This is episode 245 of Teacher Approved.
Heidi:You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping
Heidi:educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm
Heidi:Heidi.
Emily:And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story
Emily:Window, where we give research based and teacher approved
Emily:strategies that make teaching less stressful and more
Emily:effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from
Emily:each episode at secondstorywindow.net.
Heidi:We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to
Heidi:the show.
Emily:Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's
Emily:episode, we're joined by our friend Lindsey, the owner and
Emily:senior stylist at Fashion Fix, to talk about a fresh way for
Emily:teachers to approach their wardrobes, and we've got a
Emily:teacher approved tip for looking good on school spirit days.
Heidi:But first, let's start with try it tomorrow, where we
Heidi:share a quick win that you can try right away. Emily, what do
Heidi:we have for this week?
Emily:This week, give each student a couple of sticky notes
Emily:and ask them to write down what they'd like to hear on a hard
Emily:day. Maybe it's, you can do hard things, or I believe in myself.
Emily:Once they're done, collect all the notes and tuck them away.
Emily:Then when you notice a student having a rough moment or just
Emily:needing a boost, you can pull out their own words and hand
Emily:them back.
Heidi:I love this because there's just something really
Heidi:powerful about getting encouragement in your own words.
Heidi:And if you want to try this, I promise you can eliminate a lot
Heidi:of blank stares and the I don't know what to write comments, if
Heidi:you spend a minute having class brainstorm message ideas first.
Heidi:Maybe you even want to write them on the whiteboard, and that
Heidi:way you're helping them put some actual thought into what they
Heidi:write, instead of just writing down whatever.
Emily:I love when you can find a win that's so powerful but so
Emily:simple to implement. In about five minutes, you've got a whole
Emily:stash of personalized pick me ups ready to go whenever you
Emily:need them. Just double check that everyone remembered to
Emily:write their name on their notes.
Heidi:Yeah, the eternal struggle. If you like this idea
Heidi:or anything else we share here on the podcast, would you take a
Heidi:second and give us a five star rating? Ratings and reviews are
Heidi:one way that new listeners find us, so every rating and review
Heidi:really is a huge help to us.
Emily:Today, we're so excited because we are joined by our
Emily:friend Lindsey, who is the owner and senior stylist at Fashion
Emily:Fix to talk about a fresh way for teachers to approach their
Emily:wardrobes. And as a mom of three, Lindsey's body, weight,
Emily:and lifestyle have all changed many times over the years. She
Emily:knows that style has no size and confidence comes in all shapes.
Heidi:Lindsey has helped women of every age, stage, shape and
Heidi:size, build a versatile and functional wardrobe that they
Heidi:love. You don't need a lot of clothes to have a lot of wear.
Heidi:You just need the right tools and planning to have a closet
Heidi:full of clothes that make you feel comfortable and confident.
Emily:Lindsay, we're so happy to have you with us today.
Emily:Welcome.
Lindsey:Yay. I'm so excited that I get to have like, an act
Lindsey:two after getting to participate in the Teacher Winter Talks. I
Lindsey:was like, oh my gosh, this is such, like a bonus. Like, I get
Lindsey:to come back again!
Heidi:And your session was so powerful and inspiring, like,
Heidi:it's, I've approached my closet in such a different way in those
Heidi:two weeks since you taught. Like, it's totally shifted.
Unknown:I genuinely had, like, takeaways of like, wow, I had
Unknown:never thought about that before.
Lindsey:Good, well, you know, I really try, you know, especially
Lindsey:when I'm presenting, which is just all the time, because I'm
Lindsey:always talking to people from all over the world, right,
Lindsey:whether it's on Instagram or we're doing, you know, when I
Lindsey:talk to your teacher group, you know, nobody is living the same
Lindsey:life. Nobody's going to have the same wardrobe.
Lindsey:And so when we're talking about these ideas on how to build a
Lindsey:wardrobe that feels good, that is fun, that is authentic to
Lindsey:you, you just, you can't have the advice of everybody should
Lindsey:have this thing. Everybody should have that thing. Because
Lindsey:this thing and that thing, like, is, it might not make sense for
Lindsey:certain people. So really like being able to approach the idea
Lindsey:of like, what are the practices that you want to put into place
Lindsey:with your wardrobe, and what is sort of the tools to build a
Lindsey:wardrobe that is good, specifically for you. So that
Lindsey:everyone, no matter where you're living, no matter what your
Lindsey:lifestyle looks like, you walk away with application.
Heidi:That is such an empowering reframe of how we're
Heidi:normally taught to consume fashion. Like, I am not a little
Heidi:black dress person. Like, that's not my lifestyle. But I've
Heidi:always felt like, well, fashion doesn't apply to my life,
Heidi:because I'm not that way.
Lindsey:Oh my gosh. I wish, I mean, like, I'm gonna have to,
Lindsey:like, steal that audio clip from you, because I just feel like
Lindsey:that is 100% one of the biggest, I would say, drivers behind
Lindsey:Fashion Fix, is there's been so many barriers for women, whether
Lindsey:they are real or they make up and manifest themselves. Right?
Lindsey:Or they're the barriers are put upon them by other people,
Lindsey:right? Like social narratives or, you know, things like that,
Lindsey:that make women feel that's not for me. I can't be cute. I can't
Lindsey:dress cute, you know, like, I just don't get it. I must not be
Lindsey:fashionable.
Lindsey:And it's because we are looking at and comparing ourselves to a
Lindsey:standard or to an example that isn't meant for us, that's not,
Lindsey:you know, that's not relatable for us. And so then we
Lindsey:automatically just take ourselves out of the
Lindsey:conversation. And then that goes down the path of women feeling
Lindsey:invalidated, feeling, you know, they don't, like they should
Lindsey:just kind of, they don't take care of themselves because they
Lindsey:don't feel like, well, if I can't fit into this exact
Lindsey:picture of what it should look like then I'm not gonna do
Lindsey:anything at all. It just goes into a whole thing. I could go
Lindsey:on my soapbox forever, just a whole thing of like, you know,
Lindsey:again, how we value ourselves, how we value what we do, who we
Lindsey:are. It just, the whole thing, the whole thing.
Heidi:Yes, we're spending so much money trying to, like, fit
Heidi:this mold you're taught, and you're like, this doesn't work
Heidi:with my life, it doesn't work with my body, like, and then now
Heidi:I have nothing to wear, but I'm also broke.
Lindsey:Yes, yes, exactly. I mean, we talk, we call it
Lindsey:overspending and under buying. That's kind of the frame, the
Lindsey:phrase that I use with clients is like helping you not like,
Lindsey:when you overspend. So you you've spent so much time and
Lindsey:money on these things in your wardrobe, but you actually under
Lindsey:bought, because the things that you purchased aren't adding the
Lindsey:value to your wardrobe that you hope them to. And so that's what
Lindsey:we call that. We call it overspending and under buying.
Heidi:Yeah, I've lived that.
Emily:I mean, I think all women can can relate to this to an
Emily:extent, but especially our teacher audience. I feel like
Emily:this is such a relatable problem to hear about of like, I just
Emily:don't even know what to wear every day. And you default to
Emily:whatever's easy, and you and you and you may not feel comfortable
Emily:in it, but it's just, it's whatever is easy. And that's why
Emily:I love your approach so much. So do you want to tell us a little
Emily:bit more about Fashion Fix and how you started?
Lindsey:Yeah, I know we kind of just jumped into the deep end.
Lindsey:So for anybody that's unfamiliar with Fashion Fix, we'll try to
Lindsey:catch you up here, because we, like, already, like went into
Lindsey:it. But Fashion Fix was started 12, 13 years ago, something like
Lindsey:that, and it came after a long career that I had working with
Lindsey:national retail brands. So you know, for about a decade, I
Lindsey:worked for many different companies and stores as a
Lindsey:personal shopper or in like management positions teaching
Lindsey:other people how to work with clients, and how to do personal
Lindsey:shopping and styling and all of this kind of stuff.
Lindsey:So I did that for a long time, and I kind of sort of had a
Lindsey:pinnacle moment where it wasn't fitting for me anymore, like the
Lindsey:dots weren't connecting, and I was not thriving in the position
Lindsey:that I had. And I had all of this experience with clients,
Lindsey:and looking at this idea that, you know, we were working with
Lindsey:them in the store, and then we were sending them home, but they
Lindsey:were kind of coming back every time with the same struggles and
Lindsey:the same, I would say, roadblocks or barriers in the
Lindsey:wardrobe, and being able to feel like they really had a complete
Lindsey:wardrobe, or a wardrobe that was functional or versatile for
Lindsey:them. And it's Like, well, we're sending you home with stuff
Lindsey:every month, like, what's going on?
Lindsey:And so just really kind of starting to think about, like,
Lindsey:what's that disconnect that's happening between women shopping
Lindsey:in stores or shopping online, then getting home to their
Lindsey:closet, and what's happening there? Like, in between, where
Lindsey:is that disconnect? And that is where Fashion Fix was really
Lindsey:born out of, was that idea of like, okay, let's let's bridge
Lindsey:that gap. Let's create some tools, some resources, some help
Lindsey:and support, so that women are more empowered with their
Lindsey:wardrobe when they go home with it, rather than feeling defeated
Lindsey:or again, they've overspent, under bought, like they're still
Lindsey:not hitting the target.
Lindsey:And that's kind of where Fashion Fix really came out of, right,
Lindsey:is like, let's give more empowerment in that in between
Lindsey:space between shopping and getting home with your wardrobe.
Lindsey:So it's gone through many iterations over the years. You
Lindsey:know, just even as like, the landscape of shopping and
Lindsey:fashion and and influencing and you know, all like, things going
Lindsey:virtual and digital, and the way that we can connect with
Lindsey:customers from all over the, you know, world now, rather than
Lindsey:just like local, which is really where it started. I only worked
Lindsey:in person with people, and now it's quite the opposite. Like we
Lindsey:pretty much only virtually work with clients. And rarely am I,
Lindsey:you know, working with somebody in person.
Lindsey:I live, like, I can look out my window and I can see the Mall of
Lindsey:America out my window, and so I used to do personal shopping
Lindsey:appointments at the Mall of America. And like, you know,
Lindsey:that's just like such a thing in the past, because we're
Lindsey:servicing people literally from all over the world.
Lindsey:So it's taken a lot of different iterations, but the one thing
Lindsey:that has maintained and stayed the same since day. One is the
Lindsey:mission I remember sitting on my couch in my cute little
Lindsey:bachelorette apartment in the Twin Cities where I live, and
Lindsey:like, you know, pen and paper and writing it out, and I wrote
Lindsey:down this mission statement, and not a single word of it has
Lindsey:changed since day one, which is to empower women and build
Lindsey:confidence through a productive and style wardrobe.
Lindsey:And so even though we've gone through a lot of iterations of
Lindsey:services, we offer, products, we offer, how we work with clients,
Lindsey:everything has continued to be filtered through that mission
Lindsey:statement, so that we know that we're still aligning what we're
Lindsey:doing with what we believe in. And that goes from everything
Lindsey:from, again, what we offer, how we price things, the language we
Lindsey:use inside of our products and on our website, and, you know,
Lindsey:on our different social media platforms. Like, how is that
Lindsey:mission being accomplished through this? And that's
Lindsey:something that has just stayed strong this whole time.
Lindsey:So, you know, that's kind of how we got to where we are, and now
Lindsey:we're even going on like another segment of the journey. You
Lindsey:know, this year, we're really focusing a lot on not only
Lindsey:helping women with, you know, what's in their closet, but
Lindsey:their relationship with what's in their closet too, and really
Lindsey:taking, you know, even more of that holistic approach to how
Lindsey:we're helping women with their wardrobes.
Emily:Well, and I imagine that was informed by your personal
Emily:journey with your body and your wardrobe, which is what really
Emily:drew me to you, what you've shared about that, because I
Emily:find it so relatable. Do you want to tell us a little bit
Emily:about that?
Lindsey:Yeah. So, like I said, I had this really long, you
Lindsey:know, this career working in retail, which means I had access
Lindsey:to a lot of fashion and shopping and at a discount, which was
Lindsey:great. So, you know, I loved to shop. I loved to have fun with
Lindsey:my wardrobe. Also, at this time in my life, I was single, you
Lindsey:know, hadn't had any kids yet at this point. So it's like, your
Lindsey:girl was like, living the dream, right, living the dream.
Lindsey:And my life has taken so many different turns, and I've been
Lindsey:put into so many different positions over, you know, the
Lindsey:past 12, 15 years, from going to being, you know, single, no
Lindsey:kids, working in retail, having access to a lot of things, to
Lindsey:getting married and getting pregnant and not working full
Lindsey:time anymore, and having my budget change and having my
Lindsey:access change, and having my body change and having my
Lindsey:lifestyle change. You know, my wardrobe looked one way, and it
Lindsey:was so fun and it was so whimsical, because I was going
Lindsey:out to work every day, and I was doing all these things and that.
Lindsey:And then my life changed to staying home every day, full
Lindsey:time. And then it kind of went to, you know, like 50/50, and
Lindsey:that, you know, like it just sort of has taken so many
Lindsey:different turns.
Lindsey:And not only in the past 10 or 15 years, all the different
Lindsey:turns my life has taken, there was also that life beforehand,
Lindsey:of navigating, you know, messaging about what my body
Lindsey:should look like versus what it does look like, and messaging
Lindsey:about what I should be wearing because it's trendy or because
Lindsey:it's this, or because of whatever, versus like what I
Lindsey:could afford to wear or want to wear, or what I had access to
Lindsey:wear. So it was like there was also that whole pre-experience.
Lindsey:And so looking at that full scope of what I've gone through,
Lindsey:you know, even from a teenager to a 45 year old woman, is part
Lindsey:of what has helped me shape Fashion Fix, my experiences,
Lindsey:what I've gone through. And what also has been really neat about
Lindsey:that is we've created this sort of niche space that is a nice
Lindsey:soft landing space for women that find themselves struggling
Lindsey:with their wardrobe, struggling with their clothes, or their
Lindsey:body because of difficult things like body dysmorphia or
Lindsey:disordered eating or medical experience that has changed
Lindsey:their bodies, all of those different things.
Lindsey:There is nothing any fashion fix client could come to us and
Lindsey:share with us about what they have or our experience that
Lindsey:would, you know, make us be like, Oh, I don't know. Can we,
Lindsey:you know, I don't know how to approach this or handle this, or
Lindsey:kind of feel taken off, off guard by it, or taken aback by
Lindsey:it. Like, we have seen it all. We've worked with so many women
Lindsey:with different walks of life, and it's, it is something that
Lindsey:I'm really proud of. Because of my experience, I've been able to
Lindsey:train and coach my team on that, and then we are able to work
Lindsey:with clients really well in that space, too.
Emily:And I think teachers have gone through a lot of those
Emily:different, those same body changes you were talking about.
Emily:But also I know in my experience, and then the
Emily:teachers that I know, a lot of them, go through those body
Emily:changes because of teaching, because you're stressed out,
Emily:you're at school, you're not able to eat as healthy. And, you
Emily:know, just all these things.
Heidi:And you're so tired that like going to the gym.
Emily:Yes, yes, all these ways that impact your body. So I know
Emily:our teacher audience will relate to those experiences that you've
Emily:had.
Lindsey:Yeah.
Heidi:So I one thing I really like about your approach is that
Heidi:you, the first step with you is not to jump in and buy more.
Heidi:Like you're not pushing people to suddenly buy a lot of new
Heidi:stuff, but you're also like helping them figure out what
Heidi:they do need to get that's like a counter cultural messaging.
Heidi:Can you tell us more about that approach?
Lindsey:Yes. Okay, so oftentimes, when there is an
Lindsey:approach to revamping your wardrobe, make you know, New
Lindsey:Year, New You, better wardrobe. It always starts with like,
Lindsey:let's get out your closet and get rid of all these things and
Lindsey:buy all these new things. We're actually like, editing at your
Lindsey:closet and shopping in our process does not come till step
Lindsey:like, three or four, like it is way down the line. We don't even
Lindsey:start there. Because my hope is not just to put a band aid over
Lindsey:something or give you like a quick fix with your wardrobe,
Lindsey:but really help you feel educated and empowered with what
Lindsey:is going to be best in your wardrobe. Because this is
Lindsey:really, like, the counter, like, cultural thing with fashion and
Lindsey:styling that I say, and that's there are better things to spend
Lindsey:your time and money on than clothes.
Heidi:Yes.
Emily:Yeah.
Lindsey:How can you say that as a stylist and, like, all this
Lindsey:stuff? And I was like, Well, let me explain this. This is kind of
Lindsey:the goal. So we actually start in the process with a body shape
Lindsey:analysis, and then after that, step two would be a style
Lindsey:analysis. Because I don't want a client or anyone listening to be
Lindsey:like, Okay, I'm going to start dressing better. I'm going to
Lindsey:start, like, wearing clothes that are more fun and feel more
Lindsey:trendy, so that I'm not frumpy. So then you just, you know, look
Lindsey:at whatever's on the mannequin, or what people are wearing on
Lindsey:Instagram or on Pinterest, and you go and, like, buy all that
Lindsey:stuff, right? You think, like, yes, this is gonna be, I'm gonna
Lindsey:do this, so this is gonna be so great.
Lindsey:And then you bring that stuff home, and it does not fit you
Lindsey:the same way that it fit that person on social media.
Emily:Oh, yeah.
Lindsey:Or that outfit that you saw completely put together on a
Lindsey:mannequin, when you put it on, it feels like a costume, like it
Lindsey:feels like you're dressing up as somebody else. So that's why
Lindsey:going out and just buying a bunch of stuff that feels fun
Lindsey:and new and trendy, and you're gonna, you're gonna just, you
Lindsey:know, start dressing that way, that is not going to get you to
Lindsey:a place of feeling comfortable and confident in your clothes.
Lindsey:So we start with, Okay, now this piece that you see, the shirt
Lindsey:that you see on that person on Instagram, right? It fits them
Lindsey:well, because this is their body shape, and this is the way that
Lindsey:that shirt is cut. Your body shape is not that. Your body
Lindsey:shape is this, so you want to wear shirts that are cut this
Lindsey:way instead.
Lindsey:So we teach women, okay, you know, you're seeing these things
Lindsey:on social media, on mannequins, you know, in stores or wherever
Lindsey:it might be, in magazines, and giving them the tool to say,
Lindsey:okay, that's not going to work for me. So I'm, I'm not going to
Lindsey:chase that one, right? I'm not going to go after buying that
Lindsey:shirt. We start to teach them, these are the cuts, these are
Lindsey:the fits that are going to be the most complimentary on your
Lindsey:body shape and feel the most comfortable to wear. So we start
Lindsey:with that education piece.
Lindsey:Then the second education piece is the style. So understanding
Lindsey:what each individual's personal style profile is, and really
Lindsey:helping them navigate and understand that. Like, you know,
Lindsey:these are words we would use to describe your style, and these
Lindsey:are examples of what those words mean, like picture examples of
Lindsey:that, giving them different ideas. Because that's what
Lindsey:happened, we want you to feel really empowered with that,
Lindsey:because it's when you buy that whole outfit as it's put
Lindsey:together on a you know, mannequin, and you wear it, it
Lindsey:feels like a costume, right? Instead of something that's
Lindsey:like, that's because it's not your style. Maybe that pattern,
Lindsey:that print, that way of mixing and matching things together,
Lindsey:isn't authentic for your style so it just feels like you're
Lindsey:playing dress up.
Lindsey:So we want you to be able to say, oh, okay, oh, I'm seeing
Lindsey:this outfit on here, and oh, those patterns really work for
Lindsey:my style profile, or those details really work for my style
Lindsey:profile. That is great. Now we're getting more value driven
Lindsey:purchases for your wardrobe. So we start with a body shape, we
Lindsey:start with a personal style, because we want you to show up
Lindsey:as your authentic self. We want to make sure that what you're
Lindsey:wearing feels like a true reflection of who you are on the
Lindsey:inside, on the outside. And we don't want you to change your
Lindsey:body to fit into certain clothes. We want to change your
Lindsey:clothes so that they fit your body.
Lindsey:So we really want to start with those two things, and then after
Lindsey:we do that, we're still not shopping. Still not, we're still
Lindsey:not. There's two more things we got to do, because again, I
Lindsey:don't want you buying stuff you don't need. I don't want clients
Lindsey:buying more of what they already have in their wardrobe. So we
Lindsey:are still not shopping.
Lindsey:So actually, the next step then is to edit and audit your
Lindsey:wardrobe. So we have a methodology that we use at
Lindsey:Fashion Fix where it walks women through the different steps of
Lindsey:editing, auditing and organizing their wardrobe so they can have
Lindsey:a really good, full, complete understanding of what it is they
Lindsey:already have in their closet, what they need to get rid of
Lindsey:that now does not reflect their style or fit well for their body
Lindsey:shape. Right? And then identifying, okay, where do I
Lindsey:need to make some additions, where do I need to make some
Lindsey:swaps for my wardrobe? So we really need to do that stuff
Lindsey:before we shop.
Lindsey:So after you know your body shape, after you know your
Lindsey:style, then when you've done the closet clean out, now we can
Lindsey:shop. So we've got a few things we want to go through, because I
Lindsey:want you to, I want you to spend your time and money wisely,
Lindsey:because there's other things that I'm sure you'd rather spend
Lindsey:it on, then on clothes that you don't like and never wear, and
Lindsey:that aren't going to get you any further to your goal of having a
Lindsey:really value driven wardrobe. So then we shop.
Lindsey:But even then, I have parameters for clients when they shop. So
Lindsey:this is too where it gets a little of that counterculture
Lindsey:when we talk about fashion and styling, you know, I'm not just
Lindsey:saying, Oh yeah, go buy all this and go buy all of that. You
Lindsey:know, we really look at a strong method of what do you need to
Lindsey:add, update or replace? So coaching clients through, what
Lindsey:are the gaps and holes in your wardrobe? What are some of the
Lindsey:updates we want to make that better reflect you know, your
Lindsey:style, fit your shape better? And then what do we want to
Lindsey:replace of like, your ride or die essential pieces?
Lindsey:So we walk them through, like a coaching strategy of, here is a
Lindsey:great way to shop. And we really, you know, the shopping
Lindsey:strategy was really born out of one of the biggest things we
Lindsey:hear all the time from clients, is shopping feels so paralyzing.
Lindsey:I'm sure you can relate to that.
Heidi:Been there!
Lindsey:Right, right. Like, where you walk into a store, and
Lindsey:you're just like, I don't even know where to turn, like, what
Lindsey:department do I look at? What am I looking for? You go to a
Lindsey:website and you're just doom scrolling, like, like, what,
Lindsey:what category should I be shopping in? What should I be
Lindsey:looking for? So it really helps, again, where you feel paralyzed,
Lindsey:you don't know what decisions to make, you don't you should be
Lindsey:looking for. And when you have the strategy of add, update,
Lindsey:replace, it gives you focus when you go shopping, so it feels a
Lindsey:less intimidating and less overwhelming. So, yeah, we don't
Lindsey:shop till quite a bit further down, and even then, you know, I
Lindsey:really try to coach people on having some good boundaries on
Lindsey:what it is that they're shopping for.
Emily:And this process is actually going to save you a lot
Emily:of money and time because you're not wasting time hunting because
Emily:you don't know what you're looking for, but it's also going
Emily:to save your money because you're going to stop buying
Emily:things that aren't right for you, that you're never going to
Emily:wear. Because you talked about that, having things in your
Emily:closet that then you never want to wear because they don't feel
Emily:like you. I have half a closet full of things like that because
Emily:I don't want to wear things that don't feel comfortable, that I
Emily:don't feel comfortable in.
Lindsey:100%. And that's when we, you know, what I say is like
Lindsey:women, you know, if you find yourself standing in front of
Lindsey:closet full of clothes, there is plenty hanging in there, but you
Lindsey:look in your closet and it's full of clothes, and you say to
Lindsey:yourself, I don't have anything to wear it, you know, it's
Lindsey:because we don't have the right pieces for you. Whether it's
Lindsey:pieces that fit you well or pieces that even like work
Lindsey:together.
Lindsey:Because part of the idea, also of understanding your personal
Lindsey:style and having a value driven wardrobe, is being able to mix
Lindsey:and match your pieces together really easily and really
Lindsey:effortlessly, because they all complement each other, and they
Lindsey:all go together. And if you have things in your closet that are,
Lindsey:you know, multiple different styles or not, in the same color
Lindsey:palette for you, then again, you're going to be looking at a
Lindsey:lot of stuff in your closet but struggling to wear a lot of it
Lindsey:together. So that's also something we really coach our
Lindsey:clients on is building your best wardrobe. Also it's giving you
Lindsey:value, but also versatility in your wardrobe.
Lindsey:And going back to the idea of like, where it's going to save
Lindsey:you money in the long run, is the other thing we coach clients
Lindsey:on is you don't need to have a lot of clothes in order to have
Lindsey:a lot to wear, right? So it's not like a badge of honor if you
Lindsey:have a closet bursting at the seams, or never enough hangers
Lindsey:to hang your stuff up on, right? Because we say you don't need a
Lindsey:lot of clothes in order to have a lot to wear. So when we really
Lindsey:focus, you know, on these steps of building your best wardrobe,
Lindsey:it gets you to a place too, where you're not really having
Lindsey:to buy a lot on all the time, and that's saving you a lot of,
Lindsey:you know, energy and money as well.
Heidi:I loved your outfit formulas in your Teacher Winter
Heidi:Talk session. It was such a fun reframe. It made me think of the
Heidi:real life version of, okay, Clueless.
Emily:Yes!
Heidi:You know, she like mixed and matched all her outfits, and
Heidi:as a 90s girl, that was like a seamless dream. But this is like
Heidi:a real life way to make that work with you know, the things
Heidi:that I have, I don't have a cute little plaid mini, but being
Heidi:able to look at my clothes and feeling like I have power over
Heidi:them instead of them controlling me.
Lindsey:Oh my gosh. I wish people could see my face right
Lindsey:now, when you said that. I love that. They don't have clothes,
Lindsey:I'm gonna steal that, another audio clip I'm stealing from
Lindsey:you. Yeah, where you're like, the clothes don't have power
Lindsey:over you. You have power over them and how they're used. Oh my
Lindsey:gosh, I have goosebumps. That's so good.
Lindsey:You know, and when one of the other things that happens when
Lindsey:we walk clients through the build your best wardrobe system,
Lindsey:these steps that I'm laying out here, is they actually find that
Lindsey:they have a lot more to work with in their closet than they
Lindsey:thought they did. You have no idea how many times I've heard
Lindsey:women say, oh girl, you're gonna just like laugh when I show you
Lindsey:my closet, because I barely have anything in there. I don't
Lindsey:really have a lot. And when I teach them that the outfit
Lindsey:building blocks and the outfit formulas that you're talking
Lindsey:about, they actually start to see that there's a lot more for
Lindsey:them to work with in their closet than they thought. They
Lindsey:just never looked at it that way.
Lindsey:A lot of the pieces in their closet were really like siloed,
Lindsey:or really like structured. I only wear it this way, or only
Lindsey:wear it that way, or save this piece for that. And when I
Lindsey:introduced them to that outfit building blocks and the style
Lindsey:formulas, it is just like, you know, mind blown. Wow, I can do
Lindsey:a lot more with what I have than I thought I did.
Lindsey:And that's the final step, and build your best wardrobe. So we
Lindsey:talked about body shape analysis, style analysis, the
Lindsey:closet clean out, then strategic shopping. The final step is
Lindsey:styling, and that's where we play and have fun and do dress
Lindsey:up. And we do like mixing and matching pieces together. And
Lindsey:when all of it comes together, when all five of those steps
Lindsey:come together, you just really get to this place where, like,
Lindsey:your shoulders are like, they relax, because you're like,
Lindsey:Okay, I get this now I see how this all works together.
Lindsey:Because in that styling piece, then when you start to learn how
Lindsey:many different ways you can wear the items in your closet, or how
Lindsey:to use them differently, it also relieves that stress or that
Lindsey:pressure where you feel like you need more. Well, I need more. I
Lindsey:need more to be able to wear more. I need more to be able to
Lindsey:do more. I need more to have more variety.
Lindsey:You know, one of the things that I say, is a volume does not
Lindsey:equal variety. Just because you have a lot of clothes in your
Lindsey:closet doesn't mean you have a lot of variety of clothes in
Lindsey:your closet, because often it can end up being a lot of just
Lindsey:the same thing. And that's why you feel like you're wearing the
Lindsey:same thing all the time. Because you know, my perfect example
Lindsey:that I've been using for 100 years is, you might have 50
Lindsey:cardigans in your closet, but if, you know, 35 of them are
Lindsey:gray and five of them are black, and then 10 of them don't fit
Lindsey:you, you have like two.
Emily:Yeah.
Heidi:I feel called out.
Lindsey:So that's like, you know, when we, that styling
Lindsey:piece, when you learn those style formulas, outfit building
Lindsey:blocks, that's where you really start to learn, you know, you
Lindsey:don't need a lot of clothes in order to have a lot to wear. And
Lindsey:that's why the styling pieces last too.
Lindsey:So going back to the idea of how it's kind of counterculture, or
Lindsey:counterintuitive, how we coach clients through. It doesn't just
Lindsey:jump in right away to, okay, wear these colors this way, or
Lindsey:mix these patterns this way, or, you know, wear your cardigan
Lindsey:three different ways, this way. Because if the patterns you have
Lindsey:in your closet are not your style, you're not going to wear
Lindsey:them. If the cardigans aren't cut right for you, or the shirts
Lindsey:are cut, you're not going to wear them. So, so doing outfit
Lindsey:formulas, you know, doing the style formulas, doing the
Lindsey:building blocks, you're not going to be able to do that
Lindsey:unless your clothes fit you well. If your clothes do not fit
Lindsey:you comfortably and fit you well, if your clothes are not
Lindsey:your style, nothing else is going to work.
Lindsey:So that's why that even, like that kind of, quote, unquote,
Lindsey:fun part of doing all the different outfits, that doesn't
Lindsey:even come till last, because I want to make sure that your
Lindsey:clothes fit you well, that you're comfortable in them, that
Lindsey:you're confident wearing them, because then we can do all these
Lindsey:different outfits with them. So that's why that really comes
Lindsey:last in the process.
Emily:Oh, I love that, and it makes so much sense. It's such a
Emily:carefully thought out process, you can tell that you have
Emily:perfected this over the years. But tell us, what is your hope
Emily:for Fashion Fix in 2026, and how can our teacher audience be a
Emily:part of it?
Lindsey:Well, I would say that our big hope now and for the
Lindsey:future is just to introduce more people to the idea of building
Lindsey:their best wardrobe in the method and using the process
Lindsey:that Fashion Fix has, because we have really found that it has,
Lindsey:like, really freed a lot of women from some of the toxic or
Lindsey:negative thoughts or pressure or ideas or constructs or all of
Lindsey:that stuff that, again, has been put on them from social
Lindsey:narratives, from inner thoughts. It is really providing them with
Lindsey:a way to free themselves from that and have fun with their
Lindsey:wardrobe and feel good in their clothes.
Lindsey:And so we really, this year, just want more people to get
Lindsey:introduced to fashion fix and that this place exists, that
Lindsey:this is a soft landing spot for women that maybe previously have
Lindsey:really struggled to find a place that can help them with their
Lindsey:wardrobe in a way that feels, that feels good, that feels
Lindsey:supportive, that feels empowering, and is giving them
Lindsey:real life, practical, tactical tools and actions.
Lindsey:I think a lot too, in like the styling and fashion world, it
Lindsey:can be a lot of these big ideas, big like aspirations, but not
Lindsey:actualizations. And I will give you like, no, literally do this,
Lindsey:like do step A, B, C, D, this is how you're going to do it, so
Lindsey:that the math adds up in the end, and you're, you know, not
Lindsey:left feeling more confused, or did you even get anything done.
Lindsey:And so the more people that we can bring into Fashion Fix, we
Lindsey:just feel, the more women are going to be empowered, you know,
Lindsey:the more women that are going to be healed and helped, and that's
Lindsey:really what we want to be here to do. So spreading the word of
Lindsey:Fashion Fix is just a really big dream of ours for this year.
Heidi:That is such a beautiful mission, and we're so excited
Heidi:that you've been here to share it with us today.
Emily:And do you have a special offer for our listeners?
Lindsey:Yes, of course. Okay, so we have, if you want to get
Lindsey:started, if you listen to all of this and you're just like,
Lindsey:chomping at the bit, you're like, Okay, ladies, would you
Lindsey:quit talking so I can just go to fashion fix and get started? Let
Lindsey:me tell you where you're going to go. You are going to go to
Lindsey:fashionfixmn.com/secondstorywindow. And we have a page there for
Lindsey:your audience, for your listeners, that will tap them in
Lindsey:to a exclusive promo pricing on packaging together the body
Lindsey:shape analysis and the style quiz, because you have to start
Lindsey:there. You know, I know that sometimes it's hard and you want
Lindsey:to just like, race to the finish line or do the fun stuff first,
Lindsey:but starting with the body shape analysis and this style
Lindsey:analysis.
Lindsey:And then we're doing a gift with purchase, because, like, I want
Lindsey:you to also be able to get some traction, so we're including the
Lindsey:closet clean out when you purchase that bundle. So
Lindsey:typically, that's like a standalone, you know, workbook
Lindsey:that you have to purchase and download. But we're going to
Lindsey:give your audience a gift with purchase of a copy of that
Lindsey:closet clean out. So when they get their body shape results and
Lindsey:they get their style analysis results, they can kind of hit
Lindsey:the ground running with the next step without having to wait. So
Lindsey:they'll have access to that.
Lindsey:So fashionfixmn.com/secondstorywindow
Lindsey:is where you're going to find access to that exclusive deal.
Lindsey:And I'm sure you ladies will put it in the show notes and email
Lindsey:it out, because it's a very secret deal, because you won't
Lindsey:be able to find that page. You won't be able to find it
Lindsey:anywhere else on the website. So you want to make sure that you
Lindsey:save that link that that you get, because this is just for
Lindsey:your listeners.
Emily:Insiders only. And our team member Melanie went through
Emily:these exercises with you a couple weeks ago, and she had
Emily:such a good experience. She said that she was surprised at the
Emily:results. She thought she knew what her body shape was, and she
Emily:was surprised at what she got. And our she already found it so
Emily:enlightening. And I just am excited for our audience to get
Emily:to have that experience with you as well.
Lindsey:Yes, and you'll have to have Melanie share with the
Lindsey:audience that it's not scary.
Heidi:Yes.
Lindsey:Because that's, you know, which I get. That's
Lindsey:another thing I, you know, my entire team, we are all very
Lindsey:sensitive to. You know, especially when I was doing
Lindsey:in-person personal shopping appointments, I was like, okay,
Lindsey:these women are meeting a stranger at the Mall of America,
Lindsey:inviting that stranger to go into a fitting room with them,
Lindsey:to look at clothes that they're trying on and tell them what's
Lindsey:wrong with the clothes. Like that is a super intimate and
Lindsey:intimidating experience, and it is not lost on me. So you know,
Lindsey:just the idea that you're going to be sending in full body
Lindsey:pictures of yourself, like in leggings and a tank top. It's
Lindsey:not lost on us that that can feel like a little bit
Lindsey:intimidating. So I want you to know, like anybody out there,
Lindsey:like, it's not as scary as you think it's gonna be, and we are
Lindsey:so sensitive with what you're sending to us.
Emily:Yes, yes. That's pretty much what Melanie said. At
Emily:first, she was like, she said she wanted to do it, we asked if
Emily:she wanted to. And then she was like, wait, I have to send
Emily:pictures? But then she said, like, no, it was fine. It was no
Emily:big deal. And like, it was like, it was totally comfortable. She
Emily:wasn't even worried about it.
Emily:Yeah.
Emily:And Lindsey, we like to end our episodes with a Teacher Approved
Emily:tip. So do you have a quick, actionable tip that you could
Emily:share with our audience?
Lindsey:Oh, I sure do. Because do you know what I get from
Lindsey:teachers all the time? School spirit days and having to wear
Lindsey:school logoed apparel, and it may or may not be apparel that
Lindsey:is like unisex cut, so the t-shirts are super long, or the
Lindsey:sleeves are really long and boxy. Or the colors maybe aren't
Lindsey:ones that we love to wear for ourselves the most. So many
Lindsey:times I've helped teachers navigate this, and let me give
Lindsey:you my Teacher Approved tip for wearing your school spirit wear.
Lindsey:Number one, do not be afraid to cut or alter some of those
Lindsey:t-shirts or sweatshirts, whether it's cutting open the neckline
Lindsey:or cutting a t-shirt shorter, you know, something like that.
Lindsey:Because even if it has like a raw, that ends up having like an
Lindsey:exposed or raw edge when you cut the shirt, you could do like a
Lindsey:cute little front tuck in or something like that to make, you
Lindsey:know, make it look different.
Lindsey:And then as far as colors, if your school offers, you know,
Lindsey:obviously you have like your school colors, but if they offer
Lindsey:any of the spirit apparel in like a neutral option, so
Lindsey:sometimes they'll do like a black and white or gray and
Lindsey:white, or, you know, something kind of in a neutral option,
Lindsey:like whatever that third neutral color is sometimes, for your
Lindsey:your school, you know, opt into that. And then get, like, a fun
Lindsey:pair of sneakers in one of the bolder colors, or like a fun
Lindsey:pair of shorts or jeans. So that's not like up against your
Lindsey:face, but you're still feeling very spirit-filled by wearing
Lindsey:the team colors. Or do it in like a headband or hair
Lindsey:accessory, like tie like a bandana around your ponytail, or
Lindsey:a top knot, or something like that.
Lindsey:But if that's not an option, and you still got to wear, like that
Lindsey:royal blue t-shirt that isn't quite great for your complexion,
Lindsey:do a neutral layer over it that will tame it down, like a denim
Lindsey:jacket, or any of your dark, like a dark neutral in your
Lindsey:color palette that might work with that, like, I'm thinking
Lindsey:royal blue. So if you do, like a gray or a black, or, you know,
Lindsey:something like that, that might, you know, tone it down. So do a
Lindsey:layer over it in one of your neutrals that might be more
Lindsey:complimentary towards you.
Emily:Oh, I love that.
Heidi:So good.
Emily:Perfect. Lindsey, it was a pleasure having you, and we
Emily:will have the link to learn more about you and your special offer
Emily:for our audience in our show notes. And where else can they
Emily:connect with you?
Lindsey:You can find us, all of our socials are at fashionfixmn,
Lindsey:because I am based in Minnesota, so fashionfixmn, that's going to
Lindsey:be all of our social channels, and it's going to be our website
Lindsey:too. So if you look that up, you can find us anywhere.
Emily:Perfect. Thanks so much, Lindsey, it was great chatting
Emily:with you.
Lindsey:Thanks for having me again, ladies.
Heidi:To wrap up the show, we are sharing what we're giving
Heidi:extra credit to this week. Emily, what get your extra
Heidi:credit?
Emily:I'm giving extra credit to my new favorite mascara. So I
Emily:prefer a tubing mascara, and the one I'm loving right now is the
Emily:tartlet tubing mascara from Tarte, and I like the XL one,
Emily:and I have been wearing brown, which I find looks nice with my
Emily:eye color. So looks great, it doesn't flake, and it washes off
Emily:really easily. So it's a win all around.
Heidi:Well it's so funny that you're saying this because,
Heidi:like, a half hour ago, I was just thinking, I have got to
Heidi:find a new mascara, because I don't wear mascara every day
Heidi:because I work from home. But when we were doing Teacher
Heidi:Winter Talks, we were on camera every day for like, four days,
Heidi:and by the fourth day, my eyes were so irritated.
Emily:I remember.
Heidi:So I was looking up, like, best hypoallergenic
Heidi:mascara, and that was the one that came up. I was like, oh,
Heidi:I'm ordering that.
Emily:I love it. I love it. And I also try not to get, like, too
Emily:close to my actual eyelid, too if, like, I find that I feel
Emily:itchy, then I try to keep it more to the ends of the lashes,
Emily:so that might help you, too.
Heidi:It's too hard. It's too hard.
Emily:What gets your extra credit, Heidi?
Heidi:Okay, well, my extra credit goes to the brain game
Heidi:sticker by number books.
Emily:Oh.
Heidi:This is not something I've ever considered doing
Heidi:because I just thought it was like something for kids, but I
Heidi:saw their Valentine book and it was so cute, so I just ordered
Heidi:it for myself, like the grown up I am, and I think of a fan. If
Heidi:you're not familiar, it's just like paint by number, but you're
Heidi:putting stickers in little numbered boxes. It doesn't take
Heidi:any skill, it's minimal clutter, and unlike, you know, a hobby
Heidi:like crocheting, you know, I'm not left with some item at the
Heidi:end of it that's like, well, everyone in my family already
Heidi:has hats. What am I doing with this one? You know, this can
Heidi:just get tossed or recycled or, you know, out of my hair.
Heidi:And the pictures are cute. I love that. It's spiral bound so
Heidi:it stays open. And I noticed, you know, as someone who's
Heidi:taught a lot of preschool over the years, I've become a
Heidi:connoisseur of stickers. These peel off really easily, and if I
Heidi:have to move them on the page, I can move them without them
Heidi:tearing. Like it's really nice. And I've just loved having
Heidi:something to do in the evening instead of scrolling my phone.
Heidi:And as I guess, a bonus extra credit. So I have really bad
Heidi:arthritis in my thumbs, and so holding small things like
Heidi:stickers can be really painful.
Emily:Yeah.
Heidi:So I knew I needed something, and I found something
Heidi:called reverse tweezers. Now, normally tweezers, you have to
Heidi:pinch to close them and then you have to hold them shut, but
Heidi:these are the opposite. You pinch to open and then they hold
Heidi:themselves shut. It's been a game changer for my poor thumbs.
Heidi:So I will link to the book and the tweezers in the show notes.
Heidi:It's just been a really nice little side hobby.
Emily:I love it. I'm going to give it a try.
Heidi:That is it for today's episode. Remember Lindsey's tips
Heidi:for reclaiming your closet, and if you want to check out that
Heidi:special offer she has for our listeners, head to
Heidi:www.fashionfixmn.com/secondstorywindow, or follow the link in the show
Heidi:notes.
Heidi:We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm Heidi.
Emily:And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow
Emily:or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an
Emily:episode.
Heidi:You can connect with us and other teachers in the
Heidi:Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week.
Heidi:Bye for now.
Emily:Bye.