A Sisterhood of Style

Three sisters built Poema Clothiers around the belief that style should feel personal.

By Caitlyn Burrus | Photography by Lauren Duesing

There is something wonderfully intimate about getting dressed. Before the meetings, celebrations, errands, vacations, and big moments of the day begin, there is the closet and the familiar question of what to pull from it. For sisters Elson, Bradford, and Frances Stewart, that daily ritual became the inspiration for Poema Clothiers, a personal styling company built around a simple idea: the right clothes should not make you feel like someone else. They should make you feel more like yourself, reflecting their shared belief that style is about authenticity and confidence.

Style was part of the sisters’ relationship long before it became their work. Elson, Bradford, and Frances have always been comfortable weighing in on one another’s outfits, whether that meant an honest opinion or a quick suggestion before heading out the door. They know each other’s tastes well, but they also see things differently, which has become one of their strengths as stylists. Those everyday exchanges eventually led to Poema, where they now bring that same mix of instinct, honesty, and perspective to their clients.

“Poema was born from something we all shared long before we shared a business: a love of style and a belief that getting dressed can change the way you move through the world,” Elson says.

The business began in 2023 after the sisters were asked to style a family friend for sorority recruitment. A few outfits turned into social media posts, word-of-mouth, and more clients. Before long, they realized they were doing something much bigger than helping women find clothes. They were helping women navigate new seasons of life, rethink their wardrobes, and feel more confident in the process. Today, the sisters work with clients across the country, blending personal styling with a distinctly sisterly point of view.

That sisterhood is not only the charming story behind the brand, it is also part of what makes Poema work. “Being sisters gives us a very unique advantage in the styling industry because we each have a unique perspective to offer our clients,” Bradford says. “Having three of us makes our aesthetic richer and more textured. There are more layers to our styling because each of us touches the final product.”

Elson brings her marketing background to Poema, helping shape everything from affiliate marketing strategy to the website and Substack. Bradford is especially attuned to the client experience and has played a major role in growing the brand on TikTok and Instagram. Frances has a natural eye for sourcing, along with a creative instinct that comes through in photoshoots and collaborations. Their combined expertise aims to make clients feel confident that they are in capable hands, with a style that truly reflects their personality.

Of course, working with your sisters is not without its moments. “People often ask us if we ever fight, and the answer is yes, absolutely!” Frances says. “Healthy conflict is part of owning and operating a business together.” They have learned to give each other room, separate business disagreements from family relationships, and, perhaps most importantly, make time just to be sisters.

That same warmth carries into the client experience. Poema aims to recreate the feeling of those college days at Ole Miss, when a friend could run down the hallway, hold up an outfit, and ask for an opinion, knowing they would be met with no judgment. “When a client books us, we want them to feel like they are part of the sisterhood,” Bradford says. “We want our clients to feel like when they text us, they’re running down the hallways of the hypothetical Poema sorority house to ask us questions.”

The work can become surprisingly personal. Styling means learning about a woman’s lifestyle, insecurities, preferences, routines, body, and the moments when she most wants to feel like herself. The sisters sometimes describe their role as one-third stylist, one-third personal shopper, and one-third therapist. The last third may be the most important.

At Poema, the first question is not necessarily, “What do you want to wear?” It is, “How do you want to feel?”

That distinction gets to the heart of the sisters’ mission: increasing women’s confidence. The name Poema comes from the Greek word poiema, meaning artistry, masterpiece, or handiwork. Inspired by Ephesians 2:10, the sisters were drawn to the idea that every woman is uniquely made, with her own character and purpose. In their philosophy, clothing can be a small but meaningful way to step into those qualities.

“Peace, joy, kindness, courage, and comfort can all be tapped into through color, style, and texture, and choosing to view getting dressed as an act of self-care,” Elson says.

It is a refreshing perspective in a fashion landscape that can make getting dressed feel like a constant exercise in keeping up. Instead of asking women to become trendier, Poema asks them to become more self-observant. A woman heading into an important C-suite presentation may want to feel powerful and protected, so she reaches for a structured blazer and heels. Another client may need something soft and comfortable after a difficult week. A bride may be navigating difficult family dynamics as she prepares for one of the most important days of her life, while a new mother may be rediscovering her identity and style as she adjusts to a changing body. The clothes change, but the question remains the same.

“It’s a shift from waking up and saying, ‘What do I wear?’ to ‘How do I want to feel today and what outfit can evoke those feelings?’” Elson says.

That approach also means Poema does not assume a client needs to be rescued from a “bad” sense of style. Their clientele is fairly evenly divided between women who are still discovering their personal style and women who already have great taste but do not have the time to bring it all together. Think of it as an interior designer for your closet.

The process begins online with a consultation that typically lasts 45 minutes to an hour. The sisters go far beyond favorite brands, asking about colors, fabrics, silhouettes, heel heights, necklines, sensory preferences, lifestyle, and the pieces a client reaches for again and again. “We get very granular with our clients to try and discover what makes their style truly theirs,” Bradford says.

From there, the sisters source pieces based on the client’s coloring, body type, lifestyle, taste, and goals, then create a digital lookbook where the selections can be viewed and purchased. The experience becomes especially transformative through Poema’s closet service.

Approximately 60 percent of bookings begin with the company’s more comprehensive Closet Curation service, which allows the sisters to first take stock of what a client already owns. They visit the client’s home for roughly three to four hours, sorting through the wardrobe and identifying the pieces that work, the pieces that are neglected, and those that may be ready for a new home. Poema even assists with selling unwanted pieces, allowing clients to receive a percentage of the profit.

Then they get to work. Using what is already in the closet, the sisters can build 50 to 100 looks and document them in a digital lookbook. If an outfit would benefit from a new shoe, jacket, handbag, or other finishing piece, they can digitally add those items so the client can see exactly how a purchase would work within the wardrobe. Clients can also participate in virtual fittings and try-ons through Zoom, creating an experience that continues beyond the initial styling appointment.

The goal is not a bigger closet. It is a better one.

“The pieces we source—these are the ones that are going to extend the life of your wardrobe,” Frances says.

In the process, a closet becomes less of an overwhelming collection of clothes and more of a personal library, full of possibilities. It is also a philosophy that challenges the idea that great style requires constant shopping. While Instagram and TikTok have been instrumental in Poema’s growth, the sisters are careful not to let the internet decide what personal style should look like. They encourage clients to experiment with trends at more accessible retailers before making bigger investments, while grounding their wardrobes in natural fibers, classic silhouettes, enduring colors, accessories, and texture.

“Finding your personal style is really so much about slowing down and paying attention to what gives you butterflies,” Bradford says.

For Poema, that might mean styling a mother, a bride, a woman preparing for a major career moment, or someone simply ready to see her closet differently. The sisters have even styled men for weddings and wardrobe rebuilds. Their own family is involved, too, with their mother, Monica, offering input on select projects and their father, Carter, helping launch the business with the initial investment used to establish the LLC. Besides that support, the sisters have been self-funded.

Now, the sisters are looking toward new services, an increasingly bespoke client experience, and the hope of eventually launching their own clothing line and a chic studio where clients can come in for fittings. Still, the heart of Poema remains beautifully uncomplicated: three sisters, a shared love of fashion, and a belief that confidence is always in style.

“We are stronger together, and I don’t think any of us could imagine doing this alone,” Bradford says.

In a world filled with algorithms telling women what to buy, what to wear, and who to become, the sisters offer something that is far more personal: pause, pay attention, and figure out what feels like you. “There is no faster way to comparison than social media,” Frances says. “At the end of the day, you should wear what you love and what makes you feel good.”

Sometimes, the pieces that matter most are the ones that have been there all along. The dress you reach for without hesitation, the jacket that changes your posture, the shoes that make you feel ready for whatever comes next. Style, at its best, is not about becoming someone new. It is about recognizing yourself and having a closet that reflects the woman you already are.

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To book your styling appointment, visit PoemaClothiers.com or email the sisters at sisters@poemaclothiers.com. To follow them on social media, visit @styledbypoema on Instagram, @poemaclothiers on TikTok, and find them on Substack.