3 ways to DNA

plus: my Secret Side Hustle revealed

I’m in marketing and I haven’t even told anyone that I officially launched a small business. I guess the cobbler has no shoes. So to speak. I have a lot of shoes. 

If you follow me at all, you know I’m constantly telling you all the things I don’t know and I’m not good at. It’s not false humility. It’s really important to me to be authentic. And also to give credit to people who work hard at their craft and to respect the value of their natural instincts.

When I say I don’t have innate style, I mean it! I like my style more and more as I learn, but I’m a hard worker versus a natural talent. Like I could eke out a B+ in a math class with heavy tutoring and relentless focus. In style world, I use (and share) a lot of tips, tricks and tools to get to a place I like. But the biggest game changer has been practicing what I preach: applying the concept of DNA — the very thing I help brands develop so often at Honor Code — to personal style. It’s like I tell brands: without this framework, when you ask “is this ‘me?’” — you’re just guessing.

This is a part of style + fashion world I’m actually really good at. (The other is probably stain removal, but that’s not quite as exciting.) I see stylists. And personal shoppers. But I haven’t seen anyone doing this particular thing: determining an individual’s personal style brand DNA. And it yields such a huge aha that I wanted to start doing it for others.

So anyway, this is what I’m doing. Just as I do for brands, I ask a series of questions about what you wear and how you feel wearing it. And then it’s like a palm reading. Only it’s a personal style reading. Which I give you in your very own brand DNA deck. And just as with brand DNAs at HCC, I am happy to donate them to anyone facing hardship or an unequal playing field, or in service of a cause (like a charity auction). Just write to me: racheledensolomon@gmail.com.

As part of the package, I give clients a series of texts. Where you’re texting me things like “why don’t I feel good in this?” and “should I buy x”  etc. Because it takes practice to use your DNA. It takes discipline. You’re changing behavior. But it starts to be so much fun. So in that spirit, I thought this week I’d cover 3 ways to use your DNA.

K? K. Here goes. For background, my DNA (if you want, see me working through it here) is: approachable, modern, heritage, Miami. Now here’s how I use it.

(1) diagnosing an outfit issue

Probably the most common use case. You put something on; the “event” can be an event or just getting coffee around the corner, and you feel off. One short cut, a kind of cheat, is going to an LMA. But once you have your adjectives, it’s easy enough to diagnose, fix + go.

Ok, so here I am below about to go get coffee. Feeling - fine. Just oddly low energy. Sleepwalky. (This was today, IRL.)

So I run through the adjectives. Definitely approachable, especially the low-key sporty pants. The sheerness on top is a contrast and modern. The pants themselves are a heritage-y item, grounded in traditional unisex track uniform. Shoe is modern and gives a little Miami. It’s the “little” that’s the issue. On days when I need a lift, I need more Miami. So added the neon shot. And just like that … I feel AWAKE and ALIVE. Ready to be productive. Boom. Out.

And I could wear it the other way if my mood were more about low key. I’d be leaning into approachable or heritage and maybe I’d use an old Vuitton makeup bag clutch or a brown Bottega tote.

(2) change of plans

DNA makes me the master of the quick change operation.

So this, for me, water stains and all, is a very feel-good outfit for hanging at home. Heritage shirt. Modern cut in the Tibi Calder + shoe. And Miami colors. the heather gray sweats, the sloppy sweater tie, all very approachable. I wore this today after a shower.

Now let’s say I’m running out. If I just uplevel the shoe to another modern shoe that I can walk in, and grab this bag, it feels off. But I know why. I lost all my Miami. It’s all very heritagey.

Now I can do this, above, and it’s back. It’s like a formula or how I’d imagine balancing an equation (but I never could do that). Lost Miami? Inject Miami back in. (And yes this is a dreaded “2” if you follow Tibi style principles, and no it doesn’t bother me. Those are supposed to help if you feel out of sorts, but I feel sorted in this!)

If I have a meeting (this whole scenario is very realistic for me), I can do this, above. I skipped the navy blazer knowing it would give me too much heritage, not enough Miami. And here I did add a purple earring because even though the shoe (on sale!) is teal and it’s a “ton” I did feel off in the Zoom screen in the red and blue. Just too flat and pre-schoolish without more, i.e. I lost some of my modern without the very modern shoe showing. Make sense?

Ok and now (still very realistic except that he tore his rotator cuff), say hub and I are going out for pizza here on a whim. I can keep my pants on and uplevel a little.

When I just take a heel, it feels like there’s no Miami again. It’s all heritage + modern. And not especially approachable. It’s all relatively tight + classic. The shoes just feel random. Also I’ll be cold in the restaurant.

Here I’d be fine. The jacket is a big dose of approachable. The necklace is a big dose of Miami. Equation staying balanced.

If that feels like Miami overload for my mood, I can also just do it like this, with my crazy Simone Rocha bag from Dora Maar (no egg, but I’ll let you take the flower one I really want now). Still feel the DNA, but for a more low-key mood.

(3) summer market shopping + styling

Ok and one more way to deploy your DNA. Over the summer, we’re prone to purchases that aren’t “us.” Why? We’re traveling, we’re stumbling into cute little markets, we want to “be part of” the vibe or we meet artisan/makers we believe in and want to support their vision. So the thing there is to make sure that what you’re looking at indexes high on one element of your DNA. Then it’s going to be wearable in a way that feels like you.

So if you follow me on IG, you saw I went to this local shop I LOVE in a beautiful sort of Miami paradise, called Amaroo. Owned by a lovely woman I’ve connected with, Lucia. And the pieces are more boho than what I usually buy. Lots of linen, deep Vs, etc. But I knew that by picking super chilled out, understated, low-key pieces, I’d be heavily indexing on my “approachable” pillar. And I’d feel perfectly me with the friction of some mannish heritage, some Miami, some sharp modernity. In action, here.

Recently a friend took me to Stitch Lab, a yearly event in Miami featuring a wide variety of LatinX designers. I would love to support them all and buy everything! (Next time I’ll think about early holiday shopping.) Instead I was very selective, focusing on what I’d really wear and use.

There was loads of jewelry, but the one I picked, above, is hyper Miami, like a BIG statement. I knew it would have a place as a foil for stricter heritage or low key approachable stuff.

If I had bought one of these gorgeous bags, I similarly would have gone for the loudest most Miami of the bunch.

This dress I skipped. It’s pretty! But it’s not hitting hard enough on any of my adjectives. Like not real splashy Miami, and not super loose and approachable. It was going to leave me wanting more.

Oh and also — since the event was on multiple days, I took photos and went back on day 2 so I wasn’t too swept up and irrational to think about the pillars! I don’t want a repeat of the delicate, sort of table-clothy dress from a market in Forte de Marmi that made me forget something core to my DNA: I don’t own an iron.