The return of the humble shirt

February 10, 2020

ALL HAIL THE SHIRT

For a few seasons the shirt seems to have gone into the back of the wardrobe in favour of the classic t-shirt, sweater or blouse. But this season it returns with maximum femininity and creativity.

It’s not about having a boring white shirt in your wardrobe for such an occasion that arises for you to wear one, white shirts are making a comeback but they look nothing like the one you have gathering dust. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be making an investment purchase with your shirt that will have a legacy in your wardrobe, but what’s out there right now is anything but boring. Full of embroidery, frill details, puff sleeves and femininity it’s all in the details.

Top of the list is a white shirt which can be worn layered underneath your knit, cable cardi or oversized blazer in the coming weeks while the temperature rises. This particular styling has inspired the high street to copy a shirt from Ganni (featured below), a Scandinavian brand that has many fashion followers and leads where others follow.

The other week I featured overshirts as a big trend for Spring and the check being the main print and driving force of this. Check shirts and blouses are also around with puff sleeves or big sleeves and detailing, so kind of the opposite of the edgy biker like look to the overshirt - there is no reason why you can’t style both, I know I will be.

Down the catwalk many designers showed lots of blue stripe shirts and all the magazine and trend reports are pushing this as the shirt to buy this season. So there is alot of plain mensy oversized shirts out there which are to be worn with tapered trousers and oversized blazers.

Lastly denim shirts are definately making a come back, either edgy stiff denim acid washed or chambray soft cotton with frills. Either way a denim shirt is a wardrobe hero and such a great piece to be worn with skirts and dresses.

THE FRILL COLLAR SHIRT

CHECK SHIRT

BLUE STRIPE SHIRT

STRIPE COTTON SHIRT, GANNI @MYTERESA, £150

DENIM SHIRT

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Lessons I've learnt from my wardrobe

January 28, 2020

Working as a personal stylist means that everyday I am lucky enough to spend time with lovely ladies and gents, surrounded by clothes, talking about clothes and shopping for clothes. It also means that everyday I impart my knowledge, expertise and passion about style, styling and what to buy for your wardrobe. You can quite often find me in a wardrobe talking about how to make your wardrobe work for you, how to style what you have and what missing links you need to make what you have more versatile. Along the way I like to teach my clients how to change their style for life, give them confidence to wear things they never would of picked up before and show them how to wear it. In the consultation we learn lessons along the way about mistakes made, how to be a more savvy shopper, what shapes are right for you and how to avoid shopping pitfalls in the future.

As a buyer in my previous career on a weekly, well daily basis we would consistently analyse the lessons learnt from the pieces we have brought to be instore. Why were they best sellers? Why didn’t they sell? What can we do next time? What do we learn from this to take into next season? So that’s exactly what I have done with my wardrobe. After extensive reflection on the investment that I made in Autumn 2019 I created my best buys (see previous blog) and to go hand and hand, what went wrong, what lessons can I take for when I am buying items from Spring. By doing this I want to learnt what I did wrong but also champion the things I did right so I continue doing those too.

Reviewing, detoxing and reflecting on your wardrobe is a great way to give you some focus if you are thinking about going shopping as it gives you the confidence to shop in the best way. Write a list of do’s and don’ts and then of what you really need in your wardrobe and stick to this list. Taking an intentional break from shopping helps you make smarter buying choices, makes you feel happier and more present in life too.

There are some big lessons I’ve learnt which I hope will help me continue to hone my own personal style and rediscover some great tips that I can pass onto my clients too.

BE BRAVER IN EXPERIMENTING

It’s ok to be bold. I wanted to push my boundaries more in Autumn 2019 and those pieces I brought that were bolder than previous styles paid off when putting outfits together everyday. It might have been colour, or print or style of the item that meant I was being braver, but pushing my comfort zone paid off.

Dressing for yourself is a form of self care, so making yourself happy through your clothes makes you feel 100% better. It’s not about following trends but about finding the style that works for you.

QUALITY VS QUANTITY

A couple of knitwear pieces have taken a battering because I have worn them so much and therefore won’t be lasting until next season. But ones I have spent abit more money on will last for many years to come.

Having a budget and sticking to it is important, so impulse buying should be kept to a minimum. I really think about the choices I have made this season, it’s important to spend wisely, love what you buy but be realistic and true to your bank account.

GIVING IT LOTS OF THOUGHT

Once I had an understanding of what I wanted my style to be every piece I liked I would really give it some thought. If I brought online I would try the items on with other things in my wardrobe, if it didn’t excite me or fit right or made an impact then I would send it back.

Not knee jerking and buying online or when in supermarkets is a great way to really think about whether you need that piece in your life. I know I have done it once this season with a skirt from Zara and it will be the only item going on EBay this week.

LESS IS STILL MORE

I have learnt that I don’t always need to have more pieces to enjoy the wardrobe that I have. It’s good to impose a spending ban for a couple of weeks at a time to give yourself time to wear the pieces you have in your wardrobe rather than continually adding to it.

We always think we need to keep buying new pieces to update our wardrobe, but that isn’t always true. Spending time rotating, restyling and trying things on with other pieces in our wardrobe makes you more confident and happy that for the next few days you feel like you have some new outfits to refresh your style.

IT’S AMAZING WHAT A PAIR OF SHOES CAN DO

My single best buy of last year (and most expensive) was my Grenson Nanette boots. I wasn’t convinced for a long time about these boots, I thought they were too big and clumpy but they have transformed so many of my jeans, skirts and dresses that I always feel like I have a new outfit on when I am wearing them.

Don’t under estimate the power of shoes, bags and coats, I say this all the time to my clients. They are investment pieces that finish off every single outfit and you will wear the shoes, jackets and bags more often than anything else in your wardrobe.

If you need help learning what’s right for you and your style, then contact me for a consultation now.

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Inject some Spring into your wardrobe with a new jacket

January 22, 2020

OH YES I do love a jacket. And a coat. And a shacket. Oh and now an overshirt. Which is kind of a jacket if you layer it up over things or under your coat. Confused yet?

An overshirt has been something I have been getting men to wear for the past couple of seasons, but this lightweight jacket trend seems to of moved over to women’s high street retailers and is perfect for your first Spring purchase. Nearing to the end of January, the longest month ever, means a little payday reward and a new January Jacket will set you up for the coming weeks and months through Spring.

Here are my top 5 Spring jackets to shop for now -

Check jacket

Nice big bright checks, overshirt trucker style jacket with a collar or without will work over everything you currently have in your wardrobe and give it a fresh update.

Overshirt jackets

This is the trend I keep seeing everywhere right now, it’s just about finding the right one in the right colour. Essentially the same as the checks but in plain colours and oversized.

Grey workwear overshirt, £120, &other stories

Quilted linear jackets

These are starting to have their moment where the puffa has been so big this Autumn the paired down, slightly more interesting version is out there. Take your pick of great shapes and colours for a new spin on a puffa.

Quilted belted jacket, £129. Kin @ John Lewis & Partners

Quilted long jacket, £99, Arket, other colours available

Rain Mac

Come on we all need one of these in our life to save us from the crazy UK weather, isn’t it about time we invest properly in something that we also feel stylish in.

Boxy Jacket

This is the same trend as the overshirt but instead of being oversized it’s more of a fitted silhouette but still is the same shape.

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My best buys from Autumn Winter 2019

January 11, 2020

As many of you know Autumn 2019 was a turning point for me in my style journey. My littlest one started school and after 6 years of working for myself as a personal stylist it was time to review my wardrobe with more gusto rather than methodically of recent years. I really did ask myself “do I REALLY like myself in this piece of clothing”. Then it either got sold, went to charity or I popped it back in my wardrobe. Autumn saw me invest money, time and knowledge of what I wanted my style to look like into my wardrobe.

But now we hit 2020, not quite Spring yet, but a transitional few weeks in the fashion / retail calendar when stores get refreshed, new pieces hit the shops and after Christmas I get excited about new styles, colours and fashions out there. It’s been a big part of my life since my career started and I can’t switch that passion for fashion off. So before I look ahead to the next season, I wanted to look back at what I had brought over the past few months and learn some lessons from the purchases I had made.

In this blog post I am going to look at my best buys of the past few months and in next week’s blog post I will share with you my lessons that I learnt that I will take forward into 2020. I want this exercise to set me up for the season ahead, make me aware of the positive buys vs the mistakes I made and to avoid those pitfalls again so that I am not wasting money or spending money on something that doesn’t fit my lifestyle.

Today I pulled out all the newer pieces in my wardrobe and thought about the things I love the most, the ones I wore the most and will enjoy wearing for years to come. I have brought more than any normal season for me (normally I limit myself to my 5 updates per season), but that was down to my circumstances, but I still made measured decisions based on what I wanted my style to be, and I wanted pieces to last me so that I wasn’t buying throwaway fashion.

I’m hoping that my list will inspire you to take a look at your wardrobe and reassess what you brought last season, looking at the good pieces and perhaps making note of some bad habits you might be in.

So here are my best buys from Autumn 2019 to inspire you to look at yours -

GRENSON NANNETTE BOOTS

These boots were by far the best investment I have made in a long time. From the moment I brought them they have barely been off my feet. I wear them with everything and any outfit I put together looks different with these beauties on. They are not for everyone and a year ago I thought they weren’t for me, too chunky, too much hype, BUT now I cannot stop gushing (or wearing!) them. Investing in a great pair of boots that you love is an easy way to update your Autumn style.

ZARA EMBELLISHED JUMPER

Zara always pulls some great knits out of the bag on the run up to Christmas that have something a little bit special on them. I dubbed this my Christmas jumper but I have worn it many times since Christmas and will continue to. With high street stores like Zara its worth investing a little bit more money into higher prices items because the quality is better, the embellishments are nicer and they will last you longer. I find that if I wait for something special to come along and spend more money on it then I love it more. This jumper has definitely been one of my biggest hits and I’ve only had it a few weeks.

KITRI STAR DRESS

I felt so fantastic when I wore this dress. I snapped it up as soon as it came out online as I knew it was exactly the kind of dress I would love and it didn’t disappoint. I have only worn it the once, so I need to start wearing it a bit more often but I perhaps will leave it for more occasions rather than everyday, purely because I love it so much, it’s a dress that I will keep forever.

TOPSHOP WHITE JUMPER

Topshop every year seem to get some pieces of knitwear just spot on and for me this was one of them. I love the cable styling, the length, its so soft to touch. Granted the colour might put people off but I have found that I’ve reached for it often as it’s one of the only lighter colour pieces of knitwear that I have in my wardrobe. It’s been great for layering over dresses, wearing with skirts and I can even tuck it in the front of my jeans - a fab all rounder.

WHISTLES PRINTED SKIRT

I was on a mission to add a new skirt into my wardrobe this season as I detoxed a couple out of my wardrobe that didn’t fit me anymore. I ended up getting this one from ASOS with a discount code and I have worn it countless times. It is so versatile with jumpers, t-shirts, blazers, boots, heels and trainers I am sure I will be continuing to wear it when I ditch the tights in the spring.

&OTHER STORIES SPOT DRESS

I had shopped this dress for a few clients on the run up to Christmas and knew how fabulous it looked on, so I ended up not being able to resist it for myself. It was a great Christmas day dress but one that’s easy to throw on in the daytime as wearing it with my Grenson boots or trainers really help dial the Christmas feel of it down. It’s so comfy so makes me want to wear it everyday.

ZARA BALLOON JEANS

As many of my clients know I live and swear by Levi skinny jeans and for years I have not shyed away from them whilst recommending them to all my clients too. But I wanted to make a concious decision to change up my denim this Autumn so I tried the Zara balloon jeans. Granted they sometimes make me look a bit bigger in size due to the volume, but they are so comfy and if I tuck in a jumper and wear a belt then my eye is drawn to my waist rather than my hips so I am happier with my body proportions. It’s been nice to step away from the skinny jeans but I know they will always be a wardrobe staple whereas these potentially won’t be right for me next Autumn.

HUSH BLAZER

I was so excited when I saw this blazer online at Hush, I pretty much live in blazers for my work appointments and wanted to add in a single breasted one that wasn’t as busy as my other double breasted check blazer that I have had for years. I waited for the right one to come along and when it did I couldn’t be happier. It is warm handle though so I won’t be able to wear in the Spring/Summer months as it will be too hot but hopefully I’ll get so much wear out of it before then that it won’t matter. A great investment piece.

WHISTLES ZEBRA JUMPER

This jumper is a really nice lightweight knit that I can tuck into skirts and jeans, and with my obsession with green I loved the colour of it. This has certainly been a go to for me this season and a buy that I can always rely on when I’m stuck for inspiration on what to wear that day.

TOPSHOP OVERSIZED KNITTED JUMPER

I have lived in this massive oversized roll neck jumper from Topshop. I have to say it is starting to bobble quite a bit now so I’m not sure how long it will last but I have loved wearing it over dresses, skirt, with my leather leggings and jeans, it’s just been an easy throw-on jumper but yet I feel stylish wearing it. I certainly got my money’s worth as I brought it with a discount code and couldn’t of spent more than £30 on it. A great buy but quality wise it probably won’t last too much longer.

So those were my 10 best buys of Autumn Winter 2019. It just happened to be 10 and whilst I have lots of other things I love in my wardrobe these items certainly stand out as my favourites, the ones I wore the most, I felt the most stylish in and were also pieces that I felt gave me a renewed sense of style.

I would love to hear what your favourite buys were last year, so please do share them with me.

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