MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

In order for you to dress and shop without frustration and so that you feel confident and comfortable in your clothes, you need to have a very clear idea what your style is. Keep asking yourself every time you put something on, how you feel. (It’s not just about how you look. You might put something on that a friend or shop assistant says looks great, but unless you feel it, it’s not going to work for you) 

I was thrilled to get this email from a lovely girl I recently worked with. It’s always very rewarding when I know that someone has got it (and also received some nice compliments).

“Hi Meaghan

I just wanted you to know that I had a fashion light bulb moment when we went out (shopping) and I’m so pleased with my purchases. I even took all the tags off the items I bought. Amazing.

I went out to the work function in the outfit we bought at Country Road and felt fabulous. I went around to my daughters before I left, to get her opinion and her husband was just staring at me. He said he didn’t think he had seen me in a skirt and why on earth not. At the function the girls commented positively on my outfit. In a way it didn’t matter what they thought because I was dressing in a manner that was MY style and I felt really comfortable. And it wasn’t hard. Thank you so much. As I said before I feel like I can breath and a weight has been lifted off me.

In the short time I have spent with you you have made a difference in my life and I am truly grateful.

Regards

I.M.”

You can read what some of my other clients have said about their experience working with me here

You can read what styling services I offer here

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I get asked often whether denim jackets are still in fashion. A client might have one in their wardrobe, that’s been hanging unworn for years, because they’re unsure whether or not to let go of it or hold on to it.

My answer is always yes denim jackets are still in fashion however, like everything, shapes change and some can become outdated – particularly those that are made of treated denim (perhaps stone washed) or have zips, studs or rhinestones.  So if you have an old Sportsgirl version from 1995, chances are it may well be dated and either needs reinventing (if possible) or retiring.

Because I’m always encouraging people to try and work with what they already own before racing out and buying anything new, I thought I would talk about how you can determine whether your denim jacket is right for you and whether to keep it or not.

Consider..

• firstly, whether a denim jacket is your style.  It’s certainly a classic piece, but not for everyone.  Don’t just wear it because it’s there.
• whether your particular jacket is flattering to your shape.  Is it too short and boxy or too long?  Is it too wide across your back?  Are the sleeves too full making your arms appear bigger than they are?  Is it making your shoulders and/or bust look broader/bigger than they are?
• whether the denim is dated.   1980’s distressed denim and 2000’s distressed denim are not the same
• whether it’s worth having it altered by a tailor to make it a more modern, flattering shape for you
• whether the style is still current or if it’s dated. (ie. if it’s acid washed with bat-wing sleeves and suede fringes, unless your style is Eighties Rocker, I’d say it’s probably time to donate it)

…and in case you’re wondering, yes, denim jackets can be worn by all ages.  But just like anything, it’s not what you wear, it’s how you wear it. For instance, unless you want to look like Dolly Parton, avoid wearing your rhinestone embellished denim jacket with your jeans of the same denim. Wear a dark denim jacket to lunch with a stripey tee, navy linen pants and espadrilles or throw one over your shoulders when you’re wearing a cool summer dress, while you’re on holidays.

Here are a few pictures to give you some ideas for how you can wear your jacket.

You can read what styling services I offer here

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image via here

A little while ago I took my brother-in-law shopping for a new suit.

You all know that I don’t work with guys, so I’m certainly not an expert in menswear, however I do know enough about tailoring to know when something does and doesn’t fit.

At the very first place we visited the lady in the shop measured my brother-in-law and told him what size he was. She then gave him a few options to try on, in his size.

None of the three fit – properly.  Sure he could get them on and he could move in them comfortably and he liked the color of the fabric (..and I’m sure if I wasn’t there he would have thought they were absolutely fine) – but that isn’t enough, as you can see is demonstrated in these photos above.

If you want to look (and feel) great in your clothes (Of course this applies to both men and women) they need to fit you just right.

Just because something is your (supposed) size, doesn’t mean it fits.

READ: “Are you settling for near enough?” here

Details of my personal styling services (Including prices) here

Get to know me and my style on Facebook here

..& Instagram here

I bet you’ve never thought of yourself as a mean girl.

You’re loving, kind, supportive and encouraging to everyone you know.

BUT

What about yourself?

Are you loving, kind, supportive, compassionate and encouraging to you ……or are you mean?

Fat, flab, short, too skinny, saggy, too pale, old, too tall, wobbly, too freckly, bulges, chunky and wrinkly.

They’re nasty, ugly, bullying words.  When we use them to describe ourselves they conjure up images in our minds and they make us feel lousy.

I’ve heard and seen them all – in the fitting rooms and on my questionnaires.

“I hate my flabby arms”

“I’d love to wear dresses but I have too many fat rolls on my stomach”

“I can’t wear skinny jeans because of my short chunky legs”

Mean, mean and mean.

How can you possibly feel good when you speak to yourself like that.

Why do we do it? Why do we refer to ourselves in such an awful way. We’d never speak to one of our loved ones like that, so why do we treat the one person we should love and care about the most, in such a cruel way?

I’m challenging you to stop.  At least for one month.  For the next 30 days every time you find yourself about to refer to you in a negative way using an unkind word, pull yourself up and choose another word to use.

Be conscious of your vocabulary and see if you can break the self critical habit.

Instead of using one of those ugly words replace it with something like…

Voluptuous, Curvaceous, Soft, Statuesque, Petite, Mature, Athletic, Lean, Fabulous, etc, etc..

You get the picture..now give it a try.

*You might like to read this interesting piece on Gwyneth Paltrow’s, Goop newsletter titled, Figure of Speech: How The Words We Choose Shape Our Lives.

You can read what styling services I offer here

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