For over a decade, William Bayle Chitra-Straley has been styling clients from New York, New Jersey, California, and Texas. He carefully works with his clients, identifying their goals, and helping them find joy and confidence in their individual style. His journey to becoming a personal stylist grew out his own appreciation of fashion and was cultivated by working in a variety of retail settings, from branded stores to designer boutiques.
In 2011, Will earned admission into the Fashion Design Program at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He wanted to learn not only how to style people, but how apparel was made. “I think a good stylist needs to know how clothes are made,” he said, “to understand how to make things fit well on different bodies. Nobody is off-the-rack. Even two people with the same size are not the same body type. A good stylist knows how a garment can be altered to enhance someone’s shape or if they should choose something else.” Will takes to heart what Iris Apfel, a long-standing fashion maverick, once said, “You have to look in the mirror and see yourself. If it feels good, then I know it’s for me. I don’t dress to be stared at. I dress for myself.”
There’s little else in Will’s life that gives him as much meaning. Besides his beloved Havanese-Bichon mix, Katie, and his husband, Scott, Will finds himself continually drawn back to fashion and clothing. When asked what he would do if he weren’t a stylist, Will answered, “Cook. Eat out. Play and snuggle with Katie,” and that he’d love to travel and see classical performances. But soon, he circled back around to “sketching, going to see fashion shows, and visiting stores.” In fact, one day Will hopes to open his own store – “a physical store where my clients can visit and see pieces that have been curated for them – instead of looking at photographs or online.”
We are thrilled to announce that Will has agreed to be a contributor to A Fashionating Life. Please check him out and follow along at House of Owl and @shophouseofowl
We have seen the shift of buying secondhand clothes and fashion goods go from being frowned upon to more common and mainstream. Shopping at consignment shops, vintage, and thrift stores have become popular; it’s even trendy to go thrifting. You can also score amazing designer fashion goods on many websites. eBay is no longer the go-to platform to purchase second-hand clothes at a discount. Online platforms such as ThredUp, TheRealReal, and Tradesy have become popular websites to find designer fashion at amazing prices.
What about giving second-hand items as gifts? Is that okay? Or is that frowned upon? I think it’s still not as popular as buying second-hand items for personal use, however, it is moving in the right direction.
I personally have not bought many gifts from second-hand stores. I would love to give it a try, not because it’s trendy, but because it makes sense to from a financial and environmental standpoint. My only concern, for both personal use and gifts, is the lack of good options for men, especially where I live. Whenever I go to consignment, vintage, and thrift stores, I always find gems for women, but barely anything decent for men. Locally, I have only been to a few stores that I found is worth my time to find designer items, including Moss, Garment, Rags, and Big Bertha’s Paradise. I have more luck finding items online at The RealReal, Tradesy, ThredUp, 1stdibs, and Everything But The House.
I think most people would be more accepting of pre-owned gifts if they are in great condition, e.g. clean and not damaged, timeless and not dated. This can be tricky when you go thrifting as opposed to shopping at curated vintage or designer consignment stores. As a receiver, I appreciate a thoughtful gift no matter where it’s from and most of the time I wouldn’t know exactly where the gift was from anyway. As a giver, more and more people are beginning to appreciate items from a vintage or designer consignment store because these items hold their value.
I recently came across an article on Los Angeles Times called “Used Stuff is the Next Big Trend in Christmas Shopping.” I think it is amazing. I do hope our society will embrace the idea of giving pre-owned gifts more and more. Things don’t have to be new to be beautiful and valuable, gifts included. If the gift itself is personal and thoughtful, I think the receiver will appreciate it. To me, giving a gift is about finding that perfect item that speaks to the heart of the receiver. If you know the receiver on a personal level and the gift speaks to the thought and care with which it was chosen, then it shouldn’t really matter where it came from.
We have seen the shift of buying secondhand clothes and fashion goods go from being frowned upon to more common and mainstream. Shopping at consignment shops, vintage, and thrift stores have become popular; it’s even trendy to go thrifting. You can also score amazing designer fashion goods on many websites. eBay is no longer the go-to platform to purchase second-hand clothes at a discount. Online platforms such as ThredUp, TheRealReal, and Tradesy have become popular websites to find designer fashion at amazing prices.
What about giving second-hand items as gifts? Is that okay? Or is that frowned upon? I think it’s still not as popular as buying second-hand items for personal use, however, it is moving in the right direction.
I personally have not bought many gifts from second-hand stores. I would love to give it a try, not because it’s trendy, but because it makes sense to from a financial and environmental standpoint. My only concern, for both personal use and gifts, is the lack of good options for men, especially where I live. Whenever I go to consignment, vintage, and thrift stores, I always find gems for women, but barely anything decent for men. Locally, I have only been to a few stores that I found is worth my time to find designer items, including Moss, Garment, Rags, and Big Bertha’s Paradise. I have more luck finding items online at The RealReal, Tradesy, ThredUp, 1stdibs, and Everything But The House.
I think most people would be more accepting of pre-owned gifts if they are in great condition, e.g. clean and not damaged, timeless and not dated. This can be tricky when you go thrifting as opposed to shopping at curated vintage or designer consignment stores. As a receiver, I appreciate a thoughtful gift no matter where it’s from and most of the time I wouldn’t know exactly where the gift was from anyway. As a giver, more and more people are beginning to appreciate items from a vintage or designer consignment store because these items hold their value.
I recently came across an article on Los Angeles Times called “Used Stuff is the Next Big Trend in Christmas Shopping.” I think it is amazing. I do hope our society will embrace the idea of giving pre-owned gifts more and more. Things don’t have to be new to be beautiful and valuable, gifts included. If the gift itself is personal and thoughtful, I think the receiver will appreciate it. To me, giving a gift is about finding that perfect item that speaks to the heart of the receiver. If you know the receiver on a personal level and the gift speaks to the thought and care with which it was chosen, then it shouldn’t really matter where it came from.
Photography by http://Breezyritter.com and House of Owl