued when I have too many choices as well, which was what initially sparked my interest in the capsule wardrobe system. And now I've been doing it for almost eight years, and it's like, I couldn't imagine myself going back, so. And I feel like it's a really great way to reassess your wardrobe, because, like, you say, you don't necessarily. Yeah. Sometimes you declutter something, but you don't necessarily have to. It could just be a matter of getting some of those pieces out of your sight so that you can concentrate on whatever you can actually wear for the next season ahead of you.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Sina]

Which can be really helpful.

[Christina]

One thing I find at least puts me in a style rut is when I kind of judge what I'm doing or a scenario or a place. I'm going as, like, not good enough to wear my nice clothes. So, like, if I'm working from home, I'll be like, I'll put on a pair of sweatpants or something. Because, you know, working from home is like, it's not good enough to. To put on, like, my nice pair of trousers or a good flat shoe or my blazer or something. And I feel like if you are in a style rut, really getting dressed for nothing is such a great way to help yourself get out of it. But for me, it just takes a little bit of thought and pushing back against myself of. In the sense of, like, working from home or being at home. Today is probably the best reason to put on your fun clothes and just like, you know, just getting dressed for nothing. I think, like, removing that judgment on what's good enough versus what's. I think we talked about another episode, like, what's appropriate to get dressed for? And kind of like we also talked about, like, the bifurcation of the. Of the closet, so, like, dividing it up into sections where we only wear a certain piece on a certain time at a certain place. I feel like when you blur the lines a little bit more, it just gives you more chances to wear your clothes. Because I think a lot of us have a lot of clothes. We love clothes. But it's like the utilization and the wearing part that can kind of trip us up a little bit. And I think placing a judgment on what's good enough to wear certain pieces, at least, it hinders me a lot. So kind of pushing back against that a little bit and just being like, okay, I'm going to put on my really fun, fancy pair of jeans, and I might not go anywhere and no one might, you know, no one's going to see it, but at least I'm getting the cost per wear from my wardrobe. I'm getting that utilization.

[Sina]

And you do feel better when you make the effort.

[Christina]

You do.

[Sina]

Even if it's only 5 or 10%, you still feel better when you've made the effort.

[Christina]

Yeah, totally.

[Sina]

I completely relate. As a mom, I try to do that as well. So especially I remember from my last maternity leave, when you're so much. Spending so much time at home with your baby, and there's a high risk of, like, being spilled on and stuff. It's like you. You save all of your best clothes for the right occasion, and it's like, yeah, really try to push more against. Against that, which is a constant process. It's. It's really hard. It's tricky to get out of that mindset because obviously, you want to savor your nicer pieces and you don't want your clothes to get ruined, but it's. Yeah, it's always far worse to never wear these pieces because you're afraid of wearing them.

[Christina]

Yes. And I think, like, and especially at the beginning, because there's kind of going to be a time when you feel a little bit pushed out of your comfort zone. And, like, if you're used to wearing leggings all the time and then you put on a pair of jeans, it's like, oh, this feels a lot more binding, and this is not as comfortable, but, you know, even jeans kind of give out. Like, they kind of give a little bit when you're wearing them, and they kind of get better with wear, for example. So it's just like, I feel like we need to push past the waistband thing.

[Sina]

Yeah. We always talk about choosing hard for your style, which is really what building good habits is all about. Right. It's choosing the harder solution instead of always just going with what's easy and what's.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Alyssa]

Yeah. That's a really good one, for sure.

[Christina]

Well, you guys both work from home. You've been working from home a whole lot longer than me. Like, what do you do to get utilization out of your clothes? Because sometimes you might not. You might not talk to another person all day long. You might not even leave the house. So, like.

[Alyssa]

Yeah, I get. I. I've started getting dressed, like, just fully, and then sometimes I'll even force myself. I'll be like, just go for a coffee today, Alyssa. Like, just exit.

[Sina]

Yes.

[Alyssa]

And then it kind of forces you to.

[Christina]

Yeah, I do that. I started doing that.

[Alyssa]

Right? Yeah. Yeah. Just forces you to get dressed and.

[Sina]

Yeah, I use the daycare run as an excuse, but otherwise, just picking up groceries, you know? Groceries. Yeah, I need to go buy milk or whatever. Like, I'm gonna dress up a little bit. Just.

[Alyssa]

Yeah. Yes, 100%. I dress always really nice to go to the grocery.

[Sina]

Yeah.

[Alyssa]

I don't know. And the morning routine is a big one, too. Like, time. Although that's. That's a big privilege to have to have Time in the morning to actually go. So I think planning. Planning your outfits is huge.

[Christina]

Yeah. Whether it be the night before.

[Sina]

Yes. Figure out when you will actually have the time to prep because. Yeah. You might not have the time in the morning, but maybe you could spend 10 minutes, like in the evening before going to bed or.

[Alyssa]

Yes.

[Christina]

Yeah, yeah.

[Alyssa]

Or even on your way home, on your commute. Like, if you have a. If you have a wardrobe app, then, like, on your way home, if you're. If you take public transport, just create a couple of outfits, because I don't think you need. I think. I think there's a lot of pressure to build outfits that are outstanding or, you know, when we think of a style rut, we think of, like, I want to look like this girl on, like a Glow up, whatever.

[Christina]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Alyssa]

Sometimes.

[Christina]

Yeah. Like, it's subtle.

[Alyssa]

Sometimes it's so subtle. Sometimes it's just like I wear these jeans instead of these, or I throw this belt on instead of not wearing a belt. I think we undervalue those small, small tweaks. Like, a majority of my clients like, their outfits look great and they're like, but I'm so bored. And it's like, well, what if you just, like, added a watch and a necklace and it's like a whole new outfit and we're happy, you know, so the. The small tweaks. I think putting less pressure on these monumental changes and perfectly edited outfits could also help.

[Sina]

Yeah.

[Christina]

Yeah. Sina, you talked about a good strategy that you do when you feel like you're in a rut to get kind of get out of it.

[Sina]

Yeah. I was just about to say, I think, yeah, one of the first things that you need to do is kind of reassess your wardrobe. So, like a little bit of a wardrobe, a wardrobe edit, and just kind of go through what it is that you're wearing on repeat right now, regardless of what that looks like. Again, to me, it's sweaters, it's leggings, it's joggers right now. But even that, you can take that and work with that and build on top of that if you wanted to, and you can. The great thing about these kind of edits is that you can do it as many times throughout the year as you need, basically, because depending on what your. What your situation is, it's. My body has been changing a lot. I've been gaining a lot of weight over the course of nine months, and it's like. Like, I constantly outgrow pieces from my wardrobe. So I have had to do the edits very regularly, and I've actually really enjoyed that. So rather than just doing the. The regular seasonal edits that you would do with a regular capsule wardrobe, if you feel like you're in the middle of a style route, do as many edits as you can as you need to, to kind of reassess your wardrobe and what you actually like wearing and what's already working for you. Kind of just lay it out flat for yourself. I think that's always the best approach to kind of start from within your wardrobe because it's so easy to get sucked into, you know, all of the other great tools that we also have at hand, like wish listing and, you know, keep trying new outfits, being inspired by street style, looks, whatever. But I think it should always be a process that starts from within your own wardrobe and what's already working for you, because there's gonna be something there that's already working for you.

[Christina]

Yeah. I think especially when you feel like you hate your wardrobe or you feel like you're in a style rut, I think the natural response and the natural feeling is to be like, okay, well, I gotta go shopping for something new. Alyssa, you ask this a lot. Like, you know, why did you buy this in the first place? I think so doing this wardrobe, like, edit or audit, kind of going through, like, what you wear, what you're actually wearing right now a lot, and then versus, like, what you think you're wearing, and just kind of assuming and immediately defaulting to, okay, well, nothing in my closet's working, so I have to go out and buy something new. And I think it is, I kind of like to say, like, trust in your taste a little bit more. This is like, where you can really take the opportunity to see. It's like, okay, what am I wearing a lot? What is. What is it that I like about it? And if it's like leggings and a hoodie and it's like, okay, well, I know that I like comfort and I want to feel comfortable. Like, what else do I have that's comfortable but maybe a little bit more pushed? How can I create combinations that still feel comfortable but feel a bit more polished using the constraint of what you already have? Because I think bringing in something new, although fun, although exciting, although feels like a short term solution. It could be a short term solution. I think it's still kind of misses the whole point of styling and, like, learning how to use what we have and kind of troubleshooting that whole part of the equation. Because shopping is the easy Part, but styling is always the hard part, you know?

[Sina]

Yeah. Yeah. That's also why I love doing the edits with like a dress up session. Like, I've. Over the past year, I've taken so many outfit selfies and I love just, you know, not ne. I share a lot of them on my Instagram, but I. There's a lot of them that I just keep for myself to kind of re. Reassure myself whenever I feel like I'm in a style rut or it's like if I ever get that feeling of I have nothing to wear kind of creep up on me. It's like, okay, I'm going to go through my outfits that I can actually see. Okay. I have so many nice outfit possibilities. And yeah, I find that to be another really great helpful tool to do alongside the edit is to have like the little styling session. And even taking. Taking the outfit selfie is such a helpful tool, I think.

[Alyssa]

Yeah, I think that's such a great point that you bring up and I think we talked about this in a previous episode, but the work, you kind of set yourself up with all of the daily habits and then getting out of a style red is so much easier. Like if you're already in the habit of taking an outfit photo when you're not in a style rit or just whenever, then you have this bank of inspiration to kind of help you out. So it's. It's nice. If you'd have those. Those habits already kind of built into your. Into your style, then it's easier. It's a lot easier to get creative and pull yourself out of it. I also think, like, introspection is kind of important sometimes. Sometimes we're in a style rut not because of our closets, but just because we're like, in our heads too much or we're just going through a really shit, shitty time in life too.

[Christina]

Yeah, you know, it's a great point.

[Alyssa]

Yeah, yeah, that's. That takes a little bit more work, but I think maybe that's where it's like, you know, you can use your clothes as a way to pull you out of whatever kind of mental state you're in with enclosed cognition, which we've spoken about before, but just bringing that positivity back through, feeling good in your clothes. But I don't know. Do you guys ever feel that if it's like, less about your wardrobe and just more about where your. Where your head's at some days?

[Christina]

Yeah, totally, I think.

[Alyssa]

Right?

[Christina]

Yeah. And I think that's like, that's when you want to grab for the comfort and you don't want to. You don't want to push or you don't want to. You don't want to go there, but sometimes it's what you need, you know?

[Alyssa]

Yep. A hundred percent. I think you choose both ways. You can choose the comfy and you let your clothes comfort you or you're. You use them as your, like, armor for the day and.

[Christina]

Totally.

[Alyssa]

Yeah.

[Christina]

I feel like one thing that helps me too, sometimes is not even, like, if I'm grabbing for the same kind of uniform or even the same outfit. Sometimes I've been wearing. I'm not wearing them today, but I've been wearing rings more like. And playing around with, like, ring stacks and playing around with different earrings and just changing that up because. So I think, like, playing with accessories is a nice way to even get out of the style. Rut a little bit more and, like, polish things up a little bit or playing with, like, your hair, maybe, or your makeup. So it doesn't always necessarily have to be clothes, but they do. Like, if I'm in a full sweatsuit, but I have a really cool earring on, a bunch of fun rings, and then a cool bag, it looks more intentional if I leave the house.

[Sina]

Yeah, it feels more intentional too. Yeah.

[Christina]

Yeah. So maybe that base of the rut that I'm in still stays the same, but there's something that I've added to it can help. I think that helps a lot.

[Alyssa]

Totally.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Alyssa]

I've been having, like, big accessories. Love. I don't know why. I think the past few videos I was filming, I needed. I just felt like I wanted to change it up. And I came up with, like, a few different ring stacks. And, like, all it was is, like, one different stack on your finger. But I was like, this is amazing.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Alyssa]

Like, I thought I was wearing a whole new outfit. I was so happy with it. So, yeah, great access. You're right. Like, accessories or hair make a huge difference. Nails.

[Sina]

Yeah. I feel like the days where I've not done my makeup or even like, yesterday I had such a slouchy day at home. I didn't even brush my hair when I got out of bed. I didn't even do my skincare in the morning. I feel like even just doing my skincare and kind of just brushing my brows in place and maybe doing a quick bun, Like, I feel like that sets the entire, like, mood for the rest of the day. Whereas if I don't do that, like, when I don't do those Small things for myself. It's like I'm stuck in this slump almost. So I completely agree. Like, even putting on just a little bit of makeup, it really does make a huge difference. And sometimes even now, working from home, I feel like it will for it. I'm not saying I'm one to one being more productive, but I feel like it does make me more productive because then it's like, okay, well, actually I'm wearing makeup, so maybe I could film this video that I wanted to film. Or I'll force myself to leave the house because I actually like the way I look today or whatever it might be. I feel like you give a little bit extra of yourself when you've done that little extra thing for yourself.

[Christina]

Yeah, I think it totally, like, it reduces that friction because sometimes I'm like, oh, I can't leave the house because my hair isn't done, or I can't film because I don't have makeup on. And like, but then I have to put on makeup and that's going to take so much time. Or I need to blow dry my hair. Like, it makes like listing out the to do before you can do the thing you want to do. Yeah.

[Sina]

But if you're already ready the hair wash day and then you go to the gym, do I wash my hair now or do I wash it later?

[Alyssa]

Yeah. Schedule. Yeah.

[Christina]

Hair wash day. Yeah. Life revolves around it. Yeah, it does.

[Sina]

It's crazy.

[Christina]

Yeah.

[Alyssa]

Something else that we could do is shopping your closet when I'm in a style rut or something. Even this is just fun to do, is kind of setting yourself with a challenge. So Sina and Christina, you guys were talking about the edit or the wardrobe audit, and it's almost like the. We talked about this in the secret podcast. It's like the second step to that is styling. So I don't know. I think it's fun to set yourself a challenge of. Like, if you have pieces that you haven't worn, then put them on your rack or put them in a visible place in your closet, and then you can just be more intentional about styling. Those rediscover. You're. You're rediscovering new pieces from within your closet, which is always fun. And like, it's. Again, it doesn't have to be groundbreaking. You can style them with your go to's. The whole point is that you're. You're exploring your closet a little bit more and a little bit differently. Um, and then, I don't know, like, I still, I'll still Check my Pinterest or screenshots. Like, I'm always grabbing. I'm always taking screenshots. And it's just like. It's so fun. Like, I have this bank of images, and it's like, ooh, what can I. Like, what are these people wearing? Like, what are these people in New York wearing? Or in Milan? Like, I'm gonna dress like that today. And then you just go into your closet and try and put something together that's similar. And I think the way. Because I think that can be kind of tricky for some people to like, it becomes a trigger to shop and buy something new. But if you go into it with the goal that all you want is to put an outfit together that you haven't before. Not even a goal. Like, just, you know, to experiment.

[Christina]

Yeah, yeah.

[Alyssa]

Like, just go into it with the. Like, this doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be. Exactly. But I'm just using it as a springboard. Then you can have a lot of fun. That's.

[Christina]

Yeah. And I think, like, coming at it from the mindset of. I picture myself in the morning opening up my closet, and then just kind of, like, staring and being like, okay, I have nothing to wear. Maybe shifting it from. Look at all this great stuff I have to wear. Let's get started. Let's just grab. Grab something I know that I haven't worn in a while and then start building from there. And, you know, for me, in the morning, if it's a work day, like, if I'm leaving, if I'm. If I'm going to work at the pharmacy, maybe this is when I get up 10 minutes earlier and create that habit of, like, creating time. So it's like. So there's not so much pressure on yourself. Right. And if you're not a morning person, then maybe you do this the night before, or, you know, you use your app on the bus and create an outfit, and it's like, okay, I'm going to. I have this reference. This is what I'm wearing tomorrow. We talk a lot about planning, and, you know, we mentioned the privilege of time, but I think also finding ways to create time and not, you know, and it doesn't have to be an hour half, like five minutes, 10 minutes extra. It might. That might be all you need.

[Alyssa]

Totally. Yeah. It doesn't have to be a long time.

[Sina]

Yeah.

[Alyssa]

You don't have to plug gratitude here also. Sorry.

[Sina]

Oh, yeah.

[Alyssa]

No, no, go ahead. That's it.

[Sina]

No, I just. I just want to say, you don't have to have it all figured out. You don't need to plan your outfits for the rest of the month or. Yeah, you don't have to plan a whole new look for yourself. Like you refer to like the, the full glow up before Alyssa. It could just be the outfit for tomorrow. And then you, you know, take it slowly, day by day.

[Christina]

Yeah, Yeah, I think that's.

[Alyssa]

And daily gratitude. Daily gratitude.

[Sina]

Yeah.

[Christina]

I know.

[Sina]

Thank you.

[Christina]

Okay.

[Alyssa]

You're welcome.

[Christina]

That's good.

[Alyssa]

That was really funny. I think we should just end it there.

[Christina]

Yeah, I know. Okay, so I think that was a really great episode. I think. I think we really touched on a lot of really great ideas on how to kind of identify when you're in a style rut, what to do about it, and how to get out of that slowly but surely. Yeah, I love that this conversation was more about it, like how it doesn't have to be anything grand or big or something that creates a lot of pressure. Just very simple, simple mindset shifts and habit swaps. And I think you can get out of that style rut really quick. So let us know in the comments if you know if you've been in a style rut, if you're currently in one, how you're focusing on getting out of it and what's worked for you. So sharing is caring. Leave them down below. If you like this episode, then give it a thumbs up on YouTube. Don't forget to like share. Subscribe and if you want more exclusive content from us, then you can hit the join button down below. Thanks everyone. Nice to see you. Bye bye. Ciao Ciao.

[Sina]

Thank you so much for joining in our conversation this week. If you're enjoying the show, we'd love, love it if you subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple and leave us a rating and review. It's one of the best ways to support the sustain this podcast at zero cost to you.

[Christina]

We're also a community led podcast, so if you have any questions for us, topic requests, or even guests you want to hear from, please send us a DM on Instagram. Usustainthispodcast. We read all of our comments and look forward to hearing from you.

[Alyssa]

We hope you join us again next Tuesday where we'll talk about about so much more than clothes. Ciao.