MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

You don’t need to wear all the latest trends – but at the same time, you also don’t want to look outdated and old-fashioned. (Which can be aging).

What I encourage you to do, if you want to keep your look modern and current, is be aware of changes in styles, shapes, and proportions so you can make some adjustments to your wardrobe if necessary.

Are current style jeans wide in the leg, or are they slim? Are the waistbands sitting low or high on the waist? Are shoulders big or small, sleeves narrow or wide? Dresses long or short? And are shoes pointy, round, or square? Boots long or short?

I know what’s in, and what’s not can be confusing – particularly if you’re not a keen fashion follower.

For example, you might have a pair of wide-leg trousers you wore to work 9 years ago, and you’ve noticed they’re in the stores again.

You might be asking yourself – “Does this mean my pants are fashionable again? Can I pull them out and wear them?” “Or have they had their time, and should I just let them go?”

More often than not, no! Wide-leg pants (or padded shoulders, or long-line jackets, etc..) might be “in” again, but they may higher in the waist, or narrower in the sleeve. Things will come around again, but shapes change…

If you’re unsure whether some of the pieces in your wardrobe are current or outdated (or if they could be altered and updated) book a Wardrobe Overhaul, and I can help you decide what should stay and what should go – and possibly show you how to wear some of your old pieces in a new, modern way. You can read what styling services I offer here

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In the early days of trying to figure out my style, Jane Birkin had such a massive impact.

I was inspired by how she knew exactly what her look was – and rarely strayed from it; I loved how she dressed in a masculine/feminine/nonchalant/effortless way; I admired her daring, sassy attitude. (Wishing I was just a little bit as brave.)

Also, I wanted that fringe. I hate to think how many times over the years I’ve given a hairdresser a photo of Jane’s fringe to copy, only to be told I don’t Jane’s hair. 🙁

And, she was cool.

It appeared to me that she was more about style too, than fashion. I guess that’s why the many images I have saved of her are timeless and still influence how I dress even today.

So sad to hear of her death. RIP Jane.

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You can read what styling services I offer here

I just bought some newies, so I thought I’d use me as an example to talk a bit more about sneakers and personal style. (If you missed my last post, you can see it here)

So,.. I just bought these new jeans and wanted to be able to wear sneakers with them.

I tried this white pair I have, (above) and I didn’t feel right. They even made me have second thoughts about the jeans. Even though I love the sneakers, with these jeans I feel a bit frumpy and masculine – like Jerry Seinfeld – it’s not what I want. I like to feel feminine in my clothes.

I knew, for my style, to make the jeans work, I needed a shoe that wasn’t as heavy. Something that felt more elegant on my foot. The ones I’m wearing in the first pic feel much better.

It just goes to show, you need to play around with styling…and you should know how you do and don’t want to feel in your clothes.

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Even buying shoes, you want to think about your personal style.

For example, my client wanted white sneakers.

We were in DJs and got it down to two contenders.

Both were plain white, (which was a criteria) but one was very simple, timeless with no detail, and the other had some tiny features, a small platform, and was a bit edgier and perhaps more fashionable than classic.

While my client was trying each sneaker on, the person working in the store came over to ask if we needed any sizes and offered her thoughts. She suggested the brand she worked for (they were two different) was a lot more elegant than the other one – which she felt was better and what my client wanted.

In fact, it wasn’t.

While my client was trying both sneakers on, we talked about her style. I asked her which one she felt best represented the direction she wanted her style to move in and the look she wanted to achieve. The ones that were slightly chunkier and cooler, were it.

So, there are a couple of takeaways from this…

All white sneakers are not the same. When you’re shopping for a pair, think about what it is you want. Sporty, non-sporty, chunky, elegant, leather, canvas, details, embellishment, no details, etc. It’ll make it so much easier for you to find them.

Know your personal style, and you won’t buy or get talked into buying something that isn’t right for you.

Take your time when you shop. Have a good think about the piece before you make the purchase. Don’t feel rushed to make a decision.

Follow me on Instagram here

You can read what styling services I offer here