Nailing personal style with confidence (and fun!)
I recently had the good fortune to do a shoot for a client of Poplin Style Direction in Seattle, owned by Mellicia Marx – a personal stylist who helps women of all ages, body shapes, and lifestyles curate a wardrobe that expresses their personalities, goals and values.
I’m going to take a moment here to bang my drum about the huge difference it makes in personal brand imagery when a client takes the wardrobe aspect seriously and invests (whether in time, money or both) in choosing items that fit properly, and genuinely reflect the person they feel they are from the inside out…and also speaks to who they are becoming and how they envision themselves at their best.
And this isn’t just for great pictures!
We all go through different phases in our lives, and often we end up on autopilot when we meet a moment where the ground is shifting and we’re facing a new trajectory – another version of ourselves. We cling to the familiar, we experience imposter syndrome, we hesitate to fully step into our full power and show up to the world. Or we just realize we don’t know what our style is anymore, whether that’s connected to aging. body shape changes, or just having other priorities that demand our attention …and one day we look in the mirror, in our closet, and we are so uninspired and feel like nothing we see is really speaking to who we are anymore.
And to anyone who thinks this is a frivolous topic, I beg to differ.
How you choose to dress sends a lot of messages. It’s a big part of a first impression for example – and an important form of non-verbal communication. It reflects how you feel about your self worth, it has a direct impact on self confidence, and it’s a way of expressing yourself and giving valuable cues to anyone in your orbit. Seriously – just think about the things you notice when you first meet someone. Like it or not, we make certain judgements and you want to be sure you’re sending a message that is true to you, your personality, your goals and your values.
And maybe more importantly, getting the help of a good personal stylist is a lifelong gift to give yourself, both professionally and personally.
I think the idea of “style” can be intimidating – what it is, what it isn’t, and who decides. Somebody once said “Fashion is what you buy, style is what you do with it”. If you think you have to go out and buy a bunch of expensive designer names you’re wrong. A good stylist will help you go through your existing wardrobe and find the pieces that really work for you, have the ones that you love but don’t fit properly tailored, and help you identify the kinds of pieces you might add (in all price ranges!) to end up with a closet you’re excited about and is a true expression of you.
Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself
CocoChanel
So this shoot was a great example of a woman who is entering a new and exciting path in her life – Jaysea, already wildly successful on Tiktok, has just had her first book published and wanted to level up her wardrobe to meet the new commitments and opportunities the marketing of the book will inevitably bring. And of course, she wants it to reflect who she is. And what better way to capture this moment than a personal brand shoot?
One thing Mellicia does with her clients is have them hone in on their style key words. For Jaysea they were: modern classic, touches of rock & roll, elegant, sexy, powerful, bold, clean lines and modern classic.
I don’t know about you, but I think she totally nailed it.
And Mellicia working her magic behind the scenes…
