Industry Spotlight: Michigan Startup Solves the Problem of What to Wear

If you're one of those people who could care less about putting an outfit together or if you're on the opposite end of the spectrum where that's all you think about, listen up. A local startup has solved both of those problems. Stylists, you now have a platform to legitimize your business and start managing your clients a little more efficiently, and for the busy men and women who just don't have time to figure out their outfits, you have a way to do so with an expert. Read more about The Styled Life and how it answers life's most important question: what am I going to wear today?

Image from The Styled Life

DGG: Tell us about The Styled Life.

The Styled Life: Remember Cher Horowitz’s closet computer in the movie Clueless? How many of us lusted after that machine that would tell us precisely what to wear each morning?! It has been a dream ever since to bring that exact feeling to every closet. We all struggle with what to wear when faced with the contents of our closet and we all want to feel confident in the image that we present to the world.

THE STYLED LIFE was created to solve the struggle of figuring out what to wear. We have bridged the gap between professional stylists wanting to help clients feel great about their look and members searching for someone to put their clothes together for them. It is the only monthly subscription service that will actually take your own clothes and show you how to wear them. No more laying clothes out, stressing about a special occasion, or wasting time trying stuff on and not liking the way it looks.

Through a special photographic process, each article of a wardrobe is documented and uploaded to a personal virtual closet.  From here, wardrobe items are catalogued by category, type, color, and brand.  Our members can request outfits from their personal stylist, ask for shopping suggestions, assign outfits to their calendar, and ask a stylist to plan out outfits to pack their suitcase for a trip. Every time a new item is added to a closet, the stylist gets an alert to create new outfits so that our members know exactly how to wear it.

DGG: Why should a local stylist choose this as a platform versus managing it his or herself?

TSL: The job of a personal stylist is to help their clients feel great about themselves in what they are wearing, whether it is done in a fitting room at a store or in the comfort of their own home. Men and women desire to look their best each and every day; the image we portray directly affects how we feel and how others view us. The demand for personal stylists is on the rise, yet the time in each day does not change. How else can you meet the needs of your growing number of clients if you cannot be in 10 places at once? This is the exact reason why we created the solution to the struggle.  

With The Styled Life, stylists can access their clients’ closets from any mobile device. They are available when their clients need them and can offer advice, style outfits, and give shopping suggestions. The ability to view the wardrobe contents of any client allows a stylist the freedom to run their business on their time and still serve their clients at the highest level.

DGG: What are your plans for the future? Where do you see The Styled Life in 5-10 years?

TSL: In the next 5-10 years, we will be able to touch millions of wardrobes. Personalized shopping experiences are on the rise, and for good reason. Stitch Fix, Trunk Club, Wantable...all of these style subscription boxes are gaining attention and followers because women, and men, are understanding the power of their image. We live in a quick world, where first impressions are extremely important. The clothing that we choose to wear each and every day can have a major impact on our life interactions.  

The Styled Life takes what the style subscription boxes have to offer and adds one more unique touch: honoring your current wardrobe. With this personalized step, we are not selling you new products. Our stylists are not filling a box with clothes we think you will like based on a style quiz you completed. Instead, we are making informed decisions based on the contents of your closet. We are creating a personalized relationship to best serve your lifestyle and outfit struggles.  And we are NOT a subscription that you will take a break from because our styling professionals are saving you precious time and money. By creating outfits from your wardrobe that you love to wear, we are increasing the value of your investment in the items that are hanging in your closet. And who doesn’t want to make the most of an important investment?

The Styled Life will be a household name as it is going to change the way men and women shop and get dressed each day. Imagine being able to walk into a retail store and instead of wondering what you should buy, you can invite the sales associate to pull up your closet. The associate can then pinpoint exactly what your wardrobe is missing. This will not only help you make smarter decisions as a consumer, but also see a greater value in what you purchase.

We are excited to see what the future brings and have already seen the life-changing impact that our system has on our members’ lives.

DGG: What advice you would give to budding personal stylists?

TSL: You cannot serve everyone and you do not need to. Be focused. When you become clear about what you have to offer and who you offer it to, you will identify your exact client and can find them so much easier. Think about who you love working with and get to know your ideal client. Study them. What type of client are they? What do they look like? What are their struggles?  What do they like to do in their free time? What do they do for work? Where do they like to hang out? Really take the time to understand the people you want to serve. This will help you become clear on your own services and what you have to offer your clients.

DGG: If you could style anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

TSL: Oprah. Just to be in the presence of a woman who has built an empire, while never losing sight of what she has to offer others, would be incredibly empowering. Styling to me is more than just fashion and trends, it represents connecting with my clients on a deeper, more transformational level.  To have the opportunity to connect with Oprah on this level, while influencing her style decisions (not that she needs it!) I know would provide immeasurable insight.   

DGG: How do you take your coffee?

TSL: Black and strong.

DGG: Sarah Slutsky or Erin Walsh?

TSL: Sarah Slutsky.  

DGG: Classic or edgy?

TSL: Depends on my mood and who I want to be that day. I love playing around with my style and wearing outfits that are unique to me.

Guest Blog: Style It Local with Deanna Stepp of The Styled Life

Name: Deanna Stepp, VP of Marketing at The Styled Life

Website: www.thestyledlife.com

Insta: @thestyledlifeco

Facebook: The Styled Life

About me:

I have always been fascinated with art. My favorites types are fashion (especially handbags & shoes), interior design and painting. When I was in high school growing up in Iowa, kids used to scoff at some of my clothing pairings, only for me to observe them wearing the same things in a couple if months; I chalk that up to the beginning of my trendsetting. I never have a go to store, price point or brand. I Iove to mix bargain statement pieces with designer basics.

I spent my early-to-mid-20’s in Chicago, starting my fashion career at Marshall Field’s (now Macy’s). I was captivated and worked in the jewelry department, then honed my beauty skills working for names such as Paula Dorff, Clinique and Dior. My husband and I moved to Michigan in 2006 where I worked as the Senor Executive Merchandise Manager for all non-apparel merchandise at Macy’s Somerset Collection.

I also taught post-graduate level courses about inventory and purchasing at the Art institute of Michigan, Novi. I settled in as the Director of Fashion Marketing and Management in 2011, working with young fashion students to cultivate and grow the Detroit fashion community and careers. 

I was fortunate enough last year to meet my business partners, Matt Yessian and Courtney Miarka of THE STYLED LIFE. They brought this genius idea to my attention on how you can have access to your closet from downloading all of the items to a website. You can style your own outfits or have professionals do it for you.  We instantly connected and have been helping people “never wonder what to wear” ever since. It’s a dream to use my business acumen and passion for fashion in a company that is revolutionary, hip and user friendly. I cannot wait to see what 2016 has in store for us.

Style it Local: 

Leggings:  American Apparel, Royal Oak

Turtleneck: Vintage

Vest: Forever 21, Great Lakes Mall

Shoes: Fendi, Saks 5^TH Ave, Somerset Collection

Bag: Fendi, Saks 5^TH Ave, Somerset Collection

Style Inspiration:

Reworking old pieces into new. I make it a challenge because I hate to throw things away. THE STYLED LIFE site helps me create these looks. Have as many pairs of shoes as you want, the more shoes you have, the more you can rotate them and they last longer. Effortless beauty. People who don’t look too buttoned up or uncomfortable. Feeling good in your clothes and skin is the most important thing. People who just go for it; you can pair anything you want together- no magazine or person has to tell you how to dress!

Favorite Cold-Weather Accessory #1: A log and warm coat. I like this one from BCBG Generation. Its got a short and long zipper to wear 2 ways. Other features are sleeve mitts, an elongated turtle neck and awesome hood. 

Favorite Cold-Weather Accessory #2: A hat that I can wear my glasses with and a ponytail. All three are my weekend accessories in the winter. This one is an athletic type, with a hole in back for my ponytail to thread through. 

Guest Blog: Style It Local with Courtney Miarka, of The Styled Life

Name:  Courtney Miarka, Wardrobe Stylist and Co-Founder of The Styled Life

Blog: www.closetfashionfix.blogspot.com

Website: www.closetfashionfix.com, www.thestyledlife.com

Instagram: @closetfashionfx

About Me:

Growing up, I had an intense fascination with style - how others dressed, the thrill of shopping, the latest trends and how to wear them, and the feeling of that perfect outfit. The minute I got my drivers license, I drove straight to Twelve Oaks mall to apply for a job at The Gap. I so vividly remember my first interview... I'm pretty sure I said something like, "I can sell a lady with white gloves a ketchup popsicle if you let me have this job!" And the rest is history, or so they say. From thenceforth, I just couldn't get enough of helping women and men shop for themselves or others, find the next clothing piece that would complete their wardrobe, and simply helping others feel great in what they are wearing.  

But alas, this story does not end there. Fashion and Styling as a profession, was not even a consideration at that time, nor was it even offered as a major when I attended college. So, I became a teacher. And teach I did, and still do. Yet, I always kind of felt like I was living a double life. Even though my audience was a group of 25 first-graders, I dressed for the runway almost each and every day. After that last bell rang, I would rush around getting ready for the next day of school, and then head off to the mall. (By now I was working at J. Crew in The Village of Rochester Hills). Never tired, always excited for the rest of my day, I couldn't WAIT to get on that sales floor and help dress my clients and customers well into the night.  And do it all over again the next day. I was living my dream - teacher by day, stylist by night!

Fast forward to 2010 when my beautiful daughter was born and my plans came to a screeching halt. (Is it just me, or do all children seem to have this major effect on your lifestyle?!) Teaching full-time and working nights and weekends in another field I loved just wasn't going to cut it.  For my family or my sanity. And then lightning struck. A friend made a comment to me about starting a fashion blog. AHA! You better bet, by that evening I had a blog and was ready to do my thing! It started out with a few friends who were more than eager to let me in their closets and help them figure out how to wear what they already had. I put together outfits for them, helped them clean out the excess and organize their closets so that they loved getting dressed again. And I blogged about each and every experience. Then it came. The first phone call from someone inquiring about my services who was outside my circle. And overnight, my pastime passion became a business.  

My skills as an educator and lifelong learner have helped shape my wardrobe styling business into a ‘teacher-student’ atmosphere, where I am empowering my clients to dress for their shape, their lifestyle, and their personality. Not just ‘telling’ them how to dress. My mission is to show women and men that they can love their wardrobe AND look amazing every day. Getting dressed does not need to be a stressful event, rather you should feel like you have the luxury of “shopping” your own closet. My job is to help my clients fall in love with their clothes all over again, discover new possibilities for how to wear what they own, and make smarter purchases to enhance their current wardrobe. I continue to be amazed by what this business of being a Wardrobe Stylist has allowed me to do and how many women and men’s lives I have been privileged to touch just by helping them know what to wear each and every day!  

Style It Local: Blazer- The Spoiled Girl Leopard Dress- Kate Spade, Somerset Collection White Shirt Dress- Halston Heritage, Somerset Collection Pumps- J.Crew Factory, Great Lakes Crossing Sunglasses- SEE Eyewear, SEE in Birmingham Earrings- J.Crew, Somerset Collection Clutch- Louis Vuitton, Somerset Collection Lipstick- Clinique, Parisian in The Village of Rochester Hills Style Inspiration: The inspiration for this outfit came from my love for layering when the summer months turn to fall. Since my job is to help others shop their closet, first and foremost, I immediately searched for items I already owned that I could work into a ‘new’ fall outfit. To me, shopping for fall is not about buying a whole new wardrobe. Rather, it is about finding those few pieces that will help update what you currently have and will last for seasons to come. I had been stalking this Halston Heritage fit-and-flare shirtdress for a while. When it finally went on sale, I snatched it up.  I love investment pieces at less-than-investment prices! This dress makes a perfect layering option for so many fall outfits. Underneath another dress, as seen here. With leggings or tights and booties in fall. Paired with a fur vest in the winter. Layered over a turtleneck. Underneath a blazer with a belt. So many options! And I cannot forget to mention this blazer. It’s a dark grey that can work with black or look black depending on your outfit. It’s the perfect fit for so many shapes and I’ve already worn it 3 times since I bought it last week. Talk about a total complement to any current wardrobe! Favorite Transitional Summer-Fall Fashion Item #1: A great shirt dress. You can find them all over the local shops. Dresses come in denim, plaid, or just a cotton button-down dress. This style of dress will get you through the summer months and right into winter. I like pieces that are season-less, and this is one of them!  Plus, you will be able to layer with this dress in so many ways and they are incredibly comfortable. Win-win! Favorite Transitional Summer-Fall Fashion Item #2: Booties. Find yourself a pair, if you don’t already own them. I know I won’t be the only stylist to suggest this type of shoe, but there is a reason for that. They are incredibly versatile right now; wear them with your jeans or skirts or dresses or cropped pants. How ever you wear the shoe of the season is up to you, but rest assured you’ll still love them when the Michigan snow begins to fall!