Control the Controllables. Style in an Unstable World

I’ve been quiet for several weeks.

Not by choice, but because a nasty virus decided to move in and stay a while. My grand plans for a high-energy “New Year, New Momentum” went out the window. I had all these lofty goals for health and home, planning to deeply and ruthlessly assess and declutter what I now saw as my old identity.

Instead it was replaced by weeks of exhaustion, irritating weather, and a level of hair frizz that we in-the-know dub “alpaca season.” It’s been a lesson of patience and prioritisation for my body’s needs. It has also made it difficult to keep my spirits up.

Even as an expert, I have to concede sometimes. There is no point fighting the humidity with a styling tool when your body is telling you to just sit down. Besides, truly only the professional can properly handle my hair at this time of year. So, I’ve had to go with what works now. My chores have slid. Urgh, I HATE feeling of slipping behind. And frankly, it’s been a lesson in patience that I didn’t ask for.

It got me thinking, though. When you’re sick, or when the wider world feels particularly heavy and sad – as it does right now – is talking about style just… frivolous?

Hmm. I really pondered that. But lying on my recliner these last few weeks, I realised it’s actually the opposite.

When the news is a spiral and the environment feels unpredictable, the most radical thing you can do is reclaim your energy. We cannot control the global economy and event, or the weather, but we can control our attitude, our investments, where we put our energy. I also believe that being sucked into a collective negative spiral will only accelerate that energy, instead of dissipate it.

The “Sloppy” Trap

So even while I was listlessly roaming the house, I didn’t reach for “sloppy” clothes. Why? Umm.. because I actually don’t own many. A while ago I had stopped allowing poor-mediocre clothing, so I had no other option but to look pretty good. And when putting on nice clothing, it encouraged me to pick out a pair of earrings. I still spritzed my perfume (even though I couldn’t smell a thing for a fortnight).

And hey, even being truly under the weather, I don’t look half-bad (thanks to premium Colour Analysis).

Do you believe these small acts are about vanity? You know, I bet you don’t. It’s easy to see in others when they are about maintaining a baseline of self-respect.

Control the Controllables

For the professional woman – the one who has worked her way into leadership, the one who is the backbone of her family and her company- style is often the first thing to “slide” when life gets hard. You tell yourself you’re too busy, or that it’s self-indulgent to care about some pumps when there are bigger problems in the world (or even in your family).

But do you start to feel invisible? Do you show up to the meeting or the LinkedIn profile feeling like a “dated” version of yourself? Maybe there’s a “niggling feeling” that you aren’t reaching your potential? It’s fueled by the gap between who you are (a powerhouse) and how you look (someone who has given up).

Taking the Mental Load Off

Lately, my chores have really slid by too. I feel disappointed in that but I have to listen to my struggling body. I remind myself it’s temporary and they’ll all be knocked over (to my high standards) when I’m feeling 100% healthy again. Another life lesson to do a little less fighting against, and more going with what works now. And in the meantime, I’m paying to get some help with things that will make a real difference.

Essentially, I’m receiving that bit of help at an opportune time.

When breaking it down, it’s the same principle of the support I offer to my clients. My job is to take the mental load off your shoulders. I want to give you a roadmap and step you through it, so that even on your “alpaca hair” days you have a solid foundation that works.

I know you’re time-poor. I know you have wardrobe fatigue, like 80% of women do. I know you’re tired of that bloody “safe” black jacket that does nothing for your spirit.

Get Back to Basis

In good news, I’m no longer listlessly roaming my little house or “conked out” with exhaustion on the recliner. I’m gently stepping back into the world again. And if you have also been taken out by this lingering cold virus going around Brisbane, you have my sincere compassion.

If you’ve been feeling the inertia, I want to give you permission to start small. You don’t need a total overhaul today. You just need to stop the leak of energy that comes from feeling “not quite right.”

My service standards are as high as ever, and as your personal stylist – Brisbane or online – I’m ready to help you knock over those style hurdles that have been sitting on your to-do list for far too long.

We can’t fix everything out there. But we can certainly fix how you show up to meet it.

Book your place when you’re ready here.