Above & Beyond Style

Last week, I posed the question: What are your style pitfalls? What gets you off track from authentic style? And you came back with some seriously good intel. In this week's episode, I recap your feedback and offer a few solutions along the way. This season gave us an opportunity to look at a variety of obstacles or challenges that can get in the way of our authentic style, and hopefully, you've found the encouragement, validation, and inner strength to take a step toward a style that is authentically yours! And when you need help, I'm just a message away.

Back again with another update on my style resolution with vibrancy as I visited coastal Connecticut! Then, I take another look at these style pitfalls with a bit more focus on the psychology of authentic style. Maybe you've never really been on track with your style? Maybe there's not even been an opportunity to focus on authentic style?

Sometimes when we look at the extremes of style behavior, we can find clarity in the middle, which I argue is where authentic style lives. This week's episode looks at the Minimalist, the Maximilist, and the Moderate, and offers tips for how to orient ourselves toward a more moderate, authentic style.

This week's check-in on "vibrancy" comes after a VERY big shift I made last week (spoiler alert: I moved!). And it all got me thinking: While I am looking at settling into a new community or neighborhood, I'm curious about whether the pressure to belong is impacting how we get dressed. Does your neighborhood have a look? A uniform of sorts? Do you find yourself feeling the pressure to belong by wearing what's "acceptable" vs. what may be more authentically you? Listen in to see if this may be getting you off track from your authentic style.

In this week's episode, let's think about those items in your wardrobe that are just too hard to handle or care for, i.e., may require dry cleaning or ironing. These can be reasons why we don't reach for certain items, and then they sit in our closets collecting dust! Consider how garment care may be a reason you get off track with your authentic style, and if there are any steps you're willing to take to get that item back into rotation.

I referenced these specific items in the episode (if you shop from these links, I do make a small commission, so thank you!)

After a check-in on this year's style resolution with "vibrancy," we dig into yet another style pitfall I coin as the "reserved only" section of our wardrobes. It often feels similar to why we don't use the fine china or burn our best candles. It's as if we are reserving these items for special occasions, and yet, we aren't always guaranteed that future opportunity. What would happen if we actually wore the specialty items? Tune in for this week's dose of style inspiration!

Are you someone who is a repeat buyer of the same item? The "multiples shopper" can leave us with more than what we need and can even keep track of! Listen in this week to find out why we buy in multiples and how to this behavior may get us off track from our authentic style.

After a style resolution check in on "vibrancy," we tackle this week's pitfall: The "What If" Scenario. Do you have a disproportionate number of clothes in your wardrobe that are being reserved for the "what if" scenario? Listen in for a closer look at your wardrobe and explore why you're hanging onto clothes for the one-shot-wonder scenario that may or may not even happen!

Authentic style starts with YOU. And sometimes we (including me!) can get too heavily influenced by trustworthy outside voices to purchase items that maybe shouldn't have been in our wardrobe to begin with. With social media influencers and targeted ads on the rise, we can place too much emphasis on external suggestions vs. listening to our own knowing. This week, try to hone your own intuition and get clearer about the best choices for your wardrobe and style.

In this episode, we check-in about this year's style resolution with the word "vibrancy" and share how it has shown up personally and professionally over the last few weeks (which has been really fun!). Then, I continue our conversation around what gets us off track from a wardrobe we really love by addressing the shopping itch. It's a behavior many of us lean heavily into and can sometimes result in a closet full of clothes we don't want or need. Listen in for how to help scratch the itch more effectively!

The allure of a sale can be quite tricky when we are trying to build a wardrobe we love. In this episode, I talk about the common pitfall of buying for a sale, and how we can create mental strategies to help us from succumbing to it and avoid having a closet of clothes we don't like or wear! Love to hear if you have any strategies you use to create some space between you and the urge to buy sale items.

I have a firm belief that our clothing choices are an extension of who we are, but sometimes we look in the mirror and feel unrecognizable in our clothes. You're not alone if this sounds familiar! In this new season, we are going to unpack those pitfalls and things that distract us, and shine the light on what gets in the way of building a closet we love. So let's orient ourselves toward a style resolution, which promises to keep you- and me- on track.

Shame has a complicated hold on us, especially when we look in the mirror or get dressed each day. As a wardrobe consultant, I bear witness to many people's shame for themselves and for their bodies. I wrote an article in August 2022 about releasing shame and reclaiming self-love, and this episode is dedicated to 4 major wardrobe scenarios that have a spiritual opportunity for healing and transformation.

Women's apparel follows no standardization of sizing, which has left millions of women feeling confused, frustrated, and at times shameful about the size they have to buy. In this episode, I discuss the psychological game of women's sizing and how it's impacted our feelings of self-worth and value. I challenge us to be conscious of the more important factors when selecting clothes, rather than fixating on sizes that no one else can see!

December 1, 2022 marks my one-year anniversary of leaving traditional employment to run MFD Style full-time. Entrepreneurism is a choice, and while not everyone's cup of tea, it opened up possibilities and a lifestyle that I have wanted a long time. Listen in to this episode where I look back at my decision-making process and choosing a mindset that ultimately would sustain me as an entrepreneur.  

Lindsay Morlock is a gifted intuitive, breathwork facilitator, hand analyst, and Spiritual coach. Her approach to healing is grounded in helping others to bridge the gap between the spiritual and practical realms. Through her work, Lindsay empowers her clients to understand that they already have all the answers they are searching for within themselves; they simply need to learn how to access it. She loves helping her clients connect with their own Spiritual Support Teams and ultimately to develop the most important relationship they will ever have in their lives – the one they have with their SELF.

Kate Hammer is a business coach and consultant who lives in upstate New York with a family of four. She says, "Building a business takes courage, and you deserve to feel empowered in it. If you’re feeling lost, unorganized, or maybe just plain overwhelmed, 1:1 consulting from someone who cares about you and your success just as much as you do, can be a valuable investment." She will work with you to develop short and long-term strategy, brand confidence, and creative solutions to sticky problems. Kate comes to work with a tool box packed with over a decade of experience, an advanced degree in Information Management, Data Science certification, and a long list of happy 1:1 clients. She is also the host of her own podcast, “You Know How to Live,” and Season 2 will be out soon.

Christina Ferguson is a writer, a speaker, and the Founder of Parable. From her work across the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, Christina blends together best practices in strategy, communications, organizational change, and sales to paint new images of what is possible for mission-driven organizations and compel the action to get there.

Christina holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Villanova University and a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University. She is a graduate of the Leading Organizational Change program through Wharton Executive Education at the University of Pennsylvania.

Christina not only helped me craft authentic messages and language for my own website, but also she shares her virtual experience as a style client of mine. Make sure you listen for a special offer at the end of the episode!

Janika (Jan) LeMaitre is a certified consultant specializing in personal brand strategy, business etiquette, and reputation self-management. She owns and operates the brand, The Better Professional. She guides her clients on how to build confidence when presenting themselves in their professional world online and in person. Additionally, Jan offers hourly advice and short & long-term project consulting services. Her clients are entrepreneurs, executives, and go-getters who understand that their brand is valuable. Like a rough diamond, her mission is to help her clients polish every facet; Her goal is to help you define the business of being you.

Rebecca Reid is the owner, creative, and Certified Personal Color Analyst at Colorpolitan. She grew up near the California coast and had a fascination with beauty in nature and the colors that surrounded her. She has worked with many women who've been impacted by color analysis - professional women, students, teachers, entrepreneurs, leaders, actors, and moms who are all utilizing their color analysis knowledge and personal color palettes to enhance their natural beauty, feel more confident, and simplify their lives. When she is not at the Colorpolitan studio, you can find her enjoying time with her husband and 4 boys (yes... 4 boys (twins first), you read that correctly!). They love the Dallas metropolitan area and connecting with others in their community.

Season 1 culminates in this final episode all about the key strategies, beliefs, and approaches you can take to curate a closet you love. Over the course of these last 12 episodes, you have been exposed to a variety of practical techniques coupled with how to frame your mindset to achieve a wardrobe that both serves you and makes you feel great about yourself. I'll be back later this summer with more in Season 2. 

To learn more about MFD Style and my services (both virtual and in-person):

Are you feeling like you've been in a style rut, especially after the last few years? Does your wardrobe feel a bit lackluster? This week's episode offers some strategies and ideas to help you pull yourself out of a rut and re-engage with your clothes in new ways, without actually having to buy anything new. 

To learn more about MFD Style and my services (both virtual and in-person):

I've always loved the word "re-entry." It's helped me countless times frame an experience as I move from one circumstance to another. And within those changing circumstances, I've seen how our wardrobe can come along with us for the ride! In this week's episode, I talk about examples of significant change and how our wardrobe adapts and evolves with us through it all. 

To learn more about MFD Style and my services (both virtual and in-person):

There is no question that the fashion industry impacts both people and planet on a significant level. This week's episode brings awareness to our own consumer behaviors, especially in the United States, and how we can embrace better sustainable practices and behaviors going forward.

Perhaps you consider:

I reference the term "authentic style" a lot on this podcast. This episode breaks down that phrase to understand the core components of authentic style and how at its essence, it's all about YOU. 

To learn more about MFD Style and my services (both virtual and in-person):

We would likely never speak to others in the same way we criticize ourselves. That negative self-talk often impacts how we feel about our bodies and likewise how we feel in our clothes. This episode offers several techniques to shift that self-talk narrative and learn to be kinder to ourselves.  

To learn more about MFD Style and my services (both virtual and in-person):

What would it feel like to have wardrobe be in your toolkit for living your best life? In this episode, I talk about a mantra that I often reference: use wardrobe as a tool for support. I discuss the ways that you might consider using your wardrobe to help you through various experiences such as grief, loss, major life transitions, dating, and more. 

I'm Maria, and I own a Boston-based wardrobe consulting business called MFD Style. I use my intuitive approach to help clients develop a confident and authentic signature style, breathe life into an existing wardrobe, and fill in with perfect, versatile pieces that are in line with style and budget.

To learn more about MFD Style and my services (both virtual and in-person):

Welcome to Above & Beyond Style! 

This first episode shares the background of my style journey and when I realized this passion of mine connects to deeper level beliefs about myself. Here's what I have learned: Self-presentation is an expression of self-love, and it enabled me to do some very hard things. 

I'm Maria, and I own a Boston-based wardrobe consulting business called MFD Style. I use my intuitive approach to help clients develop a confident and authentic signature style, breathe life into an existing wardrobe, and fill in with perfect, versatile pieces that are in line with style and budget.

To learn more about MFD Style and my services (both virtual and in-person):