April’s theme is Spring Yourself Forward and today I want to introduce Melissa Cyrus, Senior Stylist and Fashion Guru of Modern Twists Style. I met Melissa in November 2015 at a conference that the coach I was with was having in Denver. Living up north, I didn’t meet all the other members, so this was a great opportunity to meet others who was working with the same coach. Melissa has a love for fashion and since it’s getting warmer, I figured it would be appropriate to talk about fashion.

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to wear as a blossoming entrepreneur and clothing can be a big time issue as we’re trying to figure out what look good on us and if we look professional enough. I asked Melissa to give us some insights on how important fashion is and how to restructure our closets!

How did you get into fashion?

Growing up I never said “I want to work in fashion.”  I was quite the tomboy, racing my bike through the fields, catching snakes, taking apart everything to see how it worked and hanging out with the boys most of the time.  Now I don’t mean to say I never wore a dress or curled my hair.  In fact, I was the girl in high school auto mechanics wearing coveralls and high heels.

Growing up in a household with little means meant most of my clothing and accessories came from hand-me-downs, thrift stores or items I altered to my taste.  In my early teen years, I had several random jobs and I would often spend the money I made to add a few key pieces to my wardrobe to help me mix and match my outfits.

Fast forward to my early twenties and you will find a broken, beaten down woman in an abusive marriage.  I had given up on myself and how I presented myself.  Then, one day a couple friends invited me to a jewellery party.  There are few moments that you can look back and say that changed my life.  This was one of them.  This lead to a serious of events that transformed me over the next several months.  I learned some valuable lessons.

• As women we stop caring about how we dress and present ourselves when we lose our self-worth
• Transitions of all sorts can make us feel less than sure of the gifts we are given
• Change of appearance on the outside can help transform the inside

What does fashion mean to you?

Fashion is when you look in the mirror and feel more in tune with the person looking back you.  It isn’t just about the outside.  The outside seeps inward and motivates you be the more authentic you.  So I ask my clients to review their wardrobe and asks themselves, “Does this reflect the beautiful person I am on the outside and inside?”  Let people see “YOU” without speaking a word.

How do we know if we’re fashion savvy or not?

When you look in the mirror, do you recognize the person staring back at you?  Each of us has the choice to buy the clothes, keep clothes and wear clothes that define us to an extent.  As you get dressed in the morning, do you feel like the ultimate beautiful you?  If you don’t answer in a resounding “Yes”, then it might time to consider a review of your clothing. 

We tend to hold onto clothes that we have outgrown or it doesn’t look as good as it used to on us. Why do we do this?

We of us have memories that are associated with something that lifts you up.  i.e. your favorite concert, your first date, a splendid vacation.  How do you show these items of clothing that you cherish them and memories associated with them?  Wearing them until they are the mere threads they once were? 

Why not consider a few options?  If they are still in good condition, consider turning them into a throw pillow for a bed or cozy reading chair.  Perhaps they are now a bit on the weathered and worn side but still holding together.  Consider making a blanket of a collection of your dressing memorabilia.  Turning clothing into things like memory bears, loving blankets and throw pillows can be done by several crafters. 

Why are you so passionate about fashion and clothing?

You deserve to look good.  After I had my daughter, I wore “comfortable clothes” because I was no longer familiar with the body I now had and gave up trying to look good.  I will admit it! I wore my husband’s jeans!  I thought the baby weight would come off just like that.  After all, I was a size 4 before having her.  When it stayed longer than I thought it would, I slipped off into the comfort zone. It was then that I looked at my maternity clothes, decided which ones would pass as not maternity and wore those to help me feel better about myself.

What are some tips you can give us to help us become better dressers and happier wearers?

First, try building a staple wardrobe.  That is, try building a wardrobe that contains pieces that mix and match with other pieces in your wardrobe.  This allows you to create several looks with pairing different items.  Think about how you cook.  Most of us have those pantry staples.  Just by mixing up a few key ingredients we can create thousands of recipes.

Second, add accessories to your wardrobe.   Belts, shoes, scarves, handbags and jewelry can spice up your looks.  You can dress up or dress down pieces giving you more options.

Third, don’t rely on the mannequin to give you all the answers.  You are not BFFs. She is not shaped like you.  She may lead you astray.   You may get home and find that you don’t love the clothes as much as you did on her.  If you are one who fills up your closet with outfits often seen on mannequins, why not think about taking a friend or stylist with you shopping.  This will help you maybe find an outfit that fits your body type and makes you feel just as fabulous looking in the mirror.

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Do you feel you might need extra help on building a staple wardrobe? Melissa is gearing up to teach classes that are both in person and virtual on how to do that with your already made closet or creating a whole new closet with your tax return! Melissa didn’t mention this in our interview, but she dives deep into your body shape and how to dress to enhance your features and show off what God gave you! I know she will be talking more about this on her blogs and her website. Go ahead and gain more fashion tips and tricks with Melissa Cyrus! If you have any questions for Melissa, check out her website and like her on Facebook!