I Struggled to Find MY Style

When we talk about personal style, it is just that, personal! When I work with clients, I need to get to know them. I try to understand their personality, their lifestyle, and their habits. I want to know YOU so I can help you find YOUR style. 

But who am I? Why would you share all that with me? Let’s face it, some of this stuff can be a little embarrassing or hard to share with a stranger.

So you know what? I’ll go first. I’ll share my story with you, the good, the bad, and the awkward. (I’m a stylist, there is no ugly around here! ;-))

So, hi! I am Melanie, and I am your style consultant. I have always had an eye for fashion. From the awkward middle school years right up through high school, I just kind of knew what worked and what didn’t work when it came to clothes and capturing the right look. It made total sense that I went to school at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

But I have a secret. 

This fashionista has pretty much always struggled with what to wear and how to dress. For a long time, I was insecure about my body. I’m short, 5’1 to be exact and my body is heavier on the bottom. When I was younger, I struggled with finding age appropriate clothes that fit my body appropriately. Not to mention the fact that I was pretty much convinced I could never NOT wear heels. It made it really hard to embrace my body and even harder to find MY style.

I was a victim of trends.

I was trying so hard to feel better about how I looked that I went along with what everyone else was doing. I was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

When I had my first real job in the fashion world and started making money, I bought into all of it. I would hardly blink at spending $500 on a pair of shoes, buying even more expensive designer purses, and splurging on the hottest outfits at the various fashion events I was attending. None of it ever really felt like me, and I was going into debt trying to keep up.

As I grew as a professional, I knew that how I looked mattered. I also started to learn how I FELT mattered as well, and that was a turning point for me. 

I slowly started to find clothes that looked good on ME. I found my style and embraced it.

This is what I want for you. 

I want you to find YOUR STYLE. 

I want you to feel and look your best, whatever that means to you. We are not all meant to be on a runway and that means we get to dress and accessorize in ways that make us happy.

I love fashion, and I am good at it. I know what looks good. It is easy for me to put things together. 

AND I STILL STRUGGLED. 

I know how you feel when you try on 1700 outfits and still feel like you have nothing to wear. I know you’ve done the subscription boxes and still don’t seem to have an actual complete outfit. I know what it’s like to see your whole closet dumped out in front of you and think you should probably just stay in your PJs.

I can help!