By Mary Beth Hislop

For any new mom in the Bay Area trying to shuck maternity wear to create a new look that stylishly meshes with a new lifestyle, self-described “fashion fairy-godmother” Corinne Phipps will overhaul the wardrobe and outfit her Cinderella – no pumpkins involved.

As founder and lead stylist of Urban Darling, Phipps offers wardrobe assessment and style-consultation services for men and women.

In April Phipps launched “Urban Mommy Overhaul,” a program targeting new moms who don’t want to wait for Mother’s Day to be pampered.

“They have this new post-baby body and they’re not quite sure what to do with it,” Phipps said of many young mothers.

While many may opt for the gym, Phipps said moms don’t have to wait for the results of exercise to feel good about themselves.

“Let’s let you love your body now – in this moment,” she said.

With a background in art and English, experience in corporate America and a friendly personality, Phipps said she established Urban Darling in 2006 because she intuitively knows what looks good on people, whether someone works inside or outside the home.

Every consultation begins with a minicloset audit in which clothes are sorted for keeping, altering or donating. Phipps said 60 percent of the clothing is usually destined for donation because the items don’t fit or don’t suit a client’s lifestyle or inspire the wearer any longer.

One client, identified as Lisa H., was dreading going through her closet.

“She helped me through what could have been a traumatic thing,” Lisa said, “going through stuff and letting it go. It was easy. I have not even been tempted to look at what I decided not to keep.”

Phipps sees it all. Worn T-shirts and sweat suits, stained clothing and jeans stored in the back of closets for that one day when they just might fit again are all added to the multiplying mound for discard.

“With jeans – they’re very, very frustrated,” Phipps said of her clients.

With her intuition and a keen knack for knowing which shapes, styles and colors complement a body type, Phipps hits the stores with her client – she searches the racks while mom tries on the clothes. Phipps honestly assesses the new look, offers advice and hits the racks again.

Because toddlers generally come with sticky hands, Phipps said all new clothing must be machine washable and wrinkle-free.

“The kind of styling I do is literally for the everyday woman,” she said.

Moreover, timing for a makeover couldn’t be better. Despite rising prices for food and energy, clothing costs fell 4.7 percent in the first three months of 2008, according to data from the Consumer Price Index. Except for a modest increase of 0.9 percent in 2006, the annually adjusted prices for apparel have declined since 2001.

For Phipps’ clients who spend an average of $1,200 to overhaul their wardrobes, those numbers weigh well on pocketbooks that spent 5.1 percent more at a supermarket to feed the family in this year’s first quarter.

“Despite the soft economy, men and women are willing to spend money on wardrobes to look good,” Phipps said.

For Lisa, satisfaction came with the reaction.

“My husband loved my clothes,” she said.

Phipps generally charges $85 an hour for wardrobe-consulting services, but a $450 investment in Urban Mommy Overhaul buys a six-hour makeover, one to two hours sorting the closet and the remainder time spent shopping – a $75-per-hour rate.

Phipps said mommy-clients could split that time between two days if there is a child care or other issue.

“But we are kid-friendly,” Phipps said. “Kids can be present.”

And Phipps guarantees every woman will go home from the shopping trip with a new pair of jeans that fit.

“She is such a bubbling fountain of good, positive energy,” Lisa said of Phipps.

With clients as far north as Oakland and San Francisco, as far south as Monterey and Los Altos in between, Phipps said business is booming for Urban Darling. She recently hired Stefanie Torres, a wardrobe consultant.

“She is just as brilliant at styling as I am,” Phipps said.

Phipps expects to hire a team of three or more stylists by the end of summer to accommodate her expanding business and the different types of clients her consultation services are attracting.

“I really found my calling – helping women find their inner beauty – even if it’s through clothing,” she said.

For more information, call (408) 332-3655 or visit www.urbandarling.com.

Contact Mary Beth Hislop at marybethh@latc.com.