There’s always been a divide between how you dress off the clock and how you dress for work. My guest today, Cassandra Sethi, can help you create an authentic style for your return-to-work wardrobe. She is a personal stylist, image consultant and the founder of Next Level Wardrobe.
Cassandra is on a mission to help successful professionals like you and me systemically get a great style. In this episode, Cassandra and I talk about why everyone deserves to love how they look, how to start upgrading your wardrobe and how to do it without breaking the bank.
She’s been in the fashion industry for over 25 years and worked with companies such as SoulCycle and Equinox until she started her business five years ago. Next Level Wardrobe is dedicated to assisting people in systemizing their wardrobes and style.
“For every single client, we implement a proprietary styling system that I created called ‘The Next Level Wardrobe Style System,’ where we focus on three key areas of a closet. So we dive into those areas. For every single one of our clients, we use that framework, and we amend the system to them,” Cassandra says.
Punk Rock HR is proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is a B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head over to thestarrconspiracy.com.
Expressing Your Style and Creativity
I believe you deserve to look and feel good in your body. Cassandra and I talked about this when I went through my own fashion journey. My body changed with my psoriatic arthritis diagnosis and COVID. Finding a style I felt and looked good in was rough.
Cassandra has seen similar struggles from many clients. She says it all starts with your closet and how you feel about your clothes. “I believe no matter your age, your body type, your background, you can control your style, and you deserve it, as well,” she says.
That’s why Cassandra encourages people to take control of their closet — clean it out, get a stylist or just start by wearing that one item you’ve been putting off.
Closets are “the epicenter of great style,” she says. But if you don’t have the right wardrobe for you, it’s easy to become frustrated, bored, even overwhelmed. And that’s not the point.
“Style is actually meant to be fun and meant to make you feel good. And so you got to control the closet,” Cassandra says.
Envisioning Your Style at Work
When I began working with Cassandra, the first thing we did was look at my closet. This seemed like a small step but was actually huge in getting to the root problem. There’s also a mindset aspect to examining your closet.
“I would say step number one is, ‘Be really honest with yourself.’ And that can be really hard to do sometimes, but one exercise that can help you to be really honest is to create a vision for your style,” Cassandra explains.
People get fixated on what brands to buy, clothing items with stain and other concerns that prevent them from envisioning “a bigger style vision for themselves.” You can map out your vision in many ways, but Cassandra says you can’t go wrong with a Pinterest board.
“Spend 30 minutes on Pinterest, create that board, pin, pin, pin, pin, pin outfits, color, specific pieces you like. The only rule is you cannot say, ‘Oh, I can’t wear that because (fill in the blank).’ So this is not an exercise of can’ts. It’s a vision exercise,” she says.
Expanding Your Budget Without Breaking the Bank
Your Pinterest board is “your North Star of what to keep in mind as you go into that closet. And it makes it very black and white of what you should keep and what you should donate from there.” That said, people can get stressed out by how much they’ve already spent on clothes or how much more they think they need to spend to upgrade their wardrobe.
Cassandra’s system is designed to help people expand their wardrobe and stay within their budget. First, clean out your closet.
“You have to do a very honest and thorough closet edit. Because in the edit, if you have items that still fit you that are in line with your personal brand, let’s use them,” she says, “And then we segue into the first step within the framework, which is to identify your essential pieces. So what are those essential pieces you need in your closet year-round to make outfits?”
The next two steps are to get the right balance of color and the right fits
“So we don’t want it to be too dark. We don’t want it to be too light. We want right in the middle. And then the third is to identify the right brands and fits for you,” Cassandra explains.
All of this requires time and effort, especially when it comes to trying on items. “You have to put in a lot of time and energy and resources to create that foundation,” she says. “But once you do, you have it, and that is your way forward.“
[bctt tweet=”‘I believe no matter your age, your body type, your background, you can control your style, and you deserve it, as well.’– Cassandra Sethi, stylist, image consultant and founder of Next Level Wardrobe. Listen in to the latest episode of #PunkRockHR!” via=”no”]
People in This Episode
Cassandra Sethi: LinkedIn, Instagram
Full Transcript
Laurie Ruettimann:
This episode of Punk Rock HR is sponsored by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is the B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head on over to thestarrconspiracy.com.
Hey everybody, I’m Laurie Ruettimann. Welcome back to Punk Rock HR. My guest today is Cassandra Sethi. She’s a personal stylist and image consultant and the founder of Next Level Wardrobe. Cassandra’s mission is to help the successful professional like you or me get great style in a systematic way. And on today’s show, we talk about what it means to have a great return-to-work wardrobe that you absolutely love, that feels comfortable, and by the way, doesn’t just sit in your closet for the next couple of years. So if you’re interested in matching your clothing with your personal style and really trying to figure out who you are and what you want to convey to the world, well, sit back and enjoy this conversation with Cassandra Sethi on this week’s Punk Rock HR.
Hey Cassandra, welcome to the podcast.
Cassandra Sethi:
Thanks for having me on. Excited to be here.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Listen, I’m pleased you’re here. It’s been a long time coming. Before we get started on all things fun and fashion and clothing, why don’t you tell everybody who you are and what you’re all about.
Cassandra Sethi:
My name is Cassandra Sethi, and I am an image consultant and founder of Next Level Wardrobe. In a nutshell, I am a personal stylist who help successful professionals look amazing and feel amazing every single day.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Well, you don’t just wake up and get a job like this, so what’s your backstory? How did you arrive where you are today?
Cassandra Sethi:
Yes, so I spent over 25 years working in the fashion industry. I have a bachelor of arts in fashion merchandising and then I lived and studied in the U.K. in London for two and a half years. Most of my fashion career was spent in New York City, one of my favorite cities in the U.S., and I built SoulCycle’s retail business. So I joined them when they had, oh my gosh, five studios, built that to multimillions of dollars. And then I jumped over to Equinox, where I was a senior buyer in their corporate retail office and bought products for 90-plus global locations they had at the time. So I spent a lot of time behind the scenes, building assortments, selecting vendors, being in the know of what is going on, and decided that I wanted to be more on the front end, working with clients. And it has been so amazing and rewarding in so many ways.
Laurie Ruettimann:
You currently own a business called Next Level Wardrobe, and we got to know one another through my friend Jennifer McClure, who’s been following you for years on Instagram and loves your quick tips and cute reels. So why don’t you tell us a little bit about Next Level Wardrobe? What does your business do?
Cassandra Sethi:
Yes. So we focus on helping successful professional systematize their wardrobe and their style. I really, really believe that everything can be systematized in life, just about, but especially your style, and no one talks about it. So what we do is, for every single client, we implement a proprietary styling system that I created called The Next Level Wardrobe Style System, where we focus on three key areas of a closet. So we dive into those areas. For every single one of our clients, we use that framework. And we amend the system to them — so, what are their preferences, their lifestyle, where they live, what are their style goals. And we go through the framework and then get them amazing results where they have more outfits with less stuff in their closet. And most importantly, one, they are not wearing Allbirds, and two, they love every single piece in their closet, as well.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Cassandra, I’ve been thinking about why people use a stylist. And in my world, I hear a lot of individuals complain that they don’t like their clothes, they don’t like their wardrobe, but they wouldn’t get a stylist because they think stylist are for rich people or celebrities or people on TV. So talk to me a little bit about who is your client, what’s their profile, who do you work with?
Cassandra Sethi:
Yeah, so I would say at least 80% of our clients have never worked with a stylist before. So this is something very new to them, very foreign. Because in our society, only “rich” people or celebrities hire a stylist, right? Many of our clients are at the point of their professional journey where they don’t have time to think about it, but they want to look and feel amazing every single day. So I’m very proud to say that we work with an inclusive community. We have worked with people from ages 25 to 70-plus. We have worked with body shapes and sizes double zero, all the way up to 24. And we really focus on implementing that system for them so they can get ready easily, they have those outfits consistently, and they feel amazing every day. And typically, our clients have hired coaches in other areas of their life, as well.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Yeah. I feel like if you can hire a coach to improve your speaking or if you can hire an executive coach to improve your status at work, you can hire someone to help you with your wardrobe. But I think so many people are hesitant, quite honestly, because they think, “I don’t want to hire a stylist because I want to lose weight first.” Is that awkward? Do you hear that a lot?
Cassandra Sethi:
Oh, yes. If I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me — and it’s a valid concern. It’s a valid concern, though. I will say, there is a certain point where maybe you should wait to hit the goals or body types that you’re after. And generally, I would say 15 to 20 pounds. If it’s more than that, then you should wait. But once you get to that level, then you can absolutely work with a stylist, and that is when their expertise comes into play because there’s kind of styling tips and tricks that they can keep in mind as they craft their wardrobe.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Yeah. I also think no matter what, you deserve to feel good and look good in the body that you’ve been given. And I know you and I talked a lot about this on my own fashion journey. My body changed with a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis and with COVID, and I had five steroid shots in a year. And if I waited to lose weight, I would just be walking around in athleisure wear or naked — which is, by the way, what I was mostly doing when we first started working together. So what do you think about this idea that everybody deserves to love how they look?
Cassandra Sethi:
Absolutely. Oh my gosh, the stories that I hear from clients, and the years and years — I mean, to be honest, decades — of struggle that they have had with their style, with their body image, how they see themselves, how they project themselves. All because it starts with what is in their closet and how they feel in those clothes. So I am a big advocate of action today. Take action today, whether it’s cleaning out your closet or hiring a stylist or maybe wearing that one piece that has a tag on it that you have not worn ever. Just start somewhere to get that momentum. But I believe no matter your age, your body type, your background, you can control your style and you deserve it, as well.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Well, it’s interesting that you mention the closet, because that is such a formidable thing for so many people to tackle, and yet that’s where you start. I’m lucky that I’m not a hoarder, but there are so many people out there who have this huge closet full of clothing, but they never wear two-thirds of it. So I just wonder, why the closet is so daunting, and why you start there?
Cassandra Sethi:
The closet, oh my gosh, where do I begin? I will say, I have seen hundreds of closets by now, and I can tell a lot about a person just by looking at their closet. Think of closets as the epicenter of great style. So think of yourself as a chef, and you go into your closet, aka your kitchen, and you want to create a beautiful margarita pizza for the day. And you go into your kitchen, but you have ingredients for an In-N-Out Burger. It is impossible to create that beautiful margarita pizza because you don’t have the right ingredients in your kitchen, aka your closet.
So I truly, truly believe and my team and I believe that great style begins and ends with what is in your closet. So if you don’t have the right ingredients in there, you will be frustrated, you will be bored, you will feel overwhelmed. All these super-negative feelings when it comes to your style. And P.S. style is actually meant to be fun and meant to make you feel good. And so you got to control the closet. That is number one, by far, number one tip.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Well, even though I’m not a hoarder, we did start in my closet, and it was a significant endeavor. So I wonder if you have any quick tips out there for people who have a closet that they’re wrestling with and maybe haven’t looked at it for a while because so many friends are there, right there. Like they have a main closet, but then they have a closet in the other bedroom or purses and a closet down the hallway. So where do they start? If they want to get a handle on this kitchen pantry idea, so to speak, what do you recommend?
Cassandra Sethi:
Yeah. That’s a good question. I would say step number one is, “Be really honest with yourself.” And that can be really hard to do sometimes, but one exercise that can help you to be really honest is to create a vision for your style. Many of us get trapped in, “What brand do I buy?” and, “It has a stain,” and like all the tactics. I want people to zoom out and create a bigger-style vision for themselves, because most people don’t take the time to do that.
So how do you want to feel in your clothing? What do you want other people to think about you when you walk into a room? And so the best way to do that is create a good old-fashioned Pinterest board. Spend 30 minutes on Pinterest, create that board, pin, pin, pin, pin, pin outfits, color, specific pieces you like. The only rule is you cannot say, “Oh, I can’t wear that because (fill in the blank). So this is not an exercise of can’ts. It’s a vision exercise.
So you’re going to pin for 30 minutes, you’re going to pause after that 30 minutes, zoom out. And what do you notice? How do you feel when you look at these images? What are they portraying? What are they communicating with what they’re wearing? And that will be your North Star of what to keep in mind as you go into that closet. And it makes it very black and white of what you should keep and what you should donate from there.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Well, I love that exercise. I think it’s daunting when people think about how much money they’ve spent on clothes that they never wear. And for me, I think about all the money I’ve spent on clothing that I now can’t put on because my fingers are too swollen. I don’t want to waste any more money, and I just wonder, how does your system help with all of that?
Cassandra Sethi:
Yeah, the system is a very, very versatile framework that anyone can use no matter your budget for your style, your age, your body type. And the first step in that system is to clean out your closet. So yes, you have to do a very honest and thorough closet edit. Because in the edit, if you have items that still fit you that are in line with your personal brand, let’s use them. And then we segue into the first step within the framework, which is to identify your essential pieces. So what are those essential pieces you need in your closet year-round to make outfits? And typically, that is T-shirts, it is great sweaters, great pants. Not jeans, but pants. So we identify what those are.
The second step is to get the right balance of color. So we don’t want it to be too dark. We don’t want it to be too light. We want right in the middle. And then the third is to identify the right brands and fits for you. So that means trying on a lot of stuff. And you and I did try on a lot of stuff, but we found you amazing pieces, though.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Oh, yeah. We tried on a ton of stuff. And one of the things I was so surprised by is that certain fabrics work better on my body than others. And it wasn’t even an issue of color, because your system recommends core colors. It was really trying to figure out how things fit and how they fall on my body. It was all about fabric. Do find that with most people?
Cassandra Sethi:
Yeah. For some people, it does. Honestly, I will say when it comes to online shopping, because you and I worked online, you have to cast the net wide. You have to try on a lot of stuff. And we tried on, I want to say, at least probably what? 50 different brands, and then maybe 100 products. I mean, it was a lot of stuff, right? But we know now your go-to brands, your go-to fabrics that you prefer, we know you’re sizing in certain brands, as well. So yes, you have to put in a lot of time and energy and resources to create that foundation. But once you do, you have it and that is your way forward.
Laurie Ruettimann:
So let’s talk about some of the myths around clothing. Because one of the things I hear all the time is that, “Oh, this is not my color. I have certain colors. I’ve been color-matched.” And I’m like, “Yeah, but those colors are ugly and not a fan of them, you know?” So Cassandra, tell me a little bit about your methodology, because it seems like some of the rules around color are old-timey and don’t apply.
Cassandra Sethi:
No, they do not, especially when it comes to color. So hot take over here, most people can wear most colors. And that is something that we do not focus on because that won’t get you a lot of returns or ROI in the long run. What will get you that long-term ROI is investing in the right pieces, finding the right fit and fabrics and brands for you, and then knowing how to put outfits together.
So again, we do not focus on colors. If you’re Oprah, if your Michelle Obama, yeah, get color-matched. You are onstage, you’re doing lots of videos and stuff. But most people can wear most colors, so we are all about focusing on the big wins for your style. And like I said, The Next Level Wardrobe style system will get you those in the long term.
Laurie Ruettimann:
For sure. I think what I love is that when we work together and created my return-to-work wardrobe, we focused on core colors, but we also had conversations around prints. Because you’re not super-big on prints, but if something was cute, we could talk about it and see how it fit into your system and if the outfits made sense. So talk to me about that. When is a print right, and when is it not appropriate?
Cassandra Sethi:
Yeah. I would say that is when the wearer’s personal brand comes into play. So the system allows for people to integrate colors and prints as they see fit. First and foremost, you have to have that foundation. But when it comes to print, it depends also what you’re doing. Are you doing a lot of video? Are you doing a lot of in-person engagements? What is your personal brand, as well? Typically, we do stay away from super-florally prints, maybe. That’s the best way to describe them. Or prints maybe that are just a bit outdated. So there’s a lot of things to consider when it comes to prints, but the style and the wearer has to enjoy wearing that print and it has to be them, too. But I agree with you, some prints are crazy. Especially right now, they’re crazy.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Well, yeah, there’s a lot of trends out there right now, and some of it is so crazy, prints, cuts, I don’t know. What is the one trend you hate right now?
Cassandra Sethi:
Prairie dresses, that is what I hate right now. We have a lot of clients, and you included that wanted great summer dresses that you can wear when it’s super-hot out. One piece, you put it on, and go. That has been our biggest struggle in terms of finding those dresses for clients, because a lot of them just look very youthful. They look a little like you’re amateur, like you’re starting out your style journey. Lots of ruffles and florals, and it’s like trend on trend on trend. I’m sorry, but again, I don’t want to wear that. I know you don’t, either.
Laurie Ruettimann:
No, I don’t want to wear anything that makes me look like I’m stuck on a prairie. And you and I actually tried on a lot of dresses, funny enough. And there were a few that looked super-great in the catalog, but your earlier point, looked terrible on me. Like one of them made me look like I was going to a Mormon baptism. So I’m really glad we tried on a ton of stuff, and I’m really glad we didn’t chase trends. And that’s one thing I want to talk about because right now, we have been focused on my experience working with you, but you have styled people well beyond me.
So I want to talk a little bit about your system and how it applies to people who may be traditionally wouldn’t work with you, like executive men or just uptight corporate dudes. I know, for example, you styled your father, and you’ve shared some of those images on Instagram. So can we talk about that a little bit? Because one would think that your dad is not a traditional client.
Cassandra Sethi:
No, he is not. I actually thought he would be a problem client for me, as well. He did not want to hand over the credit card to do the purchases. But I have to say, his transformation was incredible, and it was very much needed for my dad because he had spent his whole life working, providing for our family, and never really took time for himself. So, after he had his life-changing surgery and got a second lease on life, I knew this had to happen. So ultimately, he was very open and ready for it. And so my mom and I had a lot of fun dressing him. And Laurie, immediately, when he put on these outfits, you can just see the transformation for my dad, for you, for other clients, and it was incredible to watch, incredible.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Well, it was really incredible to watch it on Instagram, and I love all of the transformations. I wonder if you can tell us how it feels to work with these clients knowing that clothing has been so stressful for them, but seeing them come out on the other side.
Cassandra Sethi:
This has been such a rewarding journey for me and my team in so many ways, because one, we show our clients and our community that great style is simple, and you don’t have to watch all these videos and follow the influencer. Just focus on the key areas and you will have success. And two, hearing the stories. So hearing the stories. From the moment we first meet our client, I meet them, and they tell me all their struggles to the very end — where you can just tell, they put on the outfit and they transform in front of my eyes, just with their posture and their facial expressions, is incredible. And we have so many success stories from our clients.
We just worked with a curvy client in New York City, and she was smiling on her offboarding call. She was like, “I feel like I fit in with everyone.” All the way to another woman who had her biggest sales month the month after we worked with her, and she was like, “This is the law of attraction. Like, I feel great, I look great. It radiates out.” So the success stories are endless. I mean, it makes me want to cry every single time that I hear them.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Oh, that’s so wonderful. Well, as we start to wrap up the conversation, I have a couple of questions for you. First of all, we got to talk about why you hate Allbirds, because they’re absolutely ubiquitous with corporate life. Whether it’s dudes or chicks or however you identify, so many people are wearing Allbirds. So tell me, why don’t you like Allbirds shoes?
Cassandra Sethi:
OK. This started a few years ago, and the reason why it came about is because I was noticing that people were wearing Allbirds as their go-to sneaker, OK? So if they were running errands, going into the office, it was their go-to. And I just thought, there are daytime sneakers that are more comfortable, that look better, why are you opting for Allbirds? So then this joke started about Allbirds within my community, and I still do not like them, that has not changed. But people ask me, “Why do you not like Allbirds?” And honestly, I just don’t like them. There’s probably no good reason. I don’t think they look that great.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Yeah, I think that’s totally fair. I have one more question. You hate shirts with pockets. Tell me why. Tell me more.
Cassandra Sethi:
I do. Especially for women shirting, I do not like it. And the reason is because it serves no purpose. Do you ever put anything in that pocket, Laurie?
Laurie Ruettimann:
No, I never put anything in my pockets because if I even stick a tissue in it, it looks stupid. It makes my chest look weird.
Cassandra Sethi:
Exactly.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Well, I’m so grateful you spend some time with us today talking about Next Level Wardrobe and really helping us rethink our return-to-work, our return-to-office wardrobes, and what we should be wearing. So if people want to learn more about you, the Next Level Wardrobe system, get some great fashion tips, where do they go?
Cassandra Sethi:
Yeah. They can visit my website at nextlevelwardrobe.com, and also make sure to follow us on Instagram. Our handle is @nextlevelwardrobe. We are the most active on that social channel, and we have a lot of fun on there, too.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Cass, it’s been a real joy hanging out with you again today. And I also want to thank Jennifer McClure for introducing us. And hopefully one day, we’ll get her to work with your system. That’s the goal. But thanks again for being a guest today on Punk Rock HR.
Cassandra Sethi:
Yeah. Thank you for having me on.
Laurie Ruettimann:
Hey everybody, I hope you enjoyed this episode of Punk Rock HR. We are proudly underwritten by The Starr Conspiracy. The Starr Conspiracy is the B2B marketing agency for innovative brands creating the future of workplace solutions. For more information, head on over to thestarrconspiracy.com.
Punk Rock HR is produced and edited by Rep Cap, with special help from Michael Thibodeaux and Devon McGrath. For more information, show notes, links, and resources, head on over to punkrockhr.com. Now, that’s all for today and I hope you enjoyed it. We’ll see you next time on Punk Rock HR.