DON'T PANIC!!!
Approach a New Season Like a Stylist
You know how in Mean Girls, Karen says that she has ESPN and can always tell when it is going to rain? Well, I am no psychic, and I am definitely not a meteorologist, but I do also have a really specific indicator for a change in weather… my calendar gets BOOKED UP.
It is mayhem! Panic! Pandemonium! Because every year, we all somehow forget how to get dressed when the weather warms up.
Picture this: it has been a particularly brutal winter. It was rainy and snowy and cold, and for literal months you have been forced to hide your cute clothes under puffy coats and stuff your feet into weatherproof boots. You have been staring longingly at your cute mid-weight jackets and dream about the day where you can wear shoes that don’t require wool socks. And then... it happens.
One fabulous warm day, when the sun is shining, and for the first time you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You have been waiting for this weather so you could actually look cute for once, but now that it is here… what the hell was I so excited to wear again? Is this leather bomber still cool? Does it feel too oversized now? Not oversized enough?! You wipe the dust off of your loafers but then think… wait, remind me how I like to wear these? Are these even cute with my jeans? Are these even cute in general?
It’s pure panic. The moment you have been waiting for, and you just throw on your winter coat because there is now TOO MUCH to choose from, but also nothing that feels right and where do we even begin? On this first nice day, my calendar goes crazy. Slots get booked up because clients panic and feel like they need help. They feel like they need to start anew. They feel like they have finally (begrudgingly) gotten into the groove of cold-weather dressing, and now the seasons are going to switch up on them and leave them feeling like they are starting from square one.
Typically, the start of this call goes something like this: “I have NO clothes for spring or summer. It was nice outside last week, and I had NOTHING to wear. I need so many things. Instead of showing you what I have, let me just tell you what I think I need to buy.”
And I say… let me stop you right there.
And then we get into it. And while every session is different, and we all have our own sets of problems that require specific solutions, I have done my best to distill the tips and guidance below. So when the seasons change, you can refer back to this. You can take a deep breath, and you can approach a new season with a vision, with confidence, and without feeling like you are starting from square one each time the weather changes.
Also, just a little reflection that I had as I was finishing up this newsletter: as I was writing this, I was like WOW, I am always drawn to the same look, the same pieces, the same brands. I need to mix it up!! But then I realized actually... no. What I preach is consistency and repetition, so why would I change it up so much? That wouldn’t feel genuine to me. And that also doesn’t feel sustainable for you. To be thrown wildly new things every 15 days? That makes no sense. So enjoy the repetition and the ease of the Allison Bornstein Newsletter. You might see the same ballet flats every month, but you will take away new ideas!!! When I sit down to write, my manifesto is always that I want to teach you something, not sell you something. And if you have bought something from my newsletter in the past, me showing it to you again and again will also just show different ways to style it. Okay, let’s get started. But first…
A few weeks ago I did a very fun event at the Unsubscribed store in Santa Monica (P.S. if you are ever in the area, its a beautiful store and a fun destination to add to your LA shopping list!). I curated some of my favorite pieces from the collection and did a really fun styling session and Q&A where we went over some fun styling concepts. The store has multiple brands (including Agolde, Citizens and Dragon Diffusion.. some faves!) but the Unsubscribed collection was really impressive. I added some of my favorite pieces below including the polo sweatshirt that I have worn every single evening since I got it. I have been throwing it on with shorts but I also like the contrast of the sporty fleece with a lighter linen pant! You also know I am always on the hunt for a great fancy t-shirt and this one is VERY good. Soft and drapey but still has a nice shape and works great under a crewneck! The sleeve shape is also really good.
Okay! Here is how we are going to APPROACH A NEW SEASON LIKE A STYLIST!
I think you might absolutely hate this advice, but we need to SLOW THE HELL DOWN when it comes to our wardrobe and shopping for a “new season.” We need to live in a situation and adapt to it before we know how we want to feel and look. I think what is so tricky about that “first beautiful day” that I referenced above is that we are thrown into it. We feel out of practice. It has been literal months since we saw the sun or dressed for it, so it takes a second to get oriented and remember who we are / who we want to be. We need to live in that sunshine for a bit to figure out what we need/want for the season.
I have explained this as the “‘back to school method.” When I was young, I remember I would always be really jealous of the girls who would go “back-to-school” shopping in the summer and have all of their outfits ready for the incoming school year. It seemed so fun! And indulgent! And as someone who loves a plan and also loves to shop, it seemed like true torture that my mom did not operate this way. Instead, she said I could pick something out for the first day, but she would always say to wait a few months (feels like forever when you are young!) to figure out what I actually wanted and needed for the year. It was a practical suggestion, but I think what it ended up doing was saving me from purchases that would feel irrelevant a few months down the line. How would I know what I would want to wear for high school if I had never been there? How could I get a sense of what my life would be like and who I would want to be without having at least a few weeks to get situated? I have found that every single time I abandon this ideology and hastily buy something in preparation for a change (whether it is something big like pregnancy or something small like the weather changing), I always regret it. My decision-making is always based on a fantasy, and I always get it wrong. Of course, I am not saying that we don’t all deserve a little fantasy and whimsy. We do. But I strongly advise that we do not go crazy and buy all of our pieces for the season up top.
So… on that first warm day, what do we do? What do we wear? If I am telling you to hold your horses and wait a second… are we just going to wear our winter clothes and sweat to death?! No, we are not. Because we have also lived here before. We wore clothes last spring and summer. Which brings me to my next tip….
Hey, remember a few months ago when you finally perfected your spring and summer looks, and then you were sad that it got cold? Remember those looks? Great, so those are still relevant and still in your closet. Sure, maybe we want to switch it up a bit and evolve and style things differently, but I bet you can remember some of your go-to looks from last year and use them as a starting point.
And if you don’t, this is why I always advise keeping a personal lookbook. And I am emphasizing the word personal because this is just for your reference, not to share. Take photos of your looks and add them to a folder so you can have them to refer to. If it’s a look you love—or even if it’s a look you don’t—it is nice to have some visuals to reflect on. I personally like to hide my face with my phone so I am just focusing on the look and not on my face. For me, this helps me be more subjective, I think. You might look at your last year’s looks and think, “eh, don’t resonate with some of this,” but I guarantee you that you will at least have a starting-off point.
The beauty is that we can evolve and style things differently, but ideally we are not RE-building a wardrobe each season. We are just refining it. We are editing, we are adding, but we are not just throwing things out and starting over each year. That would be totally crazy. Horrible for the environment and our wallets, but also horrible for our style. Good style evolves, but it changes slowly. I recognize that with social media, it feels like trends cycle in and out rather quickly, but enduring style is… well, enduring. We add a few modern touches, but the ingredients remain the same.
If I can just say one more thing about the CBK discourse, I think what it has shown us is that we are craving stability in fashion. We want something to hold onto and to touch down on. We want to see something and say, “Wow, that is so Carolyn,” and I think we also desire to be seen that way as well. We want people to be able to understand and identify our style. We want to be seen. And the only way to do that is through repetition and consistency. So going into each season, we are building off the season before.
Okay, so we went back and identified what we loved last year just to get a sense and get oriented, but want to know what is even easier than that? Relying on your winter formulas. Like I said above, good style is about consistency and slow evolution. We aren’t wearing snow boots one day and sandals the next… we ease into it. And there are ways to ease into a new season that make your life easy and your wardrobe fabulous.
You can still wear your favorite jeans and your favorite sweater, but it is just about the styling—about keeping what works and then using texture, color, and the “wrong” concept to introduce the incoming season (more on that below!).
I feel like I can show better than tell, so see below for some examples.
Should I say it one more time for good luck? Texture! The easiest way to transition a look to the warmer months is to start to incorporate light and summery textures into the mix. A basket bag, a touch of linen, even a little beaded jewelry! Why not?! Swap your cashmere knits for something cotton! Use texture to lighten things up. I find that raffia and woven textures always feel really fresh and give that beach bag feeling, even when it is styled back to something a bit heavier.
And of course, the opposite is also true when it gets chilly again. Add knits and leather and suede to get the opposite effect!
Another great way to lighten up a look for the warmer months… grab lighter colors. I know, it maybe seems obvious, but swapping some indigo denim for a super light wash or white denim does a LOT. We all know that light colors and tones are not just for spring/summer, but they do add a lightness even in a heavier fabrication. We can go for a knit, but if it is white or cream and paired with a pair of slouchy white denim… that feels kind of fresh! Honestly, what else can I say about this? Not much, but here are some examples to really hit it home! Next time the sun is out and you are not sure what to wear, screenshot some of these for inspo!
While the “transitional” months might seem like the trickiest to dress for, I actually think it is the perfect time for contrast. And what makes a good look? Contrast! It is a little warm but a little cold, and that is the perfect time to really play with contrast using proportion, texture, and accessories! This is where you can really flex your wrong shoe/bag/accessory muscle and go crazy. Pick the accessory that not only feels like a different vibe than the rest of the look but also is from a different season. Mix summery accessories with cozy cashmere knits and heavy leather with light linen. Truly, the more contrast, the better!
Throw on a wool trouser and a sweater, but add a flip-flop. Or throw on a chunky boot with your favorite spring dress. It is all about mixing it up here! And it doesn’t have to just be the shoe. Similar to the TEXTURE conversation, we can style a light woven bag with a chic wool wrap coat or a rich suede hobo bag to add some weight to a lighter trench coat. If the concept of “wrong shoe” feels hard for you to master or wrap your head around, this is a great time to play. The “wrong” element is just pulling something from the opposite season!!!
Want some examples? See below!!
It is almost like I say this every single newsletter (I do!), but inspiration is so incredibly useful if you are feeling lost or uninspired. As I have said before, the WORST TIME to shop or buy anything new is when you are feeling stuck. You do not want to shop for inspiration. You want to shop when you are already feeling inspired and focused. So first, we have to get inspired and focused, and the best way to do that is to gather images and references. Not too many… pick about 5 to 15 images that will guide you toward a new season and put them in a folder on your phone. Take your time here. Don’t rush, and don’t just run to Pinterest and type in “spring 2026.” My advice is to first scroll through your very own phone. Go to the screenshots folder and see what you have captured in the past. See what you have been collecting that resonates. This way, you are not just picking things that are trendy or that feel too obvious—you are looking through your own curation as a starting-off point.
I talk a lot about moodboards HERE, but what I find helpful is to have a running moodboard for each season that I am constantly adding to and editing. So when the weather changes, I can just look in my “SPRING” folder, and it immediately gets my creative juices flowing. Like I said, some of the things that really resonated last year might not feel as relevant, but that is okay—just edit those images out. Also, take note of why these things no longer feel right. That is also really helpful information and can likely help guide you even more. So for me, this is a glimpse into my SPRING folder.
I still love all of these things but I feel like I have been feeling a little more funky and boho—so I have been adding and editing a bit.
Similar, but a slightly different energy! It feels like me, but I am progressing. And looking at this really helps me move into the next season with confidence and direction. A moodboard like this is similar to your wardrobe—you want to hold onto things that resonate and add things that feel fresh and new and exciting. Each season, we are not starting from scratch with our wardrobes or what inspires us. We are building on it. We are using new experiences and ideas and references to actually become more of ourselves and understand our style even deeper. This is an evolution and a process, and that is the fun part. We are never going to be “done” with our wardrobe because we are never going to be done growing and evolving and expressing ourselves. So let yourself enjoy the process!!
Also, I am happy to have you here either way, but just want to point out that I am also doing a lot in my second monthly newsletter, which is for paid subscribers. My last one was a pretty comprehensive list of all of my shopping tips and what makes someone a good shopper (aka someone who buys things that they end up liking and wearing). I also confessed my sins and showed everything I have bought recently. If any of that is of interest, it is HERE. And you also get access to all of my other newsletters from the archives. And there have been some good ones, if I do say so myself! I really like writing this, and I love spending time on it, and I hope that shows and that you love it too!
And if you are happy with just one newsletter a month (I mean, it’s still a pretty good deal… it’s free), I want to just acknowledge and thank the brands that help make the free newsletter possible: Sezane, Net-a-Porter, Neiman Marcus, and Unsubscribed!!!! Thank you for sponsoring! I never work with brands that do not feel aligned and do not feel right for the newsletter (typically, the brands that reach out are ones that I have promoted before, so… it works!), so rest assured that you are always getting my true recommendations.
Now, a few VERY practical recommendations that I have been loving. We have been renting a house for a change of pace. We had a really hard few months driving back and forth to the hospital with Jack, and we just needed to get into a new groove and switch up the routine. So here are the things that have been great in the new space and things that have made us feel cozy.
“When I sit down to write, my manifesto is always that I want to teach you something, not sell you something.” 🙌🏼 and this is why we love you AB! It feels so rare to not have someone selling you something at every turn these days. So many great and useful tips, thank you!
Love how you provide us with a process —kind of like “if you teach a man to fish…” 💕