How Monica Barnett Brings Elevated Style and Savvy to the World with Blueprint for Style

Monica Barnett, Founder & CEO of Blueprint for Style, is an energetic woman of many talents with a deep passion for empowering people and elevating their style by harnessing the power of the first impression. But, her business acumen doesn’t stop there; she also conducts professional seminars and trainings around the world to provide teams and organizations with the know-how to curate their Visual Resume™ and its intersectionality with DEI. She has also developed the Pocket Personal Stylist app, where users receive subscription-based, on-demand style and clothing recommendations within 48 hours of their request! In addition to being a focused and joyful person, Monica Barnett exudes authenticity and confidence to the core and skillfully helps clients do the same.

The Inspiration Behind Blueprint for Style

Monica gained a deep down affinity for fashion and looking her best from her mother and aunts, who reminded her that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The stylish household she grew up in also expected everyone to always put their best foot forward. While she saw the benefits of looking and feeling good in her everyday life, it was her soccer coach who completely ingrained the concept in her as a teenager.

Monica shared, “I spent four years playing soccer in high school. My soccer coach used to make us clean and oil our cleats before each game, and I used to get mad. I’d be like, it takes time. If they’re muddy, why do we have to clean them? So one time, I just didn’t bother to clean them. I just showed up to the game – I was like, ‘Hello, you need me to play,’ but he pulled me off the field. Andre said, ‘ You didn’t clean your cleats.’ And I was like, Andre, I don’t have time for that; put me back in! He said, ‘No, go to the field house and clean your cleats.’ And I was like, oh my god. While I was gone, the other team scored. After the game, Andre said to me, ‘I make you clean your cleats because when you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you play good.’ It’s something that has stuck in my head. And it’s a philosophy my company hangs on to very dearly today that, ‘when you look good, you feel good; and when you feel good, other people notice.”

A lot of what Blueprint for Style focuses on is based on the psychology of style; helping people understand what works well for them and making them feel good about how they look.

Blueprint for Style’s Evolution to Success

Early on, the company started working with women; as Monica built a name for herself, men and corporations became interested too. Her in-person or online one-on-one personal styling services cover closet overhauls, image alignment, personal shopping, “missing items” inventory, outfit calendaring, style personality identification and lookbook creation. She takes the time to get a good feel for her clients and a thorough idea of what they are trying to achieve and applies her talents to get them there.

On the corporate side of the business, one of Monica’s first client’s requiring professional training was Marriott International. At the time, the HR department had implemented a new policy called Dress for Your Day and management and executives were seeing staff show up dressed in pajamas and leggings — things that were not business-focused.

In this role, Monica developed training and coached staff on the importance of looking your best and how to align that with the ideals and business goals of the company. She taught people how to finesse business casual, how to be comfortable and what dressing for the day really meant. Overall, her professional coaching revolves around “visual presence, how to show up looking like business, authenticity and blending the concept of the power of the first impression with who you really are,” said Monica.

In addition to personal styling and corporate-level branding services, Monica presents DEI matters for conferences. Her outstanding speaking skills help organizations open the door for conversations about meaningful and realistic approaches to DEI policies in the workplace.

Lastly, the full development of the styling app called Pocket Personal Stylist (PPS) is underway and will require additional funding but even the initial web-based platform has been well-received to date and is currently one of her best-selling digital solutions. PPS is a subscription-based application that offers tiered level plans. After the free trial, the silver plan gets you two to three on-demand styling requests per month, which is a fabulous deal for the opinion of one of the most highly sought-after leaders in the space.

Change the Way the World Perceives You with Blueprint for Style

Blueprint for Style is based in Washington, D.C., but Monica travels throughout the US to meet with clients, give trainings and speak. She is well-versed in the historical aspects of styling, easily applies concepts and real-world examples to a host of audiences, and is well-informed about the first impression and the psychology behind dressing. If you are looking for a way to elevate your personal or corporate brand, curate your closet and wardrobe, provide actionable insights for professionals to understand the importance of looking good or want to open up the floor to diversity-focused conversations in the workplace, contact Monica today. You can find her company on the Blueprint for Style website, get a glimpse of her other services and publications here, and download PPS for a mini version of her styling services!