We live in a world overflowing with advice—snappy soundbites, TikTok tips, and expert hot takes on everything from avocado storage to how to manifest your dream life. But every now and then, a piece of advice lodges itself in your heart and becomes part of your operating system.
Back in 1999, Baz Luhrmann’s iconic spoken-word track Wear Sunscreen (originally a newspaper column in 1997 by Mary Schmich in the Chicago Tribune) went viral long before “going viral” was a thing. It was a quirky, poetic mix of heartfelt reminders like:
“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
“Don’t waste your time on jealousy.”
“You’re not as fat as you imagine.”
That last one? It hits differently in your 40s, 50s and beyond. I often find myself looking at old photos and marvelling at how fabulous I looked—despite being convinced at the time I needed to lose weight. Hindsight, it turns out, comes with a great lighting filter.
My Mum’s Advice (And Why I’ve Modified It)
My mother had her own wisdom, passed down without fluff or frills:
“Never do anything you wouldn’t do twice.”
“If you can’t be good, be careful.”
She is practical rather than poetic, and thankfully not the type to worry about whether your underwear was clean in case you got hit by a bus.
But that “never do anything you wouldn’t do twice” bit? I’ve since rethought it. Sometimes, the first time is necessary just to find out if you’d ever want to do it again. Whether it’s trying out a new style, launching a creative project, or even making a bold career shift, once is often enough to gain the insight you need.
My own litmus test now is a bit more whimsical: I ask myself, “Will the sky fall in?” (A nod to Henny Penny and Chicken Little, naturally.)
If the answer is no—if the potential fallout is temporary discomfort, mild embarrassment, or a little egg on my face—I take the risk. I’ve learned that perfection is the enemy of discovery. Life gets richer when you stop waiting for guarantees and start collecting stories instead.
Advice I Give (and Live By)
As a personal stylist and image educator, I often see how advice—both good and terrible—shapes the way women dress, feel, and express themselves. A few gems I offer often (and take myself):
You don’t need to “fix” your body—just find clothes that honour it.
There is nothing wrong with your boy (no matter how much the media and advertising industries are trying to make you feel that there is). The retail clothing industry is also not necessarily your friend, as they are looking to sell you something new and make you feel like there is something wrong with what you already own because that’s how they make money. They have not come and taken your measurements and then crafted a garment to your specifications. This is why it’s hard to find clothes that fit, are comfortable and feel good on, as well as working with your colouring and body as well as personal preferences (that’s a big ask).
Confidence isn’t something you wait to feel before dressing up—it’s something you cultivate by dressing in alignment with who you are.
Confidence comes from exploring and getting additional skills and wisdom. You develop confidence over time, which is why taking the time to learn about your style will reap rewards as you will become more confident as you expand your style skillset.
Style is a skill, not a gene. You can learn it at any age.
Style is a science, which means it can be learned. You don’t have to be born with style to cultivate and develop your own style. How much time and effort you put into it is down to you. For some, it’s an integral part of their being; for others, clothes are a means to be “not naked”.
You are not vain or shallow for wanting to harness your style in a way that makes you feel more confident, as what you wear communicates information about you, your preferences, your personality, and your values. Style is a language which you can learn.
Personal Style is Personal
The reason it’s called personal style is that it’s personal to you. There is no one way to be stylish. There are many expressions of style and it may be understated or maximalist. Neither is the only way or the correct way. They are both right when they are coming from your core. You may prefer one over the other, but that doesn’t make either of them the right route to style.
Wearing the “Christmas Tree decorations” according to some on social media
I’ve seen social media comments on some of my outfits where I’m wearing a fun, large-scale necklace, where someone says that I look like I stole the Christmas Tree decorations. And I don’t care, because I know that I’m not here to tell you to wear what I wear. I’m all about finding your personal style. The style that feels authentic to you and aligns with your personality, and to not copy mine. You don’t have to like my personal style to become educated in colour and style and define your own style.
Some principles of coordination, scale, and proportion make an outfit more cohesive and aesthetically pleasing, but that doesn’t mean we all have to dress the same.
Buy the shoes you love—but make sure they love you back.
There is nothing worse than wearing shoes that are uncomfortable and that make every step excruciating. Shoes that are both stylish and comfortable can be found, it’s a matter of searching them out. One person’s comfortable is someone else’s uncomfortable and that’s because our feet are all different.
What’s the Best Advice You’ve Ever Received?
Has a particular phrase guided you through motherhood, menopause, reinvention, or career pivots? Is there a mantra you return to when you’re staring into your wardrobe thinking, “I have nothing to wear”?
I’d love to know. Share it in the comments or come join the conversation in the 7 Steps to Style community, where we unpack the stories, beliefs and style myths that shape how we show up every day.
And if you’ve never heard Wear Sunscreen, do yourself a favour. Read the full column here, or listen to the track on a walk this week. It’s just as timeless and gently perspective-shifting now as it was 28 years ago.
If you need some more reminders, this little clip from Moira Rose (Schitts Creek) is here to amuse!
Thanks for sharing the reference to the Wear Sunscreen essay. I had never heard it before in its entirety, so I read it through. 🙂 Best piece of style advice I ever got was similar to your first piece of advice above: only wear things that truly flatter YOU, in color, style and personality. I have adhered to that advice like glue.
That’s great advice – and I bet you haven’t wasted heaps of money on all the wrong clothes!
Best advice: Wear clothes that make you happy. That could mean particular colors, or textures, or patterns, or buttons, or whatever brings a smile to your face.
people will always be snarky it seems I love your big necklaces and would love to have them all!!