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Style Advice

Does your wardrobe make you feel 'meh'?

May 2, 2021

If like many people you are coming out of a year in style hibination and feel like your wardrobe doesn’t make you feel good about yourself, then please contact me for an appointment that with my help we can increase your confidence, make you feel more like yourself again and essentially change your life. Read on for some tips on how to change the ‘meh’ to a ‘yay’.

Now that we are home so much more than before and with a change of season in the air, you might have some time on your hands to tackle the unruly wardrobe that’s been nagging you for weeks. Whether it’s overflowing or just needs a quick re-organisation, now is a great time to do a spring clean and be stylish ready for any occasion that doesn’t involve wearing activewear or joggers.

Within every wardrobe there are cautionary shopping tales and lessons to be learned. A wardrobe detox can be cathartic but also overwhelming as we often have to confront these past mistakes, realise them to be able to move forward and shop in a better way. Know this though, with every wardrobe detox I do with a client that always say that it feels like a weight has lifted off their shoulders and when you end up with an organised wardrobe, you will also learn how to shop smarter in the future. Win win I say!

So, imagine a wardrobe where everything gets regularly worn, one where you can create the perfect outfit for the day ahead in a single glance. Nothing in there is redundant, no forgotten pairs of trousers are to be found crumpled in a heap at the back. No garment makes you feel “meh”. If your current wardrobe falls short of this sartorial utopia, then the time has come for a serious clothes clear out and re-evaluation of your style.

Letting go of clothes is not always as easy as it sounds. Some things have sentimental value and others feel like pound notes dangling from hangers. But don’t put it off for another week, now is the perfect time for a full refresh as the positive mental change in you can often be life changing. Saying goodbye to anything that doesn’t reflect your personal style and clothes that do nothing for your confidence provides you with a better way of thinking.

TOP TIPS TO BANISH THE ‘MEH’ FROM YOUR WARDROBE

Appraise every piece you own individually.
Ask yourself those hard questions you have been avoiding and listen to your inner voice. Does it make you feel good? Are there better things than this for you? When did you last wear it?
Try everything on.
It’s important to know what looks good and what doesn’t look good and try to work out why. Is it the shape? Is it the colour? There is no point in keeping ‘good’ black trousers because you spent a fortune on them 5 years ago if they no longer fit your body shape.
Be kind.
It’s so important to be kind to yourself during this process. We can easily spiral into a negative space where we focus on how much money you’ve spent, or how your body isn’t the same as it was pre 2 kids. It’s not you who is at fault if something no longer feels right, it’s just the wrong piece for you.
Focus on you.
Being honest with yourself about you and your lifestyle whether it be work, family, friends, hobbies, means that you can focus on what you need in your wardrobe better. That really nice suit you brought 7 years ago for a job interview you will never be worn again so why clutter up your space with it. If you own a dog and need dog walking clothes then use what you have that you don’t mind getting dirty, or worn and is comfy but put these away in a draw.
Analyse the results.
Once you put everything back in your wardrobe that fits you, that you love and that you wear then analyse what your wardrobe now looks like. Do you buy alot of the same thing? What are you missing to make up outfits? What do you have enough of? What gems have you found and can’t wait to wear again?

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How to fall back in love with your clothes again post lockdown

February 26, 2021

I am writing this a few days after the governments announcement of dates that will see us slowly but surely start regaining our pre-covid lives again. But what of our wardrobe and our style that have been somewhat neglected over the past few weeks, months or for some even a whole year. Lockdown has pushed everyone into a sense of comfort over style, joggers over jeans and walking boots over knee high white crocodile leather boots (yes they are a thing!).

So how you do fall back in love with the things you have gathering dust in your wardrobe?

Alot of friends and clients that have been in touch or I have caught up with for walks over the weeks have said to me that they haven’t brought a lot during lockdown as they haven’t seen the point of it. Now that we have some dates to go out again and start to get our social lives back, suddenly getting into your tracksuit every day doesn’t seem so appealing. But some of those pieces that we have been neglecting might have emotional pre-covid ties to them that we perhaps need to re-establish to get us to start thinking about wearing it again. So it’s time to step back into your wardrobe and start feeling your self again, follow my tips on how to fall back in love with your clothes and if this doesn’t work then call me for my help.

Step out of your comfort zone
For weeks we have been gravitating towards the same combinations of leggings / joggers / tracksuits / sweaters / hoodies but now is the time to step away from this comfort zone and push yourself back into the groove of your pre-covid style. Try challenging yourself to wear a certain item like a skirt, a pair of jeans or even a shirt that you haven’t worn for ages and see how it makes you feel. Think about the styling, add a belt, tuck it in, layer up a sweater or blazer over the top. Slowly but surely you and your confidence will start to come back to life.
Re-acquaint yourself with your wardrobe again
Hello jeans, hello blazers, hello nice jumpers I have been ignoring for months. Open your wardrobe and start to remind yourself of what you have inside. Now is a great time to reassess and detox your wardrobe. Perhaps you have fallen out of love with some pieces, some items might not feel good anymore, or have holes in due to over-wearing so need to be chucked out. But you might find a favourite top that you completely forgot about and get excited about wearing again. Clearing through the clutter that might of built up or been ignored whilst we have been in lockdown will give you a chance to see cleared and put outfits together better.
Try your clothes on
Now that you’ve had time away from your wardrobe it is best to have a big try on, what fits, what doesn’t, what do you like, what don’t you like anymore? And make some piles and try to figure out why you clothes are going into the piles you have created. This will give you a clear picture of what you have, what you like and what you are missing to make your wardrobe work better for you post-lockdown.
Mix pieces together you haven’t worn before
You will probably remember wearing jeans and a nice top, or jeans and a jumper or a skirt and t-shirt with trainers, before we went into lockdown. Now with what you have left mix it up a bit, try some new styling ideas by mixing some items together that you have never worn before. The key to this tip is to make sure to focus on the unexpected part as much as possible. Pair special occasion skirts with trainers, boyfriend jeans with a sequin top, or opulent shirts underneath dungarees. Some of this will work for your taste and some might not, but the important thing is that when you're doing this exercise, you'll be opening your mind to out-of-box ideas you might not have felt comfortable considering before.
Try the 30 day challenge
Lastly before you start spending every evening on the Zara app buying anything you think is nice, consider taking 30 days to live back in your wardrobe before you buy anything new. This transitional period between kids starting to go back to school, 12th April when the shops open and finally 21st June is a gift of time to allow you to really re-asses what you have, what you want you style to be and make the best shopping choices for your money for 2021.

Everyone has days when they seem to hate every item of clothing they own — days when nothing seems to work quite right. But sometimes making your wardrobe work is as simple as forcing yourself out of your comfort zone and spending time looking at what you currently already own. Even if it's not the easiest task it will change your perspective on your clothes and style in the coming weeks. I know already that some clients need my help with this as it can seem overwhelming and that is why I am here to help if you cannot do it on your own. Please get in touch and book a wardrobe and styling session so we can utilise what you have in your wardrobe before you start buying anything new for Spring.

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6 Spring items to elevate your Winter wardrobe

January 24, 2021

Trends. I used to talk trends all the time back when I was a buyer for high street retailers, they were relevant but not always right. Now as a personal stylist I know what trends are influencing what is instore and online and I interpret that for my clients. For me it’s all about spotting what’s stylish, what will last and what won’t date rather than what Vogue writes about. This season is exactly the same, I will not be advising clients to wear midriff bra-lets like Vogue is suggesting or strappy tops that wrap around your midriff, instead I look to what is selling, what is commercial and what I know my clients will part with their money for.

Even though we are in the depths of Winter, Spring is starting to come through online and we can always rely on the change of season. A change in colour comes first with pastels being prominent in updated knitwear shapes, florals are starting to pop up and as always there will be a monochrome and navy stripe theme somewhere along the way. But what I want to concentrate on is giving you 6 items to update your wardrobe now and that will see you through Spring and into Summer, items that you can add seamlessly into your wardrobe but will update and elevate pieces you already have in there, therefore giving you loads more outfits to play around with.

We are spending weeks in lockdown and lots of people have decided to make do over the Winter with what they have in their wardrobe, choosing to buy practical pieces like walking boots, coats and loungewear as there has quite literally been nowhere to go. But if you are over what you have in your wardrobe and need a little pick me up, clothing can really increase your happiness and mindset - it gives your confidence a boost that you have something nice to wear again.

My fashion fix gives you 5 pieces that can as one client said this week gives you “an injection of excitement'“ . So if you need a little pick up then please email me for some clothing inspiration, but do check out this blog post first.

So this post isn’t about Spring fashion trends but great pieces that will last you that give you a stylish edge and my predictions of what I will giving to every single client come April when we are out of lockdown and I am pulling together online shops (fingers crossed!). So while our diaries are empty now and for a few more weeks to come, I know first hand that receiving a little lockdown lift in terms of your clothing will certainly give you a new Spring in your step.

6 Spring trends to shop now

Trench coat

Trench coats for many are a wardrobe staple, an investment and finding the perfect one can become an obsession. Trenches were predicted as a trend item last year but I often think sometimes items need a couple of seasons to warm up. The oversized coat and belted maxi coat has been big the past 2 Winters so now I feel is the right time for the trench to be as big as blazers. Wearing them slightly oversized, unbelted and in neutral colours will mean that they will go with everything in your wardrobe and can be layered over heavier knits for early Spring too.

Loafers

Trainers and boots have certainly had a great run of it over the past few years but I have a feeling the chunky boot trend (re Dr Martens) is now going to transcend into loafers. Chunky soles, chains just like the original Gucci ones or the crazy giant JW Anderson ones, or with a mensy feel. Wear them now with chunky socks, printed or plain and then without socks when it gets warmer. These shoes are massively versatile, I will be wearing mine with dresses, trousers, skirts, jeans and my jumpsuits when I get my hands on my perfect pair.

&other stories, Chunky Oxford loafers, £120

Knitted vest

If you haven’t brought one by now, then it’s time to take the plunge as the knitted vest is not a one season wonder, it now comes in every colour, every neckline and works over everything. This is the perfect top to layer up over your Spring t-shirts, shirts, dresses and lighter weight tops to keep you warm but not too hot. Then when the temperatures do rise you can wear it on its own.

Shirts

Shirting this season is a tale of two halves, on one side you have the continuation of the pretty vintage collars and on the other side it’s the resurgence of the longer line masculine shirt. The pretty collars still steal the show, wearing them under cardigans and sweaters and you will also find them moving into dresses for Summer too. The minimalist lovers will be continuing to wear the mensy shirt with a casual styling feel, in stripes, with pockets, tucked in or oversized. Choose your side or dip into both. Victoria Beckham showed the white shirt on her catwalk for 2021 to be prepared to see this make a comeback too.

Shein, statement collar plaid blouse, £12.99

Trousers

I think most people have not been wearing jeans for the best part of a year now due to loungewear and joggers being the trousers of choice. Leather is also going to continue to reign a popular fabric to wear in Spring but formal trousers are making a comeback. A pair of black trousers is often associated with office attire and can often make you look like you work in the city. So this trend is all about how you style your formal trousers. Shoes are the biggest styling factor, you must wear white trainers, chunky heeled loafers or even chunky boots where you tuck in the hem of the trousers to ensure you are making a styling statement. The overall look should be more casual pairing the trousers with t-shirts, lightweight knits tucked in and and soft blazers.

Check dress

It all started with the Ganni check dress 2 Summer’s ago and this season check midi and maxi dresses will have their moment in the spotlight, they are great for now as you can layer knitwear over the top and then discard it when the temperature increases, so finding the perfect one now will see you through weeks of wearing. Plaid has been coming through on coats, blazers, skirts over the past couple of years so there is no reason why the print trend won’t continue its rise into dresses.

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Outfits to go walking in

November 13, 2020

It is a question I am getting asked the most right now due to our current situation. But I do feel like alot of these suggestions can also cross over to weekend wear, school run outfits and general casual looks so I’m not just aiming these at the dogwalkers out there but giving you inspiration aswell as practical tips for some inspirational outfits to walk in.

It’s a hard look to pull off looking stylish whilst walking, not wanting to muddy your favourite jeans, but also wanting to stay warm and not sweat too. The most important elements to your walking outfit is coats/jackets and shoes. This is a formula that I use for all clients when starting with their wardrobe, investing in coats and shoes will be the best money you could spend. But when out walking you need to take alot more practical things into consideration, waterproofing jackets and footwear, comfort of clothes, pockets in jackets and warm but lightweight layers that don’t make you sweat.

So I have pulled together some outfits that I hope will inspire you to want to dress more stylish on those walks but also ticking the practical box too.