Finding Myself Again: My Personal Story

In our last email, I shared the story of how The Style That Binds Us came to be. 

Today, I wanted to open up and tell you a bit more about my personal journey and how I got here.

Growing up as a girl in the 70’s and 80’s, the unspoken rule, the “cultural norm”, was for girls and women to be seen and not heard, to look a certain way but never be vain, to always put others' needs before our own. Pursuing your own career or putting energy into your own interests and passions was often seen as selfish. I poured myself into being a devoted daughter, wife and mother, but in the process, I lost touch with the person I was underneath, as so many of us did.

Life brings challenges to all of us. 

I lost my biological father when I wasn’t quite 2 years old. It took a long time to understand the effects of that, but learning about it has given me many answers in regards to how I have looked at the world, and the emotions I have carried with me through my life. 

I have a wonderful stepfather, who is now 90 years old, but he has Alzheimers. He remains happy and enthusiastic, which is kind of heartbreaking in itself, but we have had many happy years with him for which I am so thankful. 

Going through divorce was certainly a huge challenge, and shattered the life and identity I had built. It was incredibly painful, but it was also an opportunity to rediscover myself. Why was I such a people-pleaser, why was I unable to stand up for myself? It turns out part of that comes from losing a parent early. Who knew? 

Now I work hard to stand up for myself, and help other women do so also.

Through it all, I have had my mother and my sister by my side, and as of 1991, my daughter as well. I’ve worked hard to deal with shame and guilt; as we know, women carry those two emotions in spades. It wasn’t until my daughter Delia grew up and went off to college, that I finally gave myself permission to explore my own interests. Becoming an “Empty Nester” is often the first time in decades that a woman is faced with who she is, and what she wants.

It can be both scary and exciting. 

I’m opening up about my challenges, because I have a feeling some resonate with you too. 

As Delia planned her career in fashion, I tagged along on some of her trips to New York for internship and eventually job interviews, rekindling my lifelong love of style. Could I pursue a career in the field? I did some research and found I could get an Image Consulting certification from FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan) and learn the science and art behind great style. What started as a fun creative outlet quickly became so much more. As I started working with clients, I saw the incredible power of fashion to help women transform, not just their appearance, but their confidence and sense of self. Helping them rediscover their own unique beauty and tap into their inner strength became my mission and my purpose. 

At 61, I'm still on this journey of growth and transformation myself. 

Leaving a marriage after 22 years, moving to a new city, battling cancer - none of it has been easy, but I've learned that we are all so much stronger and resilient than we know. This includes you! Every challenge is a chance to expand our sense of what's possible for ourselves and our lives. 

If you're ready to use the power of style to transform your confidence and step into a new chapter of your life, keep an eye out for our upcoming digital courses on the science of dressing for your body type and more. It's all about learning to love the skin you're in at every age and stage, and to get you started, I have a special invitation for you. Enter our drawing for a free 1-on-1 style session with Delia and me! It just takes 2 minutes to fill out the form here.

We would love to connect with you personally and help you discover how to dress as your most authentic, confident self. 

With love and gratitude,

Alison