Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but I find myself thinking less about what is traditionally considered chic and more about what actually makes life feel good.
There’s a trend making the rounds on Instagram right now called “kinda chic,” and I love the idea behind it: taking everyday things and recognizing that they’re actually pretty great. Not everything has to be glamorous, expensive or perfectly curated to make you feel good.
So, in the spirit of the trend, here are five things I think are kinda chic.
Kinda chic to take yourself out to coffee: There’s something about taking yourself out for coffee that feels like a little luxury. You don’t have to wait for someone else to be free or coordinate schedules. You can simply decide you want a coffee, pick a place and go.
Sit outside. Bring a book. People-watch. Order the pastry. Whatever you feel like doing, do it. There’s something freeing about realizing you can enjoy your own company.
Kinda chic to go for a walk with no destination: We’re so used to making everything productive. We walk to get our steps in, to run an errand or to get somewhere. But sometimes it’s nice to just walk with no destination, no step goal, and no podcast you have to finish.
Take the long way home, wander down a street you normally pass or simply see where you end up. Not everything needs to have a purpose.
Kind of chic to have a place to go to clear your head: Everyone has a place that makes them feel like themselves. For me, it’s the barn. There are days when sitting at my desk and thinking harder isn’t going to solve anything. Spending time with the horses usually does more for me than another hour staring at a screen. The barn forces me to slow down and be present. Whatever was consuming my thoughts when I arrived usually feels a little less important when I leave.
Maybe your version is the gym, the beach, a yoga studio or your favorite hiking trail. Whatever it is, knowing where to go when you need a reset is pretty chic.
Kinda chic to advocate for yourself: There’s something powerful about learning to use your voice and speaking up when something doesn’t feel right. Advocating for yourself doesn’t always mean being the loudest person in the room. Sometimes it’s simply knowing your worth and being willing to say, this is what I need.
Whether it’s at work, in a relationship, at the doctor’s office or in everyday life, you deserve to be heard. And if advocating for yourself feels uncomfortable at first, that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It probably means you’re doing something you haven’t always been comfortable doing.
Finding your voice and actually using it is very kinda chic.
Kinda chic to support yourself in an economy built for two: This one feels a little different, but maybe it’s my favorite. There is something incredibly satisfying about being able to support yourself. Paying your own bills, making your own decisions, booking your own trips and building a career and life that work for you. Especially when so much of life seems designed around two incomes, it can be empowering to know you can stand on your own.
That doesn’t mean you don’t want someone to share your life with. It just means your life doesn’t have to wait for them. And honestly, building a life you’re proud of—and being able to support it yourself—is very, very chic.
Maybe that’s what I like most about this trend. It gives us permission to redefine what “chic” means. It can be a coffee alone, a walk with nowhere to go, time at the barn, advocating for your needs, or financial independence.
The things that make life feel good don’t always look impressive from the outside.
But maybe they don’t have to.
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