MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

A couple of days ago I was in a store trying something on, when I heard someone say from outside my change-room,

“That’s not you!”

The comment, not directed at me, came from one of two women who were also trying things on in the common area.

The puzzled response was, “Oh, you don’t think so?”

I was intrigued.  I was wondering what one of the women had on, that made the other say that she didn’t think it was her.

When I left my cubicle I discovered the piece in question was a camel colored trench coat. I thought it looked quite nice.

The thing is, how can someone tell you – what’s you.  Only you know that.  Even if these women had been friends for 40 years or they were mother and daughter, nobody can tell you what you like.

In the same way that nobody can tell you whether you like mushrooms, floral perfumes or the sound of Justin Beibers music, nobody can tell you what your style is.  Only you know that.

..and if you don’t then you should spend some time figuring it out, otherwise you, like this lady in the change-room, will rely on others to tell you what to wear.

(Which can then result in filling your wardrobe in someone else’s style)

In the case of these two women, a better thing to say, would have been – “How do you feel?  “Is that your style?” And let the friend work out for herself whether the piece felt right and worked for her or not.

*Certainly there’s nothing wrong with asking a friend or someone working in a store what they think of how it looks on you, BUT you have to be careful when you request that advice.  Remember they’re looking through their eyes, with their own style, not with your personal style in mind.

For example: Imagine for a moment two people looking at Picasso’s Weeping Woman (above).  One might think it’s incredible and the other might think it’s hideous.  Both are right!

It’s quite possible in the case of these two women, that the friend giving advice didn’t like the piece or how it looked on her friend.  But just because that’s how she sees it, doesn’t mean she’s right.

It’s all about perception.

This is why shopping with friends, family members, etc, can be fun….but sometimes tricky.

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We’re currently in what can be, not quite disastrous, but certainly a dangerous period. Sales time.

This is the time when costly shopping mistakes are frequently made.

It’s when we can be easily lured into buying something we don’t really love, that isn’t at all flattering and doesn’t one bit represent the style and image we want to portray.

Here’s a scenario to think about…

You’ve been looking for something to wear to a friend’s wedding and not having much luck. You head out to the shops, thinking I have to get something today. I’m getting desperate.

You walk into a designer shop where they’re having a big sale. You’re thinking, this looks promising. But discover the only thing in your size is this pale pink satin ruched dress (pictured above). Its original price was $2072 and it’s on sale for $300. And it’s Nina Ricci. OMG, you think. I could never afford a designer dress like this normally. This is such a huge bargain. You try it on and it fits even though the neckline is too high for you, the length too short, you don’t really like the color (and it’s too pale for you) and you have no idea what underwear you’ll be able to wear to smooth out the lumps and bumps, which the shiny fabric seems to be highlighting. But it’s designer, it fits, it’s such a bargain and you’re desperate to buy something. The wedding is only 3 weeks away.

You’re still debating whether or not you should take it or not when the salesperson comes over and tells you you look incredible in it and that it’s beautifully made and only a handful of them were created – therefore nobody else will be wearing the same as you on the night. She gives you some ideas for how to accessorise it and how you could wear your hair and by now you’re starting to think it must look good if she says so. She works in fashion so she probably knows better than you. She could be right – the light’s not great in the change room, you don’t have any makeup on and you’re wearing bad undies.

What do you do? Do you buy it or leave it?

*If you do buy it…do you feel incredible when you wear it or do you feel uncomfortable, and unauthentic and wish you’d bought something that was flattering to your shape and reflected your style?

If you need help navigating the sales you can contact me here

You can read what styling services I offer here

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I might take two girlfriends shopping – both of them could try on the same dress and decide to buy it.

One would wear it to work with a blazer and pumps, in her classic style and the other would wear it casually to meet her friends at a cafe, in a pair of flat sandals and her denim jacket.

It’s not what you wear, it’s how you wear it.

For example, a simple white shirt can be worn in many different ways. (Demonstrated beautifully by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy above) As can a pair of chinos or a trench coat. A scrunch here, a fold, or a button up there. Even a little tweak, can make an impact.

It’s up to you to interpret each piece of clothing from your wardrobe in your own way.

Wear it so that it shows your personal style (and personality)

Wear it with accessories that feel authentic to you and your style

Wear it with an unexpected color or texture

Wear it in winter, as well as in summer

Wear it to work, and then wear it casually on the weekend

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Years ago when I changed careers, I needed to transition my wardrobe from (largely) corporate clothes, to clothes than reflected my new lifestyle. When I set about doing that, the key things for me were to have less pieces, of better quality, but still with plenty of outfit combinations. I wanted to simplify my wardrobe and be ruthless with what earned a place in it and when I added anything new, I was strict about making sure it worked with what I already had.

If you look at these three photos, you’ll see the pieces all work together.  (Same blazer and same black pants throughout.)   You’ll also note that the pieces can also be worn in different ways, for different occasions.  This is important to me.  I want my clothes to be versatile.  For example, these black pants could be worn dressed up to a fancy event, if need be, or dressed down, for meeting a friend at a cafe for coffee.

In 2019 make conscious additions to your wardrobe. Don’t just buy something because it’s on sale or you saw one of your friends (or someone you follow on Instagram) wearing it. Build a wardrobe of pieces that complement each other.

If you need help identifying what could be added to your wardrobe (or removing for that matter) – and perhaps help finding them, details of my styling services can be found here

For details on my styling services, click here.

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