Matthew Hussey is the relationship guru, from dating columns to TV shows to podcasts and YouTube. For 15 years, he’s helped people (especially women) get the love life they want and deserve.
These days, he’s busier than ever with huge and exciting changes in his life. He’s gearing up for the release of his book Love Life (out April 2024), another session of his world-renowned retreat series, AND he got married recently!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH FALUGO
But was his style ready for this next chapter in his life? Now it is, thanks to meeting up with me, Next Level Wardrobe founder, Cassandra Sethi.
Keep reading to learn why he teamed up with me, and how she whipped his wardrobe into stylish shape.
Table of Contents
The “Enough” Moment
Before working with NLW
Back in January 2023, Matthew decided to make some major lifestyle changes. After returning from vacation with his fiancé (now wife) Audrey, he wasn’t happy looking back at the photos of himself from the trip.
“I was completely deflated,” as Hussey puts it.
Like many of us, his body changed during the quarantine years and he never got back to his original fitness baseline. But that moment sparked his motivation, turning 2023 into a year of transformation.
After months of hard work and training, he reached his fitness goals. But that was only part of the picture.
To go with his new physique, he needed a wardrobe transformation too. As a busy CEO and brand face, it’s critical that his style matched his success.
That’s when he gave me call.
Styling Matthew Hussey
The Next Level Wardrobe team and I believe in making style easy. How? Through the NLW Style System. We use this same system on each and every one of our clients because it works.
It has the perfect balance of structure and freedom so you can personalize it to your needs.
So when I heard from Matt, I knew just where to start.
Step 1: Assessing Matt’s Style Goals
After the closet edit
Before I could tackle his closet and shopping, I first needed to figure out Matt’s style goals. I chatted with him to learn:
- What he wanted from the experience.
- What I needed to keep in mind in terms of his lifestyle, preferences, and upcoming events.
According to Matthew, he wanted clothes that matched his renewed confidence and current body. He wanted clothes that felt polished without trying too hard. As a brand face and a people person, it was important to him to look like an expert and approachable.
He also needed clothes for all the different upcoming events in his life. The outfits I
picked needed to work for his retreat, publicity tours for his projects, and (of course) his and Audrey’s wedding.
With a clear roadmap, it was time to get to work.
Step 2: The Closet Edit
At NLW, we see the closet as the foundation for all things style. If there’s an issue with how you dress, it goes back to your closet. So, to have a wardrobe you love and an easy (and enjoyable!) time creating outfits, your closet needs to be in check.
So, as we do with all of our clients, my next step with the Husseys was a closet clean-out.
We took everything out of his closet (and yes, we mean everything!) and spent a day going through it all. Great style begins and ends with what’s in the closet after all!
The goal here was to figure out what Matthew should actually keep, and what it was time to let go of. While everyone should do a closet edit, it can sometimes be hard to do on your own. The benefit of doing it with a stylist is they won’t hold any punches.
You have a lot of emotions tied up to your clothes but a stylist doesn’t. They’re able to be objective and call out what’s working and what’s not.
That’s exactly what happened with Matthew. By the end of the edit, I got him to part way with about 80% of his closet! All of those no-longer-needed clothes went straight to donation.
Now that Matthew had a clean slate and I knew what was needed- the next step was to fill in the gaps with shopping.
Step 3: Shopping
You might be thinking, “Okay, you’ve freed up all that space in his closet so you can fill it back up.”
Nope!
Don’t worry, I didn’t leave Matt without clothes. But what I didn’t want to do was to overbuy or purchase things just for the sake of purchasing.
Part of the NLW system is being very intentional about your clothing and shopping habits. It means going into a store with a plan, sticking to it, and snagging pieces that lead to great outfits.
So how did I make this happen?
By doing my homework beforehand. Part of the NLW experience is taking the stress out of shopping. We do the heavy lifting so our clients can have the best possible experience.
I uploaded photos of Matthew’s remaining clothing into our new NLW app. That way, we could both see what was in his closet and brainstorm the perfect complementary pieces.
Then, I looked into brands and retailers that I knew would match his style and needs. I bookmarked pieces for him and planned out a full day of shopping.
I even had pre-set up changing rooms filled with hand-selected clothes, ready for Matthew to try.
I also set him up with an alterations expert. That way they could get the perfect, custom fit on pieces like trousers, dress shirts, and suits.
Over the day, I listened to his feedback to ensure I was finding items that made him feel excited and confident about his style again.
The Result
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH FALUGO
Working with myself and the Next Level Wardrobe system was a game changer for Matthew. It reignited his passion for style and set him up to reach new heights in his work and personal life.
And most importantly, he felt amazing in all his new outfits and so ready for his new chapter of life.
Matt enjoying his new fits on his honeymoon in Tokyo
But don’t take my word for it, here’s what Matt himself had to say about the experience:
“I’m so grateful to [Cassandra]. Until now, I had 20 of the same T-shirt and wore sweatpants everywhere…Thanks again, Next Level Wardrobe, for helping me retire my sweatpants outside the house, and making me excited about my clothes again! I would encourage anyone who knows it’s time for a new style chapter in their life to go follow them (and maybe even try to get a style day with Cassandra for yourself!)”
Is it time for you to take control of your closet?
Apply for Next Level Wardrobe’s women’s and men’s styling services. Our stylists give each client the same level of customer service and personalized, hands-on care. Transform your closet today!
