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Welcome to another episode of the Style
and Strategy podcast.
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Today, I'm diving into a bit of a topic
that I know I hear time and time again
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from many clients.
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And it's really on that area of trying,
when you're getting dressed, trying to
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And it's really on that area of trying,
when you're getting dressed, trying to
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feel like you're not trying too hard,
really.
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And for those of us kind of over the 40
mark or over there at 35 mark, you're kind
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of looking back and thinking, wow, can I
get away with wearing that?
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Or maybe I can't.
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And I hear it a lot.
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Sometimes they might say things like,
please, I don't know what to do and I
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don't want to be seen as mutton dressed up
as lamb to use a colloquialism.
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around it.
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So I'm wondering whether many of you also
have had that sort of thought cross your
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mind.
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So if you are and you're finding it hard
to get that balance between, I really
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don't want to look like I'm trying too
hard and I kind of want it to look
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natural.
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What I sometimes find is one of the
following things starts to happen.
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What I sometimes find is one of the
following things starts to happen.
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What I sometimes find is one of the
following things starts to happen.
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So your style might've evolved over a
period of time.
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And the thing that's happening is you've
started to notice because you're shopping
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in the same stores that you were maybe
five, 10 years ago.
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And that's okay if they're catering to
your style needs.
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But if they aren't any longer because
they're no longer keeping up with our
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But if they aren't any longer because
they're no longer keeping up with our
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changing tastes.
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sort of needs.
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It seems like the default and it's much
easier to stick with what we know and
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hence why you keep going back there.
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But that can really leave us feeling
completely uninspired and out of sync with
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who we are now.
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Another thing that might be happening is
you might be swinging between sort of
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these conservative looks and
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brands that you know are more conservative
just to try to find this balance of trying
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to be appropriately dressed but still not
looking like you're trying too hard.
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And then really hoping to strike the right
note.
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But again, that can often lead to a
wardrobe that might feel a little bit
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disjointed and maybe doesn't quite
represent who you are anymore.
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So the other thing that might be happening
is you might be avoiding experimenting
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with new styles because you're starting to
feel like, if I go down that path, I'm
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going to look a little bit out of place.
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And so maybe it's best if I don't even
try.
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And so this one's quite big.
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That fear of stepping out of our comfort
zone, even if that comfort zone is you
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being stuck in a rut, a style rut, and
wearing those same outfits over and over
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again that really don't excite us any
more, then...
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that can really cause some issues down the
track.
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Because if one of those three items, does
that sound familiar, perhaps to some of
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the things that are popping up for you?
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Because if you are doing one of these
things, then I bet...
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it's really starting to contribute to some
of the style challenges that you might be
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having.
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And if I'm right, don't worry.
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I've got some tips for you now in this
episode to help you really, you know,
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crush through that and challenge those
patterns and really dress in a way that
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allows you to feel, yeah, I'm appropriate
and I'm comfortable and I'm still put
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together without looking over done.
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So who's up for hearing some of those
tips?
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So who's up for hearing some of those
tips?
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Okay.
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So tip.
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One is thinking about how you actually go
about diversifying your shopping habits.
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So really starting to open your mind to
explore new stores that might cater for
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your different style and your different
changing needs.
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So if you start to look for different
brands that might offer similar pieces
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that resonate with you,
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but feel a little bit more fresh.
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There's an injection of freshness to them.
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So they feel a bit more timeless.
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And don't be afraid to venture into those
boutiques or online stores you've never
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tried before, because you might actually
be surprised what you might find.
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And I know it sounds a little bit nerve
wracking to think about,
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And I know it sounds a little bit nerve
wracking to think about,
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to go and find new stores and really try
to experiment.
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to go and find new stores and really try
to experiment.
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It does take a little bit of time, but
trust me, in the long run, you will be
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grateful for it.
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Because even though you might have to try
a few different things on or maybe, you
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know, try and return a few things just to
get into a bit of a rhythm around
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know, try and return a few things just to
get into a bit of a rhythm around
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understanding how that brand really fits
you, then you might be surprised that you
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might find something that is just amazing.
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and more different from what you've had
potentially before.
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The second tip I've got is I want you to
start to see if we can find your sweet
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spot between conservative and stylish.
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So conservative, stylish, elevated, those
kind of three kind of might go hand in
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hand.
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It really depends on what your style is.
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It's not really about swinging to either
extremes.
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but it's about really trying to integrate
those elements into a much more cohesive
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look for you.
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An example of this might be, many of you I
know might have a really nice classic pair
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of pants, like suit pants, that type of
thing.
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So thinking about how can you mix those up
with something.
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other than what you've been traditionally
wearing it with.
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So you may have been wearing it with,
let's say a button down shirt
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traditionally, or maybe a blouse.
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So maybe swapping those out and going, how
can I now find something that maybe is
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dulled down a little bit, maybe a casual
tee or along those lines?
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Because by mixing that up, what we wanna
try to do is create a bit of newer
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harmony.
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and freshness to your outfit.
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So, and my third element here for you to
really think about is embracing
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experimentation, right?
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Don't be afraid to experiment with your
outfit as you move down this path.
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So what does that actually mean?
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So what does that actually mean?
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Look, it can be really scary to try
something new, but...
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fashion and your style is supposed to be
fun and it's supposed to be reflective of
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your evolving self.
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So if you start really small by
incorporating maybe something that's a
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little bit different in your wardrobe and
start to see how you feel when you go to
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wear it, you know, is it something that in
a bold print maybe it's a leopard or
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something a little bit different from what
you would have traditionally worn?
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So looking at maybe getting a print that's
quite bold, but in a conservative style
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might help to bridge that gap for you.
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And again, this is just an example for you
to consider, but you need to find that
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little bit of fun back into your wardrobe
as you evolve through that next stage.
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You need to trust your gut is my number
four around this.
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So,
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Why do I say that?
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Because time and time again, I've heard
clients pick something that they
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absolutely love, but then when they put it
on, they're just not sure.
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And they need that second opinion.
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And I love being able to provide that to
many of my clients.
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When you need that, I want you to think
about, do I feel like mutton dressed up as
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lamb?
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Do I feel out of sorts and really
uncomfortable?
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Or is it that I'm not sure if I can get
away with this because I'm worried how
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people might perceive me?
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Because that's a little bit different.
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Because if you feel incredible in it and
it fits really well and it's hugging in
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the right places and it's working for you
from a color perspective and a style.
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then it's not necessarily about everybody
else's perception along that journey.
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So one of my listeners actually sent in a
bit of a question for me really in
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relation to this particular topic.
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And her specific question was, hi Sonia,
I'm in my late 40s and I feel stuck in a
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rut.
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So how can I start to introduce more
appropriate yet stylish pieces into my
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wardrobe?
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So this is a fantastic question.
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So my advice here is to really start by
identifying the key pieces you already
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love, and then you start to build from
there because that'll start to be your
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foundation.
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So you wanna try to inject a little bit
more modern or fresh updates to those
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favorites.
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So let's take the blazer as an example,
because many of you already own a blazer
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that you probably love.
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So if you find one and you want to update
it a bit, you might be looking for one in
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So if you find one and you want to update
it a bit, you might be looking for one in
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maybe a different fabric.
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So something with an interesting fabric,
similar to the leopard print example I
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talked about before, or perhaps it's a
refresh on the cut.
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So maybe it's a different cut to how you
would normally or traditionally wear it.
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Maybe it's a colorless blazer, colorless
long line blazer, or maybe it's a crop
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style blazer.
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maybe it's a blazer in a bit more of a
knit fabric.
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That could be a really interesting way of
trying to shift that slightly.
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Now, if you want to get more out of that
existing wardrobe, then it might be more
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about injecting some accessories to really
refresh the look completely.
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I cannot impress on my clients enough the
power of the accessory.
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The ability for a piece of jewelry to
completely change the look of an existing
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The ability for a piece of jewelry to
completely change the look of an existing
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knit and blazer top, anything like that,
is magic really.
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And if you can find the right piece, it
will refresh your look without necessarily
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having to overhaul your entire wardrobe.
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So.
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That's all I've got time for today, but
remember that looking for that appropriate
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outfit without looking like you're trying
too hard doesn't mean you have to
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sacrifice your style at all.
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It's about finding balance where you feel
confident and authentic and most
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importantly, like you and your personal
brand.
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If you've really enjoyed this episode,
please leave me a review, drop me a DM,
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I'd love to hear from you.
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Or drop me a DM, I'd love to hear from
you.
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Or share it with a friend who might need
that little bit of style inspiration.
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Thanks everyone.
