The Top 20 Obstacles to Great Style and How to Overcome Each One

As a personal stylist for women based in Seattle, I’ve spent nearly a decade listening to women talk about their struggles with style. These are among the most common challenges I hear from women. What resonates with you?

Identifying your problem is only the first step. Rest assured, there are solutions. As a Poplin client, we take a deep dive into creating a strategy and providing tools to solve your problem on an ongoing basis. For now, here are some approaches you can take right now. Looking for even more perspective? Most also have a client testimonial that is applicable. Enjoy the resources available and as always, let me know how it goes. I always love to hear from you.

The Top 20 Obstacles to Great Style and How to Solve Each One

My Favorite Things Right Now

As a personal stylist for women based in Seattle, I spend a great deal of time helping women to ensure that they feel like their authentic selves. I also chime in with tips and tricks pretty much constantly. Every once in a while, that means that it’s time for a, “my favorite things,” blog post. Honestly, I have so much I want to share, that putting everything in one post is the most efficient way to give you maximum impact. The goal here is to improve your style AND your life. Enjoy!

7 Days 7 Clients. Countless Ways to Hack Her Style

As a personal stylist for women based in Seattle, I’ve spent nearly a decade working with hundreds of women to elevate their style. At Poplin, every client is different, but the structure is the same. We identify her body type, personal style key words, color palette, budget, lifestyle and values to create a strategy for her authentic personal style. Each client has a password protected webpage that gives her the tools to get dressed every day. We call that her online personal profile. Next up, we use her personal profile to guide every decision as we edit her closet. Does this piece communicate her personal style? Is it flattering for her figure? Does it communicate the level of success she’s achieved? If not, it’s out. Those questions and more are integral to the Closet Edit experience.

During the edit, I make a shopping list of items that would supplement her existing wardrobe and use that list to create her Uber Wishlist. An Uber Wishlist is a list of up to 40 items from a variety of retailers that work in tandem with her existing pieces to create a cohesive wardrobe that is functional for her life and helps her look and feel her best.

After ordering from her Uber Wishlist, we collaborate to ensure each piece is an essential piece to accomplish her style goals. I show her how to style it, how it should fit, when she’ll be wearing it, and more. Often, we also tailor a number of pieces both from her Uber Wishlist and from her existing wardrobe. After all, why buy something new if your existing piece can simply be tailored to do the job?

The styling process all comes together with her outfit session. This is when I create images using her new and existing pieces (including accessories) that she can view each morning on her phone, empowering her to understand what to wear in less than 5 minutes. I know. Right?!

Whether you are an existing client, a member of the Poplin community or new to Poplin, it’s both fun and helpful to see how another woman is harnessing her authentic personal style. That’s why we’re doing 7 days focused on 7 different clients. You’ll see the Uber Wishlist and Outfit photos for each. You won’t see photos of the clients. If you’d like those, check out the client stories page.

After all, we don’t do photo shoots with every client. But, this shouldn’t keep you from the opportunity to hack a client’s style. So, enjoy the next 7 days and please let me know what you think, how these are helpful to you and any exciting discoveries. From items to retailers to pairings, it’s time to hack her style.

Why Shopping with Intention is Good for You AND the Climate

As a personal stylist for women, I spend my time pouring over websites, articles and all things style related. As a human being, I spend a great deal of time thinking about Climate Change. Yes, of course, consuming anything comes at a cost, especially clothing. I often think about the most extreme alternative- suggesting that women wear white cotton items until they start to fall apart, then mend them, then opt for something new. But, years of working closely with women of various income levels, sizes and lifestyles has shown me that abandoning self expression via our clothing simply isn’t going to happen. After all, we communicate so much about ourselves without saying a word- and that is powerful.

This doesn’t mean that we just throw our hands up in the air and consume away. In fact, the very small but real bright side, is that emphasis on the changing climate reminds us of our personal impact. We have an opportunity to express our creative side, communicate our values and be thoughtful about our environmental impact.

Shop Local: Your New Go-To Boutique in Queen Anne

The Vixen Collection and I go way, way back. If I didn’t already adore owner Courean Napolitano, I truly fell in love when she supplied the location for the Poplin Microsoft ad a few years back… after all, as a personal stylist for women not tied to any retailer, I don’t have a storefront.

If you haven’t been to Vixen, or you haven’t been lately, it’s unlike any other boutique. Vixen isn’t a store, exactly. It’s a community. Anyone in Magnolia knows it well. Pop in to see what’s new and you’ll likely walk away with a few pieces including jewelry, a hat or even that adhesive strapless backless bra you need for tonight’s dinner. Or perhaps you’ll stock up on gifts or the array of delightful dishtowels. So many options.

It’s not just clothing, accessories and home goods. Vixen also has a FULL range of spa services from lash extensions to nail services, massages and the list goes on. And when I say it’s a community, I mean it’s a full on community. Courean and team track client birthdays, offer personalized holiday shopping experiences for partners and hold unexpected events like palm reading and parties. My husband and I went to the friends and family pre-opening of the brand new store in Queen Anne and were greeted by a lively, fun, packed house that also included margaritas, tacos and a DJ.

I know it’s challenging to find new spots to pop in and do some shopping and self care, so I’m happy to send you over to either of the Vixen locations for your next outing. The prices are really reasonable and Courean personally curates the inventory.

The vibe is effortless, beachy, a little boho. Essentially, when you are shopping at a Vixen location, you feel like you are planning for your next vacation, even if it’s in Seattle. Can’t make it in? You can shop online! Here are some of my favs. Enjoy and as always, LMK how it goes.

What Size Pants Should I Buy When I Don’t Have Time to Try Them On?

As a personal stylist for women, I hear all of the challenges that women face when it comes to executing their ideal personal styles. Some are large and some are small. Knowing some quick tips to save time and money is always a major win. I love this one.

The 10 Black Owned Clothing Brands that I'm Currently Obsessed With

Things have changed in the fashion industry since 2013. That’s when your very own personal stylist for women wrote a blog post about my then favorite black designer. I researched for hours in search of other options that spoke to me. Sadly, there were very few black voices that were being amplified. There’s still a long way to go, but for now, I’ve got some real favorites.

After finding myself lost in the rabbit hole of the interwebs, I found my favorite resource for Black owned brands and spent the rest of the day totally immersed. So, how about I save you some time and share?

One of my favorite aspects of this list is the purpose behind nearly every brand. Helping clients shop their values is a passion of mine and this list is filled with values based options. From shopping BIPOC makers to brands that have an unwavering commitment to the environment or those that give back to communities in the US or Africa, this is one inspirational list. A few of the brands have manufacturing in the US. Others, are dedicated to inclusive sizing and color palettes. Many are embracing multiple paths to make the world better. Shopping them is a great way to support this approach.

32 Minutes With Poplin Style- From Dressing Your Age to Communicating your Style and More

When the good people at Genneve reached out to me about becoming a guest on the brand podcast, I was intrigued. The company focuses on providing tools for women in mid life. And, I'm all for more resources to face daily hurdles. As a personal stylist for women, my job is an attention getter, for sure. And, it's pretty common for folks to have questions about my work and more likely, to pick my brain about their style challenges.