A moment of self-care

Yesterday I did something I’ve never done before – I hired a professional stylist to give my wardrobe a bump in style and fashion.  Having a virtual practice has its benefit but having clothes to leave the house in isn’t one of them.  HELLO #yogapantseveryday.

Now before you think me rich or pretentious there’s a catch….she is also a professional thrifter.  She styles and shops for you at a local second hand store – so you get what is available at the time of your appointment.  There are 2 benefits I see to this – environmentally friendly – recycling – green me, and saves you a lot of money.

Here’s how it works.  You have a phone consultation where she gathers some basic information; what kinds of things you need, what you will be doing in the clothes, sizes, style preferences, etc.

Then you set a date.

On the determined day Kelly Anne goes to the agreed upon thrift store an hour before your appt and pulls a ton of items.  And I mean a TON.  When I arrived, she had us set up in the corner of the store with over 100 items – from shoes to coats and everything in-between.

You show up in black legging and a black tank top ….. cause there is NO TIME for dressings rooms. Then the fun begins.

She begins handing you items to try on.  First a pair of pants then multiply tops and shoes for styling.  You spend about 2 hours trying on clothes, styling them and weeding out things that are a no-go for you.  I tried on stuff I would never had taken off the rack but once on and styled it was a different story.

At the conclusion of the appt.  you determine what you will take home and what you leave behind.  Your budget determines what you will leave with.   I left with 30 items and most were well under $10.

Note: Kelly Anne messaged me to tell me that 5 of the items I purchased ($50 for me) 2nd hand would have cost me over $600 new.

I have a confession to make. I don’t buy my own clothes, I haven’t for over 15 years.  My husband buys nearly everything for me.  Yes, I know this is weird but after being in retail (my first career) for so long I just hate shopping.  With this experience I was able to give control over to someone else while still making style choices for myself.  It was a super fun evening.  I revamped my entire closet for pennies.  It would have taken me years to do this if I were buying everything new.

A couple things you have to get over:

• Trying on clothes in front of people walking around the store. Yes, I was wearing leggings and a tank top but it’s still a little strange.
• That you are trying on second hand clothes. I did come home and shower after the experience.
• If you like it and it doesn’t fit – there’s not another size. OR as Kelly Anne would say you weren’t meant to have it.

This was a form of self-care.  If you follow me on social media (redeeming nutrition) then you know that I just did a huge closet purge.   As I’m getting older my body is changing and I want to honor those changes not fight against them.  Part of that for me is having outfits that feel age appropriate and comfortable.

Learn more about Kelly Anne and her services

If you are ready to start some healthy habits, do some selfcare and need support join my free challenge.