When most people shop for clothing they don’t necessarily think about how each item is manufactured or whether they truly need to make that purchase. A Maplewood resident is on a mission to change that. In August, Betsy Ames launched her business, Mindful Style, to help others pare down their wardrobes while educating them about fashion’s impact on the environment.
Ames, who worked for Glamour magazine and Bloomingdale’s, explains that she was interested in starting a venture that combined her past with her current life. The mom of four says though the fashion world in which she thrived is driven by what people look like on the outside, after years of changing diapers and carpooling, she began to take stock of what really mattered.
“My business is two-pronged,”she says. “I can help immediately with closet curation and creating a personal uniform based on clothing and accessories that suit your lifestyle and I also educate about sustainability.”
Ames points out that while the public has become much more aware of how foods and beauty products are produced, the facts behind fashion’s impact on the environment remain “unchartered territory.”
Moving away from “fast fashion”—the sartorial equivalent of fast food —and more toward clothing designers and producers like Everlane, a company, Ames says is “clear and transparent about the manufacturing process,” is just the beginning.
“Many people don’t realize polyester doesn’t disintegrate,”Ames says. “It sits in a landfill just like plastic water bottles.”
As consumers become more “mindful”about their clothing, they will instinctively become more selective about their purchases, which in turn eliminates cluttering coveted closet space. So just how does Ames help them achieve this? Once she’s contacted by a client, the entrepreneur conducts a phone consultation to learn more. She then requests a photo of the closet in question, which allows her to offer an estimate on how long the curation might take.
“Obviously a 5×5 closet requires much less time than a 20×20,”she says.
Rather than focusing on trends, Ames helps clients identify their style and eventually scale down to a collection of core pieces that can be mixed and matched.
“I’m the best friend who will you tell you the truth,”Ames says, “and I ask, ‘Would you buy it right now?’”
In order to keep something, “You have to want to own it, wear it, and love it,”she says.
Ames notes she does allow for a “maybe pile”of clothing clients still like but may need to have tailored. If it doesn’t fall into one of those categories, Ames determines if the piece is appropriate for a consignment shop. If not, she works with four charities that will see the apparel reused or repurposed.
“I want that item to be used as many times as possible,”she says.
Thus far, Ames says feedback from clients has been extremely positive, with most asking when she’ll be returning to their homes.
“After I come in, many clients will contact me and say they feel like they can pare down even more,”she says. “I’m not against trends but I’m in favor of buying mindfully. The fashion world wants us to want something new every five minutes. Instead of thinking, ‘I have $50, how much can I buy at Forever 21’, consider what affect your money has on the environment.”
A devotee of psychologist Dr. Daniel Goleman, author of Ecological Intelligence, Ames agrees that by changing our lives, we can also change the world just by the way we shop.
The mindful stylist is currently pursuing a partnership with Everlane. While the company’s clothing is only available online, Ames hopes to be able to bring essentials from the line into clients’ homes.
Because there’s no middle man nor the traditional brick-and-mortar expenses, you’re able to buy a cashmere sweater for far less than the garment would cost at a traditional retailer, she says. Additionally, Ames is eager to educate consumers on how to care for their clothing so it lasts as long as possible.
Making fashion choices based on values rather than trends is also a great way to reduce impulse buying, notes Ames, who explains on her website, “It’s not complicated. It’s about what is most effective and sensible, making a wise choice. Once you know what works for you, you have a simple guide for making future style choices.”
For more information, visit Mindful Style’s website or contact Betsy Ames at betsy@mindfulstyle.com
