Is it worth the investment?

In my experience, it is worth the investment it is just often the case that most people will spend their money on others before themselves: their children, home improvements or a holiday.

For a lot of clients, it does change their life but obviously not for everyone, some clients are cash rich and time poor and therefore the emphasis is on their time rather than making a personal change.

If you really need to make a change then it well worth the investment in making that change. It’s a bit like spending the money on a personal trainer, therapy or career counsellor, it’s very much about investing in change. For a lot of people, it does change their life and so the investment is certainly worth it.

Why do people really come to me?

It is often come to me when they have really had enough and some big event has been the catalyst to finally say, that they need to address this. Say they are going back to work or starting a new role in a different type of environment needing a different wardrobe or had a big event to go to with nothing to wear.

Having said that a lot of clients have been thinking about it for a while and only just got round to it. And often their biggest regret was not getting round to doing this sooner, as they wished they hadn’t winged it on those nights where they have scrapped through with outfits they haven’t really been that happy with. And often it’s a big birthday like a 30^th, 40^th, 50^th, 60^th that has prompted them invest in themselves to make the change for this next chapter in their life.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie's Updated Look

I am so pleased to see that since The Royal Wedding in 2011, that these Princesses seemed to have found styles that actually work for them! Before they looked frumpy, their outfits were fussy and did them no favours at all. Their new style mentor 'Sarah Hogan' seems to have pointed them in the right direction...  helping them dress their age, look stylish and wear appropriate outfits for various occasions. This doesn't mean they always get it right, but they certainly get it more right than wrong these days.

Their new look is far more polished, with clean lines and more importantly, they just look far more comfortable in their own skin. I for one, am happy to see The Royals looking far more sophisticated than they did some years ago...

Today's women all dress so badly, says founder of 60's label, Biba...

This really caught my eye when i read what Biba thought of today's generation of women...
Biba's main points are that:

* She believes that excessive interest in clothes make women dress less well

* Says high streets are saturated with selling near-identical clothes

Do I agree or indeed does she even have a point... ? Well yes, I do think some of her points are valid. For a nation who seems so interested in following 'fast fashion', we often look either shabby, uninspiring or just a bit dull! And her second point that most of shops sell near identical clothing, is a fair point too...I think generally shops often play it safe by 'playing copy-cat' with one another, lacking confidence in truly creating a 'unique style' that specific to their brand. Of course, one or two buck this trend but as a whole, the high street to me is a bit samey, which is such a shame.

Therefore, I can't say I disagree with Biba, as a whole everyone does seem to look the same and yes, very few people seem to have much dress-sense these days. You only have to take a coffee somewhere and watch the world go by to see my point....So yes, Biba may seem harsh but i also think she is just being truthful, for which I personally admire.

Wear It, Love it, Share it.

We have all bought something that we thought looked good in the shop but never ended up wearing. It's estimated that around 30% of the average wardrobe has not been worn in for at least a year. In a recent survey conducted by M&S, a fifth of respondents even admitted to throwing out an item after just a single wear!

Of the clothes that are thrown away, 43% could have been re-worn if given to a charity shop or passed on through a charity shop or by organising your own swishing event. If we regularly reuse and recycle our clothing, and enjoy second hand shops as part of our wardrobes, we can greatly reduce the amount of energy, water and materials needed for creating new clothes. And that means we feel less guilty about the clothes we don't wear anymore.... A real win-win! Fabulous for everyone...

Summer Thoughts

With longer blue sky days upon us now... it is certainly a time to think about what is key for getting you through these summer months.

Neutral clutch bag/handbag are always useful to accessorise for different occasions, whilst a bold pattern scarf is useful for either daytime or evening events, whether it's going round to a friends house for a bbq, doing the weekly shop or going out to dinner, this will always be useful.

You also can't go wrong with a maxi dress, they are so versitile for the day time or evening. Why not wear them with a wedge sandal, it's a fab way of making you looking taller than you already are! Although, if you are 6ft you may want to reconsider.

Whilst finally, biker jackets always make an outfit edgy. After all if someone like Helen Mirren can wear one on the red carpet, you certainly can.

Looking for your wedding dress?

Consider these tips to find your perfect dress:

* Consider the bigger picture: it may seem obvious but your wedding dress needs to compliment other aspects of your wedding, venue, time of year, bridesmaid’s attire.

Stick to your outfit budget and take into account extra costs when looking for the dress itself: adjustments, delivery and accessories. If a dress is discounted, check the dress meticulously for imperfections and ask about returns policies and be realistic as to the money and time it will cost to fix any problems.

*Dress shop around 8 months before your day, it gives you time to find your dream dress and to allow for alterations.

* Make an appointment with select friends, not an entourage: one or two trusted friends and your mother is a good idea. A few select opinions are far better than a huge group, where conflicting opinions can lead to purchasing the wrong dress.

* Buy a dress that fits and suits your colouring and gives you a healthy glow. Look at the dress under natural lighting and check that light fabrics won’t reveal more than intended. Also remember to bring the heels that you want to wear with the dress, so you can try it on with the dress. When in the dress, try taking long strides, dancing and sitting down - so you can see that it won’t restrict for different parts of the day.

*If your consultant suggests trying something different, give it a go – they tend to know what suits different body types and may just have the perfect dress you were looking for.

A couples Testimonial

From our experience Katie dresses men and women equally as well. Her advice is practical and fits to your own tastes rather than trying to impose styles on you. What impressed us is that she buys high street as well as designer clothes creating outfits that look great but that do not cost a fortune. Katie makes you feel good about what you wear, guides your choices and uses your current wardrobe to full effect. From formal wear, to weekend wear and to smart casual – she magically transformed both our wardrobes. We are both thrilled with our new looks and plan to use her again for updating our wardrobes... It has been well worth the investment.

Professional Couple, Cambridge

Testimonial - My Wardrobe Manager Session...

The first thing I noticed about Katie when she arrived for the Wardrobe Manager session was that she made no comment about my house. I was so relieved I cannot tell you... We had a little chat about the day and then Katie looked at the wardrobe that I used on daily basis. Katie was so focused on what she had come here to do that at no time during the 3 hours did I feel intimidated or controlled. I believe this was all down to her manner, creativity and her interest in people’s development and ability to give advice without being critical. I actually found it quite fun..

As a result of Katie’s visit, my wardrobe is no longer crammed full of clothes that are not for me. There is now space…  I actually enjoy going to my wardrobe now - such a relief!

I feel it is also important to add that I have felt an improved change in myself. For example, I am going to a party in two weeks time that I have been dreading. Now I am not. I have also started to notice what other people wear and ask myself, ‘Why does she look so good?’. Beforehand,  I always noticed these women for their confidence.

I cannot recommend Katie highly enough... she is gentle, fun and understood my quirks.

Got too many clothes?

I have yet to meet a client who doesn’t feel guilty about how many clothes and how much he/she’s spent on clothes. Recent times have accentuated this, with a current trend of buying a high volume of clothes at low price tags, then often mixed in with more expensive items, which then help ladies ease the guilt of this high volume shopping.

Generally wardrobe are ever gradually expanding, with more and more items taking up valuable space, whilst a large percentage of items are ‘dead clothes’ eg.just sitting there and not being used.  Is there a solution around this perpetual buying cycle?  Firstly, are you buying for the high of just buying and ending up with a high number of compulsive purchases or are you buying in a more focussed way?  Answer this and then you can address the issue.

To avoid the lure of the compulsive buy, make a ‘wish list’ of items you covert, then if you still want something after 30 days and only then buy it. It’s also important to get maximum wear out of big ticket items, for example a winter coat, so in this case always choose simple and classic styles that don’t date easily. That way you get a good few years wear out of these items.

Testimonial - Shopping

My time with Katie was certainly enlightening. I was nervous beforehand, as I didn't know what outfits she would pick for me. I was so pleased with my new outfits, I loved them all.... I didn't think I would but I really did. I now know what suits me and what doesn't - I even look younger! I am so pleased.... I can't wait to do this again, when I need a fresh perspective! Thank you so much...

Can friends ever give honest style feedback?

Normal people, for the most part, are honest with other people, but don’t say everything that’s on their mind. So sometimes it is tricky for friends to be as honest as you might like them to be, particularly over their friends personal style choices.

Have you considered this, if they are honest, they may worry you maybe either: upset, go on the defensive or worse still get very angry with them. So you can see, expecting true honesty from even the very best of friends can be a tall order. After all, is it really worth them risking a good friendship with you over this? In most part, people tend to avoid losing friendships or being perceived as hurtful, especially when that is not their intention, as they are just trying to be helpful.

Why do people shy away from the truth? Especially in circumstances when honesty is essential. Maybe the answer lies, in being scared or fearful of what ‘might come back’? We all have to change. Criticism does initially hurt but more importantly the truth can be enlightening. The truth can help people move on in life and stop wasting time – one of the precious things we all have.