A LITTLE ABOUT ME
I wasn't always a personal stylist.
Growing up, I was never the best dressed person in the room, nor the one my friends asked for fashion advice.
Quite far from it. I was a shy, nerdy kid who would have rather been holed up in her room reading than dressing up and socializing. In fact, I was so conscious of being perceived by my peers, that I exclusively shopped in the boys' department - sticking to my uniform of cargo shorts, oversized t-shirts, and basketball shoes. Although, looking back, I guess that was a pretty strong personal style choice in itself.
My parents were quite the opposite. Always dressed to the nines, hosting parties where everyone looked impossibly chic smoking their cigarettes (it was the '90s). To this day, they're never afraid to be overdressed - and will happily add an extra three pieces of jewelry before leaving the house. I remember this being especially confounding to me when we traveled. My parents would fly in jeans, boots, blazers...the works. I would show up in pajamas. If I'm sitting on a plane, I will be comfortable! I once asked them why they got so dressed up just to sit on a plane. Their answer stuck with me:
“You should always dress for all the places the day could take you.”
I'm not sure exactly when or how I went from hiding in baggy boys' clothes to caring about the outfits I put together. At 18 I moved to Wisconsin knowing no one, and then on to San Francisco, L.A., and New York. Reinventing myself in new places gave me a love for experimentation, and eventually erased any fear of being judged for it.
Eventually, I realized that developing a personal style was not about suddenly realizing how to wear things 'correctly'. It was about trying things until I understood what felt like me.
A few years ago, a close friend told me she wished she had as much fun getting dressed as I did. She had this incredibly vibrant personality, but when she looked at her closet, she didn’t see any of it reflected back at her. So, for her birthday, I made her a style guide. And I became completely consumed by it. It wasn’t about making her dress more like me. It was about figuring out what made her interesting, translating that into style, and giving her permission to explore it.
That was the first time I realized this might be what I wanted to do.
It took me a while to actually do something about that realization. I was still working a corporate job and had ambitions of becoming a tech CEO (LOL). Eventually, I took a chance on myself and started working with clients in New York.
That being said, I’m probably still not what you picture when you think “personal stylist.”
I’m not perpetually polished, I’m not effortlessly chic, I experiment with my style constantly, and I’m extra AF. Sometimes I’m dressed to the nines in archival vintage. Sometimes I’m in basketball shorts—and not in the cute way.
I’m loud and unserious. I throw ridiculous themed birthday parties, love going out with my friends, and will absolutely be the first person onstage at karaoke.
I don’t think having great personal style requires becoming a perfectly curated person. I actually think it’s more interesting when you aren’t.
One of my best friends once told me she was a little jealous of how “unapologetically myself” I am. It surprised me because, for most of my life, I saw that as a problem. I’ve never been particularly good at curating the perfect vibe, the perfect look, or the perfect life. Pretending has always been exhausting to me.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how freeing that can be—and how difficult it can be, especially for women. We’re constantly receiving messages about how we should look, behave, dress, and be perceived.
But I think there’s something deeply satisfying about showing up as yourself and letting people see you.
That’s what I want personal style to do.
I want to help women figure out what makes them feel most like themselves—confident, expressive, alive—and put more of that person out into the world.
Because expressing yourself does more than change how you dress. It gives other people permission to show you who they are, too.
STAY IN TOUCH
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