Movers & Shakers: Styled by Christine wants us to step into our best selves

Welcome to Movers & Shakers; a series where we look deep into PNW life for people who are making moves, doing big things, and who are just - in general - being rad. Seattle is full of multi-talented and multi-faceted people, many at the intersection of technology and the arts. How do they find the time? What's their secret? Well friends, we're here to find out. Meet Movers & Shakers; aka Seattle Refined attempting to capture the not-so-secret lives of impressive locals. Have a recommendation for us? Email hello@seattlerefined.com.

From winter flannel pajamas to summer linen pajamas to cozy oversized robes and bunny slippers, our closets are looking a bit different these days. Of course, a wardrobe full of loungewear is one of life’s greatest pleasures, but if you’re looking for a new wardrobe or to dive into some closet rehab, Styled by Christine is here to help.

Christine Cameron grew up in the Seattle area and later moved to New York, where she worked as a marketing editor in home design, but fashion was always her first love. To feed that passion, she started blogging about outfits she was putting together for herself and later styling friends. When strangers began reaching out asking Cameron to style them, she started Styled by Christine. Back in Seattle, with over a decade of running Styled by Christine, she’s ready to help us with any quarantine woes our closets experienced.

Cameron works with customers either in-person or over a video call to do major closet overhauls, personal styling, home design, or a-la-carte services to help get the motivation to purge those clothes you haven’t worn in three years. However, Styled by Christine is more than a service to get your closet organized or find that one outfit you feel incredible wearing. It’s about finding confidence and clothes that make you feel good.

“I like to think of myself as an intuitive stylist,” Cameron said. “I really listen and can perceive what you need and how you would like to feel. And I help you step into your confidence and really find what works for you.”

For Cameron, this often means putting trends aside and focusing on how each client wants to feel in what they’re wearing. She said we often shop and then dress without considering our unique selves. Instead, we sometimes shop and dress by what a mannequin tells us looks good or what’s on-trend. And while that may last for a season or two, it’s not always a sustainable approach to building a working wardrobe.

“I’m all about making a cohesive closet that works for you, not against you,” Cameron said. “Oftentimes, I think women really feel their closet is out to get them. They can’t look at it. It’s frustrating. It’s always challenging them, and it’s because of what they allowed to hang in there.”

Hanging onto clothes that haven’t been worn in ages, if at all, can clog up our closets, staring us down with a sense of guilt for ignoring them for whatever reason. For Styled by Christine, these emotions that come with dressing ourselves seep into more than just getting dressed in the morning.

“When you’re not second-guessing what’s on your body, you’re allowing your true talents to come through,” Cameron said. “Whatever you have to do at work or however you need to present yourself, because you feel so badass in what you’re wearing, your confidence soars.”

The energetic confidence is something Styled by Christine incorporates into every client meeting. We usually don’t look forward to cleaning our closets, but Cameron approaches it with a lighthearted nature, not taking anything too seriously. And the focus always comes back to finding each client’s individual style and helping them step into their best selves.

“I use techniques like breathing, meditation, and journaling - things that get you in your head,” Cameron said. “Understanding what’s going on in your head is key to understanding what’s going on in your closet and allows you to start breaking some of the habits that got your closet there in the first place.”

Breaking old habits is no easy feat, and sometimes having a little support and motivation to change makes all the difference. Cameron helps break those bad habits of wearing clothes that don’t make us feel good or filling a closet with things we don’t actually like. The process doesn’t have to be complicated or even entail buying new clothes, but it does take some reflection.

“I come in with no agenda,” Cameron said. “I just really want to see the clients like succeed and soar and feel great.”

Styled by Christine offers detox closet services, styling services, and online courses to help guide clients with either or both. Cameron is also available for personalized services to suit anyone’s styling desires.