I have always been confident in my own style, I love shopping and putting outfits together. When I was invited to an event my first thought would be “what can I wear”
However as I entered my 50s things started to change, my body wouldn’t do what I wanted. In the past if I put on a few pounds I could ‘be good’ for a few days and I would lose it. This was no longer the case. It wasn’t just that I couldn’t control my weight, my shape was changing; my tummy was more rounded, I had back fat, everything looked more saggy!
I started to dread shopping, things didn’t fit or they clung to the wrong places. I didn’t know if an item was too young or too trendy for my age. So I stayed in my comfort zone and bought lots of the same style, skinny jeans and loose tops were my best friend and I bought a new dress with a similar shape every time I had an occasion.
Lockdown hit, I worked through it living in leggings and t-shirts, it was a relief to not think about outfits. However coming out of lock down and back to normal life was even harder with my increasing dread of shopping. On line shopping had become the norm, but I wasn’t good at that either!
So on the recommendation of a friend who described her personal styling session as life changing I decided to give it a go.
I booked a call with a stylist and she described the process, she always recommends having a wardrobe consultation as the first step. She gets to understand how you shop, what you like and helps to put outfits together for you. It’s definitely an investment, my theory was that it would help me to shop more successfully and save money in the long run.
I was quite nervous on the day, I really didn’t know what to expect, but we started with a long chat which put me at ease.
The stylist took items from my wardrobe and put outfits together for me, some of the clothes she picked I hadn’t worn for a long time. She put items of clothing and accessories together in ways I hadn’t imagined. She also identified if I was missing something, I purchased belts and gold jewellery straight away!
We took photographs throughout the day and these were made into a styling book which I can now refer back to.
What did I learn
- You can shop from your wardrobe, it isn’t always necessary to buy something new
- Dress for your body shape, just because you like something doesn’t mean it will work for you.
- Understand this seasons trends and incorporate them into your existing wardrobe
- A belt can make a big difference but it needs to be the right one, for my tummy elasticated belts work well.
- Jewellery and making sure accessories work with the outfit is very important.
- Wardrobe maintenance ensures your clothes last longer and look good, who knew about the knitwear hanger!
I will go into more detail on all of these points over the coming weeks.
Here are my tips if you are thinking about booking a personal stylist?
- Research who is out there and make sure you pick someone who is right for your lifestyle and budget. Ask questions and engage before booking the session
- Think about where you want to focus on the day, you might not get through your full wardrobe so make sure you get advice on what is important to you, work, holidays, casual wear etc
- Take pictures (if this isn’t part of the package) you will go through a lot on the day and the pictures will help you remember what you put together
- If you don’t fancy a full day some shops offer a personal styling service e.g. John Lewis, these can be great for a specific concern or occasion
My session was with Alicia Kite who can be contacted at alicia@aliciakite.co.uk
or visit her website www.aliciakite.co.uk
Here is one example of an outfit styled on the day.
I have had these trousers for 6 years but haven’t worn them for a long time, Alicia styled them with a Reiss jacket I would usually ware for work and my gold wedges. A cross body bag works well when you have a bigger tummy.
Metallics are big this season so with the addition of some gold loafers to my wardrobe this outfit also works well going into autumn.
