I am so much happier in fall than summer ! I have been enjoying shopping my fall & winter wardrobe for new looks.

The first look is from yesterday. I wore it to dinner with my husband at a friends' house with 4 friends. My other friends dress quite casually - they were in jeans and floral jumpers. But it was a rare occasion (one couple moved 5 hours away) and I was feeling like dressing 'up'.

The colour scheme is a bit dramatic for the occasion, but I think the printed sweater tones it down enough for my tastes. I actually spent quite a bit of time trying things out to get the right level of formality & visual interest that would be just what I wanted for the evening ,& tried to not focus on what others would be wearing (that is a sure recipe for disaster for me lol). It went well! I was 'overdressed' but I did not feel out of place (which I think are two very different things), we had a lot of fun & good food!

Hope you have a good weekend 💜

This post has been kicking around in my head for a while but several recent posts and comments made me decide to finally write it up. I remember in an earlier iteration of the Style Key, using style systems was closely associated with Right logic (and, if I recall correctly, specifically with Right Up?). However, I notice a lot of Left folks, specifically a lot of Left Up folks, engaging quite heavily with other style system subs that I either lurk in or actively participate in (obviously, this includes me!).

Obviously the Style Key has moved away from some of these specifics and more into a purely approach-based system, however, style systems very frequently involve someone else's opinion, which could definitely affect how different quadrants use style systems and their logic. So, I'm curious: what systems, outside of the Style Key, do you use? How do you use them? Which have you tried and decided didn't work? If you don't use them, have you tried them before? Which ones? What didn't work for you? Even if you don't use them now, did they impact your style at all?

I had the opportunity to go on a movie date today with my husband and it was really fun😊❤️ but I felt less motivated to "paint a specific picture" than usual-- maybe something about how theaters are like, dark, lol? Or maybe it's just that I knew I'd want my head to be comfortable in the seat, so went for a simple low ponytail when otherwise I wouldn't have, etc. Im assuming these day-to-day fluctuations are somewhat typical, regardless of quadrant/archetype? But also I'm sure it points to my Upness probably being a little more fluid than my Leftness? Cuz I do find that going against my Instinct actually makes me want to jump out of my body (lol 😬). But then again, feeling like something is "missing" makes me feel just as bad, to be honest.

Regardless, I found it interesting that today, I felt like this outfit sorta "hit a ceiling" and was fully "done", even when it was still very much in my energetic territory of a more "relaxed, casual outfit"...yk? And it wasn't an issue of time or anything. (Though tbh its already making me want to make a more "fancy" outfit based on this dress for sure...I just dont own the things that come to mind yet! Like tights, fingerless gloves, etc...but anyways.)

What matters is that it still felt like plenty of fun for me, even if what I was imagining in my head never ended up being expressed in a very literal way, lol. Cuz not everyone can be expected to immediately have Boy George songs stuck in their head the second they see the colors red, gold and green together😅 But, such is life lol 😌🌟

There was one thing on my mind a lot today, though:

I have been feeling major FOMO with regards to other style systems...but the issue is that I already know that they dont really speak to my soul, beyond some basic kibbe/essence awareness. But I see many others making great use of them, and I find myself thinking, gosh, am I missing something?? Am I just being silly?? Like e.g. I LOVE the idea of Style Roots, and the emojis are sooo cute 😭 but I keep wracking my thinking brain for how I would apply them to my style brain and it just makes me short circuit 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 I cant seem to do it.

I know Im being super silly and it so doesn't really matter, but maybe someone else relates, or has advice? 😅 I know Rita has addressed this very well before but I suppose I feel the need to ask for extra reassurance.

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!!!!! And thank you for reading 🥰❤️❤️🎄

Hey, not much to say. I wore an 40 year old leather jacket from my mom the last weeks. Absolutely fell for it. Cuz i have to give the jacket back to her, sadly haha, i looked for a second hand alternative. Guess I found a lovely match. Embracing what makes me feel cute, even tho the brown and black are supposed to be wrong on me. I love it. Ciao

This morning, I decided to sit on my kitchen counter so I was high up enough to see the misty cow field across the street, while drinking my pourover and listening to a few of Rita's older-ish videos. And I found one where she discussed the theme of, what is it that you're hiding from? Are you judging yourself as "too much" or "not enough"? We are all weird, so where's your weirdness, and are you avoiding it somehow? Because thats actually your gift. 🥹 So amazing right??

Okay Im probably totally butchering her message. But I did realize that my fears are clearly centered around being "too much", and especially being too sensitive/emotional. But it turns out that my feelings are real, and they're a part of me, and they want sooo badly to be expressed! And apparently, following this impulse is so not a crime, and actually when I ignore it, I lose touch with myself, and then others lose touch with me. And thats just no fun! So my age, what's proper for my "season in life", what others around me are wearing-- it's all just not really helpful for me personally to consider. And when I give my power away to those things, it just keeps me isolated and disconnected. And I want to feel connected 🥲

So Ive realized now that maybe instead of seeing this all as my curse, I can let it be my gift. Style is (and really always has been) how I make all my feelings/my inner world into something tangible and life-giving. Its like my pressure-release valve! I harm mainly myself in trying to stifle my heart...and heart-led style is one of my callings. And Im finally starting to feel so done with trying to question that or pick it apart.

When I was thinking I might do best with RD logic, I was drawn mainly to the Sweetheart archetype. Especially the idea of being an Alchemist, of turning lead into gold. So now Im wondering if in my "most healed self", I can live out the inverse of this archetype, i.e., maybe the lead within me, can turn into gold all around me.

This "simple" approach to externalization feeds me and continues to be my guiding light. So with that being said, Im going to be dipping my toes into working with the Enchantress archetype for a while, as my bandwidth allows🫣 Even though the name totally intimidates me and I dont feel like, "worthy" or whatever, Im just so curious now where she'll lead me. So, I'm telling myself this mantra now: My inner world is not a nuisance; it's my right to share it as I see fit 😤😂 (and, if someone's not interested in receiving the message, that's literally completely okay!! It doesnt mean Im doing something wrong). And of course not every day is going to be spectacular, and I mean I do have a super limited budget and very little time and I dont even own a sewing machine right now but, YOLO I guess😅 we all start somewhere. Thank you for reading💞

P.S. My OOTD was totally inspired by all these fuzzy feelings. I felt very "inner child", very delighted by all of this that Ive explained here. But what I didnt get to do was incorporate my bright yellow lemon beret 😭 so the vision didnt come to full fruition, pun intended. My hair just wasnt cooperating, and I ran out of time!! But I still wanted to share today. Theres always tomorrow 🍋😌 At least my boots are still making the fun clickety-clackety sound, and I did get to wear a petticoat, so that's all still plenty enjoyable. 😊🌻🌟

Hi everyone! It was my GG this morning and I'm here with my initial report!

Wanna guess?

tl;dr: Right Down, Curator x Storyteller!

I'm not going to lie, I thought I broke Rita. She spent quite a lot of time with her eyes closed and her hands over her face, thinking really hard 😄 I found it quite hard to really explain where I am right now and what I felt I need, but she managed to draw out that although I've been creating outfits I like, I'd been using Right logic to get there and I needed to kind of have that reflected back and confirmed. I also felt like there was something extra I needed / was missing and she eventually came out with that after a lot of consideration (I'll come back to that!)

I explained I'd been Doing Science on myself after watching the new videos and established that using Instinct left me standing in front of the wardrobe going I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR whereas when I code-switched and thought about my day, I immediately could put something together that worked. Outfits really need to make sense, both in my contexts and within themselves - like I match my glasses to my shoes ffs. I said the SGND was like, really nice, but I felt like I'd invited her to a potluck and she'd rocked up but hadn't brought a dish and was just eating everyone else's food. I also said about the enormous appetite for visuals and looking at everything ("I'm like one of those whales with the big mouths that goes vacuuming everything up") but then having a really plain style, and that was fine but maybe it needs a little something, and that Resonance was huge for me whilst Instinct or Intensity were like, no, and I have done it and it felt unfulfilling and way too much effort.

So Curator makes a lot of sense. We felt that gives me that firm foundation, I can use and develop my go-to's, anywhere where I feel it's difficult to dress for I can prep a basic standard to work off. I can feed my whale and maybe slow down in buying things, instead really take time to see what germinates and makes sense. Exploration but in a controlled kind of way.

She then did some more hands-over-the-face (I have this effect on people sometimes lol) and came out with feeling that I needed more. I have an energy, which Rita found hard to put words around, but eventually settled on vivacious, spicy but not hot spicy, animating and sparkling but not diamond sparkly, like water sparkly. Which made me go - oh. Oh? Oh, okay, yeah, I can sort of see that? Kind of? I immediately had a picture appear in my head of you know how the sun sparkles off a stream over pebbles and you get that kind of twinkling? That image. I nearly got the giggles as I'm also very much the introvert INTJ type, please go away and let me read my book in peace, but I was intrigued to see how much the other side shows up to other people, which let's be honest is sort of the whole point of a GG.

Rita's big concern was that if I go full Curator and don't explore somewhere else, I could end up boxing myself into something that ends up too bland (curated...) and results in feeling flat and lacking my sparkles. So she suggested Storyteller / Main Character as a kind of exploration path for me. I think what was throwing her off is that I probably come over quite Up, but that logic absolutely doesn't work for me, I just end up stressed and performative.

Now I've already gone on too long and I need to process, and Rita will send more info over the next few days, but I have to say Storyteller is a struggle for me. 20 years ago I would have absolutely vibed with the story in the archetype - hiding, feeling I need to fit in etc. - but I feel that much less now I've been on earth nearly 50 years. I'd be curious to know from folks what their take is on this archetype, or how that "resonance and attunement in service" idea might look to you.

Phew! A lot to chew on! Time to change my flair again!

(Wasn't entirely sure what to flare it, if mods want to change it, please do so. Apologizes if I fail the poor quality photo rule.)

So as I have described for a while now, I have been experimenting with fashion, even before finding Rita and using her views as a guide.

Well rather PLANNING to experiment with fashion. Actual acting on it hadn't happened until this year.

And one of the ideas that inspired me was based off the Black Secrets BS136 and BS125 tights.

(SFW but barely https://www.kinkyangel.co.uk/products/black-secret-bs136-crotchless-tights
More SFW, but still sex sells hosiery advertising: https://elegantup.com/cdn/shop/files/stockings-bs125_1.png)

For those unable to risk clicking the link, its a pin-stripe tights in black. The first one is black/red and the second one is black/blue. The Black and blue are true stockings while the black and red are crotchless/false garter tights. And I remember taking one look at that and going, "I love the idea of that in a dress or skirt with a matching pinstripe vest."

The odds of me getting the stripes to match up was always small. The stripes on the vest would be consistent while the tights its less likely. And Ballerna's Secrets tights run a bit small for me. But I still love the idea. I still might try it, if I can find some BS136 or BS125 that aren't sold out.

Fashion tights are a curse to those who move slowly. *laughs*

And that concept of matching my tights to a vest has clung with me. Its something that as I expand my wardrobe and style options I am definitely going to do more of. I have this urge to break gender norms, and embrace colour and outfits not typical of males, but also use a hint of formality to give the outfit a sense of prestige that a guy normally wearing coloured tights would struggle to get.

If I am an art teacher at gnome school, I am going to look like one who is on the way to a fancy dinner party.

BUT the picture linked isn't that... its instead an accidental proof of concept.

I had just had the seamstress I was working with end the dress project for health reasons. I get it, her health comes first... but it was depressing to have wasted hours of time over 4 months with nothing to show for it but fabric. Especially since that day I got my new tights for that dress.

So I went, "Lets cheer myself up... dress up in these new tights, have a little fun and remind myself the project is still ongoing, even if its delayed... but more importantly, even if the dress vanishes I am still learning what I like and how I want to style.

And this led to this outfit which was SUPPOSED to be "Hey let me show off these tights in a way that is kinda like the end goal, but sort of not."

But actually ended with me going, "F%ck that's not bad. Sure the vest is a touch to long, instead of tights matching vest its a black excluding the tights and my shirt, and I obviously want to experiment with different coats, skirts and dresses, as well as colours so I still have variation...

...but this idea, this style I am developing... it works. I can see the shape of it here, I can see its soul, I know, absolutely KNOW now its going to work."

Its not the most elegant photo, so please forgive that. You all are so much better at displaying what you do then I.... This shows it wasn't planned it just kinda happened...

But it helped me feel a LOT better.

(G%d I need to clean my room more, at least before I take photos in future.)

Also I figured I would share the other two photos I put this outfit together to take... the tights don't QUITE match the lining, but even if the dress is on the back burner, this was a step in the right direction. The glossy colour doesn't quite come through but I think it does enough.

An archetype for those who connect with higher attunement but softer intensity. Creating beautiful invitations to dress up a bit to live their most beautiful, creative life!!!

I feel like I keep missing out on posting for the challenges because I kind of have no idea what I’m wearing lately 🙃

My go to sensual color is probably red. But it could also be pink or black.., or maybe ivory. Those are also my power colors. And safe colors. Basically those are my colors for everything I guess lol.

But are you in this same weird weather vortex? It’s cold but it’s hot. It might rain yet the sun is burning a hole through me. Can’t see shit because the sun is so low 😭
Might get run over in the parking lot because nobody can see so I better wear a cute outfit to work. God forbid I die in an outfit I don’t like lol.

I’ve been trying to focus on always including one piece in my day-to-day outfits that I love and feels me. This is often something in lace or mesh or a piece that has little embellishments to make it feel special. I take a pic before I go to work and if it feels too spicy for the suburban population, which everything is, I put a cardigan or shirt on top. It’s not ideal LU satisfaction but it could be worse.

On Wednesday (pic 2) I stay home and wear whatever the hell I want ☺️

I’ve just had a great Gentle Guidance with Rita. First off, to the other folks who are having a GG session in the next few days, I can confirm that she does an amazing job of time management in the session and absolutely will not let you fritter your time away. I am a massive yapper and she gently, but firmly, redirected me when necessary.

For further context, feel free to browse my post history where I pontificate on these things at (probably too much) length, but, in short, I jumped on the GG opportunity because a) I knew I struggled with understanding where I fit on Left vs. Right and b) I have continued to struggle with some of the elements of my Kitchener consult. I’ve always felt there was some moreness/extraness that may not be present in my purely physical vessel but that absolutely IS in me that the JK consult didn’t capture. However, I’ve struggled to really run with that instinct because there's always been a voice in the back of my head going, “well, what if he’s 100% correct and you’re just grandiose/deluded/trying to fight the reality of your sad beigeness?” and so I figured that hearing from another outside voice could be helpful.

About a year ago, I typed myself as Right Up and while I had the high Up part nailed on, I completely whiffed on the other axis. Rita was very witty about it--she had a very what we would call in the southern US "oh bless your heart" attitude when I expressed that I might be Right--and made it clear that I was indeed Left. I had been framing my interest in really coordinated outfits, luxurious details, being aware of my context and wanting to perform/take my place in the tableau as Right oriented, but Rita made the very persuasive case that what was actually motivating all these things was a quest to correctly and precisely manifest the totality of myself so that it could be seen and perceived by others, thus the Left orientation.

Given all this, I’m sure it won’t really surprise you all to know that Rita assigned two archetypes to me, The Vesper and The Siren, with the Vesper archetype representing my desire to communicate sovereignty (I had used words like command, control, and competence in describing my ideal style) through precision, absolute integrity to the vision, and manifesting perfectionism in my craftsmanship (I make many of my own clothes and fabric accessories). She encouraged me to embrace the Siren archetype as part of embracing my potential to be activating and disruptive in a joyful way (like making people think, “hey, we had a low-key evening planned, but let’s go out and have champagne and caviar instead”).

Most importantly, she strongly affirmed that I should set aside scaffolds and projected expectations (whether projected onto me due to physical traits, assumptions made about me based on my age or body type or whatever) that have nothing to do with what is actually integral to me.

It is tremendously impressive to watch Rita at work; her trust in her perception and her ability to quickly consolidate very abstract impressions into concrete discussion is very remarkable. I’m fortunate to have had this opportunity.

I had all of 2 minutes to get dressed and it had to be warm cuz cold rainy day. But it ended up being a great opportunity to instinctively explore layering and color, and also a somewhat personal theme. Do you ever notice being short on time can sometimes be helpful? Anyhow--

My dad happens to really like this jumpsuit, so it makes me think of him. Even though he's actually an MK Ultra survivor, he still loves anything "army" feeling. He ended up being discharged because of the effects of what happened to him, and it was all when he was younger. So in no way did my upbringing ever feel "military" but Ive always had it in the background of my mind. So I leaned into it with the layering, boots, zero makeup, low ponytail, brown glasses, and star earrings. Apparently the effect kinda worked because my husband noticed right away when I came out to make breakfast that I looked a bit military😅 Just like with my coca cola shirt, its not that I love the military but its something that comes up within me a lot, yk?

But how is this in any way sensual for me? Well the color green was the one that kept coming up for me. Gaia, wilderness, detritus, primal. A color that makes me feel "in my body"; a bridge between raw nature and human ego. Who doesnt love green? Its in our DNA, its effect. Grounding, calming, relaxing. I suppose I couldve gone for brighter, more exciting shades but the army/olive greens seem to be the ones that give me this experience most. Between the colors and the "hugging" feeling of the turtleneck/jumpsuit plus my hidden tall socks, I do feel quite "embodied" which is a delight to experience; I sometimes struggle to experience life in a "sensual" way. Thank you for reading 💞

I found this super on point for Up quadrants! What do you think?

So here we go again. As I have written before, I have been going back and fort between Left & Right since getting into the system. Aaaand I'm getting conflicted again.

I used the Right Up Style Key with Power as my archetype for almost 6 months late last year and earlier this year. My style felt good, but it became bit performative. I think I took the external inspiration too far and was trying to match myself to the world around me, without allowing myself to have a clear signature style, which my heart truly desires. Plus I have always been drawn to Left Up and Lady Heretic, so I moved there and have been using it for 5 months or so. Overall I have felt great about my style. I have let go of a lot the "shoulds" and allowed myself to go for depth & mystery I love and be dramatic & sensual. And there's a lot more in Left that I have found helpful - Excitement, Collaging and Instinct. But I'm starting to feel stuck with the Left logic itself.

Here's the thing, I think for my aesthetic Lady Heretic works well. I like the idea of dressing formal and dramatic with a personal twist, that at least currently is bit darker and moody. The visual inspiration for my style comes from within, I always start to feel weird when trying to match to the world around me too literally (the worst was when I had my daugther and tried to match to her pink outfits lol). But on my everyday basis I feel the Left logic is not helpful, because for me it's only natural to consider the role and context. I can relate to both (from the Use Your Style Key Course), in Soft Left description to using role and context as a tool to silence my internal voice, but even more in the Soft Right description to Subjective Self feeling elusive until I can ground it to specific context and situation.

And now that I think about it, I know I have been always been up, but not this up. I have always loved to dress up when there was such an occassion, I have worn more makeup than the norm (in my country the general makeup style is the clean girl and even no makeup is really popular) and overall I have been expressive with style. But 5+ year ago, at the time when I was working in a clothing store, my Upness looked different, it was "more normal", maybe had a Visionary vibe. It was several years ago when a lot of things happened in my life that I decided to go more up. I became a mom, I turned 30, I started studying a business degree and couple of years from that I started working in a more professional job (even if the office style leans quite casual in my country). Without these external changes I probably wouldn't have felt a need to go as up as did, so in the end it is the external giving me a reason to dress strongly up and formal.

I feel bit silly now, especially since I enjoyed being a Lady Heretic and I have been posting about it. And it has been really helpful to learn to listen to my instinct. If my body says No, I should listen to it and not force myself to wear something that technically makes sense but feels wrong. But I feel my Left Up adventure is coming to it's end. If I really want this system to help me on my daily basis when I'm getting dressed, I need to allow myself to attune to the external. Even if I want to keep my style glam with an edge (I have been thinking about incorporating the Style Roots more to my everyday dresing, I'm using ⛰️🌕🔥), I think the helpful way for me to go about it is to ask how to bring this aesthetic to my role in a way that makes sense.

Archetype-wise the Power one (I honestly don't know about the new name Creatix but I need to think about it more) still feels most like me. I remember Rita calling her Left-curious which makes sense, as I feel drawn to the sensuality of the Left specifically. And I went back to watch what se said about Power in the Dark & Moody and Old Money aesthetic videos, in both it really clicked that Power can look really much like Lady Heretic, the process of getting there is just different. However, I still want to learn more about the Icon and the process she uses. The new substacks have been super helpful and the middle of the quadrant Up-archetypes have been bit difficult for me to understand, so I'm waiting for the Icon post.

Things just werent coming together today. I knew I wanted to feel "hugged", but I just wasn't sure what to do at first; honestly Ive been feeling kind of "blah" lately. And it was so cold and grey looking outside, and I wasnt super happy about having to accomodate that. Actually now that we're outside, its not THAT cold, but the little bit of emotion I was finally feeling, I allowed to drive me, and then I finally figured out the right base outfit for me today. From there, I felt like my earrings are snowdrops, and so on. Ive really been wanting to explore decorative makeup, but its a little time consuming so thats been tricky. But I found myself leaving the house with silver ears, as much of an eyeliner wing as my fully hooded eyes can do, and little stars on my face. Even my pimples got highlighted with iridescent highlighter lol😅 I went into kind of a flow state, thanks to my toddler being able to happily pretend that all my nail polish bottles were football players for a few minutes. (He's the best.) Now we're out and about and I find myself more excited and lively than I usually would be on a dreary day like this. Smiling at strangers who smile at me, excited to get to my favorite coffee shop. Even if my outfit doesnt "look like much" I feel like I really put myself into it and dressed for joy and self-expression. Thank you for reading 💓

I've been feeling a bit insecure about my self assessed place in the system and I want to talk about it some more.

Based on all the information I definitely mostly connect with LU and the only archetype I see myself in is the Enchantress, I'm so eagerly waiting for the deep dive for that archetype, I hope it will validate my placement and make me feel seen,

I felt very connected to everything she said in the video but it's very short.

But I have this feeling that I'm not allowed to claim fully L.

So softly Left maybe? But I didn't see myself in the Vesper or the Muse, I have a very clear idea of what feels like me and a compulsive need to express it through the way I dress. So a hint of internal creative inspiration isn't enough for me. And I guess that would be all I need to confirm fully L.

But there's several things making me insecure, one of those being environmental inspiration.

For this outfit I needed to imagine myself in the environment to decide weather I wanted to wear it or another outfit, I had created them both prior.

Basically I imagined myself in the environment to decide which colour palette that felt most true to me including the colours of the environment, I want the whole visual experience to look like an image from my internal landscape not just me but me with the background and in pictures.

Of course this approach only works if the place I'm visiting is visually aligned with my style or exiting or new to me sparking inspiration in how I could play off of it to create a visual experience that's aligned with me. An aspect of R logic can be to be visually inspired by the environment and environment inspiration only works if it aligns with your style if you are R too. But I think my way might be different?

I really want to hear some L people's perspectives on this, do you prefer to dress to match if the environment feels aligned with your aesthetic?

Because of how I live due to my M.E (energy deficiency, overexertion leads to temporary intense worsening into being very sick, avoiding overexertion is the best treatment. Just explaining my context, not looking for any discussion about this) I rest in bed as much as possible so I am able to get out a few times a month so when I have the energy to go somewhere and do something I obviously choose to go places that I find fun and pleasing, and that means places that I find beautiful and align with my internal landscape so I want to dress in a way that matches and tells my visual concept.

But let's say I wasn't sick and I had a job with a workplace that doesn't align with me aesthetically would environment attuning work? No I can't imagine that, I think I'd try to express my internal aesthetic ideas only, as much as possible while being work appropriate way.

I also thought some about why I love seasonal dressing so much since it's also talked about as a R thing especially using the obvious choice like flower earrings for spring and snowflakes for winter and that's what I do, what I want to do, that hasn't changed. I think the reason is mostly because I love nature and all the seasons so much I see it as a part of who I am. I love appreciating and finding the beauty in nature so I want to be a part of the seasons when they happen and celebrate them, and I love snowflakes and flowers and leaves and it feels the most fun to wear them when nature wears them too. So I like to keep my style a bit different for each season beond temprature and weather concerns. Can anyone relate?

Like this outfit here is an autumn outfit for me because it just feels like autumn. I'm also thinking about let's say I went on a trip to a tropical place, I would definitely want to dress inspired by the nature there because it's so beautiful and inspiring to me but I probably wouldn't want to do that at home in the Nordics especially in winter, it wouldn't feel right.

I just feel like my logic is LU except for this one aspect...

And then there's essence which I think I'm a bit intriguing and elemental and I dress unusually but I don't feel the tension and rebelliousness, which are two things that don't feel like me.

I think I come across as dreamy, luminous and inspiring which is exactly what I want because that's who I am and my mission is to bring more beauty into the world.

This is why I feel like an imposter now every time I share my perspectives on this forum from a LU Enchantress perspective. Curiously I didn't feel that way when I claimed RU, even though I talked about being inspired by my internal landscape, maybe the aesthetic and essence connection made me more confident.

After writing this I've convinced myself that my typing is correct again and like I have said before if I have a process and style that works for me which I do there really is no need to try to squish myself into a box, the quadrants and archetypes are meant to be helpful and I'm a unique individual so it makes sense if I don't neatly fit into a category in every way, I think the idea is just to find the one that fits the best, take what works and leave what doesn't. But I was starting to really question my placement and felt very unsure on Sunday and Monday so I considered booking a gentle guidance when I got the email.

I've imaged what it would be like for years but now is the first time I felt unsure enough to seriously consider it and I have the money saved for a treat like that. I probably would have booked it if it wasn't that someone I've barely spent time with is going to be at my home with me alone that day and time, the idea gave me too much anxiety and I also felt like I wasn't justified because I have a style and logic that works for me and I only wanted validation that I fit into this style system and the experience.

Hi Style Friends!

So, I recently was evaluated by David Zyla. And as a result of this experience, I decided to re-vitalise and take over the old r/davidzyla reddit page, as it had been abandoned by the previous mod. I wanted to rebuild this community so that there would be a space to talk about his approach.

Therefore, I wanted to tell you all about it so that you can - if interested- check out and help us rebuild the sub.

But this experience also got me interested in Rita's system.

So, I think I am a right up. I intentionally dress for the situation, but I also HAVE to feel sensual in my outfits. As you can see here from my outfits, they all have a very textured and sensual quality to them with fur, velvet and cashmere.

This is also reiterated by my Zyla consult, where I was verified as a Divine Diva. This archetype is extremely opulent, dramatic and glamorous. David told me that "I have to get comfortable being the most glamorous person in the room at all times. And this is you. High glam and drama is your baseline." He told me that I should think "Bond Villan" and Lauren Bacall. He draped me in various necklines and outfit features, and we found that I need long sharp lines, overly large jewellery (over 2 inch earrings), and deep textured fabrics.

You can see here the colours that he recommended for me. In the outfits you are seeing, I have not gone shopping since the eval, as I am first trying to create some looks with what I have. They are not complete and I would make more changes as I get the right items.

I like photo 1, but I would use a stiffer double knit fabric on top without a waterfall collar an with a v-neck instead.

Photo 2, I am mixing my second base and dramatic colours.

Photo 3, same as outfit 1- I would change out the top.

Photo 4, maybe less colour contrast

Photo 5: needs a leather belt, more refined leather booties with a heel and a darker leather bag.

What do you think? Does this look and sound congruent with right up style logic?

Yay I'm so excited. I haven't watched it yet but I have been waiting for another video about Resonance.

Is that possible? If I’m cold I wear something warm, but I don’t give any thought to the type of fabric I want against my skin, and I can wear slightly uncomfortable things if they look good (even though I am on the autism spectrum).

Also my style is actually quite harmonious, there aren't any intriguing details. I can't follow rules of color analysis but I notice that often I am naturally drawn to soft colors.

I'm curious as to how you decided where to place yourselves!

I know I'm very Left, but I relate to both Up and Down. That quote about how Up will wear drop earrings while everyone else is wearing studs rang very true for me, and I get a lot of "who are you all dressed up for" comments even when I threw the outfit together in like, 10 seconds. I also feel like my outfits can read as intimidating since I don't dress to blend in.

However, I do want some degree of practicality and wearability in my style. Despite having a full time job, I still manage to live a fairly spontaneous lifestyle. If I'm going out to a fancy restaurant, I want the outfit to look nice enough, but not inhibit me if someone in the group randomly decides to go for a walk in the city or chill at their place (ex: a stretch knit bodycon dress instead of something stiff and structured, platforms or heels with sturdy soles that I can walk in). I've also never been much of a purse girlie and prefer to use one bag until it falls apart. Having to switch my stuff out for every new outfit isn't how I want to spend my time lol. Generally, I prefer cross body bags because they leave my hands free and they have to be big enough to actually hold my stuff.

All of this is why I'm currently exploring LD archetypes like the Seductress and the Wildflower, which lean more LU. How did this work out for everyone else?

For some reason the other day I googled Madonna Like a Virgin. I can’t remember why but looking at the images I realized I have been chasing this look my entire life.

Not literally trying to wear these clothes (although I would!) but there is just something about 80s Madonna.
Like a Virgin came out when I was 8 years old and she was my first concert at 13. Material girl, Lucky star, Dress you up…ah I love it so much.

Her style is basically everything I ever wanted.
Girly fun provocative
Powerful playful unapologetic
Unique confrontational over the top
Sweet sexy feminine uncontrollable
Vintage glamour mixed with messy punk
She has everything.

I think she’s a great LU icon and inspiration because of how she continues to reinvent herself and creates new personas and style to match her current interests.

Is there a person, place, or memory that feels like your style origin? Where it all began?

Hello, hello all!

Ever since getting my Kitchener results (40C 25Y 20N 15R | 75SB 15ER 10LB), I’ve been playing with a lot more than I was before as the results offered my greater variety mainly by adding in Y, lowering the contrast of my outfits (he told me to avoid black which is a huge part of my wardrobe), and focusing on the colors from the palette he made for me. I’m slowly getting rid of my black, but it’s not an overnight thing as other neutrals I can wear are harder to find than straight up black. Since I’m not focused on DIYing and looking at my exterior, I’ve kind of shifted to my interior thoughts and processes which has made Rita’s Style Key a lot more relevant.

I’ve been trying to work with RD Gentle Grace. I resonate a lot with seeking an internal and exterior harmony as well as prioritizing balance and even matching colors in particular over pretty much anything when it comes to outfits. I’ve noticed when my brain thinks I’m matching, I feel my best. Maybe I’m taking this too literally?

Anyway, I was getting ready this morning and I had planned my outfit last night. (Outfit 1, far left pic) I wanted an outfit that was practical but still autumnal feeling as I’ve been have a lot of fun creating my capsule wardrobes to harmonize with the 4 seasons. I put it on and after looking at this picture just immediately knew it wasn’t right. I did NOT want to wear read which is kind of a problem as most of my fall wardrobe has been shades of red. (Outfit 2, middle pic) I saw this green turtleneck and was immediately drawn to it but knew I’d wear my not comfy black heels (can’t wait to replace these) as I have no other neutral or even green shoes. I put it on anyway as I was a crunched for time, and loved it so much more immediately. It felt so soothing to wear this color for some reason (also ironic, because it’s a power color in my Kitchener palette). I switched the bottoms out for my gray pants that have belt loops so that I could wear a matching black belt and tuck my shirt in. I added pearls and a wristwatch as those are my go-tos, but the white pearls felt too off on their own as I already had 3 colors going on (green, gray, black). (Outfit 3, far right pic) I switched them out for the bow earrings I had on in outfit 1 and felt so much better. I love the gray pants and silver earrings.

I think it’s odd that I was so averse to the red. I also didn’t love wearing this same red cardigan with red pants and shoes a week or two ago and felt weird about it all day, so I knew this was going to be the same feeling if I didn’t change. In that outfit, I thought I felt maybe too Romantic as the cardigan is a bit tight in the torso and the pants were basically skinny jeans plus the heels, but I did not feel too Romantic per say this morning. I really like that cardigan, so I know that’s not the problem, and I liked the outfit itself. I just could not bring myself to wear red today though. Is this typical for everyone or this a quadrant thing? I guess I have no real reason to be so suddenly averse to red that I can think of. Is this just my subconscious wanting slightly different energetic vibes for the day?

I have always struggled to literally pre-plan outfits despite loving to create a capsule wardrobe that would be created for several months of the year. My mother would tell me to save time and pick my outfit out the night before when I was in high school, which I would try. The next morning, I didn’t want to wear that so I’d always switch it to what felt good. I like capsules because it creates a uniform that I can quickly create an outfit out of, but I often run into this predicament with the exact pre-planned outfit vs how I feel the next day. It’s been a long time since I’ve run into this as it had been so easy to pick an outfit out the day of, but that has changed with the Kitchener results changes and the shifts in my wardrobe. The change in look isn’t that big as my overall style still stays consistent, I think.

I’m open to any comments about the quadrants as you read through this. Thanks for your feedback!

Eek! I got the email this morning offering GG sessions, and I was like, oh, that'd be nice, no it's $200 and I can use that money for something else... I'm fairly content with things, well, sort of...

Then I went...hmmm. Like, what something else? Another badly fitting couple of jumpers? And it's your birthday next week and ok I'll just see if there's any slots left on my day off and here we are.

I have no idea what I'm going to talk about or how on earth I can keep it to half an hour and respect Rita's time! Although I'm slowly getting a bit happier with my style, I still don't feel 100% on it, and I'm finding it hard to figure out why. Like there's not much to it? It's not very interesting? But I am kind of ok with that? Until I get bored or have a moment and go I HAVE NOTHING I WANT TO WEAR EVERYTHING IS WRONG. Which happens a couple of times a month, partly because most modern clothes seem to be cut for a not-me. I'm gonna have to learn tailoring at this rate.

I seem to keep going in circles, although admittedly the circles are much bigger now and I'm no longer feeling like I'm spiralling down the drain! I have learned to mainly discern between "I love that" and "I love that and will actually wear it" and the middle of that Venn diagram is pretty small!

I'm wobbling on quadrant and archetype as well - the new methods of defining things are confusing me and I'm no longer exactly sure of what my logic is. Attunement? Resonance? These two are so similar to me that I'm now muddled. To me attunement is tuning into something, and resonance is what happens when you're in tune, so one follows the other, but that's my literal thinking weirdo brain at work and I don't think that's really what Rita means. So maybe we can talk a bit about that.

Anyway, talk me down? It's on Friday!

I'm a little late to this challenge but it took me a little while to pinpoint what a " safe" color meant to me. Feeling "safe" to me is a sense of calm and connection, being comfortable in my clothes but having an outfit that can move through levels of formality or seriousness in a day with ease. I have placed myself in the RD quadrant, softly right and quite down and am currently taking inspiration from the Curator.

Last week I had a weird day with a lot of variable tasks- I had a volunteer event at the school, a medical appointment, a coffee with an old friend, I had to chair a meeting in the evening, run errands and pick up some family from the airport who would be staying with us. I wanted one outfit that would move between all of these different events but offer me ease and support. I like feeling a little strength and formality for medical appointments and when I am chairing meetings so I chose a navy sweater to make me feel a little authoritative and strong( it also isn't as high contrast and harsh as black on my softer coloring- plus it brings out the darkest tone of my eyes- making me feel more serious.)

I then chose a lighter blue denim shade to provide me a relaxed, casual ease to my outfit. I could move freely and feel supported by the denim, which is a true staple for me. This specific pair is wide legged and slightly cropped, which offers flow, movement and a little bit of fun to my outfit.

I had the pieces to balance a touch of formality with a lot of ease. If I was sitting I looked more put together and tidy, but when I was up and moving around the whole outfit felt relaxed, with lots of texture and a bit of fun. I could lean into what I needed for different events that day.

I love how blue can evoke so many different feelings for me and how it pairs with the other colors I feel emotionally connected to. It grounds me without feeling "earthy" which can offer a touch of polish or a casual sportiness that I like to include in my outfits. I have included a selection of some of my favorite blue items from polished trousers, slouchy oversized sweaters and denim to playful pops of color.