Meet Bri Maxwell: Women’s Personal Stylist & Wardrobe Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bri Maxwell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bri, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My story began when my arms decided to grow at an alarming rate before my body had time to decide that it should catch up. Once it did, I found myself at 5’11” at the age of 11. As an extremely tall child, image and self-confidence issues became deeply seeded even before puberty made life even more difficult. Once that happened I found myself in tears so many times because I didn’t fit into any of the trendy, cute and fun clothes all my friends could wear. I also found myself the recipient of a lot of less than flattering, and really not very inventive, nicknames – ET arms, sasquatch, Little Miss Awkward, etc. Throughout this time, I had to learn to be creative with how I dressed mainly so I could actually wear clothes that fit my long limbs. There were a lot of trips to thrift stores, the men’s department, tailor shops and my mom even had to make most of my special occasion outfits. Through this (and also learning how to ignore the cruelty of teenagers) I honed my personal style by getting creative with how I integrated pieces that actually fit into a complete and versatile wardrobe. Fast forward to my years in a corporate environment where I became adept at styling myself professionally while still adding elements of my creative and well-honed personal style into my outfits. I then took this passion and talent to a new level when I transitioned into a professional personal stylist at a popular women’s retail store and now on my own as the owner of BriStyles, a Personal Stylist and Wardrobe Consulting service. Though I wish I could erase the ever-present feeling of awkwardness that has lived with me since I was 11, I truly believe that those experiences brought me to start BriStyles. They help me relate to my clients and portray how important well-fitting, true-to-you clothes are to self-esteem, social interactions and career paths

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
BriStyles is a women’s personal styling and wardrobe consulting service. I instill confidence in my clients through creating an image that meets their goals, lifestyle and budget. From cleaning out the closet clutter following the BriStyles 5F System to rejuvenating wardrobes with new and versatile pieces that fit and flatter to inspiring wardrobes by creating outfits with existing pieces, the BriStyles suite of services are comprehensive and tailored specifically to each client. The relationship is continued through wardrobe maintenance, special occasion and vacation styling as well as home boutiques. I truly want to be my client’s friend throughout the process and beyond. My passion and instinct for style has always been there. What has been a struggle is making sure I provide each and every client the experience I wish I had growing up as an awkward teen. I want all my clients to walk away feeling confident in their image and body. This is not always easy as each and every one of us look in the mirror and see something that they hate. My job is to teach clients how to tell themselves a different story when they look in the mirror and that goes beyond choosing lovely, well-fitting clothes. As a solo entrepreneur, it can be taxing to instill that confidence in clients because of how far back and deeply rooted self-confidence and image issues can be.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I’m going to pretend this itinerary is for post-COVID times… First a tour of my beloved neighborhood, Congress Park – Brunch at Denver Biscuit Company followed by a coffee to-go from Hooked on Colfax to take with us on a walk around City Park and then an afternoon at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to check out the Gem and Dinosaur exhibits. Then dinner at Shells and Sauce followed by drinks at P.S. Lounge and a show at the Bluebird Theater. Second we will go for breakfast at Sasafrass followed by a morning hike and tour of the ampitheater at Red Rocks. Then a drive along the Lariat Loop followed by rooftop Mexican grub in Morrison. Then back to Red Rocks for a show. Third will be a jaunt around downtown Denver, making sure not to miss Union Station, Larimer Square and Confluence Park. An intimate dinner at Table 6. Fourth will be a fun day of touring all the great craft beer including my favorites Cerebral Brewing, Station 26 and Bruz. Fifth…well we HAVE to go shopping at Denver’s many local boutiques including my favorites Judith & Joe, Rags Consignment, Barbara & Company, Wish, Denver Darling and Garbarini.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Long Tall Sally Clothing – The FIRST global brand to design specifically for women 5’10” and up!

Website: bristyles.com
Instagram: @_bristylesdenver
Facebook: bristylesdenver

Image Credits
@kartos_photo @nodelic @brianjohnsonphoto @ellephotography @awakenedcreative @hannahgraycestone