Meet Aluma Tirosh of Best-T in Camberwell Junction

Aluma (Emma) Tirosh loves her job – it’s all about making people feel happy about themselves.

And, with a sustainability ethos, it is also about doing her bit to protect the planet.

Welcome to Best-T, a business that “helps you fall in love with your wardrobe again” and helps you sell the items you no longer want.

“What I offer is a fresh approach to fashion,” Ms Tirosh said.

“Whether you are a shopper in my pre-loved store or a client in need of a stylist, I am not offering high-street sameness or an old-fashioned approach to styling.”

Guiding a new approach

Best-T aims to teach clients about their body structure, about what flatters them, and about highlighting their best features.

“What I do when someone comes to me for help with their wardrobe is gently guide them away from repeating the same fashion mistakes they’ve been making for years,” Ms Tirosh said.

Her job is to equip people with the tips and tricks they need on how to use every garment to its maximum potential.

Ms Tirosh used to teach art and photography, and when she came to Melbourne she taught language at a private school.

“Because art and photography are more about individual expression and language is much more structured, I started to feel more and more unhappy about what I was doing. Language teaching was not a great fit for me,” she said.

So she decided to pivot and return to a more creative calling.

Realising a passion for fashion

About the time of her 40th birthday, Ms Tirosh’s husband suggested it was time she found something more suited to her creativity.

“I have always loved fashion, so I did a course in styling therapy – how to use clothes for self-development and empowerment,” Ms Tirosh said.

“I also wanted to have a sustainability point of view in the business.

“I think the teacher part of me is good at educating people on clothes and how and what to wear, and also on how we can be sustainable and contribute what we can to the health of our environment.”

So, Best-T is a business that strives to help clients love themselves again and believes in garment resale, reuse, rental and recycling.

Dual business

There are two arms to the business: personal styling and partnering with people to sell their pre-loved clothes.

You can book a rack for a fortnight at a time and stock 20 garments in good condition, plus any combination of five accessories or pairs of shoes. Ms Tirosh will sell them, with each getting a share in the sale.

It’s a fresh idea that is proving popular at the Camberwell Junction store.

Most of Best-T clients are from the Camberwell and neighbouring area.

“I like Camberwell a lot,” Ms Tirosh said.

“I live in Hawthorn and my children go to school in Camberwell, so that makes business and life easier to balance.

“A lot of my business is from the local community, so I feel a part of Camberwell.”

Sparking joy in clothing again

Ms Tirosh encourages anyone who is struggling with how they feel about how they look to reach out.

“Just ask for help,” she said.

“So many people come to me because they are unhappy with themselves. My job is to solve that issue – and I do that in a fun, enjoyable way.”

“There is no pressure at all, either. I often take photos and tell the client to go home and look at the photos for a while before we proceed.”

Ms Tirosh said, first and foremost, getting your clothing right is about how the garments make you feel.

“I often say ‘close your eyes, don’t look in the mirror’. I want people to firstly talk about how clothes make them feel – comfortable, relaxed and so on.

“Often we approach clothes in terms of what we think we are supposed to be wearing, or the size we are supposed to be wearing, and we put comfort and our own personality aside.”

Ms Tirosh said her point of difference is the variety of clothing available in the store.

“No piece is the same as another,” she said.

“I am not restricted to the latest trends. I have new and vintage and a wide range of styles.”

For anyone who visits her store, she hopes she can spark joy in clothing and make dressing up fun again.

Visit the store