Meet Sandi Leffel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandi Leffel.

Sandi, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My passion for fashion began in 1980 when I attended the Barbizon Modeling Course in Honolulu. I was a 21-year-old Registered Nurse and my love of sun and fun took me to paradise. At that time my fashion sensibility revolved around macrame swimsuits and tube tops (eeeek!). Thank god for the Barbizon Program. It taught me that it was time for this young lady to grow up and become a more classy version of myself.

Fast forward ten years. I was now a mother of three boys under four. So far in life, I had dressed as a hippie, a nurse, a wife, a pregnant woman and a mother. I was living in a small town in Michigan. I was confused when I looked in my closet every day. I didn’t know what to wear. The only thing I was sure of was that I did not want to dress like everyone else in that little town.

As I pondered this fashion frustration, I asked myself What do I like? What looks good on my ever-changing body? Honestly, I did not know the answers. I made it my mission to find out. I got out a sketchbook and started tearing pictures out of magazines. I did not judge what I liked about the pictures. If they resonated, I put them in the book. Slowly, patterns emerged. Polka dots. I guess I like polka dots! Pink. I guess I’ll try the color pink. I began to see what outfits could work for me.

Here’s a fun fact. Sociologists have been studying how the clothing we wear affects out minds. They discovered that it’s not only WHAT we wear but how we FEEL about what we wear. This tells me that if we put on an outfit that we feel beautiful in, then every single time we look in the mirror, we will say to ourselves “Damn! I look amazing”! However, if we feel less than spectacular in those same old clothes, we tell ourselves 50 times a day “I look horrible!” I’ll bet you’re like me. I’ll take that positive messaging every single time.

I am now 63 years old and my mantra has become 63 Never Better. I work hard to be my best self every year. The clothing I put on has the power to either make or break my day. My goal is to show people how some simple fashion tweeks can create new powerful momentum in life.

My personal styling tips help men and women discover what looks good on their bodies. Together we learn how to accentuate assets and disguise any flaws. Confidence soars. At Styling With Sandi, we beautify lives one outfit at a time!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My business is less than a year old and it has been an exciting and frightening time. Personally, I am going through some personal issues right now that may impact my business. That scares the *#@! out of me. The startup costs have been high with website design and marketing. On the flip side, I am getting some good traction right now through social and print media. Fingers crossed.

Please tell us more about your work. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
Styling With Sandi offers affordable customized styling services. My process is to offer every client a free 30-minute Discovery Session. During this time, I get to know the person, who they are, what they do and how they live in their clothes. From there, they choose a service that works for them. I offer three categories of customized services: 1) Personalized Styling Services 2) Branding Basics and 3) Fashion for Business. You can see all of the services explained on my website.

Personal shopping example; One of my male clients had seen an Instagram post where I had taken a young man shopping at an upscale store in Fort Collins. He immediately IM’d me and said “I didn’t know you worked with men. Can we meet tomorrow? I have been chatting with a socialite and I want to ask her out. I desperately need some new clothes”. He opted for the personal shopping experience. He got eight new items AND the date.

Closet Cleanse example; Another client was a breast cancer survivor. She opted for a closet cleanse. She was transitioning into a new career and wanted to improve her professional look without breaking the bank.

I am known for meeting the client’s goals. It is critical that I find out what their goals are so that I can meet them. My goal is not to dress them in fancy clothes. My goal is to meet them where they are today, to find properly fitting clothes that flatter their bodies and to instill some new confidence.

I specialize in the one-on-one connection. I make sure my clients feel heard and valued. This comes from my years as an empathetic nurse. I am able to put people at ease and they trust me. Styling can be a vulnerable time. We all have body issues and it takes courage for my clients to be open and share their feelings. I’d say I am most proud that I am able to connect on a deep level with vulnerable men and women who trust me.

What sets me apart is my sense of adventure. Fashion can be fun when you are working with someone who makes the process easy. Yes, a personal stylist is an investment. And yes, everyone deserves to look and feel fabulous every day in their clothes.

What were you like growing up?
My mom was my fashion role model. She was disabled as a little girl and one of her legs was shorter than the other. So what did she do? She had all of her shoes custom made. She had different colors of these beautiful spectator pumps. Her favorite were olive green and yellow. I still adore spectator pumps to this day.

I was and am an introvert- well, a bit of an introvert. Somewhat shy on the outside but always had a little diva dying to come out and play. That’s probably why I loved ballet. I danced for eight years and performed with the symphony. It was a way for me to be seen and admired.

Athleticism has always been an important part of my life. Dancing, swimming and tennis are three sports I have enjoyed. I love staying fit and (trying to) defy gravity!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stylingwithsandi.com
• Phone: 970-213-3865
• Email: stylingwithsandi@gmail.com
• Instagram: @stylingwithsandi
• Facebook: @stylingwithsandileffel
• Other: YouTube- stylingwithsandi

Image Credit:
Photography by Desiree, John Robson Photography

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.