Going in: Style Workshop and... why now?

 So.  I am gonna do a thing that's kinda weird because internet and, well, society, and I'm just gonna say it... I am 35.
And 35 has been way more... with all the feelings about age/appropriateness/identity than 30 was for me.  There's also the part with juggling a big move right before that big birthday and the changes that came with that, which is all to say that it's been a topsy-turvy year, and I have been on a hunt for fewer choices and more bandwidth.
So, wardrobe planning is a part of that.  
But who even am I at 35? 
So, Style Workshop gave me space to think about that.  I did have to stop and start, but this is where I landed, quoting my post in the Design Your Wardrobe community: 

I have gotten to a place of a closet full of nothing to wear and am realizing that when we moved, and I had this walk in closet for the first time in years, I did some mindless filling up of the space.
I haven’t gone on a hard buying/making freeze but have found myself trying to be more mindful of why I’m spending so much time in thrift stores searching for more and doing style workshop was a really affirming exercise in that it reinforced some of that mindfulness.

All of the words kind of fell under 4 umbrellas so I’m trying to distill them and that in and of itself is an adventure.
my words, right now…
SUSTAINABLE- thrifted, vintage, classic, genuine. Part of sustainable for me is environmental- which first means turning to the wardrobe I have- but also sustainable, as in… it’s important that I’m able to care for the things and they fit in with my life.
AUTHENTIC- rooted and grounded, Southern, instinctive, fun, feminine, strong, wild hair, maintaining self expression. This isn’t going to work if I don’t feel good in my skin and whole in my body. I don’t want to feel like or dress like “just a mom” “just _____” because who I am is never just anything. Who I am is enough.
PUT-TOGETHER- appropriate, fitting in, classy, chic, capable, professional, attractive, red lipstick, capable. Because my vocation and place in the community call for these things, and because the baggage of growing up a woman in the South comes with Expectations and that’s not something I am going to shed overnight… but it’s also a piece I want to claim and carry with authority. I want to show my daughters how to navigate bodies and clothing and the way we go about doing the “put together” thing with authenticity. With strength. With sustainability.

&- not a word but it’s the best thing I could come up with short of saying split personality. Because every week spans getting dressed in athleisure and in a suit and heels, plus a couple of stops in the middle. While I’m never going to rock a sports bra and yoga pants in a board meeting, I do want to find/embrace some chameleon pieces that can fill multiple functions to lean into more simplicity and sustainability.

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So grateful for good tools to identify values as they show up in my clothes, so I can work towards showing up as myself!