As a personal stylist for women, few things are more thrilling than seeing the entire styling process come together for a client. After all, we spend well more than a dozen hours collaborating to ensure that her authentic personal style comes through everyday and that she understands how to maintain her style once her package is complete.

Fortunately for me, I get to have this feeling regularly. Even better, sometimes we have a photo shoot and video to share some of that magic with you, the Poplin Community. I’m so grateful for each of you who read this blog (and the newsletter!) and for Gloria, a recent Poplin client, who generously shared her story. I hope you find it as inspiring as I do. Enjoy!

In Gloria’s Words

It’s not often that I get to write a review that is so unmitigatedly positive. I found Mellicia and Poplin during a somewhat casual search for personal stylists in the Seattle area. I had reached a point in my personal and professional life where I felt very stuck in terms of the way I presented myself. Although I actually enjoy shopping, the experience of buying clothing was very frustrating: very often, what I bought wouldn’t fit well, wouldn’t look good, or wouldn’t fit my lifestyle. As a result, I fell into the trap of feeling as if something was wrong with my body, and feeling deeply suspicious of “fashion” because it didn’t seem like it was attainable for me. I had a closet full of clothing I wished I liked but didn't, felt uncomfortable in, or just never wore, and more often than not I would default to athletic clothing. I was struck, when I saw the Poplin website, by how thoughtful Mellicia’s process seemed to be and how different all of her clients looked. While I initially balked at the price tag—I’ve never spent so much money on something “frivolous”—at the end of the process, I can say with certainty that, well, you get what you pay for. The Poplin experience is thoughtfully designed by someone who is a genius in her domain. Mellicia is experienced and knowledgeable about fashion, she has thought deeply about what works for different people and what looks good on different body types… and crucially, she excels at drawing out her clients to help them articulate their wants and needs. At every step of the way, she related to me as an individual and checked in to solicit my feedback. When we encountered hiccups, she listened thoughtfully and made certain I felt comfortable. And at the end of the day, working with her was just fun. I can say without a doubt that choosing to work with Poplin changed my life. The process was challenging, expanding, and deeply rewarding. I now know and love my personal style; I have a wardrobe I enjoy; and I have the skills to find clothing I like, as well as to adjust that clothing to my body via tailoring. But it goes beyond clothes: Mellicia helped me think deeply about how I wanted to express myself in the world. I never expected that working with a personal stylist would have profound ripple effects beyond my wardrobe… but it did. I would recommend Poplin, and Mellicia, without hesitation. She really is as good as her website suggests :) While your specific experience will differ from mine—that is what Mellicia is good at!—you can trust that it will be tailored with great skill to what you need and want, and that the end result will be incredible.

Elegant, Feminine, Touches of Nature Goddess

It was time to take Gloria’s style to the next level by investing in high quality pieces that communicated her natural, elegant vibe. An avid climber, Gloria struggled to find items that flattered her petite, short-waisted muscular frame. It was clear from our first conversation that introducing her to great tailoring would have an extraordinary impact on her style now and into the future. And it did. We focused on choices that were ideal for working from home as well as her heavy work travel schedule. Importantly, we wanted to highlight her tattoo and celebrate her figure while teaching her the tailoring fixes that will transform how she gets dressed.

Approach:

Because Gloria is petite, short-waisted and muscular, teaching her how to choose pieces that flatter her frame was essential. Importantly, she talked about her eternal struggle to find jeans and focusing on purchasing the right jeans and understanding how to tailor them for her was sure to be a game changer. Gloria is an accomplished woman who works in a conservative industry both virtually and across the country for in person conferences. Her wardrobe needed to include items that could be layered up for conferences and layered down for happy hour afterward. She needed choices that were comfortable for Zoom calls and also made it easy to run to the gym and the grocery store in a look that was elevated and authentic to her personal style.

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