What I Learned from My Personal Stylist: Try Something New
I love getting selfies from my clients and seeing how their new look/wardrobe pieces have had an impact on their daily lives. Most recently, I asked my client Amanda — who is an attorney at a DC law firm — if I could share some of her selfies from this past fall along with a few thoughts on what she has learned from working DC Style Factory.
When I met Amanda, she had just lost a significant amount of weight — 50 pounds during the span of a year. She was getting used to buying and dressing for her new body, and also figuring out what she wanted for herself in terms of personal style. She was wearing a yellow pencil skirt, dark blouse and heels when we met. Honestly, she looked really, quite pulled together. But, as we chatted more, I realized that what she was bored. She wanted to step up her work and casual wear, injecting some edgier, stylish quality pieces. Because she is a DC attorney, though, she still wanted her work look to be classic, polished and pulled together. I knew right away what we were going to try — richer color, pattern, texture that did not exist in her current wardrobe. We wanted Amanda to look the part of DC Attorney — but with a playful spin. We also wanted to incorporate some unexpected, out-of-the-box pieces/silhouettes that would speak to her inner Carrie Bradshaw. The name of the game with Amanda? Try something new.
“I enjoy clothing and style now more than ever. My style has not only evolved with Rosana, but I truly believe it has become more ‘me’ because I feel more confident in the choices I am making based on what I am learning from Rosana. I am more open to trying new things now because I understand myself and my style more. The most important thing that Rosana taught me is that a great piece of clothing (the right piece of clothing for you) can do more than just affect the way you look physically—it can change the way you feel.”
We got Amanda a sleeveless turtleneck sweater. It feels a little different, but can still be paired with classic pieces for a polished office look. Amanda wore it with rolled jeans here for a casual look. But, it could also be layered over a tissue black turtleneck, pumps and pencil skirt for a dressier look.
This blue sheath dress is beautiful classic all the way. The color was so stunning on Amanda. Paired with animal print pumps up the style ante more than if she did black pumps.
Amanda need a winter coat that could be dressed up and down. Right away, I knew I wanted to get her a collarless 3/4-length coat. This minimal Theory cashmere coat fit the bill perfectly. Its asymmetric buttoning at the collar gives it an modern, edgy feel, but the lux cashmere and soft heather grey color are classic ladylike all the way.
This look is actually NOT a dress, but two pieces — a sleeveless sweater shell that can be layered under a denim jacket, blazer, etc. We love doing monochromatic looks, though. So for this office look, we had Amanda pair the sweater with a Reiss neoprene pencil skirt.
When Amanda tried this Halogen dress on, we squealed. It just hit the mark — playful with a drop waist, tie-front and print. But, also totally work-appropriate with black tights and classic pumps.