The 75 Hard Style Challenge Edition

On culling, accountability, and first impressions.

Lindsay Tuchman (LT) is a reporter and anchor at ABC7 Eyewitness News in New York. She covers breaking news throughout the tri-state area, and also fills in for the AM traffic report. She is passionate about espresso, airplanes and fashion. 

Lindsay here. As someone who doesn't and has never worked from home, I haven't gotten to experience the ease of rolling out of bed and putting on sweats before hopping on a Zoom call. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise, because the jolt of creative energy I get from picking out an outfit in the morning (sometimes the night before) brings me actual joy. And joy can be hard to come by in the winter months. 

Recently, I was interested to see that fashion writer and analyst Mandy Lee (aka @OldLoserinBrooklyn on Instagram and TikTok) has come up with a solution for WFH-ers in a style rut. A method Lee’s used for many years, she's now calling it the 75 Hard Style Challenge, and it's all about taking a forensic (and hopefully fun) look at the clothes and accessories you already own — and buying nothing new until you’ve excavated what you already have. Here are the main rules:

1. Get dressed intentionally EVERY DAY for 75 days

2. Document your daily outfits

3. Do NOT buy anything new

4. Organize and clean out your closet as you go

Why is this interesting? 

Studies have repeatedly shown that the ritual of getting dressed in the morning is a psychological pick-me-up. Researchers continue to discover how important a routine is to one’s mental health, and there’s also plenty of talk about the so-called Power of Dress, including the “immense psychological impact” our clothing has on other people’s perceptions of us.

Plus, if you've been in a fashion rut and want to hone your personal style, 75 days of collecting data is enough time to help you observe the patterns, preferences and nuances in your clothing choices. Lee’s program basically turns the utilitarian function of getting dressed into a productive project that will hopefully leave you with a clearer closet and sense of your personal taste, in less than three months.

Working in television news, where my  appearance is certainly relevant, if not important, I’ve always understood that getting dressed is also my moment to decide what message I want to send. It’s important to not have clothes be distracting when the stories need to take center stage. So, I like to wear pantsuits on air so I can be comfortable and professional, but often choose to wear a fun color or an interesting cut to make it clear; I’m a journalist, but I’m still dressing for myself. (Though when I’m in a rush, or it’s particularly cold out, all black with cool accessories is still my go-to.)    

Lee has been sharing updates from her own latest Hard Style Challenge, plus that of many of her followers, and it's been inspiring to see the outfits people create, even when they’re more casual, thrown-together looks. Mandy says low effort is better than no effort, and I think that's a pretty good piece of advice for just about anything. (LT)

Thanks for reading,

Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN)

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