MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

When I think back to the days I used to walk home from work in my suit and sneakers, I never looked anywhere near as chic as Victoria Beckham does in her trousers and sneakers. (below)

I used to put my trainers on in the office (they were the same ones I wore to pump and spinning classes at the gym) and walk as fast as I could out of the CBD in the hope I wouldn’t bump into anyone I knew.

Back then trainers were really just for that – training – and wearing them for anything but exercise was seen as being a bit daggy.  (Think Jerry Seinfeld in his jeans and runners) But now, wearing a pair of smart sneakers is fashionable.

If you’re thinking about adding a new comfy casual, runaround shoe for winter, consider a pair of white (Yes white for winter) sneakers.

They’ll add instant freshness to your look and work with all those stylish colors you no doubt have in your wardrobe.  (ie navy, grey, khaki, black, white and camel)

TIP: For winter, consider leather rather than canvas which are a challenge to keep clean in winter.

You can read what styling services I offer here

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I went out for dinner on Saturday night and got completely soaked on the way there. (Caught public transport and had no umbrella) I’m talking walking into a restaurant looking like I just got out of the shower. Drenched!

Despite the rain, it was still nice and warm and lots of fun so I got over the fact that I apparently “looked like I had a bad perm”, once my hair had dried, but was not very happy the following morning when I woke up to see the damage to my red suede shoes. When I first saw them I wasn’t sure if I would be able to fix the dye that had run.

Simply buying new clothes and accessories is not enough to look stylish…..if that’s important to you.

It doesn’t end there.

When you start slowly adding new pieces over time, (particularly if you’re at the rebuilding a new wardrobe stage) the next step is to take care of them so that they always look fresh and new and so that they’ll last.

Often a client will say to me, “I don’t buy from so & so anymore because their clothes don’t last”.  They might then go on to tell me after I’ve inquired how they washed the garment, that they threw it in the washing machine with the towels (When the label distinctly said it needed to be hand washed). Very little will survive that.

Clothes, shoes, bags, belts, scarves,…. need to be taken care of.

They need to be washed properly, they need to be de-pilled, they need to be re-soled, polished, re-hemmed, conditioned, brushed, etc, etc.

When you’re about to purchase an item consider whether it’s something you can commit to looking after. If it’s something that needs dry cleaning or hand washing, will you do that? If it’s a pair of shoes that needs spraying or a Topy sole put on before you can wear them, will you do that?

Go that extra step…..maintenance, whether we like it or not, really is important to how our clothes look and how long they last.

For many people the care of clothes and shoes was something they didn’t grow up learning about, but it’s certainly something that is worthwhile educating yourself about now….and I’m always happy to pass on what I know to help you. (My Dad cleaned and polished his shoes every single night so I was fortunate to have, taking care of things, ingrained in to me at a very early age.)

From the archives read, “Your Clothes Need TLC Too”  here

Details of my personal styling services (Including prices) here

Get to know me and my style on Facebook here

..& Instagram here

Are you familiar with anti-static spray? (Sometimes I presume that everyone knows about things like this and then I am reminded by someone that that’s not the case)

Things like this and various laundry products can make a difference to how your clothes look and feel, so they’re worth trying.

If you’re finding some of your clothes are sticking to you when you wear them as a result of a buildup of static electricity- you might particularly notice it if you wear hosiery for work or after you remove a garment from a plastic dry cleaning bag – you just give them a spray (inside out) and it eliminates the problem.

I mostly use it on my black silk blouses and shirts and some of my knits.

TIP:  When I worked at the bank I always kept a bottle in my desk drawer – along with some clear nail polish in case I got a run in my pantihose.

This is the brand of anti-static spray I currently have. You can buy it here

Details of my personal styling services (Including prices) here

Get to know me and my style on Facebook here

..& Instagram here