She cautions against stocking a Gatsby-like stash of “everything the same” in your closet. For example, if you love a leather jacket in the city, try leather Frye boots in the country instead.” “Take elements of what you love and use them differently. Seems simple enough now for more advanced class suggestions. Add jewelry for work, take it off for the weekend.” If you have a cashmere sweater you love, wear a collared and cuffed shirt underneath to make it more “work” she says, and put it under a denim jacket, or one of the ubiquitous “shackets” out this fall. Similarly, swap out heels for work with sneakers for off-duty time. For the weekend, or the cottage, wear it with a T-shirt, or a hoodie, even. For the office or dinner, wear it with a white blouse. With Costigan, that always comes down to the ultimate uniform piece. Find the pieces that you gravitate to in your closet, the ones that always make you feel good about yourself, and make those the foundation of your wardrobe in any place or setting.” “Bring your own personality with you wherever you go. “My philosophy is that it is important only to buy things that can be worn for any occasion.” She means elevated wardrobe basics - blazers, trousers, good denim, great sweaters - then, she says, style them differently depending on where you are going. Good to know I’m not alone, and I have something in common with the “women of influence” that Costigan usually dresses. “A lot of the women I work with are saying something similar right now, along the lines of: the world is a different place I don’t know what I should be wearing for anything!” Costigan begins. So I tracked down Costigan, who does editorial and advertising styling as well as running a fashion consulting firm for celebrities and high-powered business executive types. Don’t you also feel weird when you don’t feel like yourself in clothes? I quickly realized this affects how I am adjusting to my new farm life. It is beautiful, and a wee bit of a wreck, but did I mention the massive wrap-around porch? For the record, yes, I recognize it is a great privilege to have a rural getaway, and I’m grateful and stunned in equal portions.įor all the work I did imagining how I would fill it, I did no thinking about how I would dress for it. Then one day, likely because he was tiring of the boxes of pink goblets stacking up, my husband and I took a drive and wham-bam, we bought a farm, complete with barns and a silo and a pond. To briefly explain how I ended up with 13 acres and a clothing issue: I spent years “manifesting” a farm by spending way too much money on online vintage mismatched silverware and farmhouse jugs and artfully banged-up tables and odd paintings (and promptly putting them into storage, because city house = full). Hot take: Her solution really boils down to integrating our weekday wardrobes with our weekend fantasies. It can feel like we are dressing for split personalities! So, I’m going to share how she answered this question. Think of the many of us moms with corporate day jobs, or even the challenge of dressing for the weekend, or vacation. I’m struggling with this, and when I complained about this to stylist, Julianne Costigan, we quickly worked out it was something universal: We all have different roles and settings in our lives, and integrating two or more wardrobe personalities is challenging. OK, right off the top, this is my own question. Stuff I've never considered! Can I have two entirely different clothing personalities depending on which place I'm in?" -Yours Truly I find myself seeking out a whole new "look" of plaid shirts and heavy-duty boots and shackets. But now it feels like my wardrobe - and thus my identity - has split in two. "I just bought a farm, a lifelong dream realized.