Stacy London – my newest mindfulness hero

Yes, Stacy London of What Not to Wear. For those very very very few of you who may not know – and you are forgiven if you don’t – What Not to Wear was a NYC-based TV show which ran from 2003 – 2013 in which Ms. London and her co-host Clinton Kelly led chic-challenged guests through style makeovers. I watched that show for tips, for relieving homesickness and just to laugh – London and Kelly have mercury-quick wits and any pop culture reference was fair game.

No, this isn’t me! Just a very handsome young person I know.

Once upon a time, I owned suits. High quality suits to suit my work environment at Columbia University School of Law. These days, fancy = anything white. As I type this, I’m wearing sneakers, jeans, a flannel shirt, and a hand-me-up t-shirt from my son. I’ve got my serious doubts that it’s “style,” but it exactly works for what I need these days.

Which brings me to Stacy London, mindfulness hero. I grabbed a copy of her book The Truth About Style on a whim. And I’m enchanted. London isn’t about the finery. She’s about finding yourself to decide what the flourishes are. She’s about listening to your instincts, honoring your experiences – including, she dares say it, AGING – and trying to live in, understand and enjoy rather than anticipate and maybe even fear your future “moments.” She straightforwardly examines her own life as her model for others, generously opening up about her struggles with eating disorders and a childhood spent suffering from severe psoriasis and the interpersonal habits those ingrained in her. The book is worth a read.

Oh, and for those of you who didn’t know What Not to Wear – I don’t watch TV anymore either, and can say I’ve never seen a single episode of Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things and what else….(?)  So I think I’ve got a glass house.