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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Do you have an ultimate fashion wish list? I do.

There are things I’m always searching for – like the perfect pair of jeans, the best white t-shirt, and a great navy blazer, and then there are the things I dream about. That’s what I’m talking about here…

These lusty pieces are always timeless and what I consider to be very beautiful. (Almost like works of art.) And generally, what I imagine to be out of my reach, which somehow adds to their allure.

A few things I fantasise about are: a Cartier Tank watch, a YSL Peacoat, and the Hermes Kelly bag (vintage is fine 😉 )

I also love the Trinity ring Grace Kelly is wearing in this photo. (Also, by Cartier. )

The three bands, in rose, yellow, and white gold, represent love, friendship, and fidelity. So lovely.

And while it may have been designed almost 100 years ago, (in 1924) its style is still modern today – highlighting just what a classic it is.

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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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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.

You can read what styling services I offer here

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