I undertook my image training with a truly fabulous independent Image Consultant back in 2009 and loved every single minute. I knew from day one that I’d found my thing and was determined to get out there and make a difference.

You see I’d been on my own style journey, often wondering why a fabulous piece of clothing looked terrible on me (I always assumed it was because I wasn’t pretty enough, thin enough etc etc) because I had no idea that style is individual and that what makes an outfit look and feel truly fabulous, is when it fits your style.

A few months after my course ended, my trainer invited me to come and do some filming with her and told me to wear something fabulous.

I chose my new Ted Baker silk tunic top, my Jigsaw skinny jeans and fabulously dramatic All Saints heeled sandals. This outfit was my new favourite and we’d chosen it together during my Personal Shopping Training.

In those days, Ted Baker, Jigsaw and All Saints were pretty far out of my comfort zone (and budget) but because I understood how well these pieces worked for me, I saw them as great investment pieces and felt super-special whenever I wore them.

I rocked up to her studio in my fabulous outfit and she wearing hers. We suited the same colour palette and were a similar dress size but we had very different body shapes and style.

What my trainer wanted to get across in the video was the importance of knowing your style and how you can make an outfit look expensive or tatty depending on how well it suits you.

She talked through each of our outfits and why they worked so well for our body shapes and individual style.

Then, and this is the part I’ll never forget – she made us swap outfits.

When I tell you how dreadful she made my outfit look, I am not joking. My luxurious silk top looked like a dish rag and my skinny jeans and sandals looked tarty. I was horrified. This was my pride and joy outfit. And now it looked like a load of tat.

Then I checked out how I looked in her elegant chocolate brown wrap dress and court shoes. And burst out laughing. I looked like a middle aged frump (I was in my 30s).

This was the most powerful part of my learning. It doesn’t matter where you buy your clothes, how much you spend or how you style them. If they don’t suit your body or fit your style – they’ll never love you back. And you won’t feel fabulous in them. And you might think you are frumpy, or tarty or boring. Or that your waist is in the wrong place, or your tummy is too big or whatever.

Finding your true style and buying clothes and creating outfits that work for you as an individual is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself. And that’s not because of how it makes you look, it’s because of how it helps you to see your own fabulousness and feel unstoppable.

I’m currently taking bookings for private sessions for the summer. If you’d like to discover your true style, take a look at my services HERE and get in touch to book a discovery call.

I love how my client Kate Wolf summed up her experience of her style discovery.

“This was the most surprisingly powerful self-development work I’ve ever done!”