My career in fashion started in 2005, when I first began styling clients as my full-time job at the women’s contemporary clothing store, Bebe, and realized—hey! I really like this styling stuff. Since then I have received a master’s in fashion merchandising and master’s in organizational leadership, opened up and managed a women’s boutique alongside my best friend and artist, Nerina Cervantes, and have pursued my career path as an online educator for various fashion colleges across the United States. Whether it’s students, clients, colleagues, customers, or friends, old and new, I absolutely love working with people and took it as a sign that it was time to get real about my passions, goals, and circle of inspiration. So, I decided to start my own business doing what I loved most, and that is, helping women discover their personal style while feeling like the best version of themselves.
Working with my clients to create a wardrobe that makes them feel confident and well dressed is my passion. From simple everyday moments such as dropping off the kids at school or a rare night out with the hubby or girlfriends, I believe every woman deserves to be ready for her daily debut and feel amazing in her clothes.
“Style is not about having a lot of clothes; it’s about having the right clothes. Let’s work together towards a stylish wardrobe that’s right for you, and with less waste.”
-Alma
Part of the solution; not an expert
I’m a curious and quite critical consumer. As a former fashion student and a current fashion adjunct professor, I know quite a few things about the fashion industry and it’s negative impact and practices – but I don’t know everything.
So why do I believe that I have something to really contribute when I’m clearly not an expert in the field of sustainability? Why does the world need yet another fashion stylist?
I intend to find alternative, more sustainable ways to enjoy fashion and life in general – building lasting capsule wardrobes, fixing my garments instead of throwing them out, handling my favorite items with the right care and buying more products secondhand instead of entirely new – and when I do buy something new, I do my best to go for ethically made items or something made in better, more sustainable materials. So even though I’m not perfect, even though I’m not an expert, I see myself as part of a solution, that is more important than ever. And you can be part of that solution, too. Your voice as a consumer means more than you think.
Striving for progress, not perfection
I’m not the next sustainable fashion guru, and again I don’t have all the right answers; but I intend to be both a work in progress and someone who is willing to share experiences with others at the same time in an authentic way. The idea is not to force my ideology on others but to inspire people to take action in a way that makes sense to their own starting point.
You might not know this, but if there’s something I’ve learned the past couple of years since I started my blog, it is that there’s almost more pressure on authors, bloggers and other public voices to be superior when you brand yourself as being “conscious” or living “sustainably”. To almost be perfect, to always do more good than what you already do. I think this could partly be why so many people – not only public speakers but also regular consumers – are afraid to get into the field of living a more sustainable life. Because what if it’s not good enough? And if I can’t succeed 100% what difference does it make then?
Everything in this world comes with a price. We’ve been taught that “good value for money” is equal to the lowest possible price for us as consumers so that we can consume more for less basically. But we forget that someone else is paying the rest of that price for us; our environment and the people in labor who gets paid below a fair living wage to mention a few. Supporting ethical and sustainable practices as far as it makes sense to you, and bringing down your overall consumption of new things as far as it is sustainable for you, in the long run, is a great place to start. But don’t expect yourself (or others) to be perfect, because it will kill your courage and take away the joy it is to make a difference. It’s important to push your boundaries for sure, don’t get me wrong. But strive for progress; not perfection. After all, it’s better to do something than to do nothing at all.
Do what you can today. Be curious, be critical – but above all, be kind.
ALMA REYNA BLOG 