Hi……
I am so excited to be starting this blog and hope over the coming months you’ll find it interesting, informative and above all fun!
I thought it might be a good idea to start by telling you a little bit about myself, my journey to becoming a Personal Stylist and some of my thoughts on Personal Style.
I haven’t always worked in Fashion and Styling, although when I look back I realise that I have been involved in aspects of it for a long time. After studying History of Art at university in Norwich, I worked on magazines such as Elle and Cosmopolitan, magazine launches such as Zest and Murdoch’s Mirabella magazine (showing my age!) in the advertising department, dealing with media agencies, clients direct and developing the Fashion category.
I then decided to leave the industry and work as an agent for my photographer husband, which also involved assisting him on shoots, which I had some previous experience of at Cosmopolitan and Zest magazines in particular.
A move out of London to Buckinghamshire followed, with kids soon after.
I then joined a couple of TV/Film Extra agencies and started working as an Extra on a wide range of productions, which I still do from time to time. Although the days can be extremely long, it is such fun and fascinating to be behind the scenes. I’m in my element on period dramas with all the fab costumes, hair (sometimes wigs!) and makeup and when I occasionally get given a couple of lines to say and am totally out of my comfort zone, it’s taught me to try and embrace that feeling, not to overthink it and just go for it!
My light bulb moment came a couple of years ago. I realized I wanted to tie my experience and passions together, my lifetime love of Fashion, Style and Art, while working collaboratively with clients in a more personal way.
After speaking to friends, people in related industries etc everyone seemed to point the way to Personal Styling. I immediately knew it felt right and so I enrolled on the Personal Styling course at London College of Style, where I qualified in 2019.
I love every aspect of being a Stylist, how multi-faceted it is, the personal relationships you development with your clients, the fact that you can make a difference, you can direct them to what will suit them the most, while giving key style tools, ultimately boosting their confidence and sense of individual style.
I strongly believe when we feel we look good, we feel good, and vice versa. It’s so inter-related and an important part of our self-esteem.
What we wear might sometimes seem superficial, but it’s so much more than just the fabric, style, shape and size isn’t it? It’s essentially a way of reflecting our personality and individual style, like the way we talk and communicate with people, the way we walk, dance etc. It all builds a picture of our inherent style, while expressing how we see ourselves and how we want to be seen.
I think it’s important to have fun with Fashion, good to keep an open mind, to try new styles sometimes and not potentially restrict ourselves to what we think we should be wearing, or what we‘ve worn historically. I feel it’s the restrictions we potentially put on ourselves and a lack of confidence that can inhibit us, possibly compromising us finding our own style and therefore showing our personality through our clothes.
I’m also a great believer that age is just a number and shouldn’t define us or necessarily restrict our choices, including what we wear. Probably the most youthful person I know is my 96 year old gorgeous Italian Aunt Ami, who has such a youthful spirit and sense of fun. It’s really about an attitude surely, not a birth date!?
I’ve noticed that there seems to be an increasing focus recently on pro-ageing vs anti-ageing, which I think is so encouraging and liberating, embracing our age and not feeling that it is ever too late to do certain things, achieve dreams etc.
Afterall, why restrict ourselves because of a number? I certainly find that it’s only as I’ve become a bit older that I know myself enough to know what I want to do and have the confidence and experience to go for it! I’m sure I’m not the only one!?
Above all, I feel life is short, so express how you feel and your character in every way, including through the clothes you wear.
Be authentic, be bold, be confident, be the Stylishly You!
Bye for now xx