MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

Are you limiting your wardrobe possibilities by putting your clothes into inflexible categories?

Being strict with how and when your clothes are worn could limit your outfit options.

For example, a client asked if I could come over and help her because she was sick of staring at her (full) wardrobe and feeling like she had nothing to wear.

She suggested I have a look at what she has and tell her what she needed to buy.

After chatting and making sure we were both clear on the look she wanted to achieve, as well as what she needed outfits for, we got stuck into the wardrobe.

I started by pulling out a few pieces and getting her to try them on. A beige trench, a striped tee, a pair of blue jeans, a kitten heel, and a little cross-body bag. She looked at me a bit confused and said, “But that’s my work coat. I wouldn’t wear that with my jeans”. But then, when she put it on, it looked great, and she loved it and asked me to take a photo. (We took lots of outfit pics for her to file and save)

After a few hours of trying on things she already had in her wardrobe, my client realised she didn’t need anything new (just one or two small gap fillers) – she just needed to be creative and use what she had.

Another client had a beautiful lurex knit she’d never worn, that we teamed with a pair of cargo pants and sneakers, so she could wear it casually, rather than wait for a fancy occasion. Someone else had a hardly worn dress that was being saved for weddings, and the like, that I got her to try with her knee-high boots and a blazer, so she could wear out for drinks with her girlfriends or on dates.

Think creatively and challenge yourself to use your clothes in different ways. You may find that you have many more outfits than you thought you did.

If you have a wardrobe full of clothes but still feel like you don’t have much to wear, consider booking a Wardrobe Styling session. You can read all about my wardrobe styling services here

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When this popped up on my Pinterest feed I thought it was a recent “street style” pic. It took me a few seconds to realise it was a photo of Carolyn Bessette – Kennedy and John Kennedy Jr – in 1997.

I think everything they’re wearing (including Carolyn’s sisters outfit) could be worn today.

You can read what styling services I offer here

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Reason: You wear your clothes the same way, every time.

For example, you might have a dress you bought to wear for your son’s birthday. You wore it with a pair of sandals and your denim jacket. Then, a few weeks later you got together with a few work friends for drinks and wore it with the same sandals and denim jacket.

Now you’re a bit sick of that dress, and so next time you have a catch up, you’ll feel like you have nothing to wear. (Besides, it’s cold now..)

That dress, however, may have many outfit possibilities yet to be discovered. (Even now it’s winter)

You might be able to…

Wear it with a blazer and heels

Layer a turtleneck under it and wear
it with a coat, tights and boots

Put a jumper over it, so it looks like a skirt

And sometimes, you only need to make a small tweak to a piece (i.e., cuff your jeans) or wear something a little bit differently (tuck in your top), to make some of your clothes feel refreshed and like you have more to wear.

Here you can see @anoukyve is using a knit/sweater like a scarf. She’s thrown it over her coat to keep her warm, but also to add an extra layer of interest to her outfit.

If you’d like some help coming up with new ways to wear your clothes, so you feel like you have more to wear, you can find the details of my styling services here

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Something I love to hear while I’m shopping or doing a wardrobe session with a client is – This is me!  (Usually, I can also tell by their body language and/or facial expression that they feel great in it)

If you’re still trying to figure out your personal style, give yourself time to try lots of different things. 

Sample clothes that are not your usual/comfort zone pieces and play around with new looks using what you already have in your wardrobe. 

Each time you put something on, ask yourself…

• How do I feel? 
• Is this me? 

When you come up with an outfit that feels the way you want to in your clothes, bottle that feeling then aim for all of your outfits to make you feel that way.

*This pic is from the book “In Paris” by Jeanne Damas. 

When I flicked through it in the shop, I bought it because of this photo. I really liked this outfit. There’s nothing trendy about it. Each piece could have come from a charity shop, vintage store, the high street, or a designer boutique. 

You can read what styling services I offer here

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