One important YES changed my life.
It sounds kinda crazy, right? That saying yes to one opportunity could be life-changing? Well, I’m here to share why this experience in particular changed my life.
About 6 months ago, I decided to do a styling session with local fashion stylist Kendra (aka The Blonde Mom). If you haven’t checked Kendra out before, you absolutely must! She is a practical fashion stylist who lives in Grosse Pointe and provides a wide variety of unique fashion-based services to women, men and children all around the Metro Detroit area. I absolutely love her motto that “styling should be fun, fashion should be attainable, and stylists should be affordable.”
Kendra is a friend of mine, and she’d been asking for months to do a style session with me. I kept telling her I needed to lose a few (or several) pounds before taking the leap. Every time those words would creep out of my mouth, Kendra responded with wise words. She reassured me that it wasn’t about losing weight, but rather feeling and looking good in the body you have now. Those words stuck with me. I thought about them constantly. I wanted to look my best at the weight I was at. I didn’t want to continue buying clothes that simply covered my body, but I was afraid that if I bought clothes that actually fit they would show all of my imperfections. I feared looking anything less than perfect.
So, I said yes and committed to working with Kendra. I wanted to feel good about myself, and I knew learning to dress the way that I wanted to feel would make a huge difference. But, I was skeptical. I didn’t know how she was going to choose clothes that would make me feel both comfortable and confident. I hated my arms, my legs, and that little pudge left over from 4 c-sections.
Here’s how it went. Before our session, Kendra asked me all of the questions I tend to avoid. She asked for my measurements, colors I’d never wear, and body parts I’m less than confident about. Kendra builds complete trust with her clients, and made me feel completely comfortable sharing my personal insecurities with her!
Now, fast forward to the day of my styling session. I remember how nervous I was pulling up to Kendra’s house. I had absolutely no idea what to expect. When I walked in, she had a rack of clothes (a lot of clothes) and shoes spread from one end of the rack to the other. Kendra had already invested a ton of time personally selecting and shopping these items for me, so they’d be all ready for me to try on the day of my session. I have a serious shoe addiction, so I figured I’d just walk out with shoes and, if I was lucky, a shirt or two. I also looked at all the colorful clothes, telling myself I would never wear half the colors because this body wasn’t made for them. I told myself I didn’t need to draw any more attention to my less than satisfactory areas. Dresses? No way. A romper? Who did she think I was?!
As I look back at how I felt trying on that first outfit, I can’t help but describe it as magical. I tried the romper on first. It fit perfectly. I stood in front of the mirror and felt the tears welling up in my eyes. I couldn’t believe it fit. My whole life I was conditioned to think that in order to feel beautiful, you had to fit into single-digits sizes. But when I used to fit into those sizes, I can’t say that I felt any happier! And after 4 c-sections, I never thought I would be wearing a romper. If I’m being honest, half the clothes Kendra asked me try on were items I wouldn’t have ever selected on my own. I just assumed they wouldn’t fit or flatter me because I wasn’t riding those single-digit sizes.
Kendra has such a keen eye for style, knows how to find the best deals, and loves her clients and what she does so much that you simply can’t go wrong with her. The only regret I have with my session was that I didn’t do it sooner. I walked out of that first session a different woman. I felt confident. Who knew that clothes could make you feel that way? I learned that you don’t have to wait until you’re the perfect size to feel beautiful. The day I worked with Kendra was the day I decided to invest in myself. A day that allowed me to see what others see and proved to me just how worth it I am.
