If you described all of the things on your wishlist for a dream shopping experience – personalized, fun, low pressure and fantastic curated pieces to choose from – you’d be describing Smithery. Founders Rena and Mavis have been through the advertising world trenches together and have forged a partnership and online retail business that is taking off. They’ve got big plans for 2018.
Scroll down to learn how the letters X, H, A, V and O will rock your world, as will their magic butt pants.
And, don’t miss their exclusive offer, below.
CLICK HERE TO GET SMITHERY’S
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1.How did Smithery begin?
The idea of Smithery really came from our own life experiences and conversations around fashion. Rena loves, loves, loves shopping and Mavis always found it was a chore and was frustrated with the lack of solutions and struggled with styling.
Two of the best insights that propelled us are that only 1 in 10 women know their body shape (the key to fit and style) and that models are typically 6’ tall with 34” B, 25” W, 35” H while the average Canadian woman is 5’4, 155lbs with a 33” waist and 41.3” hips. That’s how we knew there was a need out there for ‘stylesmithing’ and Smithery was born!
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What’s the shopping experience like with Smithery? – how is it different?
We have two ways you can shop with us; online or in our Studio (located at Queen and Spadina in Toronto).
We have a Shape Finder that helps you identify which of the main 5 body shapes that you fit into. They are named after the letters X, H, A, V, O and once you determine your shape, we provide a style profile outlining the styling goals for that shape and most flattering cuts.
We model all the clothes on real women representing those body shapes and we provide the measurements for every model so you have a true comparison as to what it might look like on you.
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What’s your philosophy?
To democratize personal styling so no woman ever feels like she has nothing $#@%! to wear again! We want to be the antidote to that shopping migraine.
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Does Smithery have a particular aesthetic or style that I can always find with your clothes?
We both agree that Olivia Palermo has greatly influenced not only our personal styles but the aesthetic of Smithery.
When we’re buying each season we’re looking for elevated basics, the pieces that will become your ‘go to’s’ in your closet. So they have to be good quality, easy to wash (we avoid the dry cleaner whenever possible!) and at a price point that you can afford (90% of our pieces are under $150).
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What are the most common fashion questions you get?
1) I think I’m in between shapes?
It’s not uncommon for someone to be in between two body shapes and we can take rules on how to dress for your shape from both of the letters in order to give you an arsenal of styling tips that work for you!
2) How do I cuff my jeans?
It’s bootie weather and ladies everywhere are rolling up their hems. Luckily we worked with our friend Susan from @islapearl to show everyone just how to do it. Click here for the article.
3) What colour tights should I wear?
In our humble opinion, always black opaque. Always.
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A lot of women are frustrated with their wardrobe, or their bodies – what are some typical frustrations you hear?
Oh man, we have heard it all! And it is sooo hard to listen to women beat themselves up, even though we ourselves have that internal voice in our head. In essence that’s why we started Smithery, we want to help women become less frustrated with their arms they don’t love, their belly they’ve been trying to hide and instead focus on the parts that they do love and have those shine.
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Fortyology is all about leaning in to your forties, how do you see fashion and clothes help us get there?
Mavis: I turned 40 this year and have seen my style evolve over every decade. As I’ve aged I find I’m not as nostalgic for my old clothes and body, so don’t tend to hang on to the jeans that don’t fit or those short shorts. I’ve come to terms with who I am (although like everyone if I lost those 10 extra pounds I’d be happy!) and am generally comfortable dressing for that age and body shape, especially now that I know what to wear and how to wear pieces that flatter that 40 year old body!
Rena: Welp, since leaving office life I’ve said sayonara to my heels. That actually really changes how you style a look. As I’ve grown, I also increasingly invest in beautifully crafted pieces. The fast fashion offering is less expensive but it’s also usually less flattering, lower quality fabric, and guaranteed to be on someone else I pass on that street.
8. Is there a deeper conversation – what do you think it is you are connecting with when you host your events?
When we started Smithery, we didn’t realize that in-person events would become such a large and satisfying part of our business.
The best part of our job is when someone walks out of those sessions feeling confident and armed with a set of tools to help her feel her best each and every day. So many times, we have heard ladies say they didn’t think they could ever look this good and that twinkle in their eye is worth every ounce of blood, sweat and tears that we put into this business
9.What emerging pieces /trends/styles are you wearing and are you excited about?
A Coatigan: A long sweater with a substantial weight that takes you in an out of the car and work and errands.
Smithery, Sweater coat
Waxed Pants: We’ve hunted down what we’ve dubbed the magic butt pants.
Smithery waxed pant
A Wild Card That Makes You Happy
Smithery, Blazer
10. What new things are you working on for 2018?
We are launching a style concierge service called “Style Mail”. We’ll ask you a few questions to get to know your fashion mojo, body shape and lifestyle and from there a Stylesmith curates a box with 3-4 pieces picked specifically for you. Keep what you want and return the rest! Sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Instagram to be kept up to date on the launch date for that.
Click here for an exclusive offer and discount code from Smithery for Fortyology subscribers!
Cover photo courtesy: @flashbackphotoco
