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On Fridays, we’ll take a breath: See below for some commentary on apparel trends I’m loving or things I’m eyeing, a fun activity to consider, and some food for thought as you enter your weekend 🙂
1/3. Food for Thought
When a familiar response to anxiety offers short term relief but long term harm, how do we find the courage to rewrite that ingrained pattern and choose a healthier comfort?
I don't remember exactly where I heard this, but the idea has been sticking with me: our responses to anxiety are often patterns we have essentially trained our brains to follow. If I feel anxious, I typically react in this specific way.
It sort of becomes a "comfort" for us — a familiar, predictable way to cope with internal discomfort. But what happens when the comfort that we've told ourselves to rely on starts to hurt us?
This is something I'm actively trying to think about as I work to rewrite some of the rules I have cemented in my brain. Candidly, it’s hard. For example, nail biting has been a pattern I've been doing since I was five years old. Even though it's a pattern I'm aware of, it’s going to be a hard one to break. Some days are good, and some days are bad.
I am trying to think about how I break the cycle of these cemented responses. It takes a lot of mental work to interrupt a habit that has been giving you a sense of relief for decades.
I would love to hear from you if you have any tips or tricks for replacing those old, harmful comforts with constructive ones.
2/3. Fun!
Holiday Gardens
I’m heading to Lightscape this weekend, and one thing I love almost as much as a botanical garden is a botanical garden lit up for the holidays.
I've done Zoo Lights in Chicago with my parents, a night at a botanical garden lit up with Dylan way back in 2018, and now Lightscape. What I love most about nighttime garden experiences is that they’re really perfect for so many occasions.
They're perfect for a way to spend time with family, or as a cozy date night or a hang with friends that leaves the rest of your evening free for dinner, drinks, or just take out — it still leaves the rest of your night open for whatever you’re feeling.
The gardens offer a different kind of holiday activity than the themed bar (as fun as those are, they can start to feel the same after a while). Whatever city you are in, take advantage of the local botanical gardens and see if they are doing an event like this 🙂
3/3. Fashion / Retail Therapy
Mixing Things Up
This one’s for the gals. Recently, I’ve been starting to think about how your hair can also make or break an outfit (something I'm not going to lie, I rarely prioritize)
Though I don't typically do my hair in a special way during the week, I have been obsessed with the look from The Row's SS26 collection: the Modern French Twist. I think it will take a while to perfect, but I think it would be really fun to test this out a couple of times and master it for a Christmas or NYE look.
How the hairstyle went ‘viral’ itself has some really interesting details to it. Fashion shows are often recorded and rewatched by many (including myself) but The Row doesn’t allow any phones or recordings at theirs. For SS26, they released a series of high resolution images of the collection after the show, capturing this hairstyle perfectly.
This was one of the key images they released - a message about how hair can be as couture and essential to an overall fashion statement as a garment can be. It elevates the entire look with an air of effortless chic.
Here is the hairdo:
Who What Wear: Quiet Luxury Is Dead—at The Row, Feathers, Sequins, and Volume Take the Lead
& here is a quick video tutorial I'll be rewatching to try and get it right. Dont ask me if I regret recently chopping my hair — the answer is yes 🙂 will definitely impact execution
@helendriscoll_ Part 2 - New favourite hairstyle 🖤 #therow #quietluxury #olsentwins #hairtok #hairstyletutorial
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