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.
