PSTYLED
January 18, 2024
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We talked to Yasmina Nessim, Founder of @_pstyled , and the first fashion-psychologist in the realm of the business world.
Cherry on Top? She is based in Cairo, Egypt.
Hello, Local Friends!
After completing her business degree, Yasmina went on pursuing her Master’s Degree in Applied Psychology in Fashion, with a particular focus on and flair for the correlation between clothing and performance levels, mood…etc.
Yasmina worked at Hermés, Selfridges and other fashion startups, before she made the decision to launch pstyled in Cairo.
Not only is she managing over 80 clients, but also she is leading social media campaigns that aim to raise awareness on the impact of fashion on mental health.
We truly believe everyone, every person out there, should grace themselves with the power of her knowledge and her take on dressing oneself.
Is it tricky being the first Fashion Psychologist in the business world?
There are advantages to being a first mover, and disadvantages, as well.
Some of the upsides include the fact that you get to test the audience yourself, and the eternal pride and joy of being an industry pioneer.
However, where we operate, there is a barrier between the state of being intrigued and curious. When pstyled first launched, I would chase after PR and magazines, but when doors kept closing, I started believing in myself and telling the story on my own terms, and suddenly people started becoming more interested.
We’re all meant to move at our own pace. I do this because I believe in it, and I genuinely want to help people, but there is only so much I can do to turn a blind eye to it.
If you were to give an ultimate styling tip to improve one’s well-being, what would it be?
Dress for the occasion, always.
Don’t force a trend, or a movement on yourself.
You need to think about the association that you have with both the garment and the occasion.
For example, there is this movement where people are blindly wearing sweatpants to go fine-dining.
The rationale behind this is beyond me.
If you associate fine dining, the occasion, with looking nice and dressing up, then that is what you have to do for the betterment of your well-being.
It is often easy to assume that immaculate fashion-choices come down only to one’s preferences. Is that true?
Immaculate choices have nothing to do with the way the person looks, but the way they feel, so this is why it comes down to one’s preferences, and this is why I emphasized the importance of the subconscious associations you have about the garments and occasions.
It has to do with the way you carry yourself.
You see celebrities wearing the most absurd outfits, and yet, they are carrying themselves with so much poise; you can never say they look bad:
Hello, Kim K!
Her personal preferences dictate that she’s confident.
Do you recommend booking a pstyled session on a somewhat regular basis?
A pstyled session is something that I would recommend one gets done on a regular basis, since indeed, we do change everyday. Our experiences shape our psychology, preferences and status in the world.
However, “Nostalgic Shopping” is always employed to optimize the results, and it is a technique that takes childhood and more core memories into consideration, to improve one’s well-being, taking them back to happier times.
How do pstyled sessions normally go?
It’s almost like a therapy session: a conversation. There is a flow and a certain number of questions that we need to tackle; but it is not intense.
We talk lifestyle, favorite colors, where you are hoping to be in 6 months…etc.
Within in 10 days, you receive a report, which is your fashion-psychology bible, customized to you.
Not to mention the access you get to a fashion lifeline.
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Is self-awareness required to a significant degree to ensure the accuracy of results?
I would say a pstyled session can help you figure out your preferences and what works best for you, but in my opinion, I believe that if you are aware of your fashion choices, enough, to go and seek out better ones, through pstyled, for example, then you are indeed self-aware to some extent. It comes down to how much you’re willing to share, it is all about showing up.
Can you think of a local brand that offers a range of clothing, versatile enough, that you can recommend to the majority of your clients?
Rebel Cairo offers high quality garments, that also do take culture into consideration.
I would say Maram Official too!
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Yasmina Nessim on Culture:
A common concern, specifically in the MENA region, is people’s style/ preferred fashion choices often going against the cultural grain.
I personally struggle with that issue, oftentimes.
It feels like I am forced to be silent, when I’m expressing myself in the most natural way to me.
However, I try to reframe the situation, and think of when I resided in London, where it was impossible to not look like a walking cactus in winter because of the weather.
This is how I choose to look at culture; it is an integral part of the place I live.
For that reason, it is important to find garments and pieces that allow you huge degrees of self-expression, without offending anyone, and without giving yourself a cold, in London’s case, for instance.
I choose to adapt, not conform.
It is a challenge; and I’m up for it.
Yasmina Nessim on Impulse Shopping:
Impulse shopping is quite contrary to intuitive shopping.
It is important to understand that impulse shopping provides fleeting moments of happiness; intuitive shopping, on the other hand, allows one to build a capsule wardrobe that will, down the line, allow them to sustain higher levels of overall well-being, and this is what we strive for at pstyled.
For example, if you’re in Ibiza with your friends, and you’re tempted to either buy a cute top or a t-shirt that says “Ibiza” that you and your friends would all have, I would immediately recommend you get the Ibiza shirt; when life gets dark and you’re lonely, it is that shirt that will drench you in love and nostalgia.
This is what we call “Nostalgic Shopping”.
Yasmina Nessim on Impact of Fashion on Well-Being:
The Hypothesis:
The way someone dresses impacts their productivity conducting certain tasks, both positvely & negatively.
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The Experiment:
I had a group of individuals, men and women, of the same age group, come in and do an online reaction test in casual clothing.
We did a refresher, by making them listen to classical music; it is proven to cleanse the brain.
They went back to the reaction test room, only this time, they wore garments they associated with professional clothing.
The Results:
There was a 237% increase in productivity, just by changing what they wore.