I am old enough to remember when Casual Fridays were a way companies awarded their employees for a job well done. And business casual meant that you just weren’t wearing a formal suit or heels but still looked sharp and professional. Style has undergone a cultural shift and in the most dreadful way, driving society into a culture of comfort. Business casual has been traded out for just plain sloppy.

Long gone are the days where passengers on a plane dressed up for travel. Board any flight today and you’ll be transported into an adult slumber party where athleisure and pajamas dominate. On the streets, with the popularity amongst Gen Z of streetwear - jeans, not so vintage tees and fast fashion are the drugs of choice. All in the name of sacrificing style for comfort.

On a recent trip, I stayed at a top hotel chain and was shocked to be welcomed by a front desk agent with badly distressed, torn jeans. I thought about any job I’ve ever had as a Gen Xer, that would never have been acceptable. I would’ve been immediately sent home and lost out on a day’s pay. Not long after, I headed to a nearby gas station. While filling up, I noticed someone that appeared to be at least over the age of 25, heading into the store in fluffy slippers donning Rick & Morty heads on top. I couldn’t help but ask myself why this would’ve been their shoe of choice when venturing out of their home. While I love their relaxed nature, we live in a society where anything can happen at any time. Perhaps, you can bump into someone with your dream job opportunity. And having slippers on for that encounter just won’t do. So why has dressing solely for comfort become socially acceptable?

With our calendars completely booked with meetings, social events, visits to the vet and a multitude of activities, we rarely make time for ourselves and have to be really efficient in our wardrobe choices. Our outfits need to be flexible and versatile enough to go from the gym to work to a night out. This is without a doubt the reason leggings worn outside of yoga class gained so much popularity. They’re comfy and easy to throw on with anything for most any occasion. I personally am not a fan of leggings outside of the gym. Simply put, leggings aren’t pants, they are not always flattering and there are so many much more stylish alternatives available. I digress.

Personal style has become an overlooked and untapped resource of self-expression, creativity and confidence. Embracing individual style is the most readily available and affordable creative outlet and a much needed addition to your self-care routine. We get it. Athleisure is super comfy and easy to throw on and look cute but it has a time and a place and it’s not all day every day. With a little bit of planning, you can still wear versatile, elevated looks and never miss out on an opportunity or have to skip a fun event because you feel underdressed.

In 2025, we began to see a quiet resurgence of dressing well. More and more consumers are opting for high quality investment pieces, premium materials and timeless design. More understated elegance, quiet luxury and craftsmanship. Accessorizing became more intentional and styling leaned towards a more sensory experience, layering rich patterns and textures. It’s as if everyone woke up from the remote work dream and remembered dressing up is fun.

So you need a wardrobe refresh but where do you start? As a Virtual Stylist, I always begin with a closet audit. The first step is to take inventory of your closet and make a list (we love a list).

Ask yourself key questions like:

What do I have way too much of? What do I never wear? What would I like to see more of? (eg. color, patterns, modern styles, versatility) What do I really need?

Once you’ve assessed your closet then comes the fun part, the purge! Here’s where you gather all of the items that you haven’t worn in ages or that just no longer have a place in your closet and take them to a local shelter or goodwill to donate. This is my favorite part of the closet audit because it feels so good to rid your closet of clutter and make space for new looks but it also feels amazing to give back to the community. For this, you should definitely treat yourself to your favorite coffee spot on the way home. To keep your closet fresh, clutter-free and easy to navigate through, I recommend a closet audit and purge with the change of each season.

After the purge, organize your closet by color and season. This is super helpful when creating outfits. Keep activewear together and ready to wear. For example, if you want to look cute at the gym, piece together an outfit and have it already set in your wardrobe that way (leggings or shorts and a top). When it’s time for yoga class, you can just grab your fit and go! This simple outfit prep step not only saves time but makes it just a little bit easier to get your gym time in. Remember, self-care.

Because I travel and am often in different climates, all season wear is always in my closet. I have everything readily accessible no matter what the weather. I don’t switch out clothing each season or bring out my winter clothes. If you do this, it’s a sign that you have way too much clothing and are desperately in need of a closet audit.

A closet should be well-organized and in a way that makes sense and is easy to find what you need. For example, outerwear should be organized by weight from lightweight to heavyweight: Blazers, light jackets, trenchcoats, winter coats - in that order. The same goes for tops, short sleeve to long sleeve by color. Bottoms should follow, you get the idea. Rummaging through a pile of clothes on your bed to find something to wear to dinner is a thing of the past.

Now that the hard part is done, it’s time to get creative. Yes, that means a vision board! Pinterest is such a great tool to gather inspo and it’s a platform that’s free to use. Create a brand new virtual closet by pinning your favorite looks. You can create a board for each season or a board for an upcoming event. Your virtual Pinterest closet permits you to be free and bold in your choices. Hop out of your comfort zone and explore looks that are exciting and that you love even if they don’t feel within reach or they’re something you’d never wear. Creating a vision board is about being playful and finding creative ways to bring more fun into your wardrobe.

When your vision board is complete, it’s time to shop. Another favorite part of the closet audit. I’m an advocate for slow fashion so I always start at a thrift shop or shop on second hand websites like poshmark or depop. Much of my shopping is new secondhand, meaning it was purchased but never worn by the owner. This is also a great way to buy designer for not so designer prices. You can wear $600 thrifted boots, no one needs to know you only paid $100 for them, it’ll be our little secret. Shopping slow fashion also guarantees higher quality garments that fast fashion simply cannot compete with.

When shopping it’s super important to take your closet inventory into consideration. Make sure you add pieces that can work with what you already have and are versatile. Add neutral colored staples and investment pieces and accessories which a virtual stylist can help you choose. Consider what events you most frequent or would like to attend like networkers or art openings and how you would like to present yourself.

The final, most exciting part of your closet audit is building outfits or fit prepping. It’s like meal prepping only better. Ask yourself what upcoming events you have and start planning your outfits for them. This can be as simple as a meeting with a teacher, a date or lunch with a colleague. If you don’t have any upcoming events planned, recruit friends to dress up for meet-ups or host a themed gathering like dressing up for a Met Gala watch party. Try showing off your new style at work or running your daily errands in an elevated look rather than athleisure. I’m all for comfort however, clothes are made to be fun and show your personality. If everyone is wearing lululemon, what fun is that?

What I love about fit prepping is, it builds excitement for a future event. You have the chance to try on different outfits in a relaxed setting and feel confident about what you’re planning to wear. It’s good personal styling practice and it eases the stress of what to wear, eliminating the wild scrambling moments before you’re due to arrive somewhere.

Fit prepping is the safe space where you can experiment in front of the mirror and find what works and what doesn’t. Once a complete outfit is created, I will usually hang it with accessories attached and shoes just underneath so that it’s ready to go. This typically involves a first choice and a back up outfit just in case I don’t feel like wearing the first choice on the day.

The goal isn’t to mimic what’s currently on the runway or what’s trending. The goal is however to be playful, have fun and feel amazing in what you’re wearing. This is about you being creative and finding your unique personal style. Now you’re ready to take your fit check selfies. Post them boldly captioned, “styled by me”.