Natali Carrera
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I’m a self-professed organization geek and lover of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up method of decluttering. I also really love reading fashion blog Putting Me Together, which helps normal people make cute outfits and build a “remixable wardrobe”—meaning the items in your wardrobe can easily mix and match to create numerous stylish and flattering outfits.
So when I became aware of a new business opening in Fresno that combined these ideas—fashion, organization and de-cluttering—in its services, my attention was piqued.
Meet Styled by Mon Amie
Styled by Mon Amie owner and personal stylist Vanessa Castaneda is on a mission to prove you can look amazing with the clothing you already own.
Styled by Mon Amie owner Vanessa Castaneda has been helping friends and family choose outfits, shop, and try new styles for years. As the mother of four children, she found she had little “fun money” left to spend on herself; however, that didn’t stop her from building a stylish wardrobe of her own.
“People would often ask me, ‘How big is your closet?’ or ‘Do you ever wear the same thing twice?’ ” says Castaneda. “I would laugh and say that my closet was average sized and of course I wear things more than once. I just see the possibilities for wearing things multiple ways and make many different outfits from a few items.”
How Styled by Mon Amie Works
Styled by Mon Amie offers personal wardrobe optimization, outfit creation, shopping assistance, and personal shopping services. “If you’ve ever felt like you have nothing to wear, or like shopping is torturous, I want to change that,” says Castaneda.
Styled by Mon Amie means “styled by my friend,” and Castaneda says she chose the name because she wants the experience for all of her customers to be a fun and comfortable process, like chatting with a friend.
It’s her goal to show every woman that she can look amazing, regardless of her body type, budget, wardrobe size or preconceived notions of what she can or can’t wear. “I hear so many women saying things like, ‘I can’t wear bright colors, I can’t wear a skirt, I can’t this or that’, and I want to help them branch out and see how the right bright colors or the right cut of a skirt for their body can actually bring out their best features and help them feel amazing!”
Castaneda has honed closet organizing to a science, and offers it as a service she calls “wardrobe optimization.”
“Wardrobe optimization is about more than just having a clean closet and dresser. It’s about having a collection of clothing and accessories that are easy to create outfits from, where you can quickly see everything you own, and it is visually appealing and organized. Optimizing your wardrobe makes choosing clothes in the morning like shopping in a boutique, only you don’t have to spend any money.”
“She dared me to try new things and colors, and completely changed my wardrobe! Thanks to her I feel confident in myself and what I wear,” says Mon Amie client Maria Soto.
My Personal Experience
Curious and excited at the idea, I decided to try the service and opted to hire Castaneda for both of her key services: wardrobe optimization and personal styling.
In one afternoon (over the course of about three hours), Castaneda came to my house, cleaned out and reorganized my entire closet including shoes, handbags, scarves and jewelry, and arranged things so beautifully, I never would have realized how much I actually had to choose from were it not for her help.
Then, from within my own collection of clothing, she created 25 different outfits for me using items I already owned, none of which I’d EVER thought of before. She took photos of each outfit, which she laid out so I could visualize and refer to later, and sent me all of the images.
My closet before (don’t judge—Castaneda told me not to fix it up beforehand, so I didn’t! To be honest, I was so frustrated with my clothes I just didn’t care to make them look nice.)
My closet now (insert heart eyes emoji here!)
A few of the outfits Castaneda created for me, and her showing me how she organized my casual shoes, like flip flops and tennis shoes.
Wearing one of the outfits Castaneda created for me that I’d never previously thought of before!
During the process, Castaneda asked me about what I liked wearing most and why I liked it, and suggested I part ways with a couple of pieces she felt may not be ideal or easily paired with other items in my wardrobe. She was completely right about the two items she chose—I almost never wore them and didn’t feel great about my appearance when I did. She sensed this without me even telling her.
Now when I get dressed, I actually look forward to it, and find that I keep my closet neater and more organized since I love how she set it up so much, I don’t want it to change! I also feel like I don’t need to buy as many things as I used to, because now that I can clearly see everything I have, I realize I have a lot more than I thought.
Castaneda taught me to open my mind to outfit possibilities I’d not previously even considered, and she even proved to me some things I thought I couldn’t wear at all (shorts, dresses, anything showing my legs) could look really nice if I just knew what styles to look for for my body type. I feel a lot more stylish now and more comfortable in my own skin, and honestly, that’s really something I wasn’t expecting.
Want to Try for Yourself?
Styled by Mon Amie is offering a special for those scheduling appointments before July 31: $25 off all services, so wardrobe optimization will be $75 and personal styling $50 with the discount. You can also take advantage of her shopping assistance or personal shopping services for $50.
These prices are extremely reasonable for all that she does and the ongoing benefits, and based on my experience, I couldn’t recommend the service more highly. “I want my services to be affordable, because every woman deserves to feel beautiful,” says Castaneda.
To book an appointment, you can email styledbymonamie@gmail.com or use the booking tool at styledbymonamie.com. Follow Styled by Mon Amie on Facebook here.