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.
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As a personal stylist who also happens to be obsessed with resilient design (where good design meets climate resilience), I’m all about finding ways to live an intentional life that is aligned with my values. And, I’m all about doing that while making sure everything is beautiful.
So, the idea that our family is contributing to landfills and ocean pollution by throwing away our disposable face masks was brutal. Near the beginning of the pandemic, I went on a hunt for a company that would accept disposable masks to ACTUALLY recycle them. I found it!
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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.
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Why does it feel like so often I’m starting newsletters and blog posts with something about how rough things have been? (Typically, newsletters are more personal and have some added good stuff, so subscribe if you don’t already.) These past couple of weeks are no exception. In fact, in a lot of ways, things feel worse than ever.
But they are not. We’re resilient and capable and it’s very important to remember that, especially when things feel like they are at their worst.
Looking for ways to actually FEEL better? How about diving into this list of my favorite things and poaching some for yourself? I’m confident we’ll feel stronger together:)
My Favorite Things Right Now
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There's SO much good stuff right now. I know. It certainly isn't what you are hearing and seeing when you let the world in, but it's out there. Here are some of my favs. Thanks for being here and go team!
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I spent yesterday afternoon revamping my husband’s closet. Fun Fact: Years prior to starting Poplin and becoming a Personal Stylist, I would create outfits for my husband and take photos of them that he could reference on his phone. He used them all the time and when it was time for a career change, we realized that what are now, “outfit photos” for clients, are an incredibly useful tool for men and women trying to look their best and get out of the house quickly.
Back to the closet. If you, like me, are especially inclined to do some deep cleaning and reorganizing as the weather changes, you likely already have a few bags of clothes and shoes to be donated. Before those head out the door, there are some really useful ways you can capitalize on your beloved pieces before they go to their next owner.
5 Useful Ways to use your Old Clothes Instead of Donating Them
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As a virtual personal stylist for women, one might expect that all my blog posts are about clothing and accessories. If you’ve been a part of the Poplin community for some time, you know that isn’t the case:) Personal style is about communicating who you are without saying a word. Your clothes can do that. Values are also a part of your personal style. We often talk about sustainable choices when it comes to clothes from shopping second hand and tailoring your pieces to opting for choices that keep the planet in mind.
Living your values is also how you show up for other members of your community. While I’ve been in Seattle nearly 20 years, I’m still a Northern Californian at heart. That means that I constantly interact with strangers, a very not Pacific Northwest practice. My willingness to interact with random folks also means that while I’m not afraid to intervene when I see harassment or discrimination, I have wondered if I could do things in a more effective way. Enter Hollaback.
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I like the idea that COVID won’t permeate every aspect of our lives, especially when it comes to the holiday season. Based on conversations with clients and friends, it’s clear that trying to find the ideal gift often also means considering how that relates to our current very strange state of being. As a personal stylist for women, I often tell people that my job is to “see” people. When I meet a new client, I listen to her and try to see what she sees as her aspirational style. Then, using her budget, body type, lifestyle and personal style, I translate that into a strategy to help her embrace her authentic personal style. Uber Wishlists are a solid representation of how I translate her words into actual items. This, my Dear Reader, is essentially spending 8 years of my professional life gifting.
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As a personal stylist for women, I’m hearing lots of questions about how to navigate your wardrobe when it’s unclear whether you’ll be working from home or the office. I hear you.
Many of the large tech firms in Seattle were planning to head back to the office in September and now that date has been pushed back to the first of the year. And for folks who are in the office right now, many of them are only there a few days a week with the rest of their schedule taking place from the comfort of home. That can be a blessing and a curse.
Whether you are working in the Pacific Northwest or somewhere else in the country, COVID-19 is undoubtedly affecting your daily wardrobe decisions. A number of new clients are wondering if they need two wardrobes: one for the office and one for home. That, my Dear Reader, is not how we roll.
Here at Poplin, we’re all about functionality. You dress for yourself first and foremost. When you feel like your authentic self, you will conduct. your work with more self confidence, less brain power spent on body shaming or worrying about your look and more time spent kicking ass all day long.
So, how do we do this? It’s all about intentional dressing. One aspect of this approach is ensuring that your pieces are functional for your life and with minor tweaks, can work in various scenarios. For example, swapping your house shoes or sneakers or flats, heels or boots. The same pair of pants has an entirely different vibe when its paired with a different shoe.
Need proof? Every pair of pants on this list will work with all of the shoes listed below. Believe it.
Here’s your go-to for styles that are comfortable at home, but don’t make you feel like a slob AND can work just as well when you head off to the office. Have fun and let me know how it goes!
P.S. One key aspect of the Poplin approach is ensuring that all your pieces will work with one another now and into the future. How do we do that? One way is to limit your new pieces to your color palette. Everything in that palette will work with everything else, some bolder and some less so. You can see that in action below.
Comfortable and Stylish Pants for Work AND Home
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As a personal stylist for women, I’m always on the lookout for valuable recommendations for my clients and my community. At Poplin, we are all about simplifying your life and making getting dressed a stress free experience. Plus, we like cool stuff.
So here’s my download of all the things that are making my life better right now. Let me know what you think!
My Favorite Things Right Now
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It’s FINALLY happening! Lots of folks are coming up on their two weeks post 2nd shot and that means we can, wait for it, socialize. Woah. We’re not just hanging outside anymore. It’s time to actually cross the threshold into a friend’s home.
I don’t know about you, Dear Reader, but I’ve found lots of my social skills have deteriorated over the past year and a half. So, it feels like the right time to take a good hard look at what steps need to be considered before committing to dinner at a friend or family member’s home. Feeling anxious? No need. I’ve got you.
10 Musts Before Heading Into Someone’s Home to Socialize
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My new office is my living room. When I gave my old office to my son last spring for online school, it hit me hard. But, now, I actually love it. The living room has giant windows on three sides and I can enjoy the greenery outside and one of our giant fishtanks while I get things done. It’s a win-win.
It does, however, mean that whenever my son or husband are grabbing a snack in the kitchen, they can hear my side of a conversation with a client. It’s the first time they’ve actually heard me doing my job. And, I’m starting to get some feedback.
Last week, my husband told me that he heard me talking to a client about her beloved acorn shirt. It was a button down shirt with acorns on it. That acorn shirt was a pivotal moment in her closet edit and apparently, even while only hearing one side of the conversation, my husband understood the significance, too.
As a personal stylist for women for over seven years, there are certainly some reoccurring themes. This is one of them.
Is that who you REALLY want to be or just your first step in getting there?
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I don’t know about you, but I haven’t worn a heel since February of last year. So, the idea of spring fashion trends seems wildly out of step with my everyday life. That being said, as the sun has come out, I’ve found myself gazing at a dress or two online and only coming up for air hours and several websites later. President Biden’s announcement that there should be enough vaccines for all Americans by May put a major spring in my step. Sure, having “enough vaccines” for everyone doesn’t mean we’ll be wearing heels again in May, but at least there’s light at the end of the tunnel. And, I, for one am ready to bring that fresh enthusiasm to my wardrobe.
So, here we are. Most of us at home in the softest pants available, both dreading and dreaming of the day when putting together a full outfit is not a special occasion of its own. To get you started, I thought I’d offer up Spring Fashion Trends that actually mean something to you, right now, and in the coming months. This is a big list, so we’ll break it into a few posts. Enjoy! And, as always, let me know what you think.
2021 Spring Fashion Trends for your Real Life In and Out of Lockdown
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It’s been a while, my Dear Reader. Choose Clarity founder, good friend and client, Aga Lawrynowicz, pulled me out of hibernation for her video podcast series, “Moms Who Dare.” Aga is a life coach for busy moms. Like so many of my clients, my adoration for Aga runs deep. It also transformed this conversation which is intended to be about how motherhood has shaped my life into a much more intimate conversation between friends. We touch on parenting during the pandemic, living your best life despite shame from trauma, identifying who you once were and who you are becoming. It’s all the things. Naturally, there’s some technical craziness in there, too. We wanted to keep it consistent with 2020, after all.
Right now, so many folks could use some love. Here it is, virtually, if nothing else. Enjoy and let me know how it goes.
Giant hugs to you from over here.
Moms Who Dare with Mellicia Marx
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It’s true that whenever I write a blog post, you, Dear Reader, could be going through anything. It could be a tough time for you, or a joyous one or one filed with anxiety. Weirdly, writing during COVID-19 is sort of still like that. While we are all under threat of serious illness (some more than others), our experiences are often wildly different.
Are you struggling because it’s hard to be isolated from friends? Or are you working from home and find yourself surprised by how much you actually enjoy it now that you’ve adjusted? Maybe you are you hoping Congress will get it together and make sure that you are able to pay the rent next month or keep your car. It’s possible that you are mourning the life of someone you’ve lost or other awful unexpected stressors thanks to this unprecedented time. Perhaps, you are surprisingly watching your bank account grow as your expenses have decreased. Maybe you are trying to perform logistical jujitsu to create a successful fall as your kids prepare for online school while you may or may not be working.
And then, of course, there are the protests that are still continuing, despite a lack of news coverage about them. It’s a lot.
On my end, I haven’t been as interested in talking about clothes. I guess that’s an understatement. I’m not at all interested in talking about them. BUT, I am interested in sharing good news with you, because after reading the paper this morning, it’s clear we all deserve it.
So, that’s what we’re doing today, my Dear. We’re having some good news updates. I hope you enjoy them. I hope that your COVID experience is one filled with silver linings and that if you need help, you make sure to ask your community for help. After all, isolation and mask wearing also means that sometimes your friends don’t realize that you need some extra love. It’s important. Go get some love.
All Good Things (20 of them, in fact)
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As a personal stylist for women, I get lots and lots of questions about referrals for hair, lashes, skincare, all the things. The good people at Cake Skincare and I go way, way back. This is my absolute favorite place for a luxurious skin treatment. The owner, Katrina, gifted me a set of Radical Skincare products years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. When a client asks for a recommendation for the ideal place for skincare (lashes, facials, waxing, etc.), I always think of Cake.
We kicked off the In It Together Series a few months back to support the Poplin community during quarantine. I’ve been holding off on sharing a few posts until now, expecting that this situation might go on longer than originally anticipated… which it has.
Fortunately, Cake is slowly reopening with extra precautions to protect clients and the team. You can check the site to see when/if Cake is open thanks to an impressive effort to make educated decisions based on data from King County. If you are ready to get back into the world, you should book now as I expect the wait is a long one. If you are more comfortable holding off on personal care services, this guest post from one of my very favorite people, Kelly, will help you enjoy the spa at home. Enjoy and remember to take good care of yourself and shop local.
Last but not least, I learned recently from a therapist friend, that when you hug someone for at least 3 minutes without talking, your heart beats sync up. I love everything about this. Think of it as your free self care tip for the day.
How to Treat Yourself at Home with Cake Skincare’s Kelly Perez Snyder
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It’s true. As a personal stylist for women, I spend the majority of my client focused time one on one with each client. So, how does that work while we are all limiting our contact with the outside world to prevent the spread of the coronavirus?
A number of services translate nicely online. In the words of one remote client,
Although I live thousands of miles away from Seattle, Mellicia did an amazing job on our Skype conversations hearing out my laundry list of fashion likes and dislikes and then ensuring that my Uber Wishlist reflected me and where I wanted to take my new look. Not only did she provide me with some ideas for beautiful articles of clothing to add to my closet, but she also helped me gain more confidence in mixing and matching new and old pieces to create a fresh new look. I highly recommend Poplin's services, especially to those who live outside of WA!
-Marina J., Salt Lake City, UT
To make it easier to know what works and what doesn’t right now, here’s a list of the current Poplin services. (At the time of this post, we are in Phase 1.5, which allows for limited personal services. 1:1 services are restricted to 30 minutes with social distancing and masks. Because Poplin services are comprehensive, they are better suited to full service virtual sessions rather than brief in person sessions.)