Welcome to Splitsville

A guide to life after divorce.

4/30/2013, 5:00 a.m.

By Alyssa Giacobbe and Rachel Slade

Photos by Joyce Lee. Styling by Anna Lee Wallack/Anchor Artists. On him, Tom Ford jacket, Loro Piana sweater, Brunello Cucinelli shirt, John Varvatos jeans, and Tumi bag, all Neiman Marcus Copley; bag, Bally. On her, Eskandar sweater, Rebecca Taylor shirt, Burberry pants, and Dior sunglasses, all Neiman Marcus Copley; bag, Bally.

The recession nearly killed the divorce industry around here, though that’s not saying much. We in Massachusetts tend to marry later, and thus have one of the lowest divorce rates in the country. But whatever splitting we were doing pretty much ground to a halt in 2008, when only two people per 1,000 broke their marriage bonds. Now that the economy’s rebounded, however, the unhappily married are once again taking care of business—the state’s divorce rate has jumped nearly 30 percent over the past five years, leaving more than 42,000 divorcees in Boston alone.

Of course, the biggest loss in a breakup often isn’t your partner. It’s your confidence. And so, for all of our brothers and sisters suddenly healing from the trauma of a legal rupture, we offer this post-divorce primer. From hawking your jewelry to finding a new look, here’s how to pick yourself up, knock off the dust, and get back in the game.