MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

Whether you’re petite, curvy, lean, or over sixty-five, there’s an ideal pair of jeans for you.

Great jeans will make you feel stylish and confident. They will fit in all the right places and be comfortable. 

They’re one of the most versatile pieces of clothing in your wardrobe. You’ll be able to wear them to work with a blazer and boots, on the weekend with a t-shirt and casual sneakers, and to a party with heels and a blouse.

However, finding a pair of jeans that are flattering and stylish can be frustrating and overwhelming; after all, there are literally hundreds of different brands, styles, washes, and fits to navigate your way through.

Here are a few things to consider next time you decide you need to update your denim.

• Unless you’re shopping with the view to sample lots of different styles, have a clear picture of what you’re looking for. (e.g. mid-rise dark denim straight with some stretch)
• If you don’t know what you’re looking for, be open-minded to trying on different styles.
• Always try jeans with shoes. If you think you’ll wear them with a heel, try them with a heel. If you think you’ll wear them with a boot, try them with a boot. (You don’t want to get them home to discover the boots you have, don’t work with the jeans you’ve bought)
• Know your body shape and understand the best denim styles that suit your particular shape – the best rise (crotch to waist), the best color, and the best leg width.
• Try a pair of jeans that theoretically shouldn’t work for your body shape. What’s the worse thing that could happen? They just might work, and they might look great.
• Think of buying jeans as you would buying pants/trousers/a skirt. To find the perfect fit for you, you may need to have them altered.
• In the change room, once you have the jeans on, bend over, sit down, do some squats, and lift your knees up (like you’re marching)  to see how much they stretch and move with your body and to ensure they fit properly.
• Take more than one size into the changeroom. Just because the pair you have at home is a size 12, doesn’t mean you will be that size in all jeans. Try on a size smaller and a size larger than you normally would.
• Unless they are boyfriend or girlfriend style, jeans shouldn’t sag around your bottom; pull across the tops of your legs or bag at the front of your thighs. They should fit firmly at the waist and not dig into your stomach or hips.
• Take notice of the size of the back pockets and where they sit on your butt. Are they doing what you want them to do? (ie giving your bottom a nice shape)

Read about shopping for jeans with me, here

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If I didn’t know better this could be a photo from a current French Vogue.

Everything about the outfit, including the hair, shoes, glasses and bag – look modern. Nothing appears outdated.

But then I notice the old van.. and of course, it’s Jackie Kennedy.

You can read what styling services I offer here

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When I changed careers several years ago, my clothes needed to change too.

I was working at an Investment Bank so most of my wardrobe was made up of suits, crisp shirts, blazers, and heels, but when I started my Personal Styling business, my needs were different. My style was still classic, but it needed to transition from corporate classic into a more casual, fashionable classic.

Before I invested in new clothes I made the conscious decision to simplify my wardrobe, and how I dressed and also decided that I would build a wardrobe around a color palette, of black, white, grey, and navy.
Having these colors as my primary base means that everything works together, and therefore dressing is easy.

Over time, for variety, I would add bits and pieces in other colors – red, orange, cobalt blue, fuchsia – that would complement the neutral basics.

I’m now ready to introduce a new neutral. One that I know will work well with all the others, as well as some of my colored pieces. This autumn, I’m keen to incorporate some khaki into the mix.

What are the primary basic colors you’ve built your wardrobe around?  (For you it could be beige, charcoal, cream, white, etc) If you haven’t (and your wardrobe is only made up of lots of colors and patterns) it could be one of the reasons you find putting outfits together difficult and you feel like you have nothing to wear.

You can read what styling services I offer here

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This pea coat was about to be thrown out.

While I love it, in fact, it’s one of my favourite pieces – I knew I couldn’t wear it like this (below) anymore. I had to do something to save it, or it needed to be let go of.

Firstly, I tried using this little comb (testing it on a small area), but it didn’t work. It was pulling and tearing at the fabric – it was too rough.

So when I saw someone mention a little de-pilling device on Instagram, I thought I’d give it a go …and it worked a treat!

It now looks as good as new.

You can watch how I did it here

How you take care of your clothes is very important – both for ensuring they wear well and last as long as they should, but also so that you look well put together. 

You’ll never look stylish if you leave the house with frayed, scuffed, faded, stained, pilled, creased…or like you slept with your dog in their basket – hair all over your clothes. 

Go the extra step and take great care of the pieces you invest in.

You can read what styling services I offer here

Follow me on Instagram here