125. Your Summer Style Strategy: How to Look Polished and Stay Cool Without Overthinking It

[Music] Did you know that you can have unshakable self-confidence? I'm Sherry Brasier. I'm an advanced certified style coach, personal wardrobe stylist, and seasoned hair stylist. I'm on a mission to teach women everywhere, to see their true value and create self-confidence on the inside, and then help you dress that way on the outside. Women, just like you, are craving strategies to dress your body shape stylishly, tools you can use to help you love yourself and process disappointment and overwhelm, all while still looking put together when you leave the house. If you're ready to figure out your personal style, and learn the tools to help you build and create more self-confidence, then you are in the right place. Let's get started. [Music] Hey, friend. Welcome back to the Creaing and Shakeable Self-Compidence Podcast. I'm Sherry Brasier, and today's episode is all about your summer wardrobe, because let's be honest. The seasons are changing, the kids are out of school, vacations are on the calendar, my calendar are so crazy with all the vacations and time and camping and swim camp and all the things. Thankfully, and the last thing that any of us needs is to have a closet that's adding more stress to our lives. Your wardrobe should be working for your life, not against it. So today I'm going to talk to you about your summer style strategy. So how to look polished, stay cool, and feel confident without overthinking it. And this is especially important for you, my business owners, leaders, coaches, creatives, the women out there that are trying to make a big splash in the world. This is for you. If you are wanting to build something powerful, then you need to closet the support to you, and it doesn't cause you stress. So you already carry so much, your wardrobe should be one of the easiest things for you to do in the day. So let's dive in to what that actually looks like. I have three topics that will help you get your summer wardrobe dialed in. So number one is to simplify your core pieces. In your style strategy, you've got to have core pieces that you have identified. So you've got to make those core pieces as simple as possible. Right now is the perfect time to refresh your look, because the summertime is always kind of that place, that time when we all just kind of feel like we want to refresh. It's been winter, it's been cold. I mean, at least here in Idaho, it gets kind of dreary looking and in the summer, it's so bright and beautiful that you just want to clean out all the things. Right. So now is the perfect time to take a look at your closet and do a refresh. And I want you to ask yourself a couple of questions when you are thinking about doing this refresh. And when you're in your closet, actually doing it. So the first question is what do I love to wear on repeat? What are the things that you're finding that you are constantly pulling out that you constantly wear? There are things now, whether you like them or not, that's another story. That's another conversation. Okay. So just pull the things out that you find yourself wearing a lot and that you really enjoy wearing the things you like. Okay. Now the next question is what feels outdated? What is uncomfortable? Or you feel like it's just not you anymore. Okay. That's the second question. So the first one is what are you wearing all the time? What do you love? What do you find yourself wearing on repeat? And then from those, what are the things that feel outdated and uncomfortable? And they just don't feel like they're you anymore. Okay. So I want you to be so careful. Do not judge yourself for all the things your your mind is going to come up with all of the things. Well, but this and well, but that and that. Okay. Shh. Just you're just identifying the things in your closet that you feel are outdated and uncomfortable and that they're just not you anymore. Don't make it mean anything about you. Okay. Once you do that, what's missing that would make getting dressed easier? So out of what you've just learned from your closet, what is missing in your closet? What's missing in your wardrobe? What pieces are missing that would make things easier that would make getting dressed easier? Okay. Start by removing anything that feels too heavy. Too bulky, too hot. Right. So anything that you were wearing in the winter time that's really thick and heavy, just pull those out. You're not sending them away. You're just pulling them out of your closet so that they aren't bulking up your closet. Okay. We're not wearing thick squatters. We're not wearing, you know, your heavy fabrics right now. So take all of that kind of stuff. And if you don't have a place to put them someplace else other than your closet, then just make a section in your closet that you're just going to move them to a different section in your closet. Okay. That's just will make things so much easier. So instead I want you to keep your lightweight staples like I have a couple of blazers that are lighter in weight and I wear them in the spring and in the summer. I don't necessarily wear, I mean, I do wear them in the winter, but I would definitely have like a sweater on underneath because they're really not that thick and they're not that heavy. So they're not going to keep me that warm, but in the spring and in the summer, I wear them with like a t-shirt or a lightweight breathable top. And then I can just easily take them off if it's warm when I'm walking outside or just kind of drape it over my arm to go into a meeting or to church or some place where it's going to be a little bit chilly. So you want lightweight, you want to keep those lightweight blazers, sweaters, jackets, knits, you know, those kinds of things just for that purpose and we'll get into that just a little bit more in a minute. So if you've got a few breathable tops that will elevate your look like think about blouses or shirts that have kind of like a little fluttery sweet sleeve or something like that. You can wear those and dress them up with accessories or you can put on a lightweight jacket or a blazer or something over it to kind of elevate it, but you don't need to you don't need to put the jacket on in order to complete the look. The top is good on its own with some jewelry, but then you put the jacket on if you're chilly or if you're cold, but it goes with your outfit. It kind of all goes together. Okay, a lot of people make the mistake of in the summertime they wear stuff that's cool, you know, because it's hot outside, but then they don't really feel like they're styled. They don't really feel stylish. Then they just put like a jacket on or something, you know, a hoodie or a sweatshirt or something like that. And it just kind of brings down the whole entire look when you do that. So it's really important to find those lightweight staples that are in your personal style and that that work with you and what you like so that you're not just putting on a hoodie or something like that that's like going to dumb down your outfit. Right. So they've got some really cute ones at Walmart and they're cheap. So don't tell me that you have to go look for, you know, these blazers that are $60 a piece or higher. You can get cheaper ones. So if you're worried about price, if you're worried about money, there are places that you can shop. There's some second hand stores. We have some locally that are so good. So you can find what you're looking for in the budget that you have. I promise. So don't let that stop you from going and getting the things that will help you have the wardrobe that you want to have. So I'm talking about your staples. Make sure that you are keeping in that section of your closet. The comfortable pants or skirts or shorts that you love that are a lighter in color. Now it just kind of depends on what your color palette is, but all of the color palettes have like your deep colors for like winter and your light colors for summer. So all the palettes have those distinctions. So when you're looking at your palette in the summertime, you're just going to look at the lighter hues, the more lighter colors in your palette. That's what you're going to look for for the summertime. And if you need help with colors, I do color matching as part of my offers. So I don't just do color matching on a one on one just one off thing. It is included in my programs. Okay. My offers. So if you need color, matching if you need some help with knowing what to wear in the summertime versus the winter and versus the fall and versus the spring, whatever, then the color palettes that I give my clients have all of the seasons in your specific personality color palette. Okay. The next thing is a go to like dress or jumper or romper or jumpsuit or something like that that's a little bit elevated. It's lightweight fabric that is flowy and not super heavy and hot, but it makes you feel like a million bucks because it fits you well and you just need a cute pair of sandals and a bracelet and earrings and a necklace and you are done and you look great. You want to look for something like that. It could be a sundress, it could be a romper, it could be a jumpsuit. There's so many other things of fabrics and stuff that you can find, but it just, they're easy, they take so much less effort and they're elevated just because of the way that they're constructed and they're just really great. So you need to have at least one of those and I can help you. There are jumpsuits and dresses and rompers and those kinds of things for all body shapes. So if you need help just reach out and that's my jam, that's what I do. So let me help you. So after you get those three things done and just as a reminder because if you're like me, your brains like wait, there were three. So tops that can elevate your look on their own, pants and skirts that are in that neutral, more lighter portion of your color palette and three address or a jumper that makes you feel super great without a whole lot of effort. So once you've got those three, if you see some gaps in there, this is the time when it would be super smart to invest in the things that you see that are gaps. This is what creates that intentional shopping list is when you go through these exercises and you pull things out of your closet intentionally for a specific purpose and then you see the gaps. Then you know exactly what you need. Then you're not just buying what's cute on the mannequin. You're actually looking for something specific and it's so much less overwhelming and frustrating and cheaper if you go to the store with a specific thing in mind that you're going to purchase. Okay. Now you want to look for those intentional pieces that are going to make the whole summer just feel so much easier, so much less effort. Okay. So if you need help knowing what those core pieces are, the 30 day style refresh is what is going to help you. So the link for that, if you want more details on the 30 day style refresh there in the in the show notes, there's a link there that will take you to where you need to go to find out more information or you can just DM me on Instagram, the word style and I'll help you figure that out. I'll give you all the details. You don't need to overhaul your closet every season. You just don't. You just need a clear foundation and that's what the style refresh will do for you. That's why I created it is because people just need a foundation. They just need to know the basics and then we can go from there, right? Okay. So key point number two, build your power outfits for the summer. So once you've simplified and gotten your core pieces, now it's time to build your outfits. Okay. And I call them power outfits because I just like the word power. Like I like to be dressed in a power outfit. So if power outfits, not your thing, just put in another phrase, but your favorite outfits, your go to outfits, your style favorite stylish outfits, whatever, right? These are your no fill combos. They are outfits that you can throw together in five minutes and still feel amazing. Okay. These outfits are not designed to be complicated. They're meant to be easy. So you're going to want to build some outfits. Like I would say three to four outfits through your power outfits. And they're just your easy outfits. They're done top to bottom and you know that they work so that on those days when you're running late or you have this special thing or whatever, you're like, I have those outfits that I already know, they are my go to outfits. They're super easy to put together. They're effortless. Just so easy. Okay. So a few tips for building these power outfits for the summer is layering. We did talk about layering earlier in the episode, but summer is super unpredictable. And for me, I'm cold all the time. And it's like I have an electric blanket on like I have my electric blanket and it is, I don't know, 85 degrees outside, but it's cold in our house because we have air conditioning and the air conditioning just makes me cold. So I have a couple of layering options that I take with me. I have a bag right here. I can show it to you. If you are on the YouTube channel, I have this bag. And it's my like my business bag, my office bag, my whatever it has all my you know my calendaring little notebook, my charger, some pens, a notebook, whatever. And then when I'm going to a networking meeting or I'm going to a client meeting or whatever, I just grab my computer and stick it inside. And I have a shawl. I put it in another bag and it's over there, but I have a shawl that's a fleece shawl and it just sticks in there. I get just rolls up to about this big and it just sticks inside my bag. I have a scarf that's also warm that sometimes I'll grab, but I have like a short sleeve shirt on and shorts and sandals on today. But I will take my shawl or my scarf wherever I am today because I'm just going to be cold when I go inside a building. But then in my car and as I'm walking around outside or whatever, I'm going to be warm. And so I want to wear something that's warm, you know, in the lens to the warm weather, right? So your lightweight layering thing could be a linen blazer. It could be a linen like chambre button up shirt that you'd like tie around your neck or around your shoulders or around your waist or whatever, right? It could be like a cropped jacket that is your layering thing. So whatever it is that goes with your outfit, whatever it is that you like, there's so many things that you can do if you need that layering option, if it's cold inside for air conditioning. But if you are on the hot side and and summer is really hard for you because you're naturally warm and then it's hot outside and you just love to go inside where it's air conditioning and even sometimes then it's a little bit warm. Then you're just going to want to think about the fabrics of your clothes that you're wearing. So you want to wear something that's like linen or cotton or modal fabrics because they're going to help you stay cool. They're breathable. The air can go in and out. They're not going to they're not heavy enough to stop the air flow that's in the room, right? So if you're hot, then think about the fabrics that you are wearing. And then if you have long hair, just wear a scrunchy thing around your wrist or in your purse so that you can get your hair pulled up or a clip and just like twist it up and put it up on top of your head if you get really hot, if your hair is long. So there are some things that you can do if you are warm blooded. If you if you feel like you're you run on the warm side, I always tell people to think about their shoes. If you're a warm or cold person because when your feet are warm, then it keeps you warm, right? So if you're warm blooded and you have a hard time kind of cooling yourself off, then you need to wear shoes that are open toad or don't have a lot of fabric and leather and whatever so that your feet can breathe. Okay. The third thing is your colors. And we talked about that a little bit earlier too is what are your lighter colors in your palette? If white is not your thing, it doesn't have to be white, but it could be a cream or an ivory. It could be lighter blue. It could be like earlier I talked about like that chambray. That is such a great color for summer for all personality types because it's kind of in the neutral place and it just looks good with a lot of different colors. And so that's a great color to have in your in your wardrobe is that chambray color. And it's kind of like denim, but it's not actual denim. It's like the light color denim. That's kind of the the color, I guess you could say. If you're having a hard time like coming to it with your head. And then you're going to want to choose like a vibrant pops of color from your color palette to reflect your personality. So in the summertime, it's all about those light, just think light, breezy, breathable with pops of color. Whatever the color is in your palette. Okay. The goal here is to have a smaller kind of capsule wardrobe, I guess, if you, if you like that term or like it just a small set of mix and match outfits that make you feel polished, powerful and prepared, that you can just go to, grab them, get dressed and go. Whether you're heading to a client call, brunch with friends, heading to the airport, going on a date night, going to church, whatever, those outfits are go-to's and you can mix and match with a skirt, with shorts, with pants so that you're just ready to go to whatever it is that calls you out. Okay? That takes us into number three. So confidence grows with alignment. Now, let's talk about the part that nobody's teaching in traditional style guides. Your confidence grows when your style aligns with your energy and season of your life. If you're juggling business and kids and planning summer vacations and travel and navigating hot days and busy nights and your style just needs to reflect all of that. It just needs to reflect that rhythm of your actual life. So when outfits match the life that you're actually living, then you will show up with more ease. You will be able to get dressed easier and you'll just show up looking effortless and put together and like summer glow, right? So one outfit is not going to do this. It's not going to do it all. A lot of us think that one outfit should be perfect for walking the dog, work meetings, playing on the floor with your grandkids, date night. You're going to get that out of one single outfit. And that's a pretty big expectation for that outfit. And it's a pretty big expectation for you to find that outfit. That's right for all of those things. That's why when I'm working with my clients, the lifestyle categories is such a huge, aha brain explosion because we're using the knowledge of what we know from our personality. And we're creating categories that are our actual life. And we're going to create clothing and style and outfits for your life. And you have them already in your closet. You just haven't categorized them. So you just don't know. But I promise you, they are in your closet already. You do not have to go buy a whole bunch of clothes. Now, if you want to and you need an excuse to refresh everything and just go buy new stuff, I am here for you, girl. I am here for it. There's nothing I like better than just going shopping and going on a shopping spree. And I am here for that. But it is not necessary. It is not a game changer. If you don't want to go and get all new clothes, you don't have to. I promise there are stuff in your closet right now. You just don't know where it goes. You just haven't acknowledged and been been able to define the categories that are your life, which is what I work with you on in my style programs. So if this is overwhelming for you or if this sounds like something that you want, like you're like, I would love to have a mix and match little capsule wardrobe for the summer. Then let's do that 30 day refresh. That's exactly why I created it. It's a fast and furious overhaul, one and done, super fast build your foundation and go. It's such a good entry point. Okay. So I want you to remember this. You're not faking anything. You're not uncomfortable. You're not trying to be someone else. That's not what we're trying to do. You are walking into rooms, whether they're real rooms or whether they're virtual rooms and you have this quiet knowing. I feel good. I look good. I'm ready. It's a quiet confidence when you know that your wardrobe supports who you are and the life you actually live and who you want to become and what your goals are set at. It's not a big bold out there people are going to be like, whoa, what happened to her? I mean people do say that. They say, wow, you look great. You've really changed. You look awesome. Something's changed in you and you just are showing up so much bigger. But it's not a you've just walked into a room dress like a clown. That's not what people see. What my clients are telling me is that people are coming up to them and just telling them how great they look. That they look more confident in themselves. That they look like they know who they are. Who doesn't want that? If you don't want compliments like that, I don't know why you're listening to this podcast. I want you to have compliments like that. I want you to have compliments where people come up to you and tell you that you look confident. That you just being in the room and someone looks at you. The thing that they think about you is that you look confident. That you look like you are settled in who you are. That you are certain in you and you. And what you are here to do and who you are. That is what lights me up. I could talk about it for days. That is what I want for you. That kind of alignment. Because that kind of alignment creates ripple effect. It creates a ripple effect in how you speak. It creates a ripple effect in how you lead and how you connect with others. It will affect your life, your business, your marriage, your relationships, your family, all of it. Because it all stems from knowing who you are, your identity. And then isn't it just fun that I can see your personality and your identity and create an outfit for that? That is one of the things I'm the best at. Is seeing your personality, seeing who you are and what your goals are and just your identity and showcasing that in an outfit. Like how freaking fun is that? This isn't just about clothes. This isn't just about cotton and linen. It's about showing up and being confident in who you are and who you want to be in every season of your life. Not just when you're going out to the grocery store, not just when you're going into a meeting, not just when you're going out on stage. Every season. If you are a grandma, I'm almost a grandma. I mean, I don't have any kids on the way. Like I don't have any grandkids on the way. But my oldest just got married and so I'm stepping into that next season of my life. And I'm going to be wanting to go to the park and go to the pool and play on the floor and all of the things. And you better believe that I'm going to look good doing it because I want to feel my best when I'm with my grandkids. I don't want to feel like, oh, this will do. So here's what I have for you. What would it feel like to walk into every day this summer feeling polished, confident, and totally in control of your wardrobe? Not stressed out about your closet, not stressed out about what you're going to wear. You can have that. And I can help you. I have three spots that I'm going to feel for this month, for the style refresh. I have two that are almost sold already. I have two people that I'm in contact with right now that are seriously considering taking two of those spots. So then I'll only have one. So if you want to refresh this summer and you just want a fast and furious, let's see what Sherry can do in 30 days, you're going to want to get in this 30-day style refresh. Okay. It is an investment. It is designed to be an investment. I did it on purpose because investing in ourselves as women is hard. It just is hard for us. But I will tell you from personal experience, the most confidence that I have gotten is when I have invested in myself and been scared to do it, been scared to invest the kind of money that I've invested, and then get the result from that investment. Holy smokes. That is huge. That feels so good that you invested in yourself just for the sole purpose because you matter. That's the only reason because you matter. So if this is something that you want to consider, I have three-ish spots available right now, right now, three are open. No one has taken the spot. I'm just in conversations with two people to take those spots. So I still have three spots open and we'll access your closet, we'll define your personality and your vibe and what you want to go for the summer and we'll build out those powerful outfits so that you can have the summer that's going to support you in getting the things that you want out of your life, out of the summer, reach your goals, all the things. So let's refresh your closet. Let's refine your confidence and let's make this your best dressed and most confident season to date. Okay, you'll find all of the links that I talked about today in the show notes and you can DM me the word style on Instagram. If you have questions for me or if you want to just get more information, then you can just DM me on Instagram or on Facebook, wherever is easiest for you to find me and just DM me the word style and tell me that you listen to this episode or whatever you can just say style and I'll just we'll just start a conversation but just reach out. Email me DM me whatever it is easiest for you. You deserve to feel amazing in your clothes. You do and you deserve that every day, not just when you're going somewhere, right? And I would love to help you make that your reality. Okay, so that's it for today's episode. Get your staples together, your power outfits for the summer and align yourself with your confidence. Okay, that's what I have until next time. So stay confident and keep becoming the woman that you want to become. All right, I'll see you next time. Bye. Thank you for tuning in to creating and shakeable self-confidence. In today's episode inspired you, let's keep the momentum going. Join the stylish professional, our exclusive Facebook community where ambitious women just like you are leveling up their confidence, style and success. Inside you'll get pro styling tips, mindset shifts, and a powerhouse network of women cheering you on and stepping into their power. Just search the stylish professional on Facebook or click the link in the show notes. I can't wait to see you there. And remember, your wardrobe is a business tool. Make sure it aligns with the level of success you're aiming for.