Open for business - Worthey Style Solutions

By JENNIFER HUFFMAN, Register Business Writer

Contrary to popular opinion, not every woman loves to shop, endlessly searching for the right shoe, bag or “must have” piece of clothing.

“I think that there is this idea that all women and girls should know what to wear and how to shop and own 150 pairs of shoes in order to be a ‘real’ girl,” wrote Carrie Worthey. “Well, this is just ridiculous.”

“We all have things that we are good at and not so good at,” said Worthey.

“It comes down to natural talent or learned skill. All women and men can learn this and I am here to teach.”

It was her own “passion for fashion,” that lead Worthey to launch her own style consulting business,  - Worthey Style Solutions.

“I’ve loved fashion ever since I can remember,” said the 33-year-old.

After graduating from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a degree in fashion merchandising in 2003, Worthey moved back to the Napa Valley. For a time she worked as a supervisor at the Brooks Brothers outlet in St. Helena but found the work wasn’t as creative as she would have liked. Even though she returned to a long-time office job at St. Helena hospital, “I wanted to use my degree. I wanted to stay in fashion,” said Worthey.

“I’d thought about being a stylist,” she said. “I got into this business so I could be creative and help people with fashion.”

Worthey offers a complete package of stylist services including consultation, wardrobe analysis, personal style consultation, color analysis and personal and special occasion shopping.

An initial consultation is often a first step in the process. This service lets Worthey determine a client’s body type and proportions; provide clothing recommendations such as appropriate styles, colors, fabrics and patterns best suited; provide information on illusion dressing and keys to elongate and slenderize figures; tackle challenge areas and provide solutions to style dilemmas; and include a personal body-type report.

Some clients may want style advice for a specific life change or event.

Worthey also offers special occasion shopping for things like job interviews, weddings, school reunions and pregnancy.

The stylist charges $100 an hour, or $50 for color analysis. St. Helena hospital employees receive a 25 percent discount, she said.

Norma Baker is one of Worthey’s clients.

Having recently lost more than 45 lbs, and being promoted at work, Baker said she wanted to develop her sense of style, both personally and professionally.

The first step was the personal style consultation.

“Based on my body type (Worthey) went through the types of skirts, pants, dresses, tops and jacket/coats I should choose to best accentuate the positive aspects of my body and help disguise some of the problem areas I still have,” wrote Baker.

“What is really helpful is that she gave me a written report that I could keep to refer back to. She went over it extensively so I could understand it clearly but having it in my hands to look at later was a great help.”

“The process we went through was actually not only informative but fun,” wrote Baker. “We talked about what things would work and why and it really made a lot of sense.”

“The results were incredibly helpful,” wrote Baker, who is 31.

“Carrie has a way of presenting the information so you do not feel like someone is judging you, your size or your style.”

Worthey said she loves style consulting because of the results.

“If you’re not comfortable with how you look you won’t feel good and that affects every aspect of your life,” she said. Being confident about your appearance and feeling as though you look good “lifts you up almost physically as well as emotionally. The change is so dramatic.”

“I hope I can help many more women, men, and teens to not only look great, but to feel great,” she said.

Napa Valley Register Copyright © 2009