Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chelsey Hunt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Chelsey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

So many women stand in front of a full closet and still feel like they have nothing to wear. I know I’ve been there.

After years of reselling, I realized people weren’t simply “giving up” clothes. Often, they were letting go of things that they didn’t know how to style or didn’t feel quite right in. I heard it from women myself. So, it got my wheels turning: what if the problem isn’t the clothing? What if the problem is that, when women don’t know what to do, they have no one to turn to to help them style what they have?

That is where Closet Revivalist started. I want to connect women with their own wardrobes in a way that doesn’t make them feel like they need to go out and start all over. They just need help editing their closets to see what still works, and getting a fresh set of eyes on what they are working with.

I help women feel good in their clothes again, starting with what they already own.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have loved fashion as long as I can remember. Through the awkward teen years of shifting styles year to year, to my most curated looks of adulthood. It really grasped me in my senior year of high school, though. I worked at a 40,000 sq. ft consignment store, most of which was clothing. I lived in an area where there are a lot of retirees, so I would find the most wonderful vintage pieces. A lot I wore, but some I bought just because I adored them. I am not sure what made me decide to do this, but I started selling solely vintage on eBay in 2004. Enough so that it replaced my income and let me quit my job. My eye for vintage has always been there, as it was my first love.

I sold on eBay for a couple of years before I went to college and my interests swayed. Then, in 2018, I started selling clothing on primarily Poshmark (but also eBay and Mercari). I sold over 3,000 items before my desire to buildout my new business, Closet Revivalist. It wasn’t just the selling on Poshmark, however. I was asked to be a stylist consultant at one of their annual events, a speaker at their annual conference in 2020, asked to lead Australian sellers when Poshmark onboarded Australia, and I was even involved in a professional video-shoot that they used promotionally. Being involved with Poshmark was a great experience, and it really gave me that confident push into pursuing styling long-term.

Women that come to me typically need help with their closets first. That is where what I call a “Closet Edit” can be extremely beneficial. If you are sifting through 2/3rds of your closet just to get to the stuff that you’ll wear? We need to fix that! Editing out what is no longer working – whether it be for fit, style, or just doesn’t feel like you anymore, is instantly uplifting. When clothes no longer serve us, they weigh on us. Physically and even emotionally. And how can you see your personal style when you’re knee-deep in clothes that will never work for you again? And Closet Edits aren’t intimidating, all we are doing is figuring out what works for you now – not five years ago when you bought it!

After a Closet Edit is when we can play with Outfit Curation. We find pieces you already own and like, but want to learn how to style, and work from there. When we build an outfit you’re particularly fond of, we snapshot it. This way you’ll have outfit ideas and inspiration for the future. Closet Edits are fun, but Styling can be even more so!

So, I solve wardrobe issues for women that are overwhelmed with their closets and want to find their personal style again. I think what sets me apart from others is my having sold over 3,000 pieces of new and secondhand clothing. I have an eye for detail like no other. When you’re sourcing items, you have to really have to look at the piece, stitching and all. Having had my hands on so many unique pieces (from basics to literally runway), I feel like I can really bring the creative factor in because of having handled so many. I couldn’t help but daydream about some of them, anyway!

I’m also upbeat and fun. I think some people take “personal styling” way too seriously and it makes someone feel as though they need a Pinterest closet in order to use their services. I work with real women, with real problems to solve. I alway say: “All styles, all budgets & all bodies. Judgment-free zone.” And I mean it. I know I would be apprehensive about letting a stranger into my wardrobe, so all I can do is reassure you that you never need to feel like I am going to judge you.

The main things I want potential clients to know about me, beyond my fashion sense, is that I love helping people. I always have. I have a degree in mental health even (which actually helps with “closet therapy”). Now, my goal is to help women, their closets, their style & their self-esteem. I take my work with great appreciation for not only what I get to do for a living, but also the women that help make my dreams possible.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Between the period of selling in my senior year until 2018, I heavily struggled with Agoraphobia (I still do, to an extent). Agoraphobia is fear of leaving the home, fearing you won’t have a place to retreat if you have an anxiety or panic attack. So, in the beginning, my reselling was extremely difficult to break into. I obviously needed to leave the house to source. So, highly anxious, I would push my way through thrift stores and the like just because I was so excited to be involved with clothing again. It got the point where I would leave the house four times a week or more, which was huge! Agoraphobia is crippling and truly isolating. I wouldn’t have been able to start Closet Revivalist with that kind of anxiety.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I built my audience through social media with people interested in following my reselling journey – and now styling journey. People like watching my “stories” on Instagram, and I had almost a thousand people a day watching my thrift store hauls and me talk about life in general at one point. I am always willing to put my face on anything I do, especially stories and reels. People do connect with the “talking head” style reels, they build trust. Would you want to buy something or hire someone you’ve seen three times? No. You have to put yourself out there and not be hard on yourself. Growing social media can be one of the most thankless tasks out there – until it’s not and pays off. Keep building as if you know it’s going to be bigger. That is a business piece of advice I got years ago and I suppose it could apply to social media as well. My biggest piece of advice, again, is to put your face out there and connect with your community or future community!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.closetrevivalist.com
• Instagram: @closetrevivalist

Image Credits
Chelsey Hunt