BTS Wardrobe Review - Podcast
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[00:00:00] Welcome to the Style and Strategy Podcast, where personal brand meets leadership and style. I'm Sonya, a personal brand and style coach who's been exactly where you are juggling career and business success. Personal growth and finding a style that truly fits. After decades in corporate leadership, I've learned that showing up isn't just about what you do, it's about how you align who you are and how the world sees you.
This season, I'm bringing you practical strategies, bold insights, and honest conversations to help you amplify your presence, unlock your next level, and lead with clarity and confidence. Let's dive in. Welcome back to another episode of The Style and Strategy Podcast. I'm Sonya, your host, and thanks so much for joining me. In today's episode, I wanna take you. Behind the scenes, ~um,~ [00:01:00] of something I've done for myself. So something they teach my clients to do, and it's that seasonal wardrobe review. But when you've got the foundations in place, it's not a reset, it's not a reinvention, it's.
A realignment. And I like to be able to do that as I come into a new season. 'cause it just gives that real clarity around what I actually need has something shifted so it doesn't feel like this complete redo of where we're at. So it's about that ongoing maintenance, which is absolutely what I teach, ~uh,~ my clients as well.
because even when you know your style, even when you've done all the work and you have a system, and I teach this all the time, evolution will always still happen. And so when it does, it's worth checking in.
So you are thinking about things [00:02:00] like, so what's in my wardrobe? Does it still reflect how I lead, what I would've been known for? Has anything shifted? Do I still feel like I'm that version of me in that wardrobe? And am I dressing for a version of me I am now, or the one I left behind? So let me share what I noticed, what I refined, and why having a strategy makes all the difference.
so I don't do wardrobe overhauls anymore. It's just 'cause I don't believe starting from scratch there are gonna be pieces in your wardrobe that you can maximize, reinvent, redesign, and do things with. So, you know, I. And again, I teach the same with my clients. It's, it's never an a complete overhaul unless they haven't really touched their wardrobe in, in some time.
~But I, ~so what I fundamentally believe in is really pausing and then [00:03:00] taking some considered intention at different points of the year, as I mentioned earlier, to really make sure that what's in my wardrobe really aligns with. My work, my lifestyle, my energy, my leadership identity, and how I wanna feel.
And this season was no different. So what did I find? Well, what surprised me? Not really that much, but what was reinforced a lot. Okay, so this season I noticed I shifted away from florals completely. There were a few pieces that I'd left over, ~um,~ from previous seasons that I've kind of just parked and, and pushed away, geometric prints.
Absolutely coming into my wardrobe, ~uh,~ really strongly, uh, not only this season, but I saw it and, and really felt it through,~ uh,~ summer as well here in [00:04:00] the Asia Pacific region. ~And because,~ so why did I move away from florals? For me, it was really that it just felt too feminine, too girly, too soft for me.
~Um,~ I had been in fors, ~uh, I had been in fors, uh, ~in a different life. Stage and, ~um,~ it just definitely reinforced right now that I'm, I'm no longer there. Many of you may not know that. You know what feels like a previous life. I actually ran an e-com boutique, and as part of that e-com boutique, I had a lot of florals.
Because that's what, ~um,~ many women were purchasing from that store. And what started to happen with that was because I was selling these items, I started to feel like, I was like, I had those pieces. So then I was starting to wear them as well. And so I lost my identity ~some,~ somewhere along that mix. So hence why like little bits and pieces of floral just no longer feel like it's who I am anymore.[00:05:00]
And I don't think it was back then either. It was one of those moments where things happen. By default and by accident, right? Because you are there all the time and seeing those things. And many, I I think many women who have worked in retail or a particular retail store, ~uh,~ for a really long time might also feel that way because you end up wearing the brand because you get a discount on the brand, and so you keep wearing it.
And it's not, ~uh,~ necessarily that it's, it's not until you. Stop and you step away. You go, actually, hang on a second. I feel like this is the only thing I ever wore, but I'm getting distracted, so let me circle back. The other thing that I noticed and really reinforced was my love of shirts. So given I work predominantly from home now and a lot of my clients I work with virtually.
Either through my group program or even through my one-on-ones. ~Um,~ [00:06:00] I am usually in a really good temperature, so they may not need to have a blazer. And I, I love a blazer, but, ~um,~ what I've found is that I've gravitated to a lot more shirts and so buttoned up kind of shirts with a collar. And I would say that's because I, ~um, ~want that little bit of structure, but.
What I've noticed is the fabrications are either looser and they're in much softer fabrics. ~Um,~ because I still wanna feel the structure, feel anchored, but feel quite comfortable given that I'm, a lot of the time I'm sitting or I'm standing, ~uh,~ behind the desk as well. So. The third piece that this really reinforced with me was, ~um,~ a few years ago we saw a lot of that puff, ~uh,~ sleeve in and I might have one or two pieces that have a really soft,~ uh,~ sleeve like that, but most of that has moved out of my wardrobe again because that's quite pretty and, ~um,~ [00:07:00] really isn't part of my brand and my style and who I am today.
So that's not about really being anti feminine or anything like that. ~Uh, ~and remember that words only have the meaning that you give them, right? So my definition of feminine is that curvy, soft, flowy and florals, it might be different for you and you need to think through that, but it's really being about anchored in the right expression, ~uh,~ for me right now.
~So this is another.~ And so through this process, ~uh,~ another sort of strategy that I use is where I lean on my human design and really the subconscious alignment, ~uh,~ work that comes in.~ So one of the biggest shifts that I've made over the last few years is around decision making and not because I don't buy any, because.~
So one of the biggest shifts I've made over the last few years is really understanding my human designs. And now I, I work with clients on that as well. So one of those elements is your decision making authority. And there was a previous podcast I talked about on [00:08:00] this. And so my authority is really a sacral what's known as a sacral authority.
And, ~um, ~as part of that. I will get an instant sort of gut reaction around, ~um, ~whether something I'm drawn to something or, or not. And so I've really leaned in and honed my skills around recognizing that because it's really started to help when I've seen something, ~uh,~ that I might like or not like. And also when I'm looking at things in my wardrobe, ~because unless it lands with that clarity, then.~
So unless it lands with that clarity, and I'll know because it's directly tied to that decision making authority, then it'll be a no. It's time to go. ~Uh, it's not part of, um,~ it's not part of my brand anymore.~ Or,~ and the same thing applies even if I'm shopping. So there's no deliberation. There's no overthinking.
~It, it,~ for me is, is that right there? And so that's what that kind of alignment allows for that clarity. So I don't have to waste time and waste my energy trying to go through the, the [00:09:00] wardrobe as I, ~um, ~prepare for the next season. And so here's what came through for me. So during that whole review was a clear list of what was missing.
And for me it was a, a couple of elevated basics. So I needed some white. White, creamy, ~uh,~ basic teas, but I was really specific. I wanted a box cut tea, right? I didn't want a full length tea, anything like that. So white and navy. I was missing two of those, and I wanted to introduce a little bit of the color of the season.
Being maroon, ~uh,~ or that plum burgundy color. ~Uh,~ so that's seasonal accent, right? So I had a little bit of it, but I wanted to add a little bit more in strategically and as always, ~um,~ whereas I come into winter, I always love a fresh. New winter knitwear piece. ~Um, ~but knitwear in general, I know a lot of people can have a bit of a challenge with, especially when it comes to your work wardrobe and how do you [00:10:00] incorporate that and still look elevated.
So I will do a separate episode on that and let me know if you'd be keen for that as well. So I will get to that. But one of the biggest things that I noticed going through this whole exercise was, you know how little time it took for me to make the decisions, because I don't have to second guess anymore.
I know I've built a strategy and that's the strategy that I teach to my clients, to shop my own wardrobe. With clarity. I know that everything that is in that wardrobe. Works together. ~Thanks to my ~thanks to my color capsule strategy that. Again, I teach clients in Activate, so I stop, ~wear, stop~ worrying about what everybody else is wearing.
I know what I've got works for me, and I'll be able to dial that up and, and dial that down. So I guess you could call it, it's like a style alignment filter, and it's the tool that I come back to time and time again, right, [00:11:00] because. My words for my own personal style is it's, there's some element of tailoring, there's some element of bold to it, ~um,~ and there's some element of refinement.
And if it hits two outta three of those, then it's a good fit for me. And then I'm layering in my whole leadership energy. So for me it's about visionary, it's about being empowering, and it's about being authentic ~and, ~and that doesn't matter what room. I'm in because that's grounded in me. ~Um,~ I'm not trying to be someone else that that is who I am.
And so ~if those pieces make me feel grounded, energized,~ if those pieces can make me feel really grounded, energized, or expansive, it's an absolute yes. And so that's the filter for everything and being able to under really understand that. Then I don't have to worry and my clients no longer have to worry about everything else that's thrown their way and the, you know, the decision overwhelm that comes about [00:12:00] because, ~um, ~they're using that as their grounding and they know what they're looking for and what's true.
And like with anything. Once you've learn that foundation, once you exercise that muscle going forward, it starts to become second nature. So if you are in a season of change and it feels off, or you're not just loving what's in your wardrobe right now, just know that you don't always need a full overhaul and you don't need to throw everything out.
You don't need to start from scratch. You just need to revisit who you are now, what season you are in, and whether your wardrobe still reflects that leadership, your lifestyle, your energy, because your style should make showing up easier and not more complicated. And when you have the right strategy in place, that's what can happen for you.[00:13:00]
It's not about reinventing, it's about refining. And if you need a little bit of help with that, drop me a DM or come check out Activate. It might be just what you've been looking for. I'll chat to you all next time. ~Uh,~
