Change your clothes:change your life. With Celebrity Stylist George Brescia

This week host Amy J. sits down live with celebrity stylist George Brescia. They dive deep into the power of fashion at any price point to build confidence and a sense of your true personal style. 

George Brescia, the dynamic style expert, and author of “Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life Because You Can’t Go Naked!” has become a transformative figure in the world of fashion, redefining how we look at clothing and self-expression. A familiar face on NBC’s TODAY SHOW, Extra, and The Sherri Shepherd Show, George’s engaging presence and expert fashion commentary have made him a trusted voice in the industry. He’s a red carpet regular, offering style insights on CBS, ABC, and FOX. As Playbill.com’s “Best Dressed” columnist, George has covered the Tony Awards and Broadway’s most glamorous events, from opening nights to dazzling galas.

Beyond the camera and the stage lights, George’s impact is felt in more personal and transformative ways. His award-winning web series DRESS-UP features his one-on-one work with Broadway’s top stars, preparing them for their biggest nights and ensuring their confidence matches their outfits. Traveling across the country, George shares his fashion expertise through guest lectures, special events, and appearances on regional television, all while focusing on personal styling and current trends. His reach extends to NPR’s Marketplace, where he’s been featured discussing fashion’s real-life impact.

George’s influence goes even further as the brand ambassador for Christie Brinkley’s line at HSN, Twr Hill, and his five-year role as a beloved brand ambassador for LOGO by Lori Goldstein on QVC. His experience is vast, with over twenty-five years working alongside fashion legends like Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, and Tommy Hilfiger, as well as partnering with the fashion directors at Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman, and Lord & Taylor.

But George isn’t just a fashion insider for the elite. His NYC-based styling career has empowered everyone, from A-list celebrities to everyday people looking to transform their appearance and build confidence. His philosophy is simple yet profound: fashion is so much more than what we wear—it’s about how we feel. Every item of clothing tells a story about who we are and has the potential to enhance our brilliance. George passionately says, “Your clothing has the potential to change your life.”

He can be contacted at GeorgeBStyleNY@gmail.com

IG:@gerogebrescia

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Spotlight

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to the Creating Victory Podcast, on a mission to inspire you to create victory in any moment. This week, Amy J sits down in person with celebrity stylist and fashion expert George Brescia. George brings a lifetime of insight and experience to the power of fashion. He is a regular on the Tony's Red Carpet and works with anyone interested in the wardrobe makeover. He's also the author of the acclaimed book, Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life, because you can't go naked. Amy and George discuss fashion's impact at any price point to build confidence and create a sense of personal power and joy. Because how we dress is truly a reflection of how we feel.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

Hi friends! Welcome back to the Creating Victory Podcast. And I'm so excited because today we are live for the first time. I'm your host, Amy J. Thank you for listening, downloading, subscribing, sharing, because we're on a mission to inspire the world to create victory in any moment. And for our first live interview, which I'm so excited about, we have my good friend George Brescia, who is an internationally acclaimed style expert, author of the book Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life because you can't go naked. Guys, he has worked with everyone. He's been on the Today Show, Fox News, ABC, Playbill.com. He's done red carpets for the Tonies, style experts, partnered with Bergdorfs, Bloomingdales, Ralph Loren, Donakarin, Tommy Hilfiger. I could go on and on and on. He also is brand ambassador for both QVC and the shopping, home shopping network.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Home shopping network for yes, for Christy Brinkley.

SPEAKER_02 1:52

For Christy Brinkley, and we're so excited to have oh, and he's my this is George. So he's my personal stylist because we know the clothes say everything. It's not only fashion, it's your life, it's art, it's how you feel. So George, thank you for taking some time out of your super busy schedule.

SPEAKER_01 2:16

Never too busy for you. Never too busy for you.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

So how did you get into fashion?

SPEAKER_01 2:21

How did I get into fashion? Well, you know what? My mom had a clothing store when I was growing up.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

Oh my gosh, I didn't know.

SPEAKER_01 2:27

In West Hartford, Connecticut. Yes, she did. And so I don't know, I always just took a liking to clothing, to watch people, see what they were wearing, looking at magazines. I was, it just really stimulated me from a young age. And sometimes I would go into New York with my mother and go on buying trips. It was really fun. Wow. So I just started really getting a passion for it and just was into clothing myself. So my own wardrobe was quite extensive from a young age. And my parents were very generous, so that was very helpful. And I started working at Ralph Lauren right after college. What did you do for I was a salesperson uh for Ralph Lauren in Connecticut, and then I moved to Long Island. They had a store in Manhasset at the Miracle Mile in Manhasset, and I worked there. And then I went from there to the flagship store on 72nd Street. Oh wow. Uh I was a salesperson there, and then I went into corporate and I started traveling all the polo stores across the country, and I was the liaison between design and retail. And I was doing all the special events, all the trunk shows. I was also doing like all these in-house videos, teaching everybody about the line each season and how to merchandise it. And then traveling the country and doing the events, but also teaching the staffs how to take the clothing and present it in the stores and also motivating them and inspiring them with meetings and uh different games that we would play like in the morning. It was so fun. And then just started working with customers and you know, in in all different parts of the country, and it was really fun. And then I went from there to Tommy Hilfiger on the other side. I was at Ralph Lauren for a long time, over 10 years. And I went to Tommy and I was vice president of creative services for all of the women's divisions. Oh, wow. Doing the showrooms, designing them, and also doing the advertising, picking all the looks for all the catalogs for all the different uh vendors. And then I left there and started working with Donna Karen.

SPEAKER_02 4:22

Just a few small fashion icons.

SPEAKER_01 4:25

You know, it was great. And I started doing their showrooms for DK and Y jeans, men's and women's. And that's when I started doing HSN because I started doing the home shopping network for Donna Karen, and it was really fun. And then I left Donna and I kind of went out on my own. That's when I started doing television, that's when I started writing my book, that's when I started working with the Broadway community and getting heavily involved into that. And you know, it's just been this career of I have some famous people that I dress between New York and Los Angeles. And then I have, you know, CEOs of companies, I have women like yourself, you know, I have all different kinds of women that I dress. And so I travel the country, I do events in stores, I work with my clients, I'm on television. It's great. I love it.

Styling People For Real Life

SPEAKER_02 5:11

I didn't know that about all the back-end work for such big companies and what a benefit to get to see all levels of the industry from word go. Yeah. That gives you such an expansive view. It does. I know that you've talked about you work with a lot of elite people and red carpet and the Tonies, but also the everyday people, especially in this day and age, coming out of COVID. I know I was in a crisis because I needed clothes for a new venture. And the how help, like, how do you work with people that help them build up to where they want to go? Because the clothes make such like, yeah, such a difference.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

Well, it's so interesting that you say that. How do I work with people and sort of take them where they want to go?

SPEAKER_02 6:01

Because it's overwhelming. I was overwhelmed, and you're like, don't worry about it, just show up.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Yes. And the thing is, that's what I do. I mean, here's the thing. I mean, I want to know where you've been, but I will take you where you want to go. And that's how I do it. And I treat everybody the same, whether they're famous or whether they're not famous. It doesn't matter because we're all human. We all want to be seen, we all want to feel heard, we all want to know that we matter. We want to feel that we are enough. And I understand that, men and women. And so that's how I work with people. And I just kind of find out about them. What is your life? Where do you go? What do you do? Who do you see? What do you do for a living? How do you spend your weekends? What do you do for travel? Do you work out? Look, so I'm not just throwing clothes at people that have nothing to do with them. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 6:47

Never gonna wear the thing.

SPEAKER_01 6:49

Exactly. I want to make sure that, you know, like the clothing that I'm giving them really suits all the different parts of their life. And so in order to do that, you have to find out about somebody. And so, you know, I mean, and I don't, you know, it's not like a heavy process necessarily, but you know, sometimes it can be emotional, depends on where the person's been and what's been happening in their lives. I've seen it all, I have to say. I mean, or rather, I've seen a lot. So I just really kind of meet people where they are and then take them to where they want to go. Like I said, and it just for me, it's really about that connection and giving them the clothing that's just gonna make them feel confident and wonderful.

SPEAKER_02 7:30

I know for me, I went to a well-known department store thinking, oh, I can do this on my own, I need a suit, and I left crying and I called towards on a Friday night. It's we had met before the pandemic, and I kept his keep his number, find him, we'll give you his contact. And immediately the guesswork was out of it. Well, I was a little afraid because it's uncomfortable getting out of your regular routine.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

You took the guesswork out because you knocked it out the park, but there's no pressure if something didn't fit or something did work. That was okay, we'll pass on to next, and wham bam, dumbed in an afternoon. It was kind of an amazing process.

SPEAKER_01 8:16

Well, I'm so glad you think so. I mean, you know, the thing is that it is overwhelming, right? It can be overwhelming. There's so many clothes out there, there's so many options. We know how to get very dressed up and we know how to, you know, be very casual. What's all the in-between? You know, what shirts, what jackets, a jean? Is it a wide leg? Is it a straight leg? Is it a high waisted? Is it a mid-rise? You know what I mean? Is it a suede jacket? Is it a leather jacket? Is it a jean jacket? You know, like how do I layer? You know, and then you even take like the little black dress. Well, is it a flowy dress? Is it a tight dress? Is it a knee length? Is it a maxi? Is it, I mean, there's just so many. So if I take that and I kind of weave through everything for everybody, and I give you like a specific point of view, you know, through my eyes, but it's a partnership, as you know. It's a partnership between me and whoever I'm working with, and we do it together. I give them, as you know, you know, the material to start with, and then we kind of go through and find our way together. And I think once you do that, you develop a style. I also really like to know what's in someone's closet before I work with them. Because I think it's like ground zero, you know, because it tells me, oh, this is what they've been doing. So I know that, you know, I'm not gonna take them. I really just turn the dial three degrees to the left or three degrees to the right. I really don't, as you know, go to extreme. Turn it so far that you're like, oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 9:36

I'm never gonna wear this.

The Be Attract Live Method

SPEAKER_01 9:37

What is this, you know? And I also think that, like, you know, fashion should be fun. Your clothes should make you feel good. Your closet, you should open your closet and feel like, ugh, great, what am I gonna wear today? What's going on? What do I wanna say? What do I want to do? I really have broken it down into three words. It's like, if you say this every morning and look at each piece of your clothing and you think about these three words, your life will change for sure. And it's be, attract, and live. Okay, so you get up in the morning and you say, Okay, who do I want to be today? Who do I want to be? Or what do I want to be today? And then you say, Who or what do I want to attract today? What do I want to attract? Do I want to attract wealth? Do I want to attract love? Do I want to attract power? Do I want to attract whatever it is you want to attract? And then once you've answered those two questions and you've put it on, go and live. Live it. Live that. And you won't believe the day that you will have.

SPEAKER_02 10:36

And it's so true. And I especially in this, we've been seeing it for some time now, but especially post-COVID, there seems to be less thought or care. We see it, and I fall into it too. I'll just throw on my sweats and my hoodie. And so it's also a little bit of willingness to break out of the comfort zone. I hadn't been recently, and I was like, I'm gonna wear my torch leather jacket and my white jeans. And honestly, I was and I had was saying to myself, just be uncomfortable, like who cares? And as we start to move into that new being, it becomes more who we are. So it's also an opportunity to raise your game up.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

Like it is an opportunity to raise your game.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

And my friend said, Oh my god, you're welcome. I was like, it's George.

SPEAKER_01 11:29

It's not me, but it isn't, it really isn't me. And it's so funny if you listen to Amy talk at my George jacket, and it's not me, it's George. No, it isn't me. It's you're the one that's wearing it. And you know what I'm saying? You, I helped you with the clothing, but I'm not wearing it. I'm not going to the event, you are. It's like you have to own that. And I think that a lot of women are so hesitant to own it. And the other thing is, I think that people get into it's like quick pace. I'm just gonna grab, I'm just gonna go, no one's gonna see me. But the thing is this when you think about it, we do see you, and your clothing speaks. And so if you're just going to walk the dog or you're just going to the store to get something, and then you bump into a prospective client or an old boyfriend or that person that always looks amazing and you're like, oh my god. And I then you start apologizing for yourself. But when you have the cute jeans that fit you really great, the t-shirt in the color that looks great on you, and even if you're just wearing like a hoodie, but it like fits you really well and it's a fabulous color, but you look great and you look pulled together. You're casual, but you look great, as opposed to just grabbing things and not even thinking about it. You know, so it's just like it's just training your mind to do that. And some people do it instinctively and some people don't. I definitely do. Like, I'm crazy. Like, if I'm in the house just lounging around, I'm cognizant of what I'm putting on. I'm putting on, like, if they're gonna be sweatpants, they're the cute sweatpants and the great shirt that goes with, and maybe like I'll just throw on like a cardigan, like, but it all is put together because it makes me feel better, even though I'm home and no one's seeing me. It's like you learn that clothing affects the way that you feel. So whether you're lounging at home, whether you're going for a walk just for an evening walk, whether you're grabbing a cup of coffee, whatever you're doing, if you start paying attention, just giving it attention, that's all you really need to do. It's not that big of a deal. It really isn't. It's just being present to it and giving it attention.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

Well, and I know you say all the time how you feel. And look, inside is gonna reflect outside. So I know in my case, and probably a lot of women, it's a currency, take that step. They're not George clothes, but they're definitely things I would never have taken off the rack, which is where your genius comes in. And then kind of having the vols to step out and be in that. And I did feel like, okay, okay, witches, here we go tonight.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

Isn't that great? So you felt more confident. Yeah, and that's what I can offer. I offer objectivity and I can offer, you know, just like a collaboration. And once you start doing it more and more, you're gonna find that it's really gonna change the way that you feel, change the way that people see you. And just it just it's amazing. I mean, I have clients that, you know, they call me all the time. I'm going to this event, what do I wear? I'm going to that. And that's fine with me. And I do, and then they call me the next day. Oh my God, I got so many compliments. Because it's just taking that extra couple of minutes to, you know, what do I want to say?

SPEAKER_02 14:32

Yes. I got a lot of reaction when I have that outfit on. And I thought, no to self, let's do this more. And now I want to create more places and opportunities, and even when I'm going out for coffee, because it does, you know, especially if you work at home, it's so easy to fall into that.

SPEAKER_01 14:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:54

I was never a stay in the pajamas kind of girl, but my sweats and my extra large hoodie, and I'm fine seat, nothing, you know, I'm size what we zero for.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

So just having that effort does really do feel better.

Great Style At Any Budget

SPEAKER_02 15:12

Like you're actually working instead of lounging at home. And so I also know that you talk about, you know, you've worked with so a lot of celebrity and a lot of big events. You are as a presenter for a lot of red carpet, but also through the home shopping networks. Yeah. Because a lot of times people will say, Well, I can't afford there's always a reason. So you're now in a position where people can afford and kind of have access to your without having to spend inordinate amounts of money, even.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

You know what? It doesn't have to be expensive at all. Clothing doesn't have to be expensive at all. It really doesn't. There's so many different price points out there. There's so many different, you know, avenues to take. Whether you're ordering something off of Amazon, if you want to shop at Target, if you want to go to HM or Zara or Express, or if you want to, you know, even Macy's has really good, you know, they're Macy's 70% off everything all the time. Yeah, there's some such great sales and coupons and all kinds of things. And you can be really clever. You can go thrifting, you can go into a vintage store and really have a time of it, you know, and just and that's a huge trend right now. So I say to people, I'm not your banker, you're your banker. So you know where to spend your money. But the home shopping network, of course, and QVC, incredibly affordable. Christy Brinkley, the line that I represent on the home shopping network, is fabulous and so affordable. And everybody, you know, from like extra small all the way to 3x. So everybody gets to play.

SPEAKER_02 16:49

Everybody's included. Yeah, it's a beautiful thing about this moment in time because I know I had an ape disorder, and back in the day, you know, you had to look like Twiggy. And now we've figured out that everyone is able to avail and to look amazing.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

Everybody wants to look good, and everybody, any height, any weight, any size, any body type. Absolutely. I mean, you know, and the thing is like, I mean, here we are in New York City, right? By the way, we're at the Archer Hotel right now, which is my favorite place on 38th Street, and this place is fabulous. I stay here all the time, and they have a roof deck bar, which is amazing. So come to the Archer, you'll love it.

SPEAKER_02 17:26

If you want to take me out for a date, I'm available.

SPEAKER_01 17:28

Yes, exactly. Amy will oblige. But you know, you even here you see people in all different kinds of, you know, outfits and all different shapes and sizes. And the reason I wrote my book, Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life, because your clothes can change your life by how you feel and what you attract. And at the same time, the subtitle is Because You Can't Go Naked, Because You Can't. And people say, Well, I can go to a nude beach. Okay, but you can go to a nude beach for a couple of hours, but you can't run around the streets. Required by law to wear clothing. So I'm just saying you're wearing something, you might as well pick the thing that's gonna make you look great. What's the difference? You know, I never understand that. Like, you can have on a t-shirt and jeans, you can have on sweatpants, you can have the most casual thing, but why not have it be the one that makes you look fabulous? And they're out there, you just have to figure it out.

SPEAKER_02 18:20

Put some energy and effort, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

Because you have to do it anyway. You know what I mean? It's so true. People are just like, oh, I'm not into clothes, I'm not into fashion. Well, you're dressing, you're wearing something. So why not have it be the thing that makes you feel and look great? Whether it's khakis or jeans or shorts or you know, whatever it is. That's what I think.

Final Advice And Where To Find George

SPEAKER_02 18:45

George, you're amazing. You're amazing. You're fabulous. I'm so glad that I kept his because we'd met a long time ago. A long time ago in a boutique in New York, and I'm always talking to people, and he said, Oh, I'm a stylist. I said, Oh, I need to call you, I need help. And then lo and behold, like 15 years later, I called him in a panic, and he fixed it in a minute. So it is an amazing journey for me, and I'm sure for a lot of women to step into not a new person, but the person who they are and the person that maybe they want to become. You get to be with you, you know, and the clothes do make a difference. If I had gone to this event in the hoodie and sweats, I would not have felt the same as in the it's not George's jacket, but George picked it out, and I never would have pulled it off the rack. And I put it on, I was like, I was a little uncomfortable, but I thought, all right, self, that's okay. We're never gonna get anywhere being comfortable, so just step it out and see how it goes. And it was a little experiment and it was amazing. So, do you have any perfect parting inspirations for our friends out there in the victory land?

SPEAKER_01 20:00

I would say it's a victory when you put something on and you feel great and you feel different, and you take the time for yourself each day. And you know, fashion should be fun, and it is fun, and clothing is fun, and don't take it seriously and just have fun with it and realize that you know you are enough. You're enough, and whatever you do is gonna be great. And just take a little bit of time to just figure out what do I want to say today? Ask yourself those questions, be attract, and live. You'll see a difference.

SPEAKER_02 20:31

I love that. Where can we find you?

SPEAKER_01 20:34

My name, my all my social media is George Brusha. So that's my website, georgebresha.com. I'm George Brusha on Instagram, GeorgeBresha on Facebook, and George Brusha on TikTok.

SPEAKER_02 20:43

We'll have it in the notes. George, thank you for being our first live interview in person. Oh my gosh. Oh, great. And thank you guys for listening, downloading, sharing, subscribing, and we'll be back at the Creating Victory podcast.

SPEAKER_01 21:03

Bye.

unknown 21:03

Bye.