I often give my clients assignments in order to engage their ideas surrounding a specific effort. Since we're closing in on October, I would like to present Alexandria Stylebook readers with an unofficial assignment. Our lives take us to a number of places where we have information presented to us subconsciously. It's only when we are asked to look that we start to see. 

Coat Check Assignment 

Start taking notice of people's choices in outerwear. Assess who is in the "follower" category and who are the "leaders." I've seen my share of coat closets, and most are pretty dark - meaning filled with black coats. I'm not down on black coats, but this is the low-hanging fruit of the entire coat genre. One particular black coat is seen on repeat in our area. Without blowing its cover, we can collectively agree that it's become as symbolic as a designer bag. My job involves identifying other solutions that rate higher on individuality. 

A client recently asked me why style editors often present solutions that are anything but what they themselves wear. This was a great observation and one that I could easily answer. Creatives entire raison d’être is to be innovative. I imagine purgatory to a creative is having to exist as the most common denominator in every area of your life. Style is about defining your essential self through the choices you make. As part of the Alexandria Stylebook audience, it's safe to say you may be looking for a little dramatic shift in your status quo. I encourage you to explore an outerwear solution that pushes you to new heights this fall. Presenting an outside-the-box solution can be exciting - even energizing - and may even start a conversation with someone you might never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. 

Below are The Hive's incredible coats for the season. Each one is unique, interesting and has the ability to define you as a style trailblazer! Where coats are concerned, it's what's on the outside that matters most!