I recently had the pleasure of working with a gorgeous, bubbly and vivacious young mom named Jill. A part-time Real Estate Agent and stay-at-home mom, Jill is 7 months post partum. Like most of us moms, Jill is in between sizes and finding it extremely difficult to find clothes in her closet that fit, flatter and most importantly, feel good in. After all, when we look good, we feel good – a simple equation & the absolute truth.

When Jill first approached me to help edit her wardrobe, she came to me with the following concerns and challenges:

My closet is bursting at the seams and I forever feel like I have nothing to wear. I’m storing things from literally all stages of my life and thereby all sizes. I’m afraid to let anything go because I don’t have anything to replace it with. I guess I must feel like everything serves a purpose, even though I know I never look at most of the clothes in there. I just had two kids so I have a lot of baggy big items, as well as cheap jeans that will get me through the post partum stage.

I don’t like most of my clothes. I feel like I look frumpy and un-presentable most of the time. I want to be able to mix and match clothes that I love effortlessly. Right now I have single items that go together, but with nothing else. I have no pants that fit right, especially jeans.

I’ve been so overwhelmed about how to go about changing things up that I can’t seem to get started. I would love for you to shrink my closet and help me find a few key pieces that I love. I’m tired of tolerating my clothes. I want to love them! I’m a bit afraid that this is going to be like What Not to Wear and you are going to throw out my whole closet. I have pieces that I do love and want to keep. I want to feel good about what I look like every day. I’m tired of waiting until I am the right size and weight to feel good about how I look.

I know most of us moms can relate. I have certainly been there myself! We began by doing a very intense closet makeover. We removed all items that were dated, ill fitting, and faded. We removed sentimental pieces (put them away in storage) and all of those multiples (ie the same top in ten different colours) – why do most of my clients do this?! LOL By the time we were done cleansing we ended up with 8 garbage bags, 3 storage bins and a trip to Goodwill. Jill was starting to feel refreshed and could finally “see” what she had in her closet.

Next, it was time to take Jill shopping! To start things off I provided Jill with a mini Look Book ~ a personalized shopping guide to educate her on some “do’s” and “don’t’s” as well as some images of the types of clothes that would best flatter her gorgeous petite hour glass shape. I put together examples of a casual look, a work appropriate look and a date night look (can’t forget those!).

Off we went on our personal shopping adventure! With rules and budget in place, I made a strategic game plan for Jill. Now because Jill is currently in transition with her sizes, we decided to keep the budget as low as possible. Together we discovered that her personal fashion style is quite feminine and classic with a twist of edge. She loves interesting details, such as embellishments, lace, ruffles, bold colours & patterns, cutouts. She is actually quite adventurous when it comes to her style and not afraid of taking a risk. Every stylists dream! Through this journey, Jill really impressed me. She really understands who she is and how she wants to be presented.

Overall, we built a functional wardrobe specifically geared to her lifestyle. We incorporated closet staples like a perfectly fitted blazer, a gorgeous pair of dark blue jeans and a classic button down shirt. Then, we added edgy and fun pieces to all of our basics, like a floral peasant top, studded high top sneakers, and embellished blouses and sweatshirts. And voila, she’s got herself a brand new updated wardrobe and as a result, a brand new updated Jill! Through this experience, her confidence level reached new heights and for me this is what it’s all about! I am confident that with her newfound knowledge and sense of empowerment, Jill will continue to easily convey this to others through her wardrobe.

BEFORE & AFTER

Thank you so much for reading! Can any of you moms relate to Jill and her wardrobe story Would love to hear your thoughts! So grateful to Jill for participating in this Mommy Wardrobe Makeover ~ You look incredible!!! Hope you have a wonderful start to the week:)

Renata, xo