“Let’s free you of that one —– that will make someone else very happy,” Taylor Couch says to me, holding a beachy button down shirt I’d owned for years. She was digging through my closet as part of a closet edit — a service offered by her personal styling service, Style for Good PGH, which is out to revolutionize how we think about fashion.
The Pittsburgh-based company is dedicated to reducing fast fashion and promoting sustainable, ethical style that supports mental well-being. Founded in 2021 by Couch, lead stylist, and Sarah Daxton, who manages operations, Style for Good helps clients rethink their style habits through repurposing clothes or utilizing the abundant supply of pre-loved clothing in Pittsburgh.
The organization’s inclusive services cater to Pittsburghers of all backgrounds, budgets, and gender identities, with an emphasis on helping people often excluded from mainstream fashion. Using a unique “pay what feels good” pricing model, clients pay any amount that aligns with their personal needs.
Since its inception, Style for Good has served about 30 clients through style consultations, closet edits, thrift shopping trips, organizing, and “shop your closet” sessions to revamp existing wardrobes. They have supported hundreds more individuals through pop-up markets, secondhand swaps, speaking engagements, and workshops.
“We mean [Style for Good] in every way you can think of,” Couch tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “We want to be corrective in the world of style. So … style that is sustainable for our clients … how we can pick pieces that really work for you, forever, for good. And also, with that mental health side, it’s to make you feel better and make your life a little bit better.”
The emphasis on mental health is personal for both Couch and Daxton. Couch grew up with the maxim, “If you feel bad, look good,” highlighting the power of dressing to uplift your mood. Similarly, Daxton, who deals with depression, says that even small, sustainable movements, like changing from one pair of sweatpants to another pair on a tough day, can significantly impact how we feel.
“We don’t anticipate that the right sweater will cure your depression,” Couch says. “But we know that style is a tool in what should be a very diverse toolbox of support for whatever your needs are.”
Recognizing that many people feel pressured to fit into clothes rather than find clothes that fit them, Couch and Daxton emphasize that fashion isn’t one size fits all; it can be a utility, an art, and a form of self-expression. By challenging the notion that fashion is a luxury, they believe more people can become empowered to find their unique styles.
“Everyone should feel good in their body and what they choose to wear, and that’s really the driving component for us,” Daxton tells City Paper.
Couch says that the pair takes particular pride in offering self- and gender-affirming styling services.
“One of our first big affirming style clients was a mother seeking styling services for her daughter who was transitioning,” says Couch. “It’s so exciting to help someone build their first transition wardrobe — it’s one of the greatest honors.”
Couch and Daxton first met in graduate school. As their instant friendship blossomed, the idea of starting a business together took root.
“After the pandemic, we both needed to find new jobs and landed in fast fashion,” says Couch. “We were really seeing firsthand the struggles of both our customers and us as people working in it — seeing the impact environmentally so much more clearly by the sheer volume of clothes we were interacting with.”
Their shared frustration prompted action. “It really kind of kicked us into high gear,” says Couch.
For those hesitant to take the first step toward a more mindful approach to fashion, Daxton offers simple advice: “Think about how you want to feel. It’s not so much about the clothes, but it’s about the feeling in your body and your mind. What do you want to emit to the world, and to yourself?”
The organization’s message resonated with me personally when I first met Couch and Daxton at a Prototype PGH “cozy clothing swap” event, where attendees traded unwanted garbs and accessories for new-to-them pieces.
Having struggled to define my personal style for the better part of my 20s, I signed up for a free consultation with Couch. Our conversation delved deep: Couch asked questions like who I wanted to be when I put my clothes on, what a joyful wardrobe looks like, and how I wanted my clothing to make me feel.
After purging my closet dozens of times on my own through the years only to feel overwhelmed and depleted, I took the next step and booked a closet edit — a signature Style for Good service where Couch revamped my closet with me. Piece by piece, Couch helped me think differently about the process of letting go. It wasn’t about achieving a perfectly coordinated closet, but about lifting the weight of excess to make space for what would empower me to be my most authentic and comfortable self.
Working with Style for Good allowed me to reimagine my fashion identity and get closer to a pared-down wardrobe that fits just right. With Style for Good, it's not just about clothes; it's about looking good, feeling good, for good.
