Jai and I go way back. Like 18 years back. Needless to say, we are more like sisters than best friends. For most of our lives, we have lived hundreds of miles apart, taking via landline and AIM and now (thank God for technological inventions) texts, email, and Pinterest messages. Only recently did I finally get my hands on her closet and I wanted to share that process with you. Thankfully she agreed (to that AND these photos!).

The Before

While Jai's before outfit photos aren't bad, her wardrobe mainly consists of items she has owned (and worn) since high school and features a similar array of brands: American Eagle, Express, Bebe, Arden B; nothing against those brands, but it's time for a much needed upgrade. More recent purchases made by Jai (prior to my help) have never seemed to fit quite right, go with the rest of her wardrobe, or were easy to style. Because Jai has recently had a huge life change (hello little baby!) she wants a more adult wardrobe that works with her daily schedule and new responsibilities while still retaining her love of all thinks black, leather, and full of skulls. Style challenge: accepted.

Step 1 - Style Consultation

While I know Jai VERY well and could have filled out her style consultation myself, I still made her do it anyway (that's what BFF's are for - making you do things). I wanted to get her thoughts, her words on why and what she needed out of personal styling. My style consultations get clients to answer basic questions such as: "Why do you want personal styling services?", "What do you want to achieve with your wardrobe and our sessions?". We also touch on areas of the body the client loves (Jai - her legs, hence the abundance of mini-skirts I found in our closet cleanse) and what the client doesn't. We talk about what your life looks like. What do you do, where do you go? It is important to me that my clients have wardrobes that work for them, not against them. I've pulled a few of my questions and Jai's answers to give you a better idea of the things we go into in a style consultation:

In addition to these questions and answers which give me great ideas about where to start creating Jai's new wardrobe, we also talk about colors, types of fabrics, how she prefers to wash clothes (no hand washing please!), budgets (important!), and reasons why she buys (impulse). With each consultation or first session, we also take measurements so that when I am shopping or selecting looks for a client, either in person or virtually, I can ensure that the size will actually fit (we all know sizes are not created equal!).

Once a style consultation is complete it's time to take on the closet. #operationnewwardrobe

Stay tuned for Jai's Step 2 - Closet Cleanse.

Adult Wardrobe Needed | Jai's Style Part 1