Something You Couture

Final part of our WHITE TSHIRT SERIES: Weekend Night, whether that is going on a date with a significant other, out with the girls, or you just wanna feel good about yourself! Hope you enjoy, and don't forget to get Ashley in YOUR closet to make your garments, #SomethingYou! somethingyoucouture.as.me

WHITE TSHIRT SERIES: Daytime Weekend featured! We all know Ashley can style a white tee 1000x different ways, but to not overwhelm you, she focused on daytime this week. Don’t forget you can book Ashley to come style you and get some in home alterations! Somethingyoucouture.as.me

WHITE TSHIRT STYLE SERIES- I always get asked well, what can I wear with it? A white tee! White tees are in almost everyone's closets, and IMO are perceived as sloppy, when they should be a classic closet staple. This week we feature, a white tee and fun printed pants!

ABOUT ME (continued): While working as a secretary, I decided I was ready to get back into the fashion industry. I had taken a two year hiatus. Obviously months later I finally found what I thought to be a perfect fit as a consultant for a local Nashville brand, as their production manager. Thrilled, since my background was in production, I was ready to fix all the fit issues, quality control, and create sizing. Well, that was, until AGAIN, I had another boss that wouldn’t let me do my job. Like? I just said, I was hired because of my production background, and running a line of my own, but my boss, Jane, we will call her, wouldn't let me do my job. I was not allowed to speak to the factory, which was abroad,? I was not allowed to determine the sizing based on research they had asked me to do on high fashion brands and more contemporary lines, she said my data was “wrong.” (I mean its not hard, you simply go to the line’s website and see their sizing and report it). I became more of a technical designer. And had a round of sample changes we were working on when one day around 4:30pm, I could no longer check my company email. Hmmm… okay, now what did I do wrong, I thought to myself. Well I was fired via email. There wasn’t even the decency to bring me in with the samples I still had, ask for them back, then fire me? Welp, okay, I was honestly devastated, but can laugh about it now. Almost and hour later my best friend walked through my door, and what a heaven send that was! Asking me how I was, I started crying and responded “I just got fired via email about an hour ago!” She looks at me and raises her hand to high five me saying “Me too! I just got laid off from my project at work!” We both started laughing, and creating the companies we both run today. It's funny how life works, when something isn’t right, doors close for a reason! Cheers til next week!

Got BLACK PANTS in your closet? And wanna spice up your work look? This week's video is for YOU! Lets see how we can make your black pants #SomethingYou! Don't forget to book your styling appointment, Ashley Gootee will come to YOUR closet, put looks together, and make sure all items fit you perfectly.

From the Chicago Fashion Incubator I ran ZAMRIE for about 6 years before shutting it down. One because my husband Victor Gootee and I were moving to Nashville, and I didn’t want to be so far from my production, and the operations. But I was, honestly, BURNT out. No longer did I want button colors, and matching zipper tapes keeping me up at night. Did my deliveries make it? Why wasn’t I getting paid? This was before online shopping was a thing. So when we packed up and moved South, I was grieving my first baby, ZAMRIE. I had put my heart and soul into the line but knew it was time to walk away, but to what? And that's what I was trying to figure out in Nashville. It was a four and a half year journey of finding myself, getting rejected from Trader Joes, and hundreds of others. Yes, I applied because I wanted a purpose and a job that I could zone out and stock shelves. But no, I was “overqualified,” or "didn't have enough experience," while both things can be true, it was messing with my mental state in every way. It took me 6 months, and finally found the job that saved me. I was an assistant secretary, and it, to this day, saved me. I will forever be grateful to Lee and JV. Working 3 days a week, in a lawyers office, I came to work in red suits and bold printed shirts, while everyone else was dressed in black and white, maybe navy; I was spotted from a mile away. My time working for Corbett Crockett, gave me structure but also the flexibility to let my creative juices flow, when I wasn’t in the office. It helped me find myself and a purpose when I thought my world was crashing down. The storm can only last so long, and it brought me to the light. More on this next week.?

So this has taken hours to upload. Hope you enjoy our THIRD style video, and close up pics of each outfit! Almost every woman has a #LBD in her closet. Would love to come to your closet, or your firm, or your friends, to help you style it to be #SomethingYou.

ABOUT ME: Pt 3. “Google Chicago Fashion, if you are unhappy do something about it.” So I did. That’s exactly what I did, and what came up, changed the course of my life. The Chicago Fashion Incubator, at the time it was a year-long program sponsored by the City of Chicago, and Macy that accepted 6 Designer in Residence per year. I do believe the program is longer, but I was one of the six designers chosen alongside: Anna Hovet Dias , Catherine Furio, Nora del Busto Jewett, JD, Jess Audey, and Cynthia. So for one year, we all built our brands. Mine was ZAMRIE, a contemporary women’s line. It started with me focusing on blouses and tops. This was also back in the day of 2009, when body image was stick thin, and I had used a model that was not a size 0, but maybe a 4/6 in my line sheet and look book, and a buyer told me “You’ll never be successful since you chose the wrong size girl. People can’t relate to her.” Flabbergasted and wide eyed by her rude comment, I was speechless, and said, “Well I don’t think my clothes are a fit for your store.” And walked away. Trying to find my avenue- before online shopping boomed- with bringing versatility and #costperwear to each item, I began styling my look book to show each piece I designed, at least 4 ways. Funny how things in life come full circle years later, when my goal is to still empower women through clothing, but now I am doing it differently, as I have done all along. Have fun and be kind this week! Our styling video coming later this week. Stay tuned! xx, Ashley

As we continue to grow, we continue to learn. Here is our SECOND styling video, and IMO, a better shot. Would love to hear what you else you would like to learn, or struggle with when putting together outfits, and see how I can help educate you all further. Thanks again for watching! Don't forget to book your session, somethingyoucouture.as.me. Choose the STYLING option. xx Ashley

About Me, Pt. 2 So after graduation from Purdue University, and determined to return to NYC. I did. However this time in design. I heard from many people if you start in production, it was hard to get out because not many had both on a resume, and that was supposed gold. Or so I was told…. So it’s exactly what I did, spent another summer interning for Peter Som, and worked under Marina Polo. It was a dream, which included late nights, SWAROVSKI crystals, getting coffee, and helping with fashion shows. The good only comes with bad, but it was exactly what I wanted and continued to learn under her guidance. I was a sponge soaking it all in, though two things can be true: you can be living your dream and not be happy.? What I thought would be a bit of a break. As I left and chose to go the “corporate” design route. 8-5, what a dream! No more late nights, having a social life sounded fabulous! Welp, that did NOT happen. I had one of those micromanaging bosses who would walk around the office at 7:56am to see which employees were at their desk, silently take note, but worse, later in the day take it out against them. **Note, I had the ability to walk to work, and normally hit the gym before, so it was easy for me to be “seated” by 7:56, normally eating breakfast.** But my coworkers lived an hour + away and can you believe they did NOT have the ability to control the trains?! I mean how dare they be late due to public transportation.? Anyways, I did learn a lot about how large companies do things, very different from small fashion design houses. I loved my coworkers Mandy Ripley Galucci & Alethea O'Donnell, but did not care for my boss, especially the way she treated people. I told myself, if I ever became a boss, I would be empathetic, kind, and treat others how I would want to be treated in that situation. Ugh, so I got the @$%# out. Simultaneously, I did not have the best roommate in a one bedroom apartment in midtown Manhattan, but I could barely afford to live where I did. Unhappy in most aspects of my life, and missing my family back in Chicago, one night I was crying on the phone to my mom. She told me to Google "Chicago fashion," to see what came up, and that google search changed my life. More about that next week, so I don't have to finish my story in the comments like last week. Thanks again for reading! Still living and learning, right? Always be kind and have fun! Cheers to a fab week and weekend ahead. xx, Ashley