Hello 2026, I’m Still Here
On building, mothering, missing, moving forward—and celebrating 25 years in business
Hello 2026. And hello to my subscribers, whether you’ve been here from the beginning or just joined. Thank you!
It’s February 5th, and I’m finally sitting down to write this.
I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately, how much of it we have, how much mental energy we carry, and how much bandwidth we can realistically give. Over a decade ago, I spoke at Fashion 140 about the importance of humanizing a brand in a digital world. Back then, the conversation was about authenticity before it became a buzzword. Today, it feels more necessary than ever.
We consume post after post after post, but what we don’t always talk about is the cost of creating them. The time it takes. The energy it requires. The grace we owe ourselves when we don’t have it in us to show up every single day.
I’ve been writing online since 2008—blogs, newsletters, posts—for both BOY MEETS GIRL® and for myself. When I eventually brought on teammates to help with the BMG digital footprint, I kept my personal writing mine. Every Stacy Igel post, every note, every reflection, you’re reading them because I showed up myself. And yes, sometimes I get tired just like you do.
So if you’re not posting every day, every week, or even every month, I want you to hear this: that’s okay. Giving yourself grace isn’t quitting; it’s sustaining.
And yet… here we are. Hello 2026. I have so much in store for you.
There is so much I want to tell you.
So much I want to share.
New podcasts Hesta Prynn ( link here ), proud friend. Hesta made this playlist for my underground BOY MEETS GIRL® NYFW show in 2015. Take a listen here.
Friends’ books that deserve your time ( list coming soon), books I read recently, and loved Midnight Library and Sandwich. New on Substack and Friends of mine IFP Communications/ Melissa ( BTS of a great publicist), Movies and shows that stayed with me longer than expected ( list coming soon). Rent the Runway pieces I am loving Blank Sweater, AGLODE Twist Low Slung Baggy Jeans, Fifteen Twenty Sweater, and AGOLDE Kiera Jean. Also, I am a #RTRpartner, so you can use RTRXSIGEL50 to get 50% off your first month. You can use it and then pause your membership the following month. I highly recommend it as a great way to try new designers while also helping the environment.
Also, I am wearing the very special and sparkly 25th anniversary BOY MEETS GIRL® x Jimmy Crytstal collection here. Hit 25 years, baby. I’ve got to shine bright and pat myself on the back, right? If you read my book Embracing The Calm In The Chaos, I share how important it is to celebrate your wins, big or small.
Speaking engagements that filled my cup. “Last night with Melissa Gonzalez, Stacy Igel, and Joanne Heyman was everything we needed—an honest conversation about purpose, alignment, slowing down, and rewriting the narrative around asking for help.” - Fran Hauser . Thank you, Fran, for kicking off the year with Melissa and me. I’m so in love with your bookstore and can’t wait to visit again soon. I’m also a contributor to Melissa’s book The Purpose Pivot, which is a must-read. I am so grateful to my dear friends who showed up this night, who are also contributors to my book, Deb Ruffalo Ross and Lauren Locke.
—and where I’m headed next.
There are projects I can’t fully talk about yet, but I can tease.
There are things to shop, collaborations I’m proud of, and drops that mean more because of the people behind them. There are moments worth celebrating—like my husband turning a year older and us marking 26 years since our very first day together this February 12th. WOW!
There are lessons I’m learning as a mother—how my 11-year-old can make me beam with pride and challenge me in the very same breath. There are truths I want to share with you as an entrepreneur. Music I can’t stop listening to.
Losses that shook me. And joy that surprised me.
And then there’s this quieter truth underneath it all.
I miss talking to my mama.
She’s still here, but she’s not the same. Dementia and Parkinson’s have changed the shape of our relationship, and mourning someone who is still physically present is a grief I wouldn’t wish on anyone. It’s made me think deeply about time, presence, and what really matters. My friend Barri Grant is great for those in the midst of Grief. Her Substack notes, “I want to help change the daily vernacular to include GRIEF! Small g and capital G grief! That can be hard in a grief-denying society.”
Which brings me back to grace.
To bandwidth.
To choosing what we can hold—and letting the rest wait.
I want to share the self-care practices that are helping me stay grounded in this season. Not in a perfect way. In a real way. Because I’m still here. And so are you.
One of my highest-rated Substacks was this one: SCFW: Self-Care Fashion Week. I was vulnerable, I was authentic, and I shared it when it felt like the right time. You all gravitated to it—and so did Substack, ranking me #99 among the best Fashion Substacks. Thank you!
So this is my tip today: please make sure to get your blood panels tested. Below is a list to start with. Ask your doctor for the test codes, then call Quest or another lab to confirm what your insurance covers—otherwise, you may end up paying out of pocket, and that’s not fun.
ApoE4 Genotype-Whole exome, exome chip, or genome, Complete Blood Count: White Blood Cell and Platelet, Complete Metabolic Panel: Albumin, A/G Ratio, ALT, AST, BUN/Creatinine Ratio, Calcium, Creatinine, Globulin, Glucose, Potassium, Lipid Panel: Total Cholesterol, HDL, Triglycerides, LDL-Cholesterol, Cholesterol/HDL Ratio, Non-HDL Cholesterol, Ferritin, Hemoglobin A1c, Fasting Insulin, Homocysteine, Hormone status: TSH, Hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), Vitamin D.
These panels can help identify markers related to Dementia and Alzheimer’s, and they are truly important. Once I did this, I learned which vitamins were best for me. I’ve listed the ones I’m currently taking below, but it’s essential to test your blood first before starting any supplements—you want to be sure you actually need them.
Vitamin K2 with D3, Reacted Iron, Magnesium Glycinate, Vitamin B Complex (formerly Glycogenics®)
I’ll also share additional preventative essentials in my next newsletter for those who haven’t yet completed their blood panels.
Join me for my first live Substack tomorrow with Natasha DAnna “I am that Mom” at 2 pm EST. Link here to join us. It will be both of our first times going live here :) I am excited to go live with Natasha, whom I recently reconnected with on our panel closing out 2025 with SweatforSmiles, Penny Goffman, and Elizabeth Tretter ( who made us sweat)!
RIP Catherine O'Hara, Prayers for Savannah Guthrie, F**CK ICE, Prayers for our world!
XO,
STACY IGEL
Your event at Bedford Books was a huge bright spot in January for me! xo
Ah, sweet you. It is so hard to miss them when they are right there with us. And still we do. Meet yourself and your Mom right where you are... thank you for your beautiful and wise reflections. And the fun fashion vids! Twenty Five & Fab!