Wear Who You Are

Fabrics can make or break how your clothes look, feel, and function. In this guest episode, Natalie sits down with Wear Who You Are style friend Farida Raafat of DALYA to break down natural vs. synthetic fibers, when blends actually work in your favor, and how to think about seasonality. Plus, a deep dive into why wool might be the most underrated fabric in your wardrobe (yes, even year-round), what those “Super 120s” labels really mean, and how to navigate linen without the wrinkling frustration.Episode Notes & Resources:Submit style questions you’d like answered in a future Wear Who You Are episodeJoin BU Style Circle online membership for more of Natalie’s style resources, live Q&As, and more. Use code BUCIRCLE for one month off your subscription. Follow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Pods

Feeling like everyone suddenly looks the same? You’re not imagining it. In this Nat Chat, Natalie breaks down why algorithms are shaping our style more than we think—and how to break out of the cycle. From rethinking influence to building a wardrobe rooted in personal history, favorite brands, and signature pieces, this episode is your reset for creating a style that actually feels like you (and not the internet).Episode Notes & Resources:Revisit episode 3, “Inspiration vs. Aspiration”Submit style questions you’d like answered in a future Wear Who You Are episodeJoin BU Style Circle online membership for more of Natalie’s style resources, live Q&As, and more. Use code BUCIRCLE for one month off your subscription.Follow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Pods

Starting a new role and tempted to buy an entirely new wardrobe overnight? Take a breath. Natalie breaks down what actually matters, what to buy first, and how to build a professional wardrobe that fits your environment and still feels like you.Episode Notes & Resources:Read more on our website: "How to Navigate Dress Codes at the Office: A Personal Stylist’s Guide"Sign up for the BU Style monthly newsletter to get more style tips straight to your inbox. (I promise, we don't spam you every day . . . or even every week!) Submit your style questions to be answered in a future Nat Chat Follow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Pods

Every list says you need a white button-down. Natalie says: not necessarily. In this episode, she shares versatile alternatives to wear under blazers and other layers . . . or solo, so your workwear foundation actually reflects your personal style while aligning to the dress expectationsEpisode Notes & Resources:Check out our 'Core'drobe Style Guide to help you create your own unique wardrobe foundationJoin BU Style Circle to get more style resources, live Q&A sessions with Natalie, and moreSubmit your style questions to be answered in a future Nat Chat Follow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Pods

We need to talk about fitting rooms. Not the lighting (okay, maybe a little), but what actually happens inside—the habits, the hang-ups, the helpful tips, and the unspoken rules that no one teaches you.In this episode, we’re pulling together insights from both sides of the dressing room door. You’ll hear what sales associates wish shoppers would stop doing, what most of us are guilty of (yep, even stylists), and the five key things I teach clients to make the fitting room a more empowering experience.Because trying clothes on shouldn’t feel like a test—it should feel like a tool for discovery. Let’s make it work for you.Resources: —Join the BU Style Circle to get access to our curated shopping guides, exclusive resources, and more. Follow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Pods

This episode is as engaging as it is educational. I am joined by Farida Raafat, founder of DALYA, for a rich conversation about personal style, the meaning behind materials, and the art of intentional design. We talk about what it looks like to “dress the way you want to be addressed,” the bespoke process she’s created specifically for women, and how she builds silhouettes that balance strength and ease. Farida also pulls back the curtain on the business side—sharing the complexities of working across borders, navigating tariffs, and staying grounded in your values while growing a brand. Whether you love fashion or just want to feel more like yourself when you get dressed, this one’s full of insight and inspiration.Show Notes: —Visit DALYA's website and follow on Instagram—Connect with Farida on LinkedIn—Join our newly launched BU Style Circle paid membership and resource hub--Follow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Pods

In the newest episode of Wear Who You Are, Natalie opens up about her month-long adventure through Asia, sharing some valuable lessons she picked up along the way. With stops in Thailand, Cambodia, and Japan, she reflects on the theme of respect. It can be strange, reconciling life in America with the incredible cleanliness and respect for public spaces she witnessed in places like Tokyo and Bangkok. Nat shares how the principle of loving-kindness influences interactions with both the environment and each other. There’s a refreshing take on shopping, too (of course!)—she noticed how shopping in these countries feels more social and community-focused, rather than just transactional. Where do you go to gather in a public space? The mall, of course! It’s like a return to the 80s and 90s.In terms of what Nat packed for her trip, she shares her strategy. No secrets here. Her choices emphasized comfort and versatility in the scorching Bangkok heat and cool Tokyo nights. She leaned on breathable fabrics and versatile pieces that could serve different purposes, perfect for navigating the varied climates and activities of her trip. There are also some revelations about how some of her outfits might just have to be “good enough,” rather than fixating on clothes too much to the point that it distracts from the real reason you’re there. To enjoy traveling and be part of another culture!All of this emphasis on community and respect ties into the BU Style Circle community, a membership-based platform where people can connect, share resources, and discover fashion inspiration together. We hope you check it out!Show Notes & Resources:Link to Photos of CambodiaNatalie's Packing StrategyBrands:EpoiGarden of DesireMon PanamaSucette Thai SilkShakaJim ThompsonGoodGoodsTutti and Me--Follow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Pods

In a world that often feels chaotic, finding order can be a transformative experience. This episode of the Wear Who You Are podcast is here to help you get your new year off to a good start, with an Industry Adjacent episode with Camilla Frederico of The Personal Helpers. Our guest is a passionate advocate for decluttering and creating spaces that foster well-being and clarity, and she's also just incredibly warm and funny. Camilla, a seasoned organizer, emphasizes that organization is not just about tidiness; it’s an essential tool for improving focus, reducing stress, and enhancing productivity. Whether it’s your closet, workspace, or kitchen, a thoughtfully organized area can lead to a more harmonious living experience. A crucial part of Milla's approach is the mindset shift she advocates. She believes that organization should not feel like a chore but rather an act of self-care and empowerment. Creating a space that reflects who you are can lead to greater happiness and satisfaction in your daily life. This episode also explores the psychology behind clutter. Perhaps a client is holding onto an item because of some emotional attachment or a fear of loss. Camilla suggests that if it's really time to let go, perhaps you can ease that pain by gifting that item to someone you really love? This episode is full of wonderful pieces of advice as you start the sometimes difficult work of simplifying your life. By questioning our belongings, we can make informed decisions about what to keep, toss, or donate. And then that change and simplicity will feel like a sustainable shift, and not a disruption. To make it even easier for listeners to embark on their organizational journey, BU Style has put together a downloadable PDF. This handy cheat sheet guides you through the process of assessing your belongings, helping you decide what to keep, throw away, or donate—making it simple to tackle that overflowing closet or cluttered drawer. Take a look in the show notes below to download yours.Resources:Free Closet Organization Flow Chart Download (to be created)The Personal Helpers WebsiteThe Personal Helpers instagramFollow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Pods

Welcome to the final episode of Wear Who You Are for 2025! We have the honor of speaking with Fiona Dieffenbacher, an Associate Professor of Fashion at Parsons School of Design. Fiona's work expertly intertwines the realms of dress, embodiment, and spirituality, providing valuable insights into how clothing impacts our emotional and social well-being. Fiona shares her journey into the world of fashion education and her tenure at Parsons, emphasizing her passion for teaching, enacting change, and the importance of research in understanding the intricacies of fashion. Natalie and Fiona also bond over their spiritual religious practices and how their spirituality, the soul, and the body are all linked.What we love most, however, is of course how her research focuses on how dress acts as a medium through which we express ourselves. Sound familiar? Natalie and Fiona discuss the research work on “Dress & Emotion,” which highlights varying perceptions of clothing, from uniformity and persona to provocation and protection. Additionally, this episode delves into Fiona’s “Outlier Initiative,” which shares surprising interviews, revealing highly unique insights into people’s relationships with their clothing. Fiona’s research also focuses on articulating the “space in between,” fostering understanding between fashion, philosophy, and theology. She challenges misconceptions within these intersections, encouraging us to consider how our clothing choices reflect deeper truths about ourselves and society. As a seasoned insider of the fashion industry, Fiona also discusses inclusivity and the evolution of beauty standards within the industry. She provides a critical perspective on the efforts made towards representation but also identifies areas demanding improvement. Through teaching her students about body positivity and inclusion, she aims to cultivate a more compassionate future for fashion.Read More About Fiona’s ResearchBooks Recommended by Fiona: Fashion Theology by Robert Covolo Silhouettes of the Soul by Otto von Busch The Social Psychology of Clothing: Symbolic Appearances in Context by Susan B. Kaiser ––Follow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Pods

Get ready to jingle all the way with Nat on this episode of the "Wear Who You Are" podcast! Nat dives into the holiday shopping season, equipping listeners with practical strategies to navigate the crowded market with style and confidence. She highlights vital sales dates, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday, while cautioning against the traps of inflated pricing often seen during these events. Of course, Natalie emphasizes the importance of creating a Strategic Shopping List to avoid impulse buys, suggesting tools like browser extensions to track item prices historically. This episode also shows a Strategic Shopping List in action, demonstrating how a stylist identifies specific items they're looking for during the holiday shopping sales. In the final notes of this solo episode, Natalie also delves a bit into the BU Style values and ethical implications of holiday consumerism, advocating for mindful purchasing that takes environmental and social factors into account. We encourage listeners to support small businesses and engage in community-building initiatives like Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday, and ask you to join us in being thoughtful consumers this holiday season.Q the Makeup ArtistTo book your Q the Makeup Artist appointment with Rebecca Robles, head to bu.style/makeup-servicesFollow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Pods

Welcome back to Where Who You Are, the podcast where everybody has a style, and every style has a seat. In today's guest episode, Natalie chats with Karya Schanilec, a street style photographer based in New York City who has just returned from Paris Fashion Week. Karya has a unique perspective on fashion through the lens of the camera; years of work in the field have given her the ability to discern between trend and true personal expression. As for herself? As she puts it, “I really just want to be comfortable...I don’t have time for uncomfortable clothing." Amen to that. Throughout the discussion, Karya shares her experiences capturing street style from around the globe and how each fashion week offers something slightly different, but that the universal tell for personal style is “wearing who you are.” Natalie and Karya bond over their shared belief in the difference between aspiration and inspiration, examining how to translate global trends into our own wardrobes as long as it serves you. Karya also passionately notes the significance of community in fashion, stating, “It’s fun to find like-minded people.” And with that, we think we've found a like-minded person for our BU Style community! From the belief in consuming less (Karya even makes some of her own clothes), down to naturally championing the basic tenets of BU Style, this episode felt like coming home.LinksCourse: https://www.bu.style/courseBU Style Six Assessment: https://www.bu.style/style-sixKarya's Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/karyaschanilec/ Karya's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karyastreetstyleKarya's Website: https://www.karyastreetstyle.com/Karya's Street Style Portrait Sessions: https://www.karyastreetstyle.com/holiday-photoshoots-nycFollow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Pods

Get ready for an exciting and artistic episode of Wear Who You Are! Host Natalie Tincher invites the incredibly talented Miles Aldridge into a vibrant discussion that dives deep into the captivating worlds of art, photography, and storytelling through image. This deeply artistic Industry Insider episode revolves primarily on image making and photography (including fashion photography), as well as how to nurture a fulfilling creative life. Recording from his studio in London, Miles shares the value of maintaining a distinct separation between his work and home life, emphasizing how the division enhances his focus on each. Miles details his meticulous approach to photography and art, detailing the evolution of his ideas from sketching and planning, and then how a tension between ambition and practical constraints of a shoot ultimately play out. Natalie and Miles also explore the impact of digital media on the fashion photography landscape, the importance of Vogue Italia in fashion and art, and how Miles plants seeds (or clues) in his photographs to create a rich visual narrative. With plenty of banter, this episode is packed with creative sparks as Natalie and Miles explore the elements that make art come alive.Connect with Miles Aldridge:WebsiteInstagramFollow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Podcast Network

The Wear Who You Are team is back with an Industry Insider episode, featuring Doug Phillips of Conscious Clothing. Host Natalie Tincher is tapping into her Midwest upbringing for this conversation with the co-founder and owner of this sustainably and ethically made company, based out of Michigan. Conscious Clothing is notable for its commitment to using eco-friendly materials and low-impact dyes, as well as being completely American designed, sourced, and made. As if all of that wasn't enough, Conscious Clothing also has a profoundly moving story.Doug has also experienced a great deal of personal loss. So we talk about it. What's it like building a business with the love of your life, and then how does that business have to change when you lose your partner to a brutal cancer battle? How can you possibly keep going? How does your business evolve? How do you evolve?Natalie and Doug also talk about what it was like during COVID and the importance of keeping your staff employed, and even now how challenging it is on a day-to-day basis to stay in business as an American-made, organic clothing manufacturer with deeply held convictions. We cover it all: made to order, staying lean, small batch, athletic wear fabrics, how there's so much collateral damage from the fashion industry, how we can vote with our dollars, and why FoxFibre® is so completely amazing. Natalie also walks Doug through his Style Six Assessment results and puts Doug through the wringer with our new "10 in 2" segment!Pull up a seat! This is the Industry Insider story of the wonderful Conscious Clothing.Episode Resources and Notes:Conscious Clothing WebsiteConscious Clothing Instagram @consciousclothingConscious Clothing Article at GRPM's Fashion + Nature ExhibitConscious Clothing Educational ResourcesConscious Clothing Maker's BoxRead more about Conscious Clothing's Story as a Family Run BusinessFoxfibre® Naturally Colored CottonTrue Cost documentary Follow Us:Follow the podcast on social media, and submit your questions by sending us a message here!@bustyle@natalie_tincherCheck out the website for more info at www.bu.styleSign Up for Nat’s NewsletterRate, Review, & Subscribe to the podcast on Apple & SpotifyThis Podcast is brought to you by Upstarter Podcast Network