Darah Hubbard
One can’t overstate the power and importance of what we choose to wear. Our clothing is our presentation, our first impression, and our most obvious form of expression. We are all our own stylists, to an extent, but not all stylists are created equal — some might need a little assistance.
This is where Bonnie Thompson Smith, founder of boutique wardrobe service The SWB Agency, comes in.
Smith’s first encounter with styling came in 2005 while working in the designer jeans department at Neiman Marcus, a job she secured after dropping out of college at UTA.
“It was a way to play with clothes, not knowing what I wanted to do with my life,” Smith says of the experience. “And I quickly fell in love with it. I’m a retail girl at heart.”
She would become a master of denim, figuring out “every single pair of denim and how to put it on the right body” and quickly realized her knack for styling — understanding the wardrobe needs of a person and applying the art of mixing and matching. And Fort Worth took notice.
“I’m a 21-year-old college dropout, and there are these very high society women in Fort Worth, many of whom I’m still dressing, coming into Neiman’s and asking, ‘Is Bonnie here?’ I just started dressing people head to toe.”
She would climb the ladder at Neiman Marcus, becoming a personal shopper, before starting her own business as a personal stylist in 2009. At the time, she was filling a void in Cowtown — no one west of Dallas was doing this. Her clientele would grow, and she would eventually secure over 50 nonexclusive contracts with brands that include Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Valentino — all the big ones. According to Smith, this means she gets to cherry-pick from these brands and bring items of clothing to a client’s house on loan, allowing a client to shop from her curated selections.
Today, The SWB Agency is a full-service fashion agency with multiple employees that offers services in styling, editorial, and closet design. In January, the agency launched an app that allows clients to download pictures of items they own to receive virtual feedback from a stylist on how to wear it.
Such a background no doubt left us with high expectations when we were invited to raid Smith’s closet. And, we gotta say, she didn’t disappoint.
Style Tip
Darah Hubbard
“Play with proportions and textures. I like a good balance — if you have a masculine piece, pair it with a feminine piece. For guys, I love opposing two strong colors. So if you’re used to wearing a blue jacket with a blue shirt, try a black jacket with a blue shirt. Give yourself contrast. I feel like high contrast has a stronger presence. Also, keep your stuff organized. Keep your clothing with like pieces. Keep your long sleeve shirts together, your denim together. Keep things where you’re able to easily find it and you’re easily able to see it. If you don’t see it, you won’t wear it. If it’s folded, you’re not going to wear it. It needs to be on a hanger. And, finally, try before you buy.”
Outfit No. 1
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Cardigan: Sandro
Jeans: Alice &Olivia
Shoes: Dior
Bag: Fendi
Outfit No. 2
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Style Tip
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“Careful with your trends. Fashion trends come out every season, and the older we get, the more of them we’ve seen come and go. There is an expiration on all of it. I think a lot of people want to conquer a trend, and they really so badly want to be in on it, but it’s not necessarily something everyone should embrace. If you don’t feel like your authentic self wearing something, just leave it alone. And, second, just be different. You should take your own risk. The hardest stuff I run into is everybody wanting to look like their friends. And that’s hard. I know that not everybody can be completely unique. We only have so much collection and product to buy, but you have to put your own stamp on it.”
Outfit No. 3
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Outfit No. 4
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