Styling Based off Mood
I realized late in the game that how I feel directly influences what I wear, I've always moved through life with ease but there have been moments where my mental health was not at its best and it showed in the way I carried myself. When I am at my lowest, I tend to opt for baggier clothing. Because of the heaviness I feel, I want to be comfortable in order to carry whatever load I may be tasked with carrying at any given moment. The clothes tend to be understated, easy to miss in a crowd because I rather not be observed. Whatever a shadow may wear at it's best is what I wear at my worst. When I am at my best, I am cool, edgy, and straightforward. My style isn't exactly playful but I do love to incorporate some patterns and colors. I love appearing taller so anything with a heel is fair game, lots of gold jewelry, a bag that fit what I would need for 12 hours and wallah.
Below are some ways I show up for myself:
In the morning, I wake up and do a 6 minute appreciation mediation, followed by breathwork and then a 13 minute stretch to a rampage of appreciation video. Through the pandemic, I was hung up on gratitude when I really should have been standing in constant appreciation of my ability to wake up each morning. This 20 minute forces me out of bed and out of my nightclothes which is incredibly easy for me to wear all day if I do not go outside.
Clothes have energy around them and they are reminders of activities you decide to partake in when you wear them.
So if I am forced to start my day by putting on clothes that are related to my meditation practices, I immediately jump into the specific energy that I start my day with. Most days I am able to trick myself into doing what I do by wearing the clothes associated with each act of the day.
I am not a color person, but I do incorporate some pops of color in my wardrobe. I feel my best in black, all shades of nude and browns, white, green, and orange. There are certain colors I am incredibly attracted to, they catch my eye and so I incorporate them in my style. Black and White combos are by far my favorite because of the uniform feel there is to it. I always feel good in a button-down, so I collect white button-downs. There is nothing like a crisp, white button-down.
Rings are the most comforting accessory there is. I have an obsession with hands, you do so much with them and they deserve to honored and decorated.
If I leave my rings home by mistake, I mind have well left my entire hands at home because of how empty they feel.
I keep most of my clothes throughout the years because I don't know how to let go of things. Recently I started selling everything at an impulse, I've kept my flannel I got from a thrift store when I was 18, she always adds a little cool to my outfits. Pretty sure I sold everything else, except for the Marc jacobs hobo I got at 15.
I cannot even try to think about all the clothes I want at the current moment because I may buy them after writing this. At the current moment, I want nothing. I am trying to appreciate all that I do have.
Michel’lè is an NYC-based creative strategist & producer who specializes in culture, fashion & storytelling. She is a visual artist whose curiosity allows her to create quality content that provides an answer to many of her endless questions. You can find more of Michel’lè here!
