Xitlalt Herrera-Salazar is never trendy. Instead she is a study in chic without trying, understanding just the right length for a pair of wide-legged, cropped pants to mix with a classic silk blouse. Xitlalt (Sic-lali) is one of the most stylish women you will ever meet, and it’s not because she’s Public Relations Manager for Neiman Marcus. Style is in her DNA. Like her mother and her grandmother, Xitlalt is more than beautiful and well-dressed. She has a caring heart and a genuine compassion and sincerity that’s been passed down from both sides of her family.
“Giving back and treating people with kindness and respect is very important to me.”
“My mother and father started a tradition with us when I was about seven,” said Xitlalt. “They would come home with extra pies and turkeys, and we’d go to a home that wasn’t expecting us, and we’d say, ‘Happy Thanksgiving!’ We still do that as a family to this day. They always made it a point to remind us to get involved and to give back. My mother is a loving testament as she adopts the world to make it a better place.
“When I was young, I loved to volunteer at nursing homes. I don’t think anyone in life should be alone. I would go and visit the ladies and sit and hear their stories and if they’d let me, braid their hair and paint their nails.
“My abuelita, my dad’s mom, passed away last year. She was my morning calm. I would call her and ask her to pray a rosary for me for every important event in my life. I feel like she still opens avenues for me and calms me when I need it,” said Xitlalt.
Her other grandmother, her mother’s mother, was a business woman in Mexico. “In those days, women didn’t own that many businesses,” said Xitlalt. “She was an amazing maverick, in my eyes, and did a lot with very little. She was always so elegant. When she would come to stay with me, in the mornings she was up before everyone, dressed with full makeup and her nails were always done. She was so impeccable.”
Xitlalt and her husband, Ramiro Salazar, Director of the San Antonio Public Library System, are involved with the community, bringing literature and the arts to children. She has served on committees and boards and been involved with many organizations both personally and professionally such as Mi Escuelita Pre-Schools, Arts San Antonio, ArtPace, The Southwest School of Art, San Antonio Public Library Foundation and Fashion Group International among other great causes.
“By giving to others you learn a lot about yourself. I love to learn and do so when I am helping others. I feel that by giving of your most precious gift, time, you learn about the world around you. With each experience you discover who you really are. I know my value because of my collected experiences as my life is like a quilt. Every conversation and every interaction has stitched my life story that envelopes my everyday.”
4 thoughts on “XITLALT HERRERA-SALAZAR”
She has been my style icon for some time now…is always chic and polished. She knows just the right accessory…which is a beautiful smile and kind heart. I always take note of her impeccable looks which do seem effortless, yet spot on. Thanks for the excellent feature, Brenda.
Thank you, Pam. She’s a beautiful woman on the inside as well which is what makes her so special.
I enjoyed this piece. And I agree about the invest to wear ratio. I did splurge years ago and bought myself a Cristian Dior bag. Thankfully, it was on sale but it was a huge investment that I only had the guts to buy after having a cocktail lunch with a girlfriend. Lol. The leather is like butter and I can wear it anytime.
My mother always had the investment to wear ratio down and taught me that from an early age. Don’t buy a lot of things but buy the best you can afford and every now and then, by something like your Christian Dior bag because you will use it forever. So many women don’t look at it that way. It’s not money waisted. I’m still wearing things I bought in my 20’s. Thanks, Brenda
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