Today we’d like to introduce you to Tricia Cromwell.
Tricia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began working as a Fashion Stylist when I was about 10 years old. (Yes, 10!) At that time of course, it had nothing to do with business, I just thought it was cool that my grandmother would let me pick out her outfits for her. She hated shopping, so when she needed new clothes she would take me to the store and sit outside and read a book while I put together outfits for her. When I was done I would go get her and she would come back in and pay, not even inspect what I chose or try it on! Her trust in me at such a young age truly did empower me and stick with me through my career. Growing up my family didn’t have much money. I was always into fashion and getting dressed up, I blame my mom for this one. I was the most accessorized 6th grader in the whole school! But I had to work with hand me downs and clothing that was sub-par to my classmates. I didn’t have anything name brand like they did; my mom wasn’t able to shop at the mall and department stores like their moms were. And come the first day of school I always had much less to work with. But that didn’t stop me from having my own style, it just made me get more creative to get the most out of what I had to work with.
As soon as I could start working at age 14 to make my own money I did. And what did I use this money for? Clothes of course! I remember taking my very first pay check directly to Footlocker to buy Adidas, so I could finally have a pair of name brand sneakers like all my peers. I went on to work in retail, almost always having more than one job at a time. As a teenager I started working at a men’s clothing store and quickly moved up to become assistant store manager and then assistant buyer. Unknowingly, I had just about mastered the personal shopping and clienteling aspect of working retail. But now being able to work as a buyer was “shopping” on a whole new level! Being single handedly responsible for an entire life cycle of merchandise- choosing what items customers would want weeks before the season began, then merchandising and selling it when it came in to ensure I made successful choices was another major confidence building milestone. While working in this position, as well as 2 other part time jobs simultaneously, I also attended and graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a degree in Fashion Merchandising. While in school we took a field trip to a local theater and learned about the job of the costume designer. Out of all the field trips and internships we had done- from learning about visual at Saks 5th Ave in New York to working at the Gap and the school owned boutique, that trip to the theater always stuck out to me. I was so inspired by how important clothing was to portray the correct era, feel and mood of a play or even a tv show or commercial.
But it wasn’t until several years later that everything came full circle and suddenly all made sense. I had always been the “fashionable” one out of my friends. I was always the one that wanted to hang out at the mall and do marathon shopping trips. I was the go-to person for fashion advice among family and friends and would even go as far as to shop for them when they were stumped on how to dress for a specific occasion. Then one day while watching the style show What Not to Wear it hit me- I do this! Listening to the oh so respectable Stacey London giving a person fashion advice on why blazers were so important I thought “whoa, I just had this same conversation with my cousin!… wow I do almost the same thing they’re doing on this show with my friends and family!”
Then the wheels started turning. The entrepreneur-to-be in me, the one who was self-motivated, worked her booty off, always held management positions at her jobs because she didn’t like to be told what to do and who wouldn’t work anywhere that she couldn’t make her own schedule, finally realized it was about time she started working for herself and doing what she has loved for years.
It was 2008. I was working full time for Ralph Lauren and part time at a local specialty store. On my shifts at the store I started crafting Trust in Tricia. I brought a notebook with me and in it brainstormed my mission statement, business plan and logo along with help from my co-workers. In fact, it was the store manager at the time who came up with the name Trust in Tricia! I figured if the people I knew trusted my fashion advice then strangers may too, but the only way to know for sure was to put myself out there and try. And that’s exactly what I did!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think there are many journeys in life that have a smooth road, especially entrepreneurship. I think the biggest struggle is staying motivated. That’s almost tough to admit because I love what I do but it is real. So many aspects of owning a business and working for and by yourself can get super discouraging, like inconsistent pay, continuous trial and error of marketing techniques and feeling like you are too busy working “in” your business rather than “on” it. When you are your own accountant, marketing/advertising team, HR department and face of the company in addition to trying to do the part you love, it’s tough to wear all those hats and be in several different places at once. Many people think Fashion Styling is glamorous and I spend all my time on photo and video sets and shopping with clients but, the bulk of my time is spent networking, building relationships and marketing myself. Because without all the behind the scenes work there aren’t any clients or projects to style.
I’ve learned 2 important lessons out of my discouragement. 1. is the importance of a tribe. The importance of having positive people around you who support you and your vision and help in any way they can. I have been fortunate to have an amazing support system from the very beginning and almost 10 years later they are all still by my side along with many fabulous new people I have met along the way. 2. I also learned how important it is to recognize failures, mistakes and discouragement. Therefore, I even bring this up as being something I struggled with. Because you’ve got to recognize any of these disappointments. Feel them, work through them with whatever coping mechanisms work for you, then learn from what happened, get up and keep going. I find that just trying to quickly brush significant struggles off or pretend they don’t matter make them linger in your subconscious longer and affect your mood. Especially for females- taking the time to address and work through your emotions doesn’t make you weak, in the end it makes you stronger.
Please tell us about Trust in Tricia.
Officially my titles are Wardrobe Consultant, Fashion Stylist, Personal Shopper and Closet Organizer. My main objective is to help empower others to express themselves through fashion and feel fabulous while doing so, because I firmly believe that confidence is the key to looking your best and showing the world your true potential. I work one on one with clients to help them customize a wardrobe that fits their lifestyles and body types, and ensures they are looking and feeling their best always. This means I come to the rescue of those folks who hate shopping and don’t know where to begin once they hit the mall or ignore it altogether because they get too overwhelmed. I help those who don’t understand their body type (especially if they have recently lost or gained weight), or how to dress age or occasion appropriately. Those who lack confidence in their outfit choices or have a “closet full of clothes and nothing to wear”. I like to begin by analyzing their existing wardrobe to ensure they have all the essential pieces and that their wardrobe reflects their personality and how they want to be seen. Here I also edit out unnecessary items, as well as game plan the best way to organize their wardrobe or closet. We then go shopping for anything missing they may need, and this is where they learn great places to shop on their budget, how to dress their body type and how to choose and pair together versatile pieces to get the most for their money. The next step is my favorite- the look book! I incorporate all the new purchases into my client’s existing wardrobe, make outfit combinations and photograph them all complete with shoes and accessories. I then print the pictures out in a book that becomes my client’s personal guide to dressing!
I also work closely alongside fashion industry professionals, styling their photoshoots, marketing campaigns and fashion shows, to help them portray their vision and promote their brands through fashion.
I think what sets me apart from other Fashion Stylists are the additional projects I take on. In 2011, I expanded my empowerment efforts by putting together seasonal charity fashion events and teaching corporate and private fashion seminars. I began styling for TV in 2012 and began working in front of the camera hosting my very own Style Segments for Style It Up and Comcast. In 2014 I added Interior Styling and Closet Design to my list of personalized services.
I am most proud of what Trust in Tricia has become and where I began. The way I was raised and the amazing mentors and roles I held along the way allow me to be very relatable to the everyday individual. I understand using fashion to fit a role you aspire to be, because I was that young girl who oh-so badly wanted to shop at the mall and own name brand garments like her peers. And in adult life I understand that yearning to fit in, to have the freedom and knowledge to express yourself, never goes away. I aim to understand my client’s entire lifestyle to make the best recommendation for them, regardless of budget or any limitations they may have. My goal is never just to put someone into the trendiest new thing and then send them on their way with no real knowledge or tools for them to handle dressing and shopping on their own. Also, I am a good time if I may say so myself! If we go shopping or are on set together be prepared for some laughs! I’ve been told that my laugh is contagious (I’m pretty sure they mean hideous, but I’ll roll with contagious!), and that I am down to earth and “real”, which quickly puts others at ease and allows them to be the same.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
It’s way too hard to pick just one! Shopping with my grandmother as mentioned, of course. I am very close with my family and have several cousins around my age that I grew up with and we all have so many awesome memories together. I am also really big on traditions as an adult because of fond childhood memories like eating a donut on a string contest on Halloween or getting to open one present on Christmas Eve which was always new PJ’s.
Contact Info:
- Website: trustintricia.co
- Phone: 857-244-0532
- Email: tricia@trustintricia.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trustintricia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itrustintricia
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/trust_in_tricia
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/trust-in-tricia-boston
Image Credit:
Alison Heckard, Bird In Flight Photography
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
