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How Cindy Chou Turned a Passion for Fashion into a Career

Writer, stylist, photographer and creative director Cindy Chou knows that when you can make a career out of a hobby, work will always be fun. Cindy makes a living doing what she loves best: styling photos shoots, organizing events, curating, and writing about fashion.

It all started in the seventh grade, when Cindy and her classmates were assigned to write about their ideal jobs. “I’ve always been a writer, ever since elementary school,” she says. “And I always liked to be dressed up. What kid doesn’t like to dress up?”

Putting her two passions together, she realized what she really wanted to be was a magazine editor. This was at a moment when the media landscape was evolving, and fashion blogs were just beginning to take off. Cindy didn’t waste a second. At the young age of 15, she started her own fashion blog: Styleologie.

Styleologie is a showcase for her work—a place to share her photographs and outfits. It’s also a how-to guide for high fashion on a budget. Growing up, Cindy recalls hours spent trying to recreate runway looks from the pages of her favorite magazines. Of course, as a full-time student with no job nor allowance, those runway looks were well out of reach.

So she found ways of recreating the styles she liked for less. Cindy often writes posts that point readers towards clothes and accessories that look the part but won’t break the bank.

“I wanted to help others find accessible ways to be high-fashion without the price tag,” she says. “It’s all about knowing where to go, what to buy.”

Cindy describes her personal style as minimalist and chic, with an edge. She doesn’t plan her outfits in advance—instead she puts her ensembles together each morning.

“For me, it’s all about what I feel in the moment,” she says. “It’s about letting it flow and what feels natural.”

For Cindy, a “Made It Moment” isn’t just finding the perfect outfit—it’s also anytime she inspires her readers to think about their own lives and passions differently.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of this job is being able to help somebody,” she says. She writes about her own life experiences on Styleologie as a way to uplift others. “I want to shed light on the fact that as beautiful as the digital world can be, it pushes everyone to be more ‘perfect’ than the next person—which can be harmful to the mind, body and soul.” she says.

Cindy tries to touch upon life subjects as much as she can, saying the most rewarding part of the job is when someone tells her that those words were exactly what they needed to hear.

Cindy has come a long way since she began Styleologie, but there is always more to do.

“In my eyes success isn’t really a monetary value,” she says. “It’s having the freedom to be who you are and do what you want to do.”

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