In a recent post, we talked about the full-closet-nothing-to-wear conundrum, and the fact that the real problem usually isn’t the clothes at all. It’s the kind of thing that can be difficult to pinpoint, let alone fix. (If you didn’t catch that post, you can read it here.)
Now, let’s talk about what comes next, because knowing you want something to change is one thing. Actually reaching out for help is another entirely.
Here’s something we understand deeply: asking someone to help you with your wardrobe can feel strangely vulnerable, more vulnerable than people typically anticipate. On the surface it’s “just clothes,” but letting another person into your closet (someone you haven’t known for very long) means letting them see something extremely personal. Your closet likely contains things that don’t fit and purchases you regret. The items you’ve been holding onto for reasons you can’t quite explain. Not to mention the gap between the person you are and the person you keep meaning to dress like. That’s delicate territory, and we never forget it.
A lot of women sit with the idea of working with a stylist for a long time before they ever reach out. Months, sometimes even years. And when we ask what held them back, we tend to hear the same handful of things.
“I felt like I should be able to figure this out myself”
This might be the most common one we hear, along with all of the things they’ve tried in order to figure it out (including paying for resources that gave them incorrect information). Somewhere along the way, a lot of us absorbed the idea that style is supposed to come naturally, and that needing help with it means we’ve failed at something we should already know how to do.
But let’s unpack that logic for a moment. We happily hire experts for the things that matter to us. We see doctors, trainers, financial advisors, hairstylists. No one expects you to cut your own hair or do your own taxes and feel ashamed for getting help. Your image, how you present yourself to the world every single day, is at least as worthy of expert support. Wanting guidance isn’t a failure, but rather a smart use of someone else’s expertise.
“I was worried about being judged”
We hear this one, and it breaks our hearts a little every time, because the women saying it are often the ones being hardest on themselves. Here’s the truth of how we work: there is no judgment in this process. We are not here to critique your closet or make you feel bad about anything you own or anything about your body. We’ve seen it all, and we’ve felt it all ourselves. Our job is to meet you exactly where you are with warmth and zero judgment, and help you move forward from there. You do not have to clean up or apologize for your closet before we arrive. Come as you are, that’s the whole point.
“I wasn’t sure it was worth the investment”
This is a fair thing to weigh, and we’d never tell you otherwise. But it’s worth zooming out on what the investment actually does for you. It isn’t a pile of new clothes, it’s actually the end of wasted money on things you never wear. It’s also the time you get back every morning and the mental energy you stop spending on a problem that used to follow you around all day. When you add up what disorganized, reactive, frustrated shopping has already cost you over the years, working with a stylist often turns out to be the thing that finally stops the bleeding.
“I didn’t know what working with a stylist even involved”
Fair enough, and we’d rather it not be a mystery. So here’s the reality: it doesn’t start with shopping, it starts with understanding. We take time to get to know you, how you live, how you want to feel, what’s been getting in your way. We look at your coloring, your proportions, your personal style, the real foundations that explain why some things work on you and others never have. Only once we understand all of that do we start making moves. By the time we’re editing or shopping, every decision is grounded in a real understanding of you. Nothing is random, guesswork, or left to chance.
The hardest part is the part before you begin
Here’s what we most want you to take from this: the hardest part is almost always the reaching out. The deciding. The sending of the message. Once that’s done, what most people feel isn’t anxiety, it’s the relief of not having to figure it out alone anymore.
You’ve been doing the alone part for long enough. It’s 100% allowed to be easier than this.
If You’ve Been Thinking About It
If you’ve read this far, there’s probably a reason. Maybe you’ve been sitting with the idea of working with a stylist for a while now, waiting for the right time, or waiting to feel ready. We understand that completely, and we want you to know there’s no wrong way to begin, and no judgment waiting on the other side.
Whenever you’re ready, the first step is simply a conversation, and you can learn more about how we work here. We’ll meet you exactly where you are, which, as it turns out, is the perfect place to start.
