Style as Self-Care: Finding Your Voice Through Clothing with JenniLee

In this episode of Style POV, I’m joined by JenniLee, a New York-based stylist and image consultant whose work has spanned red carpets, major fashion publications, and now—real wardrobes for real women. She’s styled icons like Lauryn Hill, Scarlett Johansson, and Greta Gerwig, but what truly sets her apart is her belief that fashion isn’t just about what you wear—it’s a way to come home to yourself.

After two decades in celebrity styling, JenniLee shifted her focus to everyday women navigating life transitions and craving clarity, confidence, and ease in their wardrobes. Through her bespoke programs and signature Spark Framework, she helps clients use style as a form of self-care and intentional living.

In this episode, we unpack why getting dressed can feel especially overwhelming during big life changes, how to create more with less, and what it looks like to get dressed from a place of story, not just strategy. JenniLee also shares two practical tips you can try today to start making your wardrobe work for you—not the other way around.

If you’ve ever felt like style was something you had to chase—or if you’re looking to build a wardrobe that reflects who you are now—this one’s for you.

Full Show Notes: https://gabriellearruda.com/style-as-self-care-finding-your-voice-through-clothing-with-jennilee/

Where to find JenniLee: 

Website: www.jennileestylist.com

Bespoke Style Program

Style Club Membership

JenniLee's style quiz

Instagram: @jennileestylist

Timestamps

01:08 – Background and career shift
03:47 – Style as a tool for authenticity
06:22 – Not styling as a missed opportunity
08:16 – The Spark Framework
15:05 – More styling, less shopping
18:29 – Setting yourself up for success
26:47 – Being sustainably on trend
29:17 – How to know if a trend is for you
35:58 – The industry is broken
39:53 – Two styling tips
46:11 – Style Club & Bespoke Styling

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Disclaimer: The Style POV Podcast content is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts and guests are their own. Gabrielle Arruda is not liable for any errors or omissions, and listeners use the information at their own risk.

Transcript

Gabrielle: [00:00:00] Today's guest is someone who styled icons like Lauren Hill, Scarlett Johansson, and Greta Gerwig. But what really set her apart is how she uses fashion as a tool for transformation. JenniLee is a New York based fashion stylist and image consultant who spent over two decades in the world of celebrity styling before shifting her focus to everyday women looking for clarity, confidence, and ease in their wardrobes. Through her bespoke style program, style club membership, and signature spark framework, she's helped clients create more with less, embrace their style, story, and dress with intention. This conversation explores why style can feel so overwhelming during life transitions and how it can also be a powerful tool for self-care.

So let's get into it. 

Hi JenniLee. Thank you so much for coming on the Style POV podcast. So for people who might not be familiar with your work, do you wanna tell us a little bit about your background and your career shift? 

JenniLee: Sure. Um, thank you for having me. And I am a [00:01:00] personal stylist. I got my start as a costume designer slash fashion stylist.

I started working on films, and then I segued into music videos and I've toured around the world with artists like Gloria Stefan and Lauren Hill. And then I pivoted to more celebrity styling and then became a fashion director and launched a men's streetwear and lifestyle magazine, Antenna, which, you know, had a good run, but it folded.

And then I kind of leaned hard into commercial styling and worked with brands like Bloomingdale's and Lucky Brand, and 7 For All Mankind. Then when the pandemic hit, I really leaned into working with specifically entrepreneurial women. 

Gabrielle: That's amazing. , we all have our fashion journeys, right?

 It's like unraveling a garment, almost like finding the thread and kind of finding what lights you up. So what was it about, , the difference between working with [00:02:00] the celebrity clients and then transitioning into these women or men who were trying to find their place in the work world and develop a style.

Like what did you have to kind of learn about this shift? 

JenniLee: I think every styling bit that I had across my journey got me to be able to have so many more tools in the Stylist Toolbox than the average personal stylist because most of them come from retail and selling product, and sure they get their hands on all types of shapes and sizes and people.

And are able to guide people into what to buy. But because I come from first filmmaking, which is storytelling. Mm-hmm. And then working with people who are on stage or making music videos or shooting fashion editorials, which is dream making and persona building, I was able to take all of that to the average person who has a multifaceted life.

Whether that [00:03:00] means they're working from home, part-time working. In the world part-time. And then they also have their backstage persona, which is their real life. where they're like running to pick up the kids or going out to dinner with friends and how you have all these different facets of your gemstone, your diamond, and how you do need to wear clothes that speak to different audiences and tell that little bit of the story in the movie of your life.

Gabrielle: Oh, I love that. Like I'm all about the storytelling and like kind of world building or, developing your own kind of what movie am I in and how can I paint this picture and how can I communicate that? So talk a little bit about your ethos with that. Like how do you think style should function for an individual?

JenniLee: I think that there's a really fine line between cosplay and authentically showing up as yourself, and it's experimentation and you should be able to change and grow throughout your whole lifetime. And you should also [00:04:00] be able to explore being a minimalist, being a bohemian, being, you know, someone who feels like a rock star being a, you know, a basic bitch, you know, whatever it is that you need, you should be able to tap into all of those things. But it still feel like you, and you still feel fully expressed, but it really is kind of just knowing what you're dressing for in that day. 

Gabrielle: That's amazing. I totally agree.

And I think that what I love about your work is that you also focus on style being like an emotional support aspect too. So it's a tool for communication. It's a tool to find this authenticity, but it can also be something that supports your goals, your life, who you wanna show up in the world.

Mm-hmm. 

JenniLee: Yeah. 

Gabrielle: Um, so you were talking a little bit about, you know, you should try on these different styles. The bohemian, the basic bitch, whoever it is. Is there an age where you should be focusing on that? Can you start this journey at any time? I feel like people think, [00:05:00] oh shoot, did I miss my time?

Do I have to try trends now? Like, let's dig into it. 

JenniLee: that's a real thing in a lot of the women that I've worked with. Whether it's someone in their early twenties who's graduating from college and beginning a career path, or it's someone in their midlife who are switching careers completely, or they had a baby, or they just feel like they're in a rut.

You know, so many changes happen within the body, whether it's hormonal changes, body changes, physicality changes. So I don't think that there's any time limit where you can or cannot be exploring these different identities. I think that it's just giving yourself the permission, and I think that there's many, many women out there who feel like.

Perhaps they were very, uh, studious or scientific brained or sporty, and they never felt that style or fashion was [00:06:00] accessible to them. I think a lot of people also believe that it's vain and they don't want to come off as vain, or they don't wanna be trendy or whatever it is. And I think that you're really doing a disservice to yourself when you don't get to explore personal style because it is that first step every day into creativity. 

Gabrielle: Mm-hmm. Oh, I love that. 

JenniLee: And sometimes it's your only step depending on what your life is like. So to not kind of honor yourself that way it's just a missed opportunity for joy and pleasure and creativity. And it's small, you know, it's like a small thing.

But it's a way to tap into whatever it is your psyche needs, whether mm-hmm. You know, sometimes you are low or you're blue and you need to wear a bright color to lift you up. Or maybe it's something even. Heavier than that, like grief. And you need to wear something from a family member that gives you a sacred [00:07:00] memory, like that touch response of like feeling held by a certain, you know, grandpa's cardigan.

Whatever it is, there are things in your closet that you should always be able to reach to that serve those type of purposes, whether it's, you know, getting yourself on stage at the networking event or whether it is making you feel safe and loved. 

Gabrielle: Yeah, 

JenniLee: there's just a lot of power in clothes. 

Gabrielle: So much power.

I love that you phrase it that way 'cause I believe that too. And what I think that sometimes people make this mistake on is that they think, oh, fashion is this something that you have or you don't have. Or style is something that you have or you don't have. And what's really freeing is understanding it is a skill that can be learned.

Mm-hmm. And it, it starts with you and it's all about those emotional connections. You know, it's all about saying, what does grandpa's sweater give me today? And like, how does it make me feel and how does it make me show up in the world? You talked a little bit about life transitions. Like, what do you think makes those life [00:08:00] transitions so hard for people?

Like is it kind of getting to know themselves again? Is it just. An exploration of their body in new lights. There's so many reasons, like how do you handle that with clients? 

JenniLee: It's just what feels risky. I. 

Gabrielle: Mm. Okay. 

JenniLee: You know, so, I have a thing, I call it the Spark framework, and it kind of just developed through the work that I did with clients.

And then after talking to someone, they're like, it sounds like you have a framework. And I was like, huh, what's that? And they're like, I think, I think you're onto something with these questions. So I kind of run through these questions with everybody and I tell them this is like. What you can do every day to approach anything you have on the calendar, whether it's something ahead of time or it's literally just kind of the questions you need to run through your brain to get you out the door.

Gabrielle: Mm-hmm. 

JenniLee: So SPARK stands for S- Self-exploration, and that is kind of, why you think this way about certain clothes, and for me, the [00:09:00] easiest example is, why do we believe that if you're wearing something sexy or provocative, that that woman may be a slut. Mm-hmm. Like why do we think that?

Why is there this ingrained shame around dressing a certain way and thinking that people are gonna judge you for that? So I really like to ask clients why they believe certain things. A more, um, innocent flip side of that was I had a client who, she was going through her closet with me and she pulled out this dress that was like a lovely shift dress.

It fit great, great fabric. There were these flowers all over it, and she's like, this is the dress that I wear for like my most important networking events. She goes, I feel really good in how it fits, but I hate it. And I was like, you hate it. Why? I'm like, it's a lovely dress. Why do you hate it? She's like, I hate florals.

I, oh, I hate them so much. I'm like, why do you have this dress with florals all over it? She's like, [00:10:00] well, my mother said, and then she proceeded to tell me something about her mother said about like how to dress feminine and business and all of that. And I was like, I think you need to let go of this. I'm let go of this dress because every time you put it on, it makes you mad.

Yeah. So even though if you feel like you look good in it and you're looking yourself, and I'm like, you do, you look banging in this dress, but there's a mental story that's reoccurring that makes it really hard for you to fully embrace yourself. So that's what I mean by the self exploration and like why you have certain beliefs about things.

Why do you believe you have to dress a certain way? Because we all carry baggage from our parents, and most of that baggage that their parent, that our parents picked up, they picked up from the patriarchy. Mm-hmm. So there is a level of activism in every decision you make with what you're going to wear.

If you can really click into that of like, why am I resisting putting this on? Or why do I keep going to the [00:11:00] same thing? So that's S self-exploration. P is practicality, and that's just, is it raining today? Am I sitting and these pants are too tight? Uh, can I wear heels? You know, like just the practicality of what you're choosing to wear and where you're going.

Are you gonna the gym, well you're gonna wear gym clothes. 

Gabrielle: Yeah. I mean, 

End of story. 

Yeah. I think people like get caught up on the balance of things too. They're like, oh, but I want to dress like this, so I'm gonna wear the heels. But if you're miserable in the heels, you're losing all the strength and like feel good moments that clothes can give you so 

JenniLee: You're not functioning properly in the world.

Gabrielle: Yeah, you, it's that balance. 

JenniLee: A is authentic alignment. And that is kind of what I said before about making sure you're not cosplaying, that you really feel like truly yourself in this outfit. Mm-hmm. And sometimes, you know, that means you are just trying things on or you're wearing something out of the ordinary.

You know, we go to weddings, we wear things we don't wear every day. Special [00:12:00] occasions, things like that, but that it really does feel like you are authentically yourself. So it's tapping into that. R is recognition, and this is something people do not like to admit, is that we want people to notice us or we want to be recognized in some sort of way.

Gabrielle: Yeah. And being seen is a huge part of life. I mean, yeah, maybe not in every situation do we wanna be seen. 

JenniLee: Right. 

Gabrielle: But most things we want people to see into, you know, the essence of us and what we like and fashion is just such a powerful way to do that. It's an immediately, you know, I understand you, I understand what you're like.

Yeah. I understand. A little piece of what makes you beautiful. 

JenniLee: Yeah. Style is language. 

Gabrielle: Yes. 

JenniLee: And not everybody's fluent in it, but everybody speaks it. So. 

Gabrielle: And you can always get fluent.. 

JenniLee: Yeah. You can always get fluent. You can get fluent in any language if you just, yes. You know, learn it, study it.

And you think about like a bus [00:13:00] driver or a doctor. We trust those people to take us where we're going or you know, stitch us up or whatever it is. Yeah. Because they have an outfit on that tells us that's what they do. Mm-hmm. So if you want people to believe something about you, you put on the outfit that says that.

And it's really that simple. With R And then K is kindness. And I think kindness is twofold and it kind of dip back into like what kindness do you need in your body, whether, you know, it is something soft to the touch or something that makes you feel held or loved. But I also think that it's the other side of K.

For kindness is the kindness that you give to others, and I think that when you wear clothes, you are having a conversation with the world around you. And when you wear something that is intriguing or exciting, or a t-shirt that says something funny, you know, or your favorite band, like you're speaking to people and you get a recognition like, how good does it feel to get a [00:14:00] compliment?

But how good do you feel when you see someone and you, you're like, I love your shoes. Yeah. And it just kind of pulls out of you. So by wearing something that makes people want to engage with you, mm-hmm. That's a kindness to yourself, but also to others. 

Gabrielle: I mean it's a difference of being saying like, oh yeah, you look nice today.

And like, oh my God, did you go see that band? I saw them last week. They were amazing. Like, yeah, there's so many there. It's really speaking to the world about who you are and opening that door up and saying like, let's start a conversation like, this is a little bit about me. And, it could be anything from a color to a band, to a print, whatever it is.

But yeah, it's, it's all about empowerment. I totally agree. So you have this Spark framework. Take us through what you do with clients then. Someone comes to you and says, I hate my whole closet. What do you do? 

JenniLee: I'm like, okay, well let me get into your closet. 

Gabrielle: Yeah. So let's see. 

JenniLee: Let's see what's there.

'cause I'm sure there are some gems. Mm-hmm. Number one, because [00:15:00] so much of my practice is helping people, my whole philosophy is kind of like. More styling, less shopping. So getting into one's closet first and seeing what's in there and helping them make new outfits out of what they have and eliminate what is weighing this them down.

 A lot of times, , I would say since slightly before social media and the push to document everything and to wear a new outfit, people didn't have as much clothes and it wasn't as much as a thing to have these overstuffed closets filled with mm-hmm. Clothes that aren't the greatest.

So really helping someone take out what, take out the trash. 'cause a lot of it is garbage clothes. 

Gabrielle: Yeah. And. 

JenniLee: Letting them have a closet that breathes a little bit so they can, A really see the holes, what's missing, what they really, truly need, and helping them buy better versions of that, but also to teaching them like this one pair of pants can get you to so many different moments in your [00:16:00] life. 

So it's really breaking down, like, what does your lifestyle look like? Where do you need to go? What city do you live in? You're in Seattle, so you have to deal with a lot of rain and chilliness. So like, okay, you have 10 pairs of black pants. Why? What are all these black pants doing in here?

Which are the best ones? Why do you have to have this one and this one? Like really making you talk me through everything. And then the other thing that I really think is important that people don't do, especially after all those years of like, you know, Marie Kondo and sparking joy, and getting rid of everything.

And this minimalist lifestyle is recognizing that there's gonna be things in your closet that what I call, are like a living, breathing photo album. Um, and moving those things that you don't wear and maybe they're things that just don't fit and that's why you don't wear them. But amazing things happen to you when you wore them.

Or they represent like an era in your life where you did something and [00:17:00] just kind of moving those pieces to a closet that's, you know, the back of the closet, a different closet you don't go to all the time folding it up in a bin. I think hanging things is usually the best. But having folded things and drawers is fine. Anyways, just kind of accepting there's things in my closet that are for sentimental reasons only and they don't make me feel bad when I see them because I'm not wearing them or they're taking up real estate.

And like once you kind of just accept that it doesn't make you so ashamed of having stuff in your closet that you don't wear, guilty for having this stuff that you don't wear or mad at yourself because. That kind of makes you not want to go to your closet or go to the act of getting dressed because you open it and you're like, I can't deal with all of this.

So if you just move that photo album to a different area and then you just go visit it when you're like, oh, hey. Hey bud. Oh gosh, remember that time? That was great. I [00:18:00] can't wait to give you to so and so. You know when the time comes. Yeah. It's like not about for, I think there's a real psychological shift.

Gabrielle: I totally agree. It's not about forgetting those pieces. They were part of your fashion history. They're part of your story. They're like the first chapter, chapter 10, whatever it was. It's in the past. But you need to work with your active tools now. You need to be able to go into your closet and not be like passing through 10 different pieces just to get to the sweater that you thought you put there, but then it's actually folded up in the bin because you can't see anything. It's like, yeah, you're setting yourself up for success. So you believe more in like kind of a minimalist wardrobe strategy is from what I gather, or direct streamlined, maybe streamlined is a better word. 

JenniLee: You know, I wouldn't say minimalist or streamlined. 

Gabrielle: Okay. 

JenniLee: You know, depending on your lifestyle, you may be someone who needs a lot of clothes. One of my clients who's in Style Club, that's my group membership, she is a high executive and she has so many suits and she's been in a process of kind of [00:19:00] culling them down because she knew she had too many.

But as we've been eliminating things and it's been like, well, do you have another teal suit? How many blue suits do you need? Really kind of sussing that out. Which ones are the best? Okay, which ones do you need because of fabric and seasonally. I think that it's fine if you have a lot of things, but just making sure you're wearing those things and getting the most out of what you have and wearing them in different ways, so taking your pieces out and giving them different versions of life.

Gabrielle: Yeah. Okay. Well then you talk a little bit about, I know about 50 outfits from 20 pieces, so I assume that's kind of your test, right? How many pieces can this work for? How many things can we build using this piece? How flexible does it work? 

JenniLee: Yeah. We usually start with a top or a bottom, you know, like 

Speaker 6: mm-hmm.

JenniLee: I honestly think putting on like your most [00:20:00] basic pair of jeans and then going through all your tops. Mm-hmm. And then that's how you get rid of the ones that you're like, okay, I don't need this one. This one really isn't as great as this one. Eliminating the clutter. And then when you got this, like, okay, this is what I'm really working with. You're like, okay, this pair of jeans goes with how many different shirts and now let me try on the different jackets. Your overlay, the sweater, the long cardigan, whatever it is. That third piece, okay, now I've got these now like let's try this look. I love this look.

White T-shirt, these jeans, this blazer. Let me try it on with three different shoes. These are , the fancy sneaker, a pair of flats and a pair of sick evening shoes or like statement shoes and how does that change it? And then kind of saying, okay, well now I have the jeans, the white t-shirt, and these crazy shoes on.

Let me try on a whole bunch of those overlays. So I'm like, yeah, okay. I could wear this to this. This would actually work for the office. I'm [00:21:00] like a day where we're having a bunch of meetings. Mm-hmm. You know, kind of like slotting those out. Okay. I could wear these shoes. Once I get to the office, when I'm gonna go to the office in the sneakers, you know?

Gabrielle: Exactly. 

JenniLee: Kind of just like figuring that out and then you'll realize like, wow, we've made so many outfits and it really is, you know, I, I like to tell , regular people who are gonna explore this on with themselves. I have playlists on my Spotify and I'm like, you know, light a candle, put on some music, get a good beverage, make sure the light is good and just prepare.

You're gonna make a huge wardrobe tornado all over your bed. Make sure you slot in the time to hang up and respect your clothes, put them back in your closet. 

Gabrielle: Mm-hmm. Um. 

JenniLee: And you're gonna have a fitting, just like I would do with a celebrity before a photo shoot. Like I tell the producers, I'm going to need at least two hours. You want this many outfits? We need two hours to make looks. 

Gabrielle: Yeah. You're gonna play a bit. [00:22:00] 

JenniLee: Giving yourself the celebrity treatment. 

Gabrielle: I love that. And you're playing a little bit, you're exploring what happens when we throw this like trench coat on versus the leather jacket. What is it communicating?

How do we like all these elements piecing together, do you feel good in it? You know? Mm-hmm. Um, so talk a little bit about your membership and what people experience when they come to you as stylist. 

JenniLee: So I started a group membership called Style Club. It's pretty new and basically, for me, for styling, the best part is that dress up time, like mm-hmm trying on outfits, figuring out what's coming up in your life and making the outfits. And the really fun thing about Style Club is there's a small group of us and it really reminds me of those nights of being young and getting ready with your friends and like how you would spend two hours pre-gaming, trying on outfits, listening to music, having a drink.

[00:23:00] And it didn't even matter if the night was good or bad or what happened. It was the time before the event. Mm-hmm. And that's the same principle with, when you're working with celebrities and you're doing fashion shoots and things like that, there is a period where you're like, you're just making the outfits and they're setting up over there, getting the lights all fixed.

And the artist has their playlist on and we're trying different things and we're playing with our makeup and we're making decisions and we're getting excited over jewelry. And that's kind of what Style Club is. And at the same time, we're having these deep conversations about how we feel in our bodies and like all that baggage that we carry and you know, we're all there to support each other.

And the other thing that has been so eye-opening for me in Style Club is watching the other members of Style Club mm-hmm watch the styling advice I'm giving each other, 'cause they're all different women, all different shapes, sizes, ages, careers, and having them watch other people [00:24:00] get styled. Mm-hmm.

They'll be in the middle of changing their clothes and they're like, wait, wait, wait. Go back. I need to see this. And they're like, why are you doing that, Jenni? Like, and I try to explain like, this is why I'm telling you to cuff your pants this way, because there's a part on your leg that slims down right at this secret spot, and this is why we hem something here. This is why we cuff something here, because it elongates and just explaining all these principles of your body being like soft sculpture and looking at yourself as a piece of art. And so your clothes don't necessarily always have to represent what the body looks like, that you can change that if that's what you want to do, whether it's through something as extreme as corsetry or crazy sculptural shoulders.

So Style Club is really about exploring all of that in a safe, fun environment that's totally accessible..

Gabrielle: Yeah. It sounds like it's really about connecting to yourself and gaining support through your fashion explorations. 'cause fashion should be fun. It should be art, [00:25:00] it should be a source of creativity.

You should wake up and be excited by your closet. And if you don't, it can be hard to play, right? It can be hard to do those celebrity style, try-on sessions where you're cuffing the pants and you're putting the shoes on because you might not feel supported in those choices, or you might not know what you're looking for.

And I love that you created a kind of community to say. I'm trying this, like how is it working? Where can I do better? Let me play a little bit and yeah, see myself in this new light. So speaking of playing, a big thing that comes up when people are trying styles is trends. So how do you view trends, especially in the current climate?

Yeah, 

JenniLee: I think my days as an editor really. I love trends. I love spotting trends, and that was something that was always like really exciting in my early days as a stylist and going to Fashion Week because I didn't know about fashion or clothes. I, I knew about film, so I kind of always approached it in a different way.

And then when [00:26:00] I got to become a stylist and go to Fashion Week, and then you would go to like five different designers. And you would start to see things that were like happening here, this designer, like how is that happening there? But then also happening at this extremely underground designer, like mm-hmm.

What made them both choose this color and kind of clocking trends like, oh my God, everybody's wearing jogger pants. Where did this come from? So kind of learning about why they're making these choices. All of them collectively. Mm-hmm. And then also how it can apply to all different types of kind of style personas.

So at this moment, because of social media, the trend cycle it's just accelerated. It's super fast. So my theory for following trends is if you see something that pops up on your feed or in a movie or tv and you like it, go for it. It's, 

Speaker 6: mm-hmm. 

JenniLee: You can find it resale. There's [00:27:00] really nothing new.

Yeah. There's nothing you can't find that was already, that's already being sold resale. So I really try to encourage people rather than going to a fast fashion brand and buying the trend there. Go to The Real Real go toVestaire . Go to your local consignment store and see if you can find it there. Like recently I talked to the Zoe report about polka dots.

I mean, there's designers that show polka dots every year. They're, yeah. It's part of their makeup. So to say it's a trend right now it's because a lot of people are wearing them, but that doesn't mean it was ever not here with us. 

Gabrielle: Mm-hmm. 

JenniLee: So you can find a resale rather than like having to buy something new that's cheap.

'cause you're like, I don't know if this is me. I don't really wanna spend a lot of money on it. 

I'm gonna just get it from. X, Y, Z. 

Gabrielle: Okay. I wanna talk more about sustainable fashion. But before we dive into that, I want to [00:28:00] ask a follow-up question. 'cause as a designer, like it is weird how sometimes we all just fall into the same pattern, right?

And I think that comes from designers having a lot of creativity and looking at what was before and thinking. Oh, this has been so prevalent. Let's take this in a slightly different direction. And then it ends up as like a cultural landscape that everyone decides joggers would make sense because we're all getting into more athleisure or you know, it's kind of figuring out those trends.

How does, as a consumer, someone find a trend that feels authentic? Is it gut? Like, 'cause now they're so fast, right? They're happening like every week there's a new aesthetic, a new trend that may not just be as classic as polka dots. How do you decide? Do you use the Spark framework? Do you just try it and play and try to do it in a sustainable way?

Like is there kind of a question or process that you can do so that you can see, is this really me or have I just been told that it should be me? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

JenniLee: , This is an exercise I like to [00:29:00] give people who are confused about their style or also looking. It's an exercise that works on many different levels, whether it does work with this trend thing, but it also works with, if you are kind of leveling up in your style, or you are trying to shift your style in a different way, which could be trends. Mm-hmm. I tell them to wear all black. Go to your nearest mall shopping area that has like big, big department stores, like a Nordstrom, a Bloomingdale's. Mm-hmm. Something that has a luxury level. So you can go and do not bring in any credit cards, any money, no wallet. That's it. 

Gabrielle: Don't be tempted.

JenniLee: Do not be tempted. Take the paying apparatus off your phone. You have zero money. This is an exploratory expedition. Mm-hmm. And you are going to go to the most expensive floor, and you are going to try on things that do not feel [00:30:00] like you, that you have no place to wear them. I want it to be a little realistic.

Like I don't want you to go try on gowns. Because you buy a gown because you know you're going to something. I want this to be more like, I could be this person, I could wear this, I could walk out the store and wear this. This is like functioning in real life. So explore the trend that you possibly don't know if you could do, and also explore things that kind of in your aspirational version of yourself.

Try those on. So whether that is an Armani suit or it is, you know, something more extreme like a brand that's very trend driven, like Balenciaga or something like that where you're like, I would never wear that. Why are they dressing like that? Go try that on. 

Gabrielle: it's a good place to like check your biases too and kind of check why, like you have such a strong response to it.

Maybe you try it on and you're like, whoa, I didn't think I could handle that print, but it looks fantastic. Or maybe you try it on and it's like your [00:31:00] client who's like, I really do hate florals, like, I should not have these in my closet. It's gathering information. Um, so let's go back to sustainable fashion and a shopping strategy that kind of allows for more sustainability in your wardrobe and what does sustainability mean to you?

JenniLee: I'm a stylist. Part of my life has always been shopping. I get to like, you know, feed the Beast by shopping for others. I also like fast fashion brands. Like I love Nike. Like that's my go-to sneaker brand. So I'm not perfect by any means, and I'm not telling anyone like, you have to quit completely. But just try to be conscious, like why do you wanna go to Brandy Melville? Mm-hmm. What do you really know about Brandy Melville? That's step one in just really questioning your choices, like kind of pulling the brakes on every time you wanna buy something. Because the dopamine rush of shopping and buying is [00:32:00] real, and the addiction to the hunt and the buy is a real thing.

 Also coupled with this timeframe right now with like shopping hauls and going online and showing everything that you got is like, mm-hmm. You really gotta start questioning that because for younger people who are kind of caught up in that like. It's your planet. Yeah. It's only getting worse.

Gabrielle: Yeah. 

JenniLee: So that's kind of the first thing is just really checking yourself with everything that you consume. I kind of think about it in the same way you would about like, oh, I'm trying to be healthy with my food choices. So like 

Speaker 6: mm-hmm. 

JenniLee: If you can think about your clothing choices the same way you would about your food choices and what it does to your body.

That's real too. 'cause a lot of those clothes is like you're just piling on plastic, plastic, plastic onto your body. And that can't be good either. So if you can like reframe the compulsion to shop and recognize is it a [00:33:00] compulsion or do I need this, and sometimes you do need to go buy something to feel better. 

But I think that go do that exploratory mission of like, trying on the luxury brands and go to every single section and try something. Go to lo Loewe. Go to Yeah, you know, JW Anderson. Go to each designer brand and try something on so you can get a sense of like, oh, I kind of, I think I really do like Prada, you know?

Yeah. Not the Prada t-shirt, but the pants or the dress, you know, like really under 

Gabrielle: Jackets. 

JenniLee: Understanding why this Marni thing costs the way it does, whatever it is, and then start feeding that shoppy itch by downloading apps like Gem, which is an app on your phone that is like an aggregator of resale and vintage.

 There's Shop Beni, which is a Chrome extension you can put onto your computer, and if you're shopping for new things, it will literally show you that thing resale and how [00:34:00] to buy a resale instead. So there are ways to kind of like put the guardrails on. Mm-hmm. 

And I think that also, learning about smaller brands and designers, um, there's ,a brand called FOUR and they make really small capsule collections of high quality fabrics, but basics like a button down shirt, a really lightweight linen suit, or a wool blend suit. Things that are gonna last you for many, many years have versatility. You can see yourself wearing it all different ways. There's really something special about having a strong connection to what you're wearing and why you chose to buy it, and also giving yourself grace that a brand or a designer you thought you would never connect with that mm-hmm suddenly they can shift and change and you will suddenly fall in love with them. 

Gabrielle: I love that, and I think it's really important to start looking at how clothes are made and your little exploration [00:35:00] allows people to start doing that. You don't have to know the term, you don't have to know, like have a design degree.

You just have to go and like look at the quality of it, feel it, put it on, feel it, see the way... 

JenniLee: Feel it on your body. 

Gabrielle: Where, and if you do end up buying it, which not on that exploration, like let's say you fall in love with the Prada jacket, then you find one on The Real Real, wear it. See how long it lasts.

See what it gives your wardrobe, because these are like your tools. These are how you build that story that you wanna tell the world. And when you buy those pieces that have that care and technique in them. They really last and they serve your story much longer than, you know, the $5 t-shirt that you bought because it was, a swipe up link.

 Yeah. But fashion right now is especially hard because of everything that's going on. So, do you wanna talk a little bit, how are we managing the just the landscape of shopping right now and what's happening with production?

JenniLee: I mean, I, I think that the industry is broken. Mm-hmm. [00:36:00] I think that, you know, I think that Alexander McQueen committing suicide like that should have been the moment where everyone scaled back. The fact that so many major corporations own so many brands and it's all about their bottom line and pushing designers and rotating the designers, and I just think it's, I love it so much and I love all these creative people and I love seeing, but it's just too much.

It's like a never ending buffet that. It's just too much. And I don't know how it can possibly be fixed unless someone really stands up and says like, stop, I've had enough. Um, we don't need to make this much clothes, but I don't know, it's like this across almost all the industries.

Gabrielle: Yeah. 

JenniLee: So it just kind of live in a broken world. 

Gabrielle: I know. 

JenniLee: I, yeah, it's hard. 

Gabrielle: I think it's important to just even frame it as a question or start talking about it [00:37:00] because, I think we're starting to reach a tipping point where we're seeing how much we're producing, how much we're getting rid of.

You loved that dress a year ago. It spoke to you, you wore it once and then you never wore it again. So being more intentional about those styling choices and putting that like kind of those parameters or guardrails as you said on your shopping habits so that you can't just say, click to buy. Yes. Like I'm buying it.

Mm-hmm. And then realize that all you really needed was a little bit of a dopamine hit. You actually didn't need that, you know, $300 fast fashion dress. 

JenniLee: And, maybe it's a rule like I don't buy anything online. Yeah. I only buy things in store which is great because there's a wonderful experience to go to boutique, to go to a department store, to see, and to feel the clothes, to talk to the people working there, you know. 

There's just something that is meaningful about the whole act of it. So, on the one hand I do it, on the other hand, I don't do it Sometimes I'm like, I just need to like, get some t-shirts. I love this brand. [00:38:00] Click and buy. I'm just as guilty as the rest of us. But trying to set yourself up to where you're just being a little more conscious. 

Because I think that with the attention economy, we're all being led to live these kind of sleep walky lives. 

Gabrielle: Yeah. And we don't question things. 

JenniLee: So, and you can be more conscious every step of the way. So like, being thoughtful about what you're doing, being thoughtful about what you're putting on, being thoughtful about why you're choosing to wear what you're choosing to wear that day, how it's gonna help you live a better life and help touch, reach more people.

Gabrielle: Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, we all sometimes buy online. We all sometimes buy in store. But it's finding that balance and just being more conscientious about it. And as we've talked about it, I mean, outfits are communication, so what better way to go into the store and talk to someone and find that connection with them or with these pieces and kind of sprout that story from mm-hmm a really tangible place. 

JenniLee: And I think going shopping without the intention to [00:39:00] buy mm-hmm and just trying things on. Um, you know, if you go to a store and you try something on and you don't have the money to buy it, you can call them tomorrow. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And they'll pack it up and send it to you if you give them your credit card.

Like there's really no barrier if you are thinking about something so much or you're starting to, you know, the real test is, is like, oh, I didn't buy it, but I'm thinking about wearing it here. And I'm thinking about, oh, like you get home and you open up your closet and you're like, oh, I could wear this with this, this, this, and this.

Gabrielle: That's a good one. Yeah. You're like, then I have to have it. That's, that's your goal, you know? 

JenniLee: Yeah. And it's gonna feel so much better. 

Gabrielle: So you obviously have such an innate gift with styling and you've done so many different projects and gathered all this like, you know, Rolodex of information in your brain.

 So let's talk a little bit about some quick wins for styling or some advice you might give your clients. What is a styling trick or tip that helps people feel pulled together? I obviously it's gonna be a little [00:40:00] dependent on the person, but 

JenniLee: Yeah. Um, be okay with buying a size that doesn't reflect your number letter.

Gabrielle: Yes. 

JenniLee: And then also just know there is a tailor out there nearby your home who is ready to forge a relationship with you and make that fit so well. 

Gabrielle: I know that is the secret behind celebrities is looking so good. Right? Uh, tailoring, tailoring, tailoring, tailoring. Yeah. So any items that you recommend people avoid or don't enter into that world before they have like more of an authentic personal style?

Hmm. Can they start anywhere?

JenniLee: I really like people to look at what they already have. Like to me, going to your source mm-hmm. Is step number one across the board and really assessing everything that you have. Why do you have it? Why don't you want it? What are you confused about with it? The first step is you and what you already own before you start buying other [00:41:00] things. 

Another thing, if you're really like, I feel so lost. I feel so lost and so uninspired. I have a service. I guess that's what you would call it. You know, it's like one of my Zoom things. I do it in person too, but basically what I do is every season I cull hundreds of street style images. No celebrities, only people who are photographed at fashion weeks, across the board from like, you know, Australia to Copenhagen. And then obviously the main ones, Paris, New York, London and Milan. Shanghai everywhere. And what I do is we flip through them like flashcard really fast.

And I'm like, love it, hate it, confused by it, curious about it. And we slot it into categories and we start going through the loves, the likes, the curious, and we really start breaking it down. It'll be like 40 different images and we start to see patterns of like what you're really drawn to.

And it's a really fun way to get a sense of like, okay, well what do [00:42:00] you already have in your closet? And how are these creative fashion people styling it in a way that you just didn't think you could or was possible or, yeah, ever imagine. Again, that's going back to your source 'cause it's already in your closet.

You have a bunch of these things already. And then also looking at that little mood board of these people and being like, oh God, I think I want a silky trench co at I never thought I wanted that. 

Gabrielle: Well, it's like the creative and then distilling it down into something that makes sense in your brain and that you can work with on a daily basis.

And it can be a guiding principle of like, actually I wanna get the silky trench coat. You know, like, yes, that's a yes for me. So tell us a little bit about what you personally wear when you need a confidence boost. Let's put you on spotlight ah, or a favorite outfit you've worn recently.

I'll give you a choice. 

JenniLee: Um, actually I am, I'm a cat lady without any cats. 

Gabrielle: I love, I was gonna say, I love the cats. I love it. 

JenniLee: So, I've been buying a lot of cat things. 

Gabrielle: It's [00:43:00] awesome. 

JenniLee: So this is one of my favorite things, and this actually reconnected me with a designer that never in a million years thought I would connect it. This is by Tory Burch

Gabrielle: okay. Yeah. That's interesting. 

JenniLee: Yeah. Who knew? 

Gabrielle: It's also you unexpected. 

JenniLee: Yeah. There's matching pants that it's like this photo, for those of you who can't see, this is a photographic, uh, zoomed in print of a cat with it's mouth open and it's only in a sepia gray scale.

There's no color to it. 

Gabrielle: Yeah, it's awesome. 

JenniLee: So she also makes matching pants. Which I don't have the pants, but I wear the shirt a lot. I think color always helps me when I'm wearing color. I dress so much for mood and who I'm seeing. A way I explained it was like.

You know, the Spark framework, it works for me. When I was a celebrity stylist, especially music, there would be weeks where I would go from a heavy metal band to a hip hop artist, to an indie rock band. Mm-hmm. So I love all of that music, [00:44:00] but I knew I needed to like make these usually men trust me, a a five foot little woman person.

Like why they needed to believe me to wear the thing. 

Gabrielle: Mm-hmm. 

JenniLee: Celebrities as much as they love having stylists, they really, really like to pretend that they don't want a stylist, so it isn't until they really forge their relationship, but almost every shoot you go on with a new celebrity connection, they are kind of dismissive.

Gabrielle: Mm-hmm. Okay. 

JenniLee: Almost across the board. They're happy that you're there. They're happy that you loved all the clothes, but they're so scared. That it's not going to be good that they're like, Uhhuh, Uhhuh, uhhuh, uhhuh. You know? So it like really takes this level of like, I really think you should try this on without being pushy.

They have wanna try it on, so it's like this little dance that you do and then they start trying things on and they feel really good and then they fall in love with you. [00:45:00] 

Gabrielle: They see the magic, right? But you gotta kind of like cajole them into trying. Yeah. Yeah. 

JenniLee: Like it's really that simple.

If they put it on and they feel good in it, they feel good in it. And quite often, when you're dressing, you don't look. You don't face the mirror with them, you face away from the mirror. So that way if I see them putting something on and it's not working right away, I'm like, just take it off. Just take it off so they don't have to see themselves with it not working.

So for me, for confidence is just kind of like going through the Spark framework and knowing where I'm going, what I want people to think about me, how can I control my narrative through the clothes, making sure that before I open my mouth, I am saying what needs to be said about me. Really, clothes are a form of mind control.

So in my, yeah, 

Gabrielle: I love that. 

JenniLee: Like in my mind I'm, like, if it feels good, if it's doing the job of what I needed to do, I'm confident. 

Gabrielle: I love that. I love, love, love that. Okay, so tell [00:46:00] everyone a little bit, you've mentioned a few different services. I wanna make sure everyone can find you. Give us a little rundown of all the services you offer and kind of just what you bring to the style world? 'cause it's amazing. Yeah. 

JenniLee: My, style club is a group membership. We get together once a week for styling sessions. There's a really fun little platform where you get to, uh, hang out and communicate with everybody. I like to do things called throwing fits, where you know, you're posting your outfits, you need advice.

I'm there to give you shopping links if you need something. If someone's like, I want some of those little sheer socks. I'm like, I got you. You know, make a little style board. It's in there. Um, so that is first and foremost the funnest place to hang out with me. Super accessible. And then if you, kind of wanna dip your toes into my world, I have a style quiz, which is linked on my website or on Instagram, JenniLee Stylist.

And [00:47:00] there are 20 different results, and believe me when I say it. I see you in there taking the quiz multiple times, getting different results.

I'm happy for you to explore all your style personas. But it's really fun and it's kind of like a gateway and you get all these style boards, you get celebrity style icons, you get, custom Spotify playlists, so you have music to play when you go into your closet and explore. All these like, tips and tricks and, and secrets and clickable shopping boards.

So there's already shopping links in there with your results. And that's kind of the two easiest ways to get in. And then I have my VIP service. It's called Bespoke Styling, and that is for people who want a little bit more of a high touch, relationship where it's one-on-one. We are in constant contact over Voxer where you can text me, you know, all day long about everything. We're in constant [00:48:00] conversation about clothes. Mm-hmm. And it's really great if you are either someone who shops too much and you want to reign that in where I'm helping you like, curb it and discuss why you don't need that.

Or it's someone who is overwhelmed by shopping and you want me to do it for you. We either meet in person if you're in the tri-state area, every other month, or we meet once a month on Zoom. So it's just a really great way to feel really, really supported and encouraged and creative in your style journey.

And then, I take people shopping, I do group shopping. 

Gabrielle: I love it. 

JenniLee: Go to you. I go do your closet, whatever it is you need, there's a way I can do it for you. 

Gabrielle: Well, that's amazing. And I'll make sure that all those options are in the show notes so that people can come find you. Let's, end on a fun question of, let's see.

 What is something fun that you bought that lit you up and that just has felt [00:49:00] like you this season? 

JenniLee: Oh, okay. So there was, the brand is called like JBY or JBNY, I think it's an Asian brand. It's a button down shirt kind of oversized, and then a high wasted linen pant.

But they have these, kind of like 1950s, six pointed stars all over them. 

Gabrielle: Fun. 

JenniLee: So it's like a cream color with these printed stars all over them. This is something I put in a shopping cart for a client probably four years ago, and I've been watching it go down on sale and finally it was like, it was so cheap and it was, I think it was all Farfetch or something, and it was like last one's left and I was like.

I'm just gonna do it. And I'm obsessed with this and I've been wearing it all buttoned up with this necklace underneath the collar. I've worn it like unbuttoned with a sheer tank top and a black bra and the sleeves rolled up. [00:50:00] Uh, yes, I've worn it with sneakers. I've worn it with platform boots. I just love it. I love it. And I get lots of compliments. And one of the best, like, I kind of love getting compliments from either children or mm-hmm. Old people and I wore it and I got compliments across the board or I like getting compliments from kind of the group that I'm not leaning towards.

Leaning toward. 

Gabrielle: Yeah. Yeah. Because then, you know, you've created like art, like people are like, that's beautiful. Yeah. They see it. 

JenniLee: I love it 'cause it's just so easy. I'm wearing pants. It's just a baggy shirt. It just feels really like, cool put together, but comfortable. 

Gabrielle: So it fits the framework, the Spark framework.

JenniLee: And I haven't gotten to wear it too. Yeah, I haven't gotten to wear it that many times because it's something I do that I try to like encourage myself not to do and also encourage others not to do is hoard the clothes. Like, I, I don't,

Gabrielle: That's hard. 

JenniLee: I don't wanna wear this. I need to save this. Um, and I'm trying really hard not to do [00:51:00] that, but it's a light color, so I'm like, uh, no.

Do I wanna wear it to the park? Am might get dirty. So yeah, I'm pushing 

Gabrielle: sometimes. Just gotta do it though, you know? 

JenniLee: Yeah. It's a constant journey. Your style, it's a constant journey and you should always be pushing yourself. 

Gabrielle: Well thank you so much for coming on, and we'll make sure that everyone has all the access to you that they could possibly want.

All of your wonderful products and your Instagram and all of that. And, uh, thank you so much for taking the time to just share what style means to you. 

JenniLee: Thank you for having me. I love this conversation. I love talking about style. 

Gabrielle: I know. Me too. All right, thanks guys. Until next time.