The three style sessions that will stop your confusion
Many of us have been there – standing in front of a wardrobe that stopped working for us long ago, or maybe for you, it’s standing in front of the mirror and not recognising your own body anymore.
Women come to me when they know something has got to change with their wardrobe, and how they are feeling in front of the mirror. I am a proud image consultant, who loves her job very much. I specialise in “identity-led styling”. Identity-led means that it’s “You” first styling - who you are, what you love, how you want your style to manifest (and I guide you every step of the way). I’ve been on my own journey with my style too, so today let’s talk about what helps the most.
There are a variety of reasons why clothes stop working (or maybe they never really did in the first place), but in my experience it comes down to three things.
Colour isn’t fully understood. And I don’t mean a woman doesn’t know her colour season or tone, because sometimes she does. And sometimes it’s completely wrong and we need to do it again. But more often than not, women haven’t been taught how to wear colour for their features, their true colouring, and their temperament and style.
Body shape, for some women, is the biggest thing that trips them up when it comes to clothes, because they don’t have bodies that behave. By behave I mean they are not entirely retailer friendly: curves, boobs, bellies, thick arms, and thick ankles, maybe acne prone skin and bruised or scarred skin. These are normal bodies, and the worst thing we could do is shame ourselves for not conforming to normal standards. I also don’t have a body that behaves.
I remember once buying some cheap joggers off Vinted. The first mistake I made was the fabric — they were polyester, but the cheapest kind, almost rough and shiny. I wore them, of course I did, but the colour was off as well as the fabric. Quite honestly, at the time I was learning how to dress for my size 18 body — new to me in perimenopause — along with learning about my insatiable appetite and my lack of resilience. Midlife is tough for women. It’s no surprise we need professional help when it comes to dressing.
Style identity makes up the last pillar of this triad. I wish I could bottle how eye-opening, and affirming, it is to have a style personality session. My session doesn’t just look at the core style archetypes, which are honestly the most simple and elegant, and therefore the most impactful. In my sessions, I also get to know my client’s style through personal objects they bring in from home — things that encompass who they are. Maybe a poem, a dress, a bookmark, a letter, a book. This helps us find the red threads of your style.
My job, more than anything, is to practise active listening, because I can’t help a woman in front of me if I don’t truly understand her plight.
How do I know if I have been successful? Because a woman recognises herself again in the mirror. But it’s not an old version of herself — it’s the current version of who she is. I often hear, in awe and disbelief: “I would never have picked these clothes… but I feel really great… thank you.” So maybe I am more of a style interpreter.
If this resonates with you, most of my clients start with a Style Clarity session. It’s 90 minutes, and it’s designed to start you off with less confusion and a clearer sense of direction.
Lizzie x
