Yesterday I received a What’s App message from one of my gorgeous clients, Hattie. 

“Well that made my day, I’ve just been walking my dog in the park when a lady stopped and told me I looked so beautiful walking along in my red trousers. When I said she’d made my day she said ‘Oh no, you’ve made mine, I’m going home to order red trousers and a navy jumper!’ Now that wouldn’t have happened before I worked with you!”

Receiving messages like this always makes my heart sing. I’m thrilled that Hattie looked and felt so fabulous in her red trousers and that the kind passer-by was so taken by the outfit that she took the time to compliment Hattie. BUT, I also know what’s likely to happen next. Because I see it all the time…

This lovely lady will have gone home, got online, searched for red trousers and a navy jumper and placed her order.

When the packages arrived, she’ll have felt excited that she was going to have some of the joie de vivre that my client, Hattie had. She’d have raced upstairs to try on the outfit and check herself out in the mirror. And then one of two things are likely to have happened:

1. She’d have looked at the outfit, from the neck down and smiled to herself because she really did look as fabulous as Hattie in this outfit combination. And every time she wears the outfit, she’ll feel great. Even if nobody ever stops to compliment her on the fabulous combination.

Or, more likely,

2. She’ll have looked at her reflection and felt a crushing disappointment. The red trousers and navy jumper combination doesn’t look anyway near as good on her as it did on Hattie. And she won’t understand why. And she might even tell herself it’s because she’s not good enough, in whatever derogatory way she usually does.

You see, what makes great style is different for each of us. And that’s ok, because we are all beautifully different from one another.

I run a membership group, The Style Club and we have around 40 members who are all so gorgeously different. They totally understand that what works for some members will never work for them and that’s ok, because they have their own beautiful style. And they also know which other members suit the same colour palette, or have a similar body shape or suit the same styles, so when one of them shares something they are loving, they know it’s something that they could try too, if they felt like it. It suits their style so it’s got a good chance of being a winning outfit.

We also have members sharing pieces they’ve seen online that have caught their eye but they know, without a doubt, that it wouldn’t work for them. They share it because it’s a beautiful piece and to draw the attention of those members for who it could be a good fit.

 

LIBERATE YOURSELF

Knowing your own true style is liberating. And empowering. And if you’ve reached a certain age and you still aren’t clear on your style, then maybe it’s time to find out?

I help women like you to discover their true style. This eliminates the guesswork, prevents wastage and ensures you know how to dress (as you) for any occasion and feel really great.

One of the ways I do this is in a Transformation Session. 

In this half day, personal experience, you can discover exactly the colours, shapes, fabrics, styles and accessories that will always work for you. I call it finding those things that you love, but that also ‘love you back’. The lady in the park loved Hattie’s outfit but it may not love her back. And that means wasted time and money and potential self-doubt whenever she wears it and doesn’t feel the way she thought she would in it.

 

WHAT HAPPENS IN A TRANSFORMATION SESSION?

I always start the session taking time to get to know you. I want to know who you are, what you get up to and your likes and dislikes. You need to dress in a way that reflects the true (and fabulous) you, as well as in a way that is practical for your lifestyle. Then we start with the analysis!

1. Colour 

The first step is exploring colour. You’ll have a full colour analysis which involves discovering the palette of colours that lights you up and loves you back. If you like red (or indeed any other colour, or neutral), you learn which tone works best, whether true red, burgundy or a deep warm autumnal shade.

I’ll talk you through your most flattering hair colour options (if you like to colour your hair – some are best to leave it well alone!) and the most flattering make-up.

2. Clothing Style

This section of a Transformation Session is much misunderstood. In fact, when I sought help for my own style 14 or so years ago by one of the leading colour companies in the UK, I was just shown a selection of pictures of different outfits and asked which I liked. The trouble was, I liked ALL of them. So it really didn’t help me at all.

The way I teach clothing style is different. And tailored to how you are rather than just what you like the look of. This is the part of the consultation where you start to realise why you love or hate a tassel, or a floral print, or why you are excited by animal print (or red trousers), even if you’ve never dared wear them.

Knowing your clothing style and how to adapt it for your most casual to your smartest outfits is, for some, the most enlightening thing.

3. Shape 

Did you know that the neckline of your top or dress can make or break your outfit? In this section, I recommend cuts and shapes of outfits from shoulder to toe (including the shape of your accessories and shoes) to make sure that you are choosing the most flattering shapes for how your body is.

4. Scale 

Your personal scale determines the size (or chunkiness) or any detail on your outfits, from jewellery to prints and buckles. This is why you might be drawn to certain prints but then never wear them. Or why you have a collection of jewellery that never sees the light of day. When the scale of your outfit is just right, the details in your outfits are an enhancement rather than a distraction. And you ‘wear your clothes’ rather than having them ‘wear you’.

 

PRIORITISATION 

Once we have worked out the best options for all the elements of style, I help you to decide how to use them. There’s likely to be one or two that make the biggest difference to how you look and feel in your outfits. And there might be one thing  that makes a subtle difference and you can choose to ignore it sometimes. This makes following your ‘rules’ at least to begin with, much easier and allows for flexibility and fun. Most people prefer loose guidelines to a strict set of rules.

 

YOUR CLOTHES 

I always invite my clients to bring a few items of clothing with them to a Transformation Session. By the end of the session, they can usually spot exactly what it is that doesn’t quite work, by running them through their style guidelines. Sometimes these things can easily be changed to make them more wearable and other times, it’s time to release them and make space for something that truly loves them back!

 

WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPERIENCE A transformation session for yourself?

I run these sessions in person from my West Sussex studio, or online for my clients from further afield and overseas. You can view further details about the session here.

The first step is to book in for a discovery call. We take 45 minutes to get to know each other and check that a Transformation Session is the right step for you. If we agree that it is, I take payment and find you a date.

I have limited availability as I run all the sessions myself, but currently have one session available in November and a small number of sessions at the start of the year.

My availability opens up more from May 2023, so if you’d like to be prepared, have something to look forward to and get organised in time for next summer, do book in your call to start the process. 

You can book your free discovery call here. 

I’d love to hear from you.