There are so many things I love, and experience I have enjoyed that don’t fit anywhere into this blog that I am starting a new weekly series where I can have the opportunity to talk about people/places/experiences I really rate, make me happy and create all round loveliness. First up is Sophie, Director of Threads Styling.
I first got to know Sophie when she approached me to shoot her wedding on the Costa Brava in Spain last year. We got chatting and hit it off, but sadly my travel schedule meant I just couldn’t fit in her wedding. However, at the same time as planning her wedding, Sophie was in the midst of launching her new fashion styling consultancy. After years as a buyer in the fashion industry, she decided to open her own personal styling business. Each year I set different goals, both personal and professional and right off, inspired by Sophie’s services, I decided to make sorting out my wardrobe in 2010, one of my Top Ten. When you spend most of your time making other people look good, it can be easy to neglect your own appearance, and I was definitely guilty of that.
I booked Sophie to come and sort through my mass of clothes, old and new, good fitting and badly fitting, practical and impractical….. and help me create a wardrobe that not only reflected my personal style but made me feel great! A wardrobe that made getting up on the morning and getting dressed an easy task. A wardrobe that made shopping fun, one full of pieces that actually go together, of clothes that flatter me, make me feel good and actually work for my lifestyle. And that included most specifically shooting weddings….finding something practical but stylish, an outfit that feels like me but that I can crawl around under tables if needed, had to date alluded me….
Before we started I had to complete a detailed questionnaire about my likes, dislikes, style icons, and my favourite outfits. Doing this process was an eyeopener and helping me clarify what I liked, how I saw myself and my style and what I did actually wear day to day.
The Day of the Wardrobe Refresh arrived and Sophie turned up for the day to my home, where we installed ourselves in my bedroom. Tactfully and helpfully she worked though everything… advising what most suited me, was worth keeping, selling on Ebay, giving away, or adjusting….. and helping me turn a mass of random clothes into a far smaller one, but a collection where I could actually see what was there, and one where everything in the wardrobe actually made me feel good and look good……albeit one as she commented best suited “to the red carpet”.
Therein lies my weak point. Drawn like a magpie to beautiful things, practicality in shopping was never my forte. With a wardrobe of vintage ballgowns, but without a movie star career, getting dressed in the morning was never easy & I was living in skinny jeans and vests.
So it was time to implement Part 2: a Personal Shopping Day. Now this was just great. Sophie was a wealth of information on where to spend and where to save, and how to make the most of my budget (which incidentally came mainly from selling the outtakes on Ebay…bonus!). Together we had defined what gaps needed to be filled, and she came armed with great suggestions on where was best to fill them, whether it was who had the best cream t shirt that hung just right, in the best fabric (I love details!), and which store stocked the best cut jeans for my figure. I tried on things I would not have looked twice at in a shop previously, and found new styles that suited me and made me feel great.
Sophie was super focused, and took me to shops I had never tried before, reined me in where necessary and coaxed me into new styles. And helped carry my bags. A lot of bags.
Then a follow up session back in the bedroom, and the new pieces were integrated into my wardrobe and hey presto! I actually had as ‘wardrobe’, yes, a collection of ‘pieces’ as they say in the magazines, pieces that actually worked together, a selection of accessories (as opposed to a single functional belt) and the icing on the cake, snapshots of me in those outfits ready to stick to the inside of my wardrobe door. I felt great!
I was so impressed I have booked Sophie’s Bridal Styling Service and she will help me shop for the dress of my dreams, help me navigate the overwhelming bridal dress choices, and figure out what will suit me most, and do much of the legwork & research I don’t have time for (I am happy to sit in the role of creative director!). Sophie will also ensure that me & the Man complement each other with our outfits, as we want to keep what we are wearing for each other a surprise until the day.
Sophie, thank you for all your ideas, hard work, expertise and for opening my eyes to a whole new way of shopping. For making dressing in the morning fun, easy and enjoyable. For understanding me and helping me define my style and create an affordable stylish wardrobe. I absolutely LOVED the experience and it was one of the best things I did for myself in 2010. I can’t wait to rock my wedding day style with your help!
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