We were lucky to catch up with Jodie Filogomo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jodie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Helping people has always been on the forefront of everything I do.
When I was a cosmetic dentist, most people don’t even think that dentists want to help people. It’s not the most obvious idea when talking about dentistry.
Yet in all reality, fixing a person’s smile can be life changing.
Because it all comes down to self-confidence.
Which is why I LOVE being a stylist. How we look is a tool that feeds into how we feel. And I’m not your normal stylist who thinks you need to buy new stuff to look modern. I believe in shopping on a budget and making what you have work in many different ways.
I always say it’s like I’m teaching others how to fish instead of just buying them the fish.
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?
After I sold my dental practice, I thought I’d be a personal shopper. I’ve always LOVED shopping and I used to take my friends shopping when I was younger.
But being a personal shopper was going to take some time to get established, so in the meantime, I started an online site where I showcased my mom, my stepmom and myself in outfits.
The best part is I like to prove that we can look great no matter what age, size or style we are. And it doesn’t require a neverending stream of money.
One of the thing I’m proud of is learning to question the rules we have been brought up with. As a biologist, I like to use the question “why” for everything and I’ve learned that all humans are perfectly imperfect.
My biggest motto is to Be the Boss of your Clothes.
What being the boss of our clothes means is that your clothes shouldn’t intimidate you. It’s all about using our brains to make new outfits (that’s a great tool for our brain) PLUS learning that our body is fabulous as is. We don’t need to lose weight. We don’t need to look slimmer. We just need to have fun and enjoy life.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Many days I feel like I’m swimming upstream to the norms of society. We tend to value youth and appearance as a prime goal, whereas our insides are the key to a good life.
That may seem strange coming from a stylist, but I know how our health and wellness is a huge factor. That’s why I share much more than just clothing and style.
As people, we are multidimensional, and it all ties together.
I recently shared a video made by someone else about how we don’t like how we look in photos. Yet when you see a sunset in person, it’s much more brilliant than when you snap a photo of it.
That’s the ticket. We are all sunsets.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I was brought up by a typical woman raised during the 50s and 60s. While my mom was a feminist at heart, she struggled with the negative self talk that came from listening to the articles about how to look slim and what was considered pretty.
It’s taken me ages to unlearn all of these silly rules. In fact, I always say they are hogwash and we were brainwashed.
I still hear women concerned about if an outfit is flattering or how a monochromatic outfit makes someone look taller and leaner.
UGH.
Personally, I find it very freeing to wear the fun things even if I look 10 pounds heavier.
We aren’t defined by our weight or size.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jtouchofstyle.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jtouchofstyle/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodiestouchofstyle
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodie-filogomo-44156bb5/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMKq8Qzz_5xEn-DSHl9wk2Q
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jtouchofstyle
Image Credits
Photos by Rob Filogomo—it’s a family affair