My Pinterest feed had been looking exactly like that for months, and i had similar accessories and jewelry saved, so i got curious. The answers were all over the place: 1960s space fantasy, gothic futurism, cyber Barbarellacore. And then I thought:

“we all are chasing the same aesthetic without properly naming it.”

Then, in a span of a week, three of my friends asked me:
“where to do i buy niche jewelry pieces?” and I locked in!

1. I researched this aesthetics and understood why everyone is obsessed with it,

2. dived deeper into styles and designers, (jewelry)

3. made a whole video about it!! (my second YouTube video lol)

And now I’m here to share these findings more specifically - the most beautiful pieces I found along the way, and where to actually get them.

// but if you want the full history (Paco Rabanne, Barbarella, Art Deco, why these aesthetics are resurging right now culturally) the video covers all of that.

to sum up my findings - two aesthetics, one obsession.

neo-deco style: geometrical, emphasizing massive designs and form, it’s similar to Art Deco style but uses cleaner lines (think less Great Gatsby, more wearable sculpture). It feels more futuristic: fluid sculptural forms, melted-looking silver, asymmetric rings, liquid chrome finishes.

romantic gothic: goes the opposite direction - it fantasizes about the past. Victorian jewelry, ornate crosses, floral and celestial motives, filigree metalwork, dark stones, pearls mixed with oxidized silver. It’s moody, intentional, and deeply personal, culturally fueled by everything from Wuthering Heights to Wednesday to Dracula.

Both aesthetics are a rejection of minimalism. Both are about wearing something more complex and more personal. One glamorizes the future, the other glamorizes the past. Both are rejecting the present but doing it incredibly beautifully!

ps. All the visuals from this research are on my Cosmos board → if you like any of these - pix are clickable and go straight to the artists!

where to find these pieces (recommendations below)

Before I shared anything else: go find your local jewelry maker!!! Seriously.

Just search for “craft jewelry maker [your city]” on maps. A lot of these artists are tiny on Instagram and their websites haven’t been updated for decades, but trust me - it’s the most unique shopping experience you’d possibly have.

I did the same in Vancouver, I went to Granville Island and found so many incredible jewelry stores. When you know the artist who made the piece and the story behind it, it’s something you genuinely can’t replicate online.

For everything else, here’s how I’d break it down by budget:

under $50 - explore & experiment
if you’re unsure what styles you like and want to figure it out without committing

• Thrift // second-hand // antique - their jewelry section is wildly underrated

• Pinterest lens / Google lens - search from the image leads you to small sellers or Etsy shops you’d never find otherwise.

$50–$250 - handmade & some vintage

• Etsy - search for: “gothic filigree”, “garnet drop earrings 925”, “Victorian ring”, “sculptural silver ring”, “oxidised silver choker”, “fluid form earrings”.

• Local craft markets & jewelry studios - where the most unique pieces are!

• Depop, The RealReal, Vestiaire and other vintage resale platforms, search for:

  • neodeco styles → vintage Courrèges, Cardin, Rabanne

  • romantic gothic → vintage Saint Laurent, Valentino, Dior

$250 - $1000 - contemporary fine & designer

• Retail platforms:

  • Ap0cene - pure art, niche and unique designers, experimental styles (my fav!)

  • Completedworks, SSENSE, Net-A-Porter or My Theresa - huge marketplaces with established designers, search for Simone Rocha, Sophie Buhai, Jennifer Behr.

• FuRuilin - new and raw, i never seen anything like these styles before

• Hugo Kreit - if you have money, you should absolutely go for it!

That’s it! Hope you enjoyed the read as much as I enjoyed puting these fantastic pieces together <3

Now tell me - are you neo-deco or romantic gothic? And which piece made you stop scrolling? Drop it in the comments, I want to know.

LOVE,

~ Ana

Long time no see! ~ As the end of the year approaches, I thought it would be nice to (re)unite here again, so here I am telling you my story of 2025.

I started 2025 undervaluing my own ambitions and chasing social media trends, and ended up becoming a full-charge Marketing Director for a startup.

This is the visual breakdown of my journey - the mistakes, the wins, and the pearls that redefined my mindset and my earning potential. If you’re a founder seeking clarity in your marketing campaigns, or a creative defining their worth, this is the map you need for 2026.

Arc 1: The Creative Trap

When Execution Became the Enemy (Jan – Mar)

My year began in China. Obsessed with chasing trends and the idea of becoming a travel blogger, I spent January learning time-consuming cinematic video editing. By March, after a trip to Hong Kong, I’ve spent 2 weeks editing a full 20-minute YouTube vlog, but only posted a reel snapshot of it. Why? During the process, I realized I hated the long hours of editing, no matter how beautiful the dream was in my deluded head. This was a classic high-effort, low-value mistake.

The real shift began in February. I ended terms with a legacy client who demanded extra work beyond the contract. I said, “The extra report is an additional, paid service.” They declined, but I felt powerful. I was done working for free. A few weeks later, I pitched my first conscious strategy consulting sale to another client. I realized my true value was in strategic direction, not in dry execution.

By March, the universe validated my direction: I was interviewed for a Creative Director role at Lululemon APAC. The role didn’t pan out, but it gave me a massive confidence boost!

Arc 2: From Consultant to Director

Claiming My Worth (Apr – Jun)

April (Shanghai) was my turning point. I was already missing home, the Lululemon interview confirmed my worth as a strategist, and I focused my energy on building my professional and personal brand, not just dreaming about it. I was posting on LinkedIn, shared my strategist portfolio, launched PEARLS, ONLINE - Substack that you are currently reading, and left China.

In May, a week after landing in Vancouver, I started the negotiations for a Marketing Director role at a major Canadian luxury resale brand. They loved my portfolio, the proposal I made, and my ideas… but after the fourth interview, they declined, citing a “lack of a Director’s experience.”

I’m not going to lie, it did hurt, but somehow it didn’t feel like a tragedy. I felt that my place wasn’t there. So a month later, in June, when they actually returned with an offer, I already stepped up as a Head of Marketing at a climate tech/wellness startup, building the entire brand from the ground up. I was running the show.

Arc 3: A Trial by Fire

The Campaigns Worked, The Market Pivoted (Jul – Sep)

July saw me back in China. I went to Shenzhen, where the product is built, for a last-minute commercial shoot and strategy catch-up. I was finally operating in the dynamic startup environment I fit in. I learned more in a few months than some 9-to-5 managers learn in years, and it felt amazing.

August flew by: I’ve worked 9-to-5 (am), building the entire marketing from the ground: from social media posting, email marketing and website landings, to designing physical assets and preping brand ambassadors’ training materials for our big launch in September. This month, I also hired my first employee, a video editor. Who’d have thought that starting the year with video editing, six months forward, I’d hire a talent for it?

The climax hit in September at New York Climate Week. Leading a team of 20 brand ambassadors and seeing my marketing campaigns work in real life!

This was the proudest moment of 2025 - reading about us in newspapers, hearing how brand ambassadors talk about the product, and seeing people's reactions when they read the brochure - all are the ideas I’ve incorporated into our brand identity, the very same words I used, now spreading as ideas in people’s minds — and there’s no other feeling like this for a marketer.

I was so proud of our team.

Arc 4: The Leverage Protocol

Systemizing Success, Silencing the Noise (Oct – Dec)

The B2C launch didn’t go as we’d planned: we prepared for a B2C launch, but the market signalled a huge, urgent B2B interest. Proving that my strategy worked; the market simply pointed us to the right customer.

Hence, October was a necessary slowdown. The post-New York burnout required me to prioritize a B2B deep-dive, post-launch market research and insights. I strategically pivoted to B2B under the guidance of my marketing mentors. The ultimate validation arrived in November: a wellness client from April reached out to work on a full omni-marketing strategy this time. This repeat business, based on integrity, affirmed my focus on relationships. Now, in December, I’m applying B2B playbooks for the stratrup, supporting my long-term client, and returning to SubstacK and building my personal brand online with clarity.

The 2026 Leverage Protocol

Three Growth Lessons

If you followed this journey, you understand the cost of misplaced time. Here are my top growth lessons (earned the hard way), that I’m taking with me into the next year:

1 - learning high-value skills on the go: As DariaAst said, “Execution is better than perfection”, so stop learning to apply; start applying and learn. Better to do now, gather insights and pivot, rather than never do at all.

2 - leveraging the expertise of others - my shortcut for achieving more and faster this year: 1) hiring talents - this helped me to scale my own strategies, and I learn from talent’s marketing POV; 2) mentors - I found and learned from 3 marketers, who gave me the frameworks and confidence I needed to transition to the next level.

3 - replacing self-doubt with strategic clarity: Self-doubt makes you retreat. Over-strategizing freezes you. To earn the ability to adapt and stay ushakable before any modern trend or market change, you need a strong brand foundation, a clear MPV or product, and a values-driven team.

If you are a creative professional, brand owner, or founder struggling to build a stable, profitable brand - all you need is the framework for clarity in 2026.

In the next email, I’ll share easy-to-implement, high-performing strategies that you must not ignore in 2026. Until then, audit your own year - and tell me what strategies worked for you too!

Happy Holidays!!

🎄ho-ho,

~ Ana

… Let me open up a little.

✦ BACK… AGAIN?

For those who are new here, I spent 8 months in China between 2024 and 2025.

This time, being in China feels less like a cultural shock surprise, and more like the right place to be. But let me explain how it happened.

✦ WHY I’M HERE

I got a LinkedIn DM in early June.
It was Sally, a co-founder of a deep tech wellness startup, Atalanta Climate.

Sally was looking for someone to help bring the brand to life - visually, emotionally, strategically - and fast. She got me.

After a month of Zoom calls and brand building, Sally asked me:

“Do you want to fly to Shenzhen for a week to meet the product IRL, tour the lab and be inside the process?”

… and I said yes, immediately.

✦ WHOM I WORK WITH

Sally and Lucas are Atalanta Climate co-founders. They’ve built a revolutionary indoor air-filtration device that not only purifies the air (like any Dyson can), but also captures CO₂ - something many have attempted, but no one has successfully done for personal or in-home use. Think climate tech meets wellness.

A special word about Chinese welcoming culture: people are extremely hardworking, hospitile and kind. They always made sure I ate well (and pesceterian!), ordered my favourite bubble tea, included shopping & sightseeing into our program, and made sure I had everything I needed for comfortable work and stay. 🤍 So heart-full!

✦ WHAT’S THE PROJECT

We work 9am – 9pm, but somehow it’s not exhausting. It’s creative, intentional, and…rewarding. I’ve done this before [worked with startups], but this one feels... deeper.

This isn't just a business trip. It’s something in-between:
- A reminder of why I do what I do.
- An experience to work with inspiring, kind-hearted people.
- And an opportunity to build something that truly matters.

✦ WHY SHENZHEN

But why Shenzhen? - Shenzhen is the future. In just 50 years, the city went from a small fishing village into a global technology hub, known as a "China's Silicon Valley".

So here I am, back to China, surrounded by a top-notch Chinese hospitality: working long days in the lab, testing local cuisine, riding around the city in Lucas’ car, filming company content, and dreaming big about how to tell Atalanta's story.

More on that, read in Part 2: One Day in Shenzhen: Fog, Food and Founders!

Love,

~ Ana

A quick UPD before we dive in - 1 month since I’m on Substack, woohooo! // now:

This blog has a name - “PEARLS, ONLINE”, website, about me page, and cool visuals that represent my delulu but iconic personality. It’s mandatory to Check it Out. now:

PEARLS, ONLINE

chronically overstimulated blurbing on trends, personal style, creative career and branding, while balancing being sane and iconic

By Ana M

Two weeks ago, I had a spontaneous and joyful photoshoot with my friend Hampus. We were finishing up and casually chatting about creative projects we want to pursue when I naturally asked him, “What do you enjoy the most in a creative process…?” 

I liked his answer so much that I didn’t hesitate to pull out my phone and draft it in my notes. Lately, I've been raising the same question in other conversations with my creative friends.

I’ll let you read their answers:

The exploration part: the active phase, the discovery, new ways of expression - ways, that can only emerge when I’m engaged in the process of creating art.

~ Hampus @hampusdanielsson photographer, artist and musician

The process itself is fun, but my favourite part is the excitement I get before. With photoshoots, I like seeing the results, I do. But this feeling when I get ready, choose the references, prep the camera, when I long to create - is truly the best.

~ Anna @visuahana, content creator, photographer

The feeling of being immersed in the process. When I create, I feel perfectly aligned in the process of creation. Like the athletes are in a state of a zone. Mental purity. Clear mind. Not thinking about anything else, but creating.

~ Owen @ouwyn visual / artist

I like creating something that is accessible for people: be detail-oriented, precise, follow the rules, but also think about others. I like seeing the final product of my work come true, see how the results of my creativity are gradually making sense.

~ Chloe @_imyourchloe_ content creator, UX/UI designer

Unlimited possibilities. In music, there are notes, sounds, theory, “rules”, but the rules don’t imply limitations. I can do anything with a sound, …any sound: I can twist, compress, speed up, speed down, distort it, anything that comes to my mind.
- Aren’t the unlimited possibilities scare you?
- Not at all. I’ll play a sound until it clicks something in me. Then I’ll know.

~ Gregory, musician (and my partner in life)

so…,

what do you enjoy the most in a creative process?

Leave a comment

love,

~ Ana

Here’s a three-minute brain snack for: creatives, founders, and creative founders in Canada who want to build something real, something that won’t flop.

In this letter, I explore if Canadian brands are just nice… or if there’s a way out of national m-eh-diocracy?

PROS: CANADA GIVES EARLY-TRENDS ADAPTER

Surprisingly, we do. So why might building in Canada make sense?

Community vibes

Canada runs on social initiatives: co-ops, side hustles, and "share what you grow" energy. My favourite examples:

• 30K+ Modo carshare members (innovative cooperative-style car own’n’share),

• Backyard Garden Program (an initiative where you can trade your backyard space to produce & exchange greens with your neighbours).

Ask any marketer what is #1 marketing forecast is for the near future, and they will tell you it’s a community focus. Well, Canadians went far in adapting and loving this trend.

Wellness is wealth

Globally, brands are shifting toward sustainability, digital innovation and wellness. Canada ranks top 10 in wellness economy growth worldwide.
→ Anyone noticed a cold plunge biz boom in BC…? Exactly.
Sectors like spas, fitness, and mental wellness are growing crazily, and Canadian businesses focused on health, wellness, and holistic lifestyles are keeping up like no other industry.

Gen Z seeks Sustainability

Arc’teryx? Tentree? Lululemon? Canadian sustainable brands’ campaigns were on our Pinterest boards long before we saw Lewis Hamilton on them. :) We walk the “green” walk: up-cycle, re-gear, and even… *cherry on top*… made the world flexes on socials a good old Canadian tradition: Saturday sweat in your 200$ pants on a hike. (with a view)

CONS: CANADA HOLDS ON

Startups and emerging brands must choose one: export, niche or die.

Oh, Canada…

The Canadian market size is small ~38 million people. To a global consumer, “Made in Canada” sounds trustworthy and reliable, but it also sounds… too far away. Our domestic economy with high operational costs, taxes, and talent competition makes it hard to scale globally, so brands are forced to choose :
1) pitch Team Canada, or
2) wait to lose their early adopters status by the time they go global.

A tale of a Polite Guy

Culturally, we’re less risk-averse than U.S. biz hubs. We’re low-key allergic to bold marketing moves, leaning towards a “friendly, polite guy” brand identity. While irl being friendly is cool, in business, strong and unique branding makes us seen as something other than just… boring.

The State says DIY

I love the Gov.'s attempts to help businesses grow, but in reality, their programs are:
- limited: Diversity and culture policies are great, but lack marketing and sales expansion support.
- irrelevant: marketing subsidies go to the production (films, media), not the consumer innovation.
- unreachable: frustrating and complex grant-getting procedures.
Hence, many entrepreneurs choose to open a business elsewhere, where complaining about the government's economic expansion policies is not a regular conversation ice-breaker.

SO… MAKING IN CANDA?

Overall, the future looks optimistic but challenging. If you want to build a brand here:
→ root it in community,
→ dress it in culture,
→ scale it online,
→ and say what you actually mean, please. :)

We don’t need more brands. We need better brands.
Brands with a story. With a taste. With a backbone.

P.S. Want a mini mood board of rising Canadian brands I’m watching on, or a detailed marketing trends forecast to help your brand feel like a cult? Let me know. ⤵️

And tell me:
are you building to stay? or building to leave?

….

Love,

~ Ana

This June, I decided to check my vision. The last time I did it was 3 years ago, plus I also needed the optical lenses for my new frames, so I thought it was time.

The whole experience felt almost mystic: I was sitting in a dark room with a soft light coming from a distant white screen, on it: 11 rows, 5 letters each. The black leather chair felt medical, yet different. Posters, lenses, shiny metal tools, flashlights and black boxes - all this reminded me of a film development studio rather than a clinic.

The optometrist was a very pleasant lady; she wore a pastel-pink sleeveless floral blouse and a floral perfume. She leaned towards me, switching the lenses in her machine, and asked, “Do you have any concerns about your vision?”. “No,” I replied.
She followed with “Any blurs, blind spots or anything you’re bothered with?”. “No…” I said. “I see,” she said, smiling.

I get it - not many people check their vision regularly. For me, the way of seeing is my main instrument, my sharpest tool, and my precious gift. And I am paying $150 (with no insurance - freelance, baby) to confirm that my vision is clear and up to date.

Why do I emphasize this so much?

This metaphors-heavy text explores how we, as creatives, can:
// check our vision // develop it // and make sure it stays sharp // Let’s dig in.

STEP 1 // VISION CHECK

— what blurs, limits, or obscures our vision? // digital & non-digital vision-polluters

tactic_1: change your surroundings, get rid of anything that triggers a visual poverty // bad lighting in the apartment // ugly designs on product packaging // worn-out clothes // walls painted in a questionable colour — out! (as far as you can take it).

tactic_2: reducing digital clutter to a minimum.
for me, that was a massive unfollow ritual on IG - from 1600 to 700. The filter rule: any content that I would not be willing to recreate myself. It felt radical towards my friends’ pet accounts, old enemies, and some local businesses, but it really paid off

STEP 2 // LENS FITTING

— external tools that help us see better

same as in the optometrist cabinet, I had to decide - contacts or glasses?… or both? The truth is: we might try a bit of every form of arts // tools // techniques // until we find the best fit.

I tried cameras, film and digital, shooting on my phone, street photography and video editing, sewing and sketching, illustration and graphic design… does all of it make me a brilliant multimedia artist? -no. Does knowledge in each of these fields help me express my creativity? ABSOLUTELY!!!

*(pun very much intended.)

STEP 3 // VISUAL MUSCUL TRAINING

— a way to your subconscious creator // brain-train tricks

whoever met me in the afternoon knows I have an alarm set at exactly 12 pm to do my eye exercises. It’s been ringing every day for the past 2 years, and I love this lil ritual.

Same with the creative vision, to improve it, we have to train it, aka // see //, aka // get inspired // regularly. In my case, it is:

// 30+ Pinterest boards, almost 10K pins, and still pinning - all boards are curated with love, and they help me greatly when I need quick vibe references for my clients.

// 50+ galleries visited worldwide, and still go to any exhibition in our small town-eh.

// 200+ movies watched and re-watched, screenshotted, frames analyzed, parsed into quotes, and stored with care in separate folders on my laptop.

// 500+ posts saved across platforms, from various artists and creators I admire.

// 1000+ visual references of text placements, visual edits, reels hooks, fonts and colour combos, ads to rectrate, or god-know-what-else, buried in my phone screenshots folder (that I hate cleaning but truly love revisiting).

And if this doesn’t sound very exceptional or novel to you (ha//ha//ha), I’ll share a little secret. For the past 2 years, I've heard that I’m visually talented every week of my life. I quietly nod, warmly appreciate, and politely thank. And then I go and review my visual references.

Sooo when was the last time you had your vision check?

Love,

Ana

SSENSE DELIVERY

-MISBHV Silk Scarf - 1) I’m a huge MISBHV fan*; 2) love the cool pink colour that also match the earrings. Most wearable + least expensive piece of the month. -45$

-MIISTA Black Miri Mules - this is my second pair of Miista shoes, love their square toe design, wearable heels and the sheer heel detail on this pair -200$

-Sandy Liang Silver Earrings - looked for silver earrings for a while ( i only have gold), and supper happy about these ones. (also the packaging is so cutteee) -100$

SEPHORA (mini) HAUL

-NARS “Vain” Powermatte Lip Pigment - deep cool red, great for pale skin; very long-lasting. STAYS on your lips even after 100 kisses (I checked!) -45$

-Glow Recipe Watermelon Niacinamide Drops - a natural glow highlighter, an alternative to the shiny particle stripes I used to have with a Rare Beauty highlighter (that I secretly hated) before. This one is great for everyday use, and gives a healthy, bright glass skin glow, we all aim for -30$

TURNABOUT FINDS

-PASKAL Black Midi Skirt - fabric-flowers details at the front, and mesh hem lining at the bottom. I received so many compliments on a day when I wore it. Never heard of this brand before - turned out it’s a Ukrainian brand. It’s a new favourite -90$

-Acne Studio Cropped Blazer - I was looking for a blazer and found this new cropped blazer (with tags on). I didn’t walk, I ran! -150$.

-Sun-deh Satin Mini Dress - yes, it’s an Aritzia brand, but also, yes, it’s a perfectly fitting, comfy little black dress -45$

AMORTISATION & DEPRECIATION

Took three pairs of heels to the shoe repair to get protective soles added. Preserves the life of each pair and makes me feel like a functional adult. -90$ for 3 pairs of heels, and ain’t no way you're seeing me in flats this summer.

Sold this lovely Paloma Wool nubuk bag I hunted for a year ago. Ended up not wearing this rare piece because of the colour - too warm and too bright for my wardrobe. Sad to see it go, happy to see +285$ on my bank account.

Total: $510. Not bad, considering I just came back from 8 months of non-stop packing/unpacking. I didn’t have a chance to buy and store things during the trip, so this month was pretty juicy.

Hope you enjoyed going over the shopping list with me! Should I share a list of my best vintage finds next month? - let me know!

Subscribe now

Love,

~ Ana

1. WHY "PERSONAL UNIFORM"?

It isn’t just Steve Jobs’s outfit repeating, it’s about strategically narrowing down and curating a wardrobe that:

• Actually flatters you (highlight your natural beauty and body silhouette),

• Develop signature looks that feel authentically you (critical for personal branding),

• Eliminate decision fatigue (save money, time and stress from regular outfit crises).

2. MY AI STYLIST EXPERIMENT

As silly as it may sound (I was bored in the airport), I decided to ask ChatGPT to be my style assistant and help me with developing a personal uniform style.

The Prompt: [copy & paste the screenshot description to use it!]

Reality:

• Not surprisingly, ChatGPT's final outfit suggestions were groundbreaking (like I’m just cosplaying minimalism), BUT!

• It found the patterns in my wardrobe that I never thought of (e.g., my obsession with tactile textures: leather, suede, gabardine).

• It asked me introspective questions that made me actually reflect on my style (you’ll find the full list of style reflection questions at the end of this article).

Before diving into the takeaways from the AI Stylist Experiment, let’s talk about the foundations you need before building a personal uniform.

3. PERSONAL UNIFORM 101: THE NON-NEGOTIABLES

1. Know Your Colour Theme
   This isn’t just “spring” or “winter” nonsense. It’s about identifying what colours make you look expensive, and what tones make you look like you haven’t slept in days. Tip: Go to a store (with good lighting!) and try different colours near your face, try: black vs. dark grey; white vs. off white; warm vs. cool tones; bright vs. muted tones. The more pedantic you are at this, the better (or you can always pay 400$ for a professional colour analysis, you choose).

2. Define Your Body Type
   I’m 5’3 and I’m not built for every cut Zara throws at me, high chances you aren’t either. Learn your body type proportions and dress to highlight (not hide) your lines. Tip: Online tests like Kibby define your body type pretty accurately and give great style suggestions. My petite lessons: cropped jackets > oversized anything, structured siluettes > laces and ruffles.

3. Find Your Signature Pieces
   Spoiler: You already own them - your favourite jewellery, perfume scent, bag shape, belts… pick a lane. You don’t need 10 aesthetics, you need one, detailed to perfection. Proof: My jewellery muse friend wears about 10 chunky silver rings at a time, and it looks incredible (on her). On me? - not really (although I tried). The opposite can be said about the silk scarves: they always looked great on me (fight me), but don’t suit my bold ring-wearing friend's personality. Your uniform accents will feel like you, not like someone else’s aesthetics.

4. AI STYLIST EXPERIMENT TAKEAWAYS

Obviously, I didn’t figure out my personal uniform style with ChatGPT (if that’d be that easy!), but I loved reflecting on my style journey. Here’re my main takeaways:

• Don’t Ignore Colour Blocking (!!!)
  This one is my favourite. The key is not just knowing your colour type (as I thought), but also knowing how to colour block! Turns out wearing a simple white top and black bottom is a great option for taller people; for me, contrasting colours halve my silhouette line, making my body look cropped. Now, I wear tops and bottoms in similar/same colours, which makes my body line look sleek and tall, and add colour blocks with accessories or shoes.

• Jewelry Composition Matters

  I used to mix and match jewellery based on the silver/gold or by wearing similar textures. I completely ignored how they fit into the rest of the outfit. I’d only wear 20% of my jewelry box: either playing it safe with everyday basics, or wearing too many signature pieces at once. Now, I want my jewellery choice to add to the whole outfit composition. I’d play down my accent garments with simple necklaces (or no necklace at all), or add some weight to the casual fit with the leather bracelet or long earrings.

• Uniform Is What You Repeat (but repeat confidently)

  I used to think a fresh haul would give me a fresh vibe, but our AI convo made me notice the patterns in my wardrobe. My best outfits make me feel powerful, like my true self. Whereas my worst outfits … well, let’s just say there was no point in trying to make them work or repeating them. The pieces I clung to weren’t current “me”, they were emotional souvenirs or attempts to fit into a certain aesthetic. Time to let go.

5. STYLE REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Here are the actual ChatGPT’s questions that made me rethink my style choices:

1. How would you describe your current style in 3 words?

2. When you get dressed and feel your absolute best, what are you usually wearing?

3. Do you prefer getting dressed quickly from a few favourite pieces, or do you enjoy mixing and matching creatively?

4. What does a typical week look like for you (errands, events, work, social)? Do you mostly walk, take public transit, drive or bike?

5. Which of these styles do you avoid wearing: overly feminine (like ruffles/lace), preppy (like polos/buttoned cardigans), athletic (sweatpants, hoodies), vintage/retro, or overly trendy pieces?

6. Which body part(s) do you usually like to highlight, or feel most confident showing? (E.g., shoulders, waist, legs, belly, collarbone…)

7. Do you like showing skin evenly (e.g., cropped top and mini skirt), or do you prefer balance (e.g., crop top + full pants, or short skirt + long sleeve)?

8. What are your favourite colours to wear, and which colours wash you out or make you feel “off”? Think of both clothes and accessories.

9. What kind of jewelry or metallics do you wear most: silver, gold, mixed, matte, shiny, statement or minimal?

10. What are your go-to pairs of shoes? What do you wish you had more of, and what kinds of shoes do you avoid or never wear?

YOUR TURN

It's worth saying that I’m still in the process of defining my uniform, so thank you for tagging along with me on this style reflection. Go ahead, talk to your AI, answer the questions, or empty your carts and examine your existing wardrobes… only promise me to feel good while doing it!

xx

~ Ana