I was recently reading a wonderful article on Mr. Porter about how we connect with our clothes and that our wardrobes have a story to tell. We all have memories of our most important moments in life, and most of these stories, whether you work in fashion or not, are connected to what we wore in that moment, which is impressed in our memory for the rest of our lives. Clothes are part of life’s journey, accompanying us in the big and small moments, the happy ones, the sad ones, intertwined in the memories we have.
One of my earliest memories is of being a 5 or 6 year-old child, standing on a counter at my school’s uniform supplier, being fitted for a navy blue peacoat. Maybe that moment sealed my destiny, but I remember that happy, early feeling of everyone in the shop smiling at what must have been an adorable scene. I have since made a career of designing and creating collections of clothing for people to enjoy, and that connection to clothing has been omnipresent. Making people feel good about themselves is something I aim for in every piece.
Being a J.Hilburn Stylist gives us the perfect opportunity to help everyone be part of the journey, and I truly believe that good clothes help everyone look and feel good about themselves. Paraphrasing Tom Ford, dressing well is about respect for others because you show up as the best version of yourself. We all know that feeling of confidence you can get when you like what you see in the mirror. It is not a reflection of vanity but of reassurance that we all like by looking put-together, thoughtfully, with purposeful choices. Getting dressed is always fun, and walking through your closet each morning should be a pleasure, pulling from all of your favorite pieces.
I have a shameless amount of clothes collected over a lifetime, and when I venture through the racks, I remember each piece, where I bought it, where I wore it, connecting all the memories of the moments in my life. Like a favorite fragrance or food, good clothing is worth the effort and sometimes the expense, which is why I love what we do at J.Hilburn so much.
Working with a client, building their wardrobe piece by piece, connects him so deeply to his clothes that, in itself, differentiates us from anyone else. Then we give him the tools to help him build his clothes, not only to a perfected fit but also with the best menswear fabrics available, and with endless personalization, unheard of in our industry unless you are part of a tiny percentage of VIP clients for designer brands, spending unlimited budgets. The J.Hilburn difference is truly life-changing for guys who have never been interested in how they look, and we can offer a proper makeover for even the most reticent types. I have seen it myself time after time, and I am sure you do too, with men who begin to transform how they show up each day after working with our stylists. I have even been known to get emotional when a client tells me about how he never received a compliment in his life or felt good about himself until he started wearing his J.Hilburn.
What are your favorite moments connected to clothes or those of your clients as you transformed their wardrobes? I would love to hear about them, and perhaps we can collect some and share them in a future weekly Simon Says.
If you want to read the entire Mr.Porter article that inspired today's Simon Says, here is the link: https://www.mrporter.com/en-ca/journal/fashion/memory-style-story-25292590
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