I’m so excited to share the first makeover winner recap with you! Right before our collective worlds went haywire, we had a makeover contest and party benefiting Hope Walks, an organization that provides clubfoot treatment in 17 different countries, inspired by my tiniest intern’s experiences. These recaps have been a long time coming and I know you are going to love the transformations!

Our first 2020 Makeover For Life winner is Dave. Dave’s wife nominated him which I appreciate because don’t we all want the best for our significant others?? What happened to Dave has happened to us all – we took a data point at one point in our lives and then stuck by that even when circumstances change.

Several years ago, Dave did the hard work of losing a significant amount of weight. The problem was he kept buying for the person he was – not the person he is currently. All of his hard work was hidden! And there was a LOT of extra fabric to be found in his closet.

So we got to work!

First Things First

First things first, every style session with a new client starts with the same three assessments – taking measurements to determine body shape, determining face shape – great for sunglasses but especially critical for Dave as he wears glasses on a daily basis, and determining personal coloring.

Armed with this information, we headed to his closet! Bless Dave. He was so patient and amiable as I cut nearly his entire closet. There were a few pieces that had fits closer to his actual size, and few that could be adjusted with alterations but unless the quarantine pounds REALLY found him, he was going to have to continue building a wardrobe best suited for his current frame. Not wanting him to be left with nothing or having to buy an entire new wardrobe in one sitting (ouch!), we left several options in each category to go with his new pieces and to eventually be phased out as they were replaced.

Makeover Winner Male Closet Edit In Progress Image Consultant Houston

This is a key point to remember as you shift your style – you DO NOT have to do it all at once. And really it’s better if you don’t. Less so with guys but especially with women, if you buy a whole new wardrobe in one season – your style ends up with a date stamp. Spreading out the purchases over the course of a year or even two, requires some patience but results in a more timeless wardrobe rather than timestamped January 2020.

After we edited Dave’s closet, Ellen with Southern Sequence stepped in to organize and help find the best long-term storage and organization solutions to help Dave keep his closet in great shape.

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After we tackled his closet, it was on to hair!

A Fresh ‘Do

The excellent team at Tease made a few adjustments to Dave’s hair to give him a more current look. In addition to having a great new style, it was all about adding product to the morning hair routine to give it a bit of piece-y  texture – NOT shiny or crunchy! Run to the hills if your stylist gives you that kind of look. I hope his wife doesn’t mind me sharing that she was a HUGE fan of the edgier, spiker, yet still professional style. 😉

New Threads

Shopping for clothing was great thanks to Bonobos. The hangups we all have need some comparison points so we can get past them. Dave was amazed at the sizes that actually fit him and the difference it made in how he looked and felt. He had been wearing, depending on the brand, one to three inches larger in the waist than he ended up buying! Can’t forget length as well – he also went down to a shorter inseam to prevent pants from puddling above the shoes.

Gentlemen, this is one of the most common issues with the way you are wearing pants. Thinking casually, jeans are more forgiving and can have some creasing/gathering, but all it does for you is shrink your leg line and make you look shorter. And more disheveled. 😉

No doubt we are moving to a more casual work environment as the prolonged effects of working from home wear on, but I still recommend that every professional, male or female, have a great fitting suit in their wardrobe. You may not wear the pieces together very often but when you need it, you need it, and you don’t want to have to be scrambling at the last minute or make an impulse less-than buy because you need something in the next few days.

Bonobos came through with an excellent fit and fabric option that will pair as well with jeans as it does with dress slacks.

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The Finishing Touch

One of the most visual changes we made to Dave’s style was his glasses!! The style he was wearing was outdated and he was wearing the wrong frame style for his face shape. Something that happens to SO MANY PEOPLE! It’s one of the reasons I included an entire module on Face Shape in my Online Workshop!

I talk about this in corporate speaking engagements often as well (remember when we used to do those in person :-/) – eyes clearly visible helps best establish trust and rapport with your colleagues. A frame shape that’s too small or keeps your eye from being centered in the glass, needs to get the boot! Once we realized our makeover winner needed an upgraded in this department, I reached out to Warby Parker. Warby Parker (Highland Village Houston location specifically) was AMAZING and jumped in last minute to help upgrade Dave’s glasses.

A Bonus

Dave was also given a treatment from Skincare by Kristie and he wisely gifted that to his wife. Lol. A perfect thank you for getting him into the contest! Paula has been using the skinpen treatments and said it’s helped reduce the appearance of a scar she has from a long-ago wreck she was in. How awesome!!

His Words

When I first found out that I had won, I was actually somewhat nervous not knowing what to expect. However, as we went through each of the steps (closet edit, personal shopping, etc) your warm personality and confidence made the process fun and enjoyable. That gave me a left of comfort during this process. Before we met, I had the desire to dress better, but had little idea how to do it. It was extremely helpful that you went through what colors and type of clothing was best for my skin tone/body type. I had no idea there was so much to learn (even with the types and color of socks). You have an ability to give advice in a way that didn’t feel critical. My new clothing and style fits me so much better and has given me a better image of myself.”

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Dave revealed his new look at the Makeover for Life party, benefiting Hope Walks, a partnership inspired by my tiniest intern. You’ll hear more about the party in an upcoming blog post but in the meantime, we are $1000 away from doubling what we raised at our inaugural event. Would you consider helping us reach that goal? Or passing this on to someone who might be interested? If a few people give a bit it all adds up. That $1000 will completely cover two children in their 5-year clubfoot treatment journey – in addition to family and spiritual counseling for their parents and relatives caring for them. <3

Click the link below to dontate. Note Makeover For Life in the comments so we can track it properly.

Donate Here
Makeover Winner Male After Party Photo Image Consultant Houston

Loved working with Dave and am so grateful again to all the sponsors that contributed to his new look.

Dave’s final look and closet was sponsored, in addition to Signature Style, by the following amazing vendors:

Bonobos
Paige Beitler Photography
Skincare by Kristie
Southern Sequence
Tease Color and Style Bar
Warby Parker

Keep an eye out for our next winner’s recap coming soon!

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