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Fashion for our Mental Well-being

2/12/2020

 
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When I am asked what I do for a living, and answer that I own Yoke x Hem, a clothing store, the typical response is “Oh, that must be fun, playing dress-up all day!”. 

The truth is, how we dress can have a direct impact on our self-confidence. Fashion is an expression, you choose it, it’s up to you. Sometimes a person needs a boost. As a fashion stylist, it’s my role to help you look past whatever it is you’re going through and help you cultivate a routine of self-love. It’s helping you present your best self in a way that can invoke confidence that transcends beyond bad days, outlooks or attitudes. We’re in the business of making people feel good. So, how do I say modestly that the time I spend with our Yoke x Hem customers may actually change how they live their lives?

Many of our customers come seeking wardrobe advice for an interview or a new career! Some are looking to get back into the dating scene and get a post-divorce confidence boost. Others need clothing to fit after giving birth or undergoing a mastectomy. 

I recently had a customer come to the store for the first time through a recommendation from a friend to shop for a formal event. Her body language quickly told me she was frustrated, it was getting late and she was still empty handed when she came into Yoke x Hem. She had decided she’d settle for a skirt and a top, because “she had tried on every dress in the city”, and hadn’t found one that fit her the way it should. She mentioned her body had changed recently, and her shopping experience that day had put it on display. We started to look around the store together. She was drawn to a gorgeous red Frank Lyman dress with a chiffon cowl that cascaded down the back. I selected it from the rack, as well as 5-6 other options (including a skirt and a top) and had her start with the red dress. It fit her body, her personality, and her event, perfectly. She tried on all of the other dresses, each one fitting her perfectly, and each one improving her mood. The skirt and top were absolutely stunning on her as well, but after slipping back into the red dress, we both knew it was the one. 

It doesn’t matter what type of day you’re having, there is power in dressing for your life’s successes. We’re real people and sometimes all it takes is one positive interaction to change someone’s self-image. This belief drives all our relationships with our customers whether it’s their first time in the store or they have been with us since the beginning. We help them see the very best version of themselves.

​As humans, we can be incredibly hard on ourselves. What makes your life and your outlook better is that feeling that comes from inside, not the size of your jeans or the price of your outfit. We know being confident in your clothing helps you be the best version of yourself enhancing your well-being. 

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Jags

3/29/2019

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Have you watched the movie, based on the young adult book ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ by Ann Brashares? It is the story of four friends who all fit into one pair of jeans, and they’re all different sizes with dramatically different body shapes. Seems a bit far fetched right?

Well friends, it actually happened. 
Let me tell you a story.

Summer is coming which means new arrivals of clothing at Yoke X Hem.    T-shirts, tanks, jackets, summer dresses, linen, skirts, shorts, skorts, and as always, jeans (my favourite). As we unpack, steam, tag and make sure every piece is ready to wear, I try and take a moment to appreciate each item. In other words, I try everything on. Yes, it’s dangerous. I fall in love with a new piece of clothing almost every day. But years in the industry has taught me restraint… well, sort of.

So going back to my favourite thing, let’s talk jeans. We have carried Jag jeans for years. These jeans have it all - fit, fashion, comfort, and style. And they’re really well priced. 

When our new box of Jag jeans arrived this spring, I swear I had a moment. I’ll call it… ‘Deja Blue.’ 

I opened the box, and the perfect dark wash blue jean was on top, in my size, and she whispered to me “best-kept secret, cutting-edge construction, smooths tummy, enhances natural shape, custom fits your curves…” Naturally, I put them on (what else could a girl do). 

It was all true. The soft elastic inside the waistband that actually stayed up. With a curved yoke and angled darts, I had a booty! And there are mesh panels hidden behind the front pockets that flattened my tummy. I not only felt good in them, I felt good about myself. I wanted to share this sensational jean with the world. And with a photoshoot scheduled a few weeks later, I planned on putting Jags to the ultimate test. There were six models, all different sizes, with drastically different body shapes. 


Something amazing happened. These Jag jeans fit each beautiful individual that was there.
It was an extraordinary moment. Together, in front of the camera of the very talented Adam Moser and his fantastic assistant and wife, Kim, the Sisterhood of the Traveling Jags was formed. We had a size 0, to a size 16. And since age only matters if you’re cheese, wine or scotch, shall I say we’re all ‘twenty-somethings’ with a fruit bowl of different shapes, BUT all of us were wearing (and lovin’) our Jag jeans. 

So bring your best friends to Yoke x Hem and create your own Sisterhood of the Travelling Jags. I promise you will all love yourselves for it.
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Yoke X Hem Story

11/29/2018

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Hi, I’m Katie, and I am the proud owner of Yoke X Hem. My business has a story, like any business, and I want to share it with you.

YXH (Medicine Hat) is my home, it’s where my parents chose to raise me and where I was determined to stay. Medicine Hat is a community that makes me feel good. It’s comfort. It’s familiar. It’s supportive. It’s YXH - so that’s where I start to explain where our new name came from.

Our business has been known as Labels for Women for years. This year I sat down and thought about who we were and what I wanted us to represent. I wanted us to focus on making people feel amazing. I wanted to represent and support our community. I wanted us to get back to the necessary basics of customer service that goes above and beyond.

The original name, Labels For Women, didn’t accurately portray our message today. It wasn’t wrong, but it was no longer right. To ‘label’ means to attach a label to something, or to assign to a category, often inaccurately or restrictively. At Yoke X Hem we pride ourselves in our selections by carrying sizes 2-18, XS-XXL, in everything we sell. All ages and all sizes are welcome in our store. We want to see you, to help you, to show you how something CAN be made for you. We do not label.

I love making people feel good with the way they see themselves. I work closely with a local tailor and seamstress who have years of experience. I myself have years of experience working in the fashion industry, as a stylist, buyer and now the proprietor of my vision, Yoke X Hem. It’s my job to help my clients discover themselves by showing them a new perspective, by colouring outside the lines and pushing their boundaries to find that perfect look and fit for every age, shape and size.

So when you have to size up on the bottom half, we Yoke the waist. If a top is almost perfect but needs to be shortened for your petite build, we’ll Hem it. Now that piece you love is made just for you and made for you at Yoke X Hem.
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    Author

    Katie Peckham is the proud owner of
    ​Yoke X Hem.

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We Would Love to Have You Visit Yoke X Hem!
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Shop YXH | Downtown Medicine Hat | 629 3 Street SE 


Hours

Tues - Sat:
11am - 5pm

Telephone

403-527-6264

Email

hello@yokebyhem.ca
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