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Health & Fitness

My Style-osophy: It's so much more than a pair of shoes

I was being interviewed by a fellow entrepreneur, live via conference call, and I actually said the one thing that a service provider is NEVER supposed to say: “My goal is for my clients to NOT need me.” I even received some wisdom in the form of a good ole-fashioned talking to the next day: “Your clients should always need you.” I heard what they were saying but had to remind myself that’s not my story or my brand.  

My clients come to me in a variety of sizes, lifestyles, budgets, and styles but they place their trust in me to help them find fabulous items that fit their personality, as well as stretch their comfort zone and traditional thinking.  My hope is to do such a good job that they can put fabulous outfits together on their own. I do have a virtual styling membership which allows my clients to tap my expertise with the touch of a button. This is meant to serve as a quick fix and second opinion, not a crutch. My hope is that my help and our time together create a knack for fashion that is sustainable. 

You cannot teach creativity, wit, or style, it’s a practice and perspective that grows with time, patience, and intention. Style is so much more than a dress or a “signature color” for your skin tone. It’s something permeating, deep, and sometimes intangible. Style is the way you sip your cocktail, how you stand while you wait in line, how you interact with strangers - it’s not just shoes. I encourage my clients to celebrate all of these idiosyncrasies that thread the outfit of their personality together; their brightest and strongest accessory.

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I guess I feel out of the loop, a renegade stylist that is irked by the fashion industry, the impossible standards it promotes, and the misconceptions it exploits. I don’t tell my clients what to wear, because there is no formula to great style. I remember when I told a client of mine to wear spring colors in the fall, she nearly fainted. Who decided that coral will only be tolerated from March until August? Pffft. If I provided a regimented list of rules for a medium of self-expression, well, where’s the fun in that? There isn’t any.  A formulaic approach to style is like asking Diego Rivera to paint a mural, then ordering him to paint by numbers, use only 4 colors, and two types of brushes: stifling. Style should be as exciting, fun, and audacious as you are. It’s your battle gear- every time you button your blouse and zip your dress, you should be reminded of how fabulous and powerful you are. Every day you prepare to walk outside of the house and say “So, this is me”. You’re going into battle and your outfit should prepare you for the challenges you will face.  If your outfit doesn’t inspire you to walk taller, speak up, or look someone in the eye, change. In regards to following hard set rules for what you wear: some of the most stylish women to ever walk strut across this planet, at one point broke the “rules” enforced upon them: women wearing pants, Black women wearing their hair natural, flappers showing their calves, etc.  I can’t help but think of my 90-year-old grandmother who wears leather pants without a care in the world. If she listened to what every “image consultant” told her, she’d be in knit polyester slacks. 

So, if someone told you to only wear turquoise, to avoid knee length dresses, or refrain from horizontal stripes, I invite you to think again. Abandon their small-minded, formulaic advice. Try, try, try - even if you think it won’t look good on you. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is how we get to know our bodies, how we fall in love with ourselves, and most importantly, how we craft our personal style. 

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“Fashion you can buy. But style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. Theres not how-to road map to style. It’s about self-expression, and above all attitude” - Iris Apfel 

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