I had an epiphany lately. I realized that a lot of the pieces in my closet aren’t “me” anymore. Apparently, I was holding on to outfits I still liked, but they aren’t the person I’ve evolved into. Cue Salvation Army.

Personal growth, when you’re with yourself every day, is hard to recognize, but there have been specific moments in my life where I suddenly realized I’m not the same person I was at 25 or 33 or 40. It seems like this should be obvious, but until that revelatory flash, I was stuck in a pattern – doing/wearing/being/holding on to the same things. Yet, after singling out a simple orange-hued shirtdress whose style unexpectedly seemed so long ago “me”, I felt free to be able to switch up my style a bit and take some “risks”. Like layering up jewelry when I’ve always been a single piece gal or branching out into wearing a new color palette like the sand and blush hues in my Desert Landscape Collection. Who is this adult Daria?!

What does it take to jolt oneself out of a routine and embrace change? How do you recognize the current you? Well, the turning of the seasons offers an excellent opportunity to review and assess your closet, and to ask yourself if that familiar dress or go-to shirt is really the you you are right now (then “Marie Kondo” it and ask if you love it).

It can be hard to switch up your style. I get it. So, start with the small stuff, like jewelry. Use a scarf as a belt and a brooch as the buckle. Can you use your ear-clips as a brooch on your lapels? What about taking a necklace and wrapping it around your wrist as a bracelet? How about hanging that huge pendant on multiple, different chains. Break out of your comfort zone by changing up what is normally required of a particular piece and see how it changes your mood.

What about color… do you always buy jewelry or clothing that is the same palette? Always blue, always black, always beige? Bring a trusted friend with you shopping and try something that’s a great accent to everything in your closet. For example, earrings that have some hot pink in them, like the Agave ear-clips or a shock of turquoise from the Lavender Turquoise Leather Band Bracelet. Choosing just one item that’s wildly different from your regular hue or pattern (like leopard print shoes!) can help get you out of your “stuck” by making you think and feel differently.

Closer to the start of the Holiday Season, I’ll be launching a new Gold Essentials. Eternal classics in my signature textures… chains and bangles, hoops and rings that are meant for stacking and layering with my color-rich pieces for a more free-spirited look. Like all of my collection, you can give these new 18k essentials a test run with my on-approval program - stack and layer in the privacy of your home; experiment with a new vibe risk-free. Who knows, maybe you’ll recognize a new YOU in you.