MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

This weekend pull out all the “jobs around the house” clothes, throw them on the bed and go through them one by one.

You know.. the pieces you wear when you clean the shower, water the garden, paint the house, do the vacuuming, feed the animals, hang out the washing, etc, etc.

The clothes you once wore regularly, felt super comfy in, couldn’t part with so put them in the “I just wear that when I”….pile.

The clothes that have been demoted from the everyday wear section and saved for special jobs but tend to creep back into the everyday wardrobe because they’re so comfy.

The thing I want you to ask yourself is, how many of these “jobs around the house” clothes do I realistically need? Do I need 15 pairs of old tracky daks or three quarter length pants?  Do I need 10 holey, stained and faded t-shirts and windcheaters?

But most importantly……Are these clothes contributing to an over-stuffed wardrobe making it hard for me to see what I have and leading me to think I have nothing to wear?

I agree we all need a couple of pieces of comfy, don’t care if they get stained or torn,  cleaning around the house clothes.  But when you look at your wardrobe and the majority of it consists of more “housework clothes” than casual or work or going out clothes then you have a problem.

Be ruthless.

Need some gentle encouragement or help deciding what to keep and what to move on?  Book in for a Wardrobe Overhaul here

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Can you imagine how this outfit would look with a different shoe?  White or taupe perhaps?

Now picture this image in your mind without the shoes, without the red lips and without the gold bracelet.

It’s a completely different look isn’t it?

Take your time when you put together an outfit to think about how you want to decorate your clothes that day.

Do you want to look casual, playful, glamourous, sophisticated or fun?

Once you decide choose your accessories to help you achieve the look.

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Well sadly the 2014 a/w Fashion Week’s are over.  No more fantasising that I’m in New York, Paris, London or Milan..til next time.

I’ve spent hours pouring over the images of the shows, watching online video streams of the parades and scrupulously checking out photos of what those who attended the shows have been wearing.  This is where I get most of my styling inspiration from.

I take note of what shoes show-goers are wearing, how and what coats they’re sporting,  what lengths they’re embracing in skirts and pants, how they’re clashing their patterns, layering their jewellery and what shades they’re wearing on their lips.

But the one image that jumped out at me,  among the hundreds I’ve seen over the past couple of weeks, is this one (above & below) of Clemence Poesy.

I’m contemplating a hair change.  I’ve had the same style for a while now and I think I’m ready for something fresh and new.

I’d get my hair cut into this style in a flash if I was confident I could achieve Clemence’s disheveled,  just-out-of-bed yet stylish, relaxed, tousled look.

My concern is that for some reason when it’s at chin or shoulder length, my hair has a tendency to flip and I’m nervous it might end up looking like this.

Rather than look like a cool French girl I might look like a 1960’s Stepford Wife.

Hmm…  Something to ponder over the weekend and then perhaps discuss with my hairstylist next week to get her thoughts. What do you think?

You can read what styling services I offer here

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This is one of my favourite outfit shots from the recent Fall 2014 New York Fashion Week.

It’s by J.Crew.   I want it all.  The coat, the scarf, the shirt and the jeans.  It’s a casual yet chic look.

What this picture shows us is..

1. Yes you can wear denim on denim in a stylish way – not just in a, I’ve just walked off the set of Shawshank Redemption, kind of way. My tip is that if you try the double denim look (denim jeans/denim shirt) and you don’t want to look like you’re trying to resemble a prisoner, pay extra attention to your shoe choice.

2. Wearing blue head to toe is chic and sophisticated.

3. It’s ok to wear black shoes with navy.

4. A coat doesn’t necessarily need to be put on, it can be thrown casually over your shoulders.

5. Blue jeans don’t only come in one style.

For now, let’s just focus on No. 5.

If  you’ve been wearing the same style of blue jeans for years now, (more than likely skinny jeans) consider shaking things up a bit.

There are so many different washes and cuts, that there’s bound to be more than one style that works for you – it’s just a matter of trying on various styles.

I know it can be overwhelming shopping for new jeans, but when you know what suits you and what to look for, finding great jeans (which everyone should own) becomes so much easier.

You can read what styling services I offer here

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