I’m so excited to share another style journey from my lovely client Molly. 

Her husband Sean reached out to me a few months ago as he wanted to arrange my services for her as a gift for her birthday. He mentioned that Molly wanted to update her look to feel more inspired by the colors and clothes in her closet so they can be a better reflection of who she is as a person, and how she wants to be perceived as a budding NYC actress.

Her purchased my best selling package: Style Starter: including Style & Color Session, and 3 Hours of Personal Shopping, and I’m so happy to see how Molly achieved more clarity and inspiration from her style since our session.

I asked her to share some insights into her journey as a third installment of the blog post series “Client Reflections: Style Journeys” — please check out her experience story below!

Q: What initially prompted you to seek out my services (of an Image & Wardrobe Consultant & Personal Shopper)?

A. It was actually a gift from my husband to go to Dina for her Fashion Consulting and Personal Shopping Services. I am an actor here in New York and over the course of the last 2 years, I significantly lost weight. I have always been someone who wasn’t very good at buying clothing that fit my body type, and was feeling like I was looking older than I am. So my AMAZING husband bought me a package with Dina, as a birthday gift, to figure out this puzzle of “what to wear” to enhance my style at auditions, film festivals, professional social events & how to look sharp while walking down the streets of NYC to hang with friends. 

I want to add that my husband Sean spent several days looking through a ton of different Consultants, and he picked Dina because she was personable, kind, listened to him and had an all-around fun spirit! Not only did he think her style & clothing feel was perfect for me, but he found her to be a genuine, kind person, who was engaged with him on the phone. Something he did not get from others.  He spoke to about 5 other Fashion Consultants who didn’t listen, were sales-pitchy, and didn’t seem to care about the client, but rather the idea they were selling. 

So, when I went to Dina, I saw what he got from the phone call. He was right! When you go to Dina, you’re gonna get a great person, who has your best interests at heart & has a hell of an eye for what can help you! 

Q: What were some of the struggles you were having with your wardrobe and some of the questions you had before we got started?
A: Before going to Dina, I was wearing a lot of basic t-shirts and jeans, with tons of baggy black clothes. I have dresses too but I kept going to extremes. Either it was really fancy or it was really not, which is not great for fun casual wear.  Off the bat, my main struggle was finding clothing that didn’t age me. I was wearing a lot of black due to my “hiding” technique while I was loosing weight, and also shied away from color in general cause I didn’t really know what looked good on me. Plus, I have an hourglass shape, so finding fitted clothes or flowing clothes that fit was just a mystery to me. I wanted to find out from Dina what colors best suited my skin tone, what clothes would enhance my figure, and generally wanted to explore “what my style was.” I wasn’t telling the story I wanted people to get from me with my choices. 

I have also been afraid, (yes, I have been very afraid) of looking too feminine. It’s been a thing that has followed me since I was a kid, but I wanted to change that. Generally, I get called in for the “Murderer” or “Edgy Girl”, but as I’ve become 30, I wanted to move away from this goth-leather-look to a more refined, approachable feminine badass. It’s great for my characters, but I don’t always want to dress like my characters. I want to dress like “Me”. I just had no idea what that looked like…lol… Moving forward in my life and my career, I wanted to “throw away” this fear of looking too feminine and embrace it. Through the consultation, I was hoping to be able to find items that bordered on this idea of a bad-ass feminine woman, who owns her womanhood and still feels edgy. 

Q: What do you think was the most exciting part of the process of us working together?
A: There are definitely 2 really exciting parts for me:

1. The Workbook: Discovering the colors that work for my skin tone – all the science behind colors and lines, & the questionnaire.  

2. Trying on the clothes to create my “Dark Bohemian” look! 

Meeting with Dina and getting to see, with the color palettes that she brought out, what colors are good with my tones, finding out that I was in-fact NOT a Winter, like I have always thought, but in-fact a Warm Spring, LITERALLY blew my mind! In this part of the meeting, I found out that I have been wearing colors that didn’t compliment me, and this was why I felt like I looked older. This lead us into trying on these new colors, which again, was mind blowing! So many colors that I thought would NEVER look good on me, that I thought were too bright, now had new meaning in my life, and I am never looking back. 

Also, I found out my face shape, which is an Oval with a heart-shaped chin! I never knew what my shape was, people would always say, “Oh, its a diamond” “No, its a heart shape”…. Dina “BAM! Oval/heart chin” 

Dina also came up with a great name for my new look – “Dark Bohemian”, which I love! As an actor, I say “I am the darker side of the light”, so this style goes perfectly with the image I am already projecting. Now, I have the clothing to match the personality. 

The questionnaire she had me do also revealed a deeper emotional level to all this, and through answering, she figured out what “type” of fashion I mentally gravitate to. Which ended up being, I think, my more deeper desires that I was shying away from. It was a great tool that I can now use when I go out to look at clothes on my own!  (If Only I could hire Dina to be there every time!) 

Dina not only does a lot of the work when you are in your meeting, but she also gives the tools to do it on your own. This is a huge plus in my book because it shows that she wants you to succeed in your life and wants to empower you with knowledge. 

Q: How was shopping with me different from shopping by yourself?
A: Okay, this is how I shopped before: “Hm. Doesn’t look bad, fits fine, I like the color. Done. Get me out of here!” lol… I love looking at clothes online or on people, but I would always get really overwhelmed going into a department store. All the clothes, all the different textures, all the different colors. What is gonna look good, what isn’t? What if I spend all this money on stuff and I end up hating it in 2 weeks? (Which has happened) So, I would play it safe, stay within the dark color scheme and not really venture farther than that. Also, I usually wouldn’t go on visual impulse. I would go based on price tag. “How much is this? Eh… That might be too much if I want something else too. I’ll put it back.” I wouldn’t even give the clothing a chance to be a good investment in my career and life. 

When I went with Dina, it was a completely different story. She was amazing! We had a set price to spend (which I think also really helps before you go into a store). Never looked at the price tag! 

She asked “Is this something you think you’d wear?” “Or would you be interested in trying this on?” I flat-out told her “Whatever you think, I will give it a shot cause I don’t want to close myself off to anything!” 

So we walked around the store, looking at things, asking questions, picking up items, listening to both our inputs, & found a slew of very cute fun items.

I’m glad I kept myself open and Dina asked questions because at one point, we looked at a dress that was to maybe be perceived too girly for me but I actually liked it. I felt comfortable with the idea of it, especially having Dina there. I tried it on and we both LOVED it! It fits perfectly on my hourglass body, and goes wonderfully with the Dark Bohemian look! Dina was also extremely attentive at the dressing room. If I needed a different size, she went and grabbed it. She was a cheerleader! And a great second opinion! 

One thing I especially loved was that I never felt pressure to purchase any item that I wasn’t crazy over. She listened very well and was in tune with my body language. Plus, she has a great eye, and can tell pretty much right away if its a good fit, then would explain “Why” it works/doesn’t work. 

It was such a wonderful feeling to have a second pair of eyes to really look at “You” as a full picture, and guide you on your journey. 

Q:What would you say stuck with you the most after our sessions?
A: After our session I actually had an audition. I was on a high from finding all these amazing new pieces from Zara & all the learning, but also was in a hurry to get there on time. I ended up changing out of my old clothes in a Whole Foods bathroom, and when I walked out of the stall with my new shirt, new shorts, new shoes, and saw myself in the mirror, I felt like I looked like a professional working actor. Confident with a feminine power. 

But most importantly, I finally felt like “Me”. The “Me” that I’ve been hiding from by wearing dark clothes that didn’t fit. The “Me” that wanted to be seen.  I was bright & approachable, still badass but feminine. It is astounding what clothing and colors do to your personality, how it affects us, how it’s a reflection of self, how it can make you feel vibrant and alive, or can make you feel like you’re invisible. I walked into that audition feeling vibrant, visible, free – and got great feedback! 

 So, my big takeaway after our session was, “Clothing doesn’t make the woman but it sure as hell helps her shine!” It affects on a deep level, a psychological level. As an actor, we have something called “Our Tool Box” – in your toolbox, you can have a foreign language you speak or a skill like archery, which enhances you as a person but also on your resume. The right kind of clothing, the right kinds of colors, textures and cuts for your body: these are a part of your everyday “Tool Box”. It’s an invaluable tool in your life that can take incredible weights off your shoulders, bring colors into your life, and can make the person you truly are “Shine” bright! Subconscious, As Dina said “We’re gonna tell a story of who you are.” For me it was “Dark Bohemian”. An alluring, romantic, yet comfortable, visual with creative undertones. 

Moving forward, I’m not going back to “hiding” behind baggy, dark clothing that doesn’t tell a story of who I am. I’ve learned that “You” are an incredible story being told by what you wear. It really is the first thing people see, before you even say a word. The outside world will analyze the story you are telling with your clothes. So, from now on, I’m telling the world, “Who I am” with my clothing choices, so I can attract the jobs, characters, & people I want in my life. 

Q: Any advice for people looking to hire a stylist?
A: 1. Have a set budget you are going in with: this helped me out a lot. Knowing that I could spend “X amount” was a huge weight off my shoulders, and you’ll be surprised. I ended up spending less that I thought I would. 
2. Do your homework and call around. Don’t blindly go to just anyone, don’t wait, and find someone who can help you “Dress for the job you want”, “Find your inner self”, and “Help your personality Shine Bright”.
3. Find someone who listens and is working with you. Dina listened to me, heard my stories, my apprehensions, my likes, dislikes, and gave solid advice! 

Overall, I want to say that I had an incredible time with Dina. She helped me dress for the job I am already doing, but has enhanced my personality through the story we’re telling with colors, textures and style. I would recommend her to anyone and everyone!

The tee featured on Molly is one of our Zara purchases; I’ve also curated a selection of other fun tees for Summer below!

If you’re interested in scheduling a session for yourself (or purchasing one as a gift), please don’t hesitate to contact me directly!

Fashionably yours,

 

Thank you, Molly, for sharing your story and sending me these beautiful pics! I can’t wait to hear about all the successes your fresh look brings you!

If you’d like to check out Molly’s work, please be sure to visit her website at MollyGazay.com