I’m sure you have heard of celebrities and famous people using personal stylists. A lot of people feel like a personal stylist is not only unattainable but also unnecessary. I thought the same thing before I met Jacquelyn from JGP Styled Me. She’s out here being the hero no one asked for. Helping every day women and mothers edit down the “extra” in their closets and helping us choose pieces we really love. How to love getting dressed in the morning and how to feel confident!
Tell us a little about yourself Jacquelyn and what you do
My name is Jacquelyn Gudinas Prattipati, and I’m the founder of JGP Styled Me, a personal styling service for women in the greater Austin area and beyond. After over a decade working in digital marketing and ecommerce, I turned my passion for fashion into a career and most recently worked as a personal stylist and styling leader for a well-known online personal styling service. I stepped away from that role last summer to take some time off, though I knew I eventually wanted to continue helping women with their personal style. This spring I launched JGP Styled Me. As a mom who’s worked in corporate America, been a stay-at-home mom and now an entrepreneur, I’ve experienced the changes moms go through in their bodies, lifestyle and personal style so I know how invaluable it is to have someone to help with those challenges.
I’m also a wife and mom. I live in southwest Austin with my husband, our 10-year-old daughter and our two Boston Terriers. I love this part of town, its sense of community and the ease of getting both downtown or to hill country to enjoy a meal, a glass of wine, live music or a hike.
What is personal styling and what other services do you offer?
As a personal stylist, I work with clients individually to, first and foremost, help them understand their style. Personal style is about much more than just clothes; there is an emotional element tied to our style and it can be challenging to self-reflect and really hone in on your own style. I focus on this aspect when working with my clients because it’s so important in informing us what goes in our closets and on our bodies. I like to think of myself as my clients’ style partner, helping them in whatever ways they need.
My services are geared towards the everyday woman and include wardrobe refreshing, closet editing, personal shopping, travel styling and special event styling. I’m also creating new styling offers that I share in my monthly newsletter and on Instagram. These are typically limited-time offers and a great way for new clients to try my services. For example, I recently launched “5 Ways to Wear” and with this offer, I style one piece of clothing from a client’s wardrobe in five ways. This is for those clients who have a beloved item in their closet but they need new ideas on how to style it, or maybe they’ve purchased a piece for fall but they’re not sure how they’re going to wear it. I’m always open to creating custom services for clients, too, in the event that my existing services don’t meet their needs. I offer a free discovery call and this is often the best way to determine which service a client needs.
Aren’t personal stylists for special events or famous people? How can I benefit from working with a personal stylist?
Working with a personal stylist can make it infinitely easier to get dressed. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t gone through a period where they didn’t hate everything in their closet or consistently felt like they didn’t have anything to wear, often in spite of having a closet full of clothes. Working with a personal stylist helps you gain clarity around your personal style, which helps you make better decisions about what to keep in (or add to) your closet, ultimately making it easier to dress yourself. And with that inevitably comes a boost of confidence, too. These are the two things I hear most often from my clients: that working with me has made their lives easier in terms of style, and they feel more confident.
Can you tell us 3 things that every woman should have in her closet?
This is an excellent question, and admittedly, tricky to whittle down to just three pieces! What does well in your closet is all about you and your lifestyle, so of course it’s going to look different for everyone. But I do feel like there are a few things that everyone can get a lot of good use out of, and they’re all highly versatile pieces, which I think we moms really appreciate.
First, a blazer. I don’t feel as passionately about any other article of clothing as I do about a blazer. It is one of the easiest ways to elevate just about any look and can be styled in so many ways, across a number of seasons. And regardless of your budget, there are a lot of solid blazer options out there at all price points. In fact, the last two blazers I purchased were from Target, and I love them.
A pair of comfortable jeans that fit well. Denim can be polarizing but finding that pair that fits perfectly is so worth the time it might’ve taken to find them. Having your stats (inseam, rise, waist) readily available when you shop for jeans makes it that much easier. They are arguably one of the most versatile items you can have in your closet, too. Wear them to everything from your kiddos’ school to date night to work and everything in between.
A button-down shirt is another wardrobe workhorse. You can go with classic white or even a chambray option – whatever works best for your lifestyle. I like a button-down because it’s something you can wear nearly year-round, it goes with virtually any bottom in your closet and it can be dressed up or styled casually. It also works as a layering piece.
Thanks so much for talking with us at South Austin Moms Jacquelyn. I have loved learning about the everyday side of a personal stylist!