Personal Styling by Mindful Closet

Does anyone else have panic attacks just thinking about what to wear in photos?  I feel like I'm awful at choosing the right outfit for myself.  I usually don't think twice about what to wear to work or out with friends, but photos are so permanent and important that I get overwhelmed and intimidated.  I can do wonders with my husband and Mac's wardrobe and I'm great at picking a color palette, but when it comes to finding something that's in style, in the right colors and will be flattering on me in photos, I am awful.  

I think I've been having such a hard time these days because I never know what size I am or how to dress in a way that flatters the body I'm currently in. My weight has fluctuated so much that I've been about 4 different sizes (plus maternity) over the last 5 years and my wardrobe is pretty schizophrenic. I've got skinny clothes, fat clothes, maternity clothes and everything in between, but it's impossible to remember what currently fits, what might fit and what could fit by the time I take the photos.  I've also got stuff scattered around between 3 different closets in our house, based on season, style and size.  It's quite a disaster.  First world problems, right?

I mentioned this problem once before to my blogger friend, Dacy.  Dacy recently started a company in St. Louis called Mindful Closet where she does personal styling sessions, shop my closet sessions and closet cleanout and organization sessions.  She graciously offered to help me out with a closet cleanout and organization session.  However, with me still losing the baby weight, yet hoping to be pregnant and giant again soon, it didn't seem like quite the right time for a closet overhaul.

But what I did need was major help with picking out something for me to wear in our Christmas card photos.  I didn't want to spend any money on new items (because, hello - I have clothes), I just needed help figuring out (a) what I had, (b) what fit and (c) what looked flattering on me.  Enter Dacy with her "Shop My Closet" service.  Perfect!

To start our session, she sent me the link to a Pinterest board she created for me, with all kinds of ideas for stylish family photos.  She wanted me to pick a few photos that I liked, based on color combos, outfit styles and personal preference.  I loved that she had taken so much time to scour the internet and come up with so many wonderful choices for our session.  I picked a few of my favorites and had them ready for her when she came over one Saturday morning.

I noticed right away that I chose mostly photos with a blue/tan/neutrals palette, with pops of red.  So those are the colors that Dacy kept to while she made her way though my closet, pulling out any possibilities.  She asked me about where the photos would take place, so she could make sure our outfits complemented our surroundings.  She asked me out what types of outfits I'd worn for photos in the past and what I liked or didn't like about how they looked. We talked about how to dress to play up your best features and downplay "problematic areas," which I really appreciated.  She asked me to tell her right away if she pulled items that I knew I didn't want to wear for any reason.  She pulled tops, sweaters, cardigans, pants, dresses, scarves, tights, boots and hats and we piled everything up on the bed to get a better idea of our options.

Of course we had a little visit from Mac, who was much more interested in jumping on the bed and making a mess than helping.  

And then Dacy starting putting outfits together for me to try on.  We played around with this red coat, which I love...but then realized that I'd already worn this coat in Christmas card photos a few years ago, so we nixed that idea and moved on to the next idea.  (Note to self: next time please shower and put on some make-up!).

With each outfit I tried on, Dacy would take a photo of me and show it to me.  Not only did I get to see how it looked in a photo, but she gave me some tips and tricks to use when taking photos to make myself look better.  How to stand, where to put your arms, how to angle yourself.  Invaluable stuff.  

Next we played around with blues and tans.  We really liked both of these outfits, although they felt a little too casual.  (See how I'm doing better at standing/posing in photos already!!)

Then found this cream sweater dress that actually fit and didn't look too bad.  It was wintery-looking, flattering and could be paired with all kinds of different accessories.  This was definitely a favorite.

From here, I grabbed a few things from Mac and Ryan's closet.  Dacy picked a navy snowflake sweater and jeans for Mac and a grey sweater, collared shirt and jeans for Ryan.  All creating a really pretty navy/tan/neutral color palette, just like the ones I'd loved in the photos from her Pinterest board. 

We ended up with a couple different outfit options for me (with different accessories and shoes, that I could play around with and chose that day based on the weather and how I was feeling) and great outfits for the guys.  

And of course, here's the final color palette and the photos of the finished product.  

I think we look SMASHING.  This is the first time in a very long time that I like the way I look in photos!  

(images by A Better Story Photography)

Dacy took photos of everything and made a list of what each of us would wear, with which accessories and shoes. After our session, she sent me a detailed email with all our decisions, the list and attached all the photos, so I could see all the things we tried and what we eventually decided on (a lot of the photos from this post are hers).  She answered all my questions and even gave me some ideas for places to shop, based on my style and the type of clothes I had (which she probably didn't even realize she'd done).  The whole session took about two hours and probably would have been a lot shorter had we not had so much to talk about and catch up on.  

I thought it was such a great experience and I HIGHLY recommend her to anyone in the St. Louis area looking for personal styling help or assistance with cleaning out/organizing their closet.  Now here's the fun part!

Because Dacy is so incredibly awesome and amazing, she is going to give away FOUR HOURS of Mindful Closet Services (closet cleanout, organization, personal shopping, shop your closet, etc.) to one lucky reader!  You can enter by using the Rafflecopter below.

UPDATE: Giveaway is now open to ALL readers, regardless of location!  St. Louis winner could choose any of the available services.  If you are outside STL, you can choose the long-distance personal styling or personal shopping service.  Dacy will work with you online to come up with outfit/styling ideas, recommendations for purchases, etc. all within your budget and based on your personal style.  She will even do your online shopping for you! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And for anyone else that would like to use Dacy's services, she's offering my readers a 20% discount on any service - just mention this blog post!  (DISCOUNT IS NOW EXPIRED - however, please let Dacy know you heard about her services here!  Thanks!)