I’ll be honest, I was trying to think of ways to share with you all what it’s like to work with a personal stylist. Obviously each person’s experience is unique, but there are some through lines I’ve seen and heard in the last 15 years working with thousands of women.

I am also uber private about who I work with - I always say, it’s their news to share not mine. That’s why you’ll rarely see client photos up on my Instagram - it’s a personal experience and I take the trust they place in me seriously. But that being said - it’s really my clients that can give you the inside scoop…

So we are trying this out, using pseudonyms and covering faces to give them confidentiality, while also giving you a peek into the experience.

Let me introduce you to Tracey - she’s a 35 year old working mom of 2 (ages 4 and 1). She works in an executive position for a national company based in NE Ohio. Her work life is currently half work from home and half in office, with a business casual dress code. She’s also doing mom stuff (birthday parties, playdates), date night with the hubs, weekends at the club, travel etc. 

Basically, she’s an everywoman and a superwoman simultaneously.

Q&A with Hallie’s Client, Tracey!

How did you find Hallie/The Wardrobe Consultant?

Google - I was searching around to see whether a service like this existed in Cleveland and was excited to find Hallie!

What were you struggling with when you decided to reach out for help?

I found that a lot of the clothes in my closet were from years ago or were hand-me-downs from family members. I didn't really feel like they worked with my current lifestyle and needs, and lot of the stuff was not in great shape (or, as Hallie would much more diplomatically say, "loved").

As I have gotten to a different stage of my professional life, I've also wanted to look more refined / polished, and didn't feel like I quite knew how to get there. I think as a result of all of that, I had a closet full of clothes and the common feeling that I had nothing to wear.

What made you decide to hire Hallie?

Even though I had a pretty clear vision for what I wanted my style to be, I felt like I really didn't know what pieces to buy to bring that to life, or how to make better use of the things that I had. I decided that, given where I was in my life with a lot of transitions (new job, recently having our last child), I had an opportunity to do a reset of my wardrobe, and wanted help to do that.

From working with Hallie in the past, I knew she really understood my style and what I was going for, and that I'd get much more out of whatever I bought (or already had) than if I just tried to do it myself.

Was the process of working with Hallie different than you expected? how so?

The thing I really enjoyed about working with Hallie is that I found the process very collaborative and iterative. After going through my closet, she created a list of things for me to order. We tried those on, decided what worked and what didn't, and moved from there.

After that, she put together a bunch of outfits for me in my virtual closet, I took pictures of them on, and she made tweaks when things weren't working. That process made it really fun and i got to better understand why some things work and others don't.

I was a little nervous at the outset that I might feel pressure to buy tons, but Hallie definitely understood my budget, and was really good about prioritizing things based on what be best for my needs. I was very budget focused at the beginning, but then totally relaxed from it by the end as I realized it wouldn't be a problem.

What are your takeaways from working with Hallie?

I definitely feel more confident and polished now with my wardrobe (and much more relaxed in the morning because I feel more confident with what I'm wearing but have to spend much less time thinking about what to wear). I have definitely learned the importance of the 'third piece' to any outfit :)

What advice would you give to someone on the fence about hiring Hallie?

One of the things Hallie said to me early on is to think of this as an investment in myself and something to celebrate doing (she probably said it more artfully!). I would really reiterate that. Getting dressed is something you have to do everyday - being able to do that feeling confident is a big gift. (There is also, practically, a major return in thinking about how much money I have spent on clothes int he past that I don't wind up wearing...). I would also say not to be self-conscious or nervous. Hallie and Sydney are both very professional and tactful - zero judgement in the process.

Plus, this is actually fun! The virtual closet is like having Cher's closet from Clueless :)

What is something you learned from the process of working with Hallie that was an ah-ha moment?

I think it was two things:

1) There are hidden gems in your closet that you really don't realize are there. Some of the things I thought were just blah turned out to be things we used a lot in various looks.

2) The third piece is key - it is really hard to look polished and put together with just a top and pair of pants / shorts. Adding in the topper (a new term for me!), necklace, etc really does go a long way.