Taking back control...

January 10, 2024

Now that the decorations are back in the loft (?), there is no better time for a fresh start, a declutter (or I prefer to use the word 'edit') -  it's time to take back control.  Of course, this will mean different things for different people.  It might be eating more healthily, drinking less alcohol, sorting the finances, organising your wardrobe or clearing out the kitchen cupboards.  For me, it's about re-evaluating my priorities in business and ensuring I am working as effectively as possible (oh and all of the above too of course!) .     


The need for a 'Wardrobe Edit' - It always tickles me how every time I mention these words to a client, they assume a ‘guilty as charged’ look about them!  It’s a well-known statistic that we wear about 20% of our wardrobe, 80% of the time.  This means you can very easily have a wardrobe (or multiple) full of clothes but when it comes to going out with friends or loved ones you feel you have nothing to wear. You might create a panic pile on the floor of your bedroom, frantically trying some previously successful outfits but now they are a bit tight, or not appropriate for the time of year or you just don’t feel good in them anymore. This can leave you feeling frustrated and despondent.  Editing your clothes allows you to see the wood for the trees (or the ‘feel good’ outfit from the ‘that’ll have to do’).  When we can really see what we have in our wardrobe and we know we feel good in it, our energy levels are boosted and we rediscover our confidence.


Meet Leah (below).    I met her in a charity shop in Cheltenham. We were both commenting on each other’s purchases and got onto the subject of sustainability whilst paying for our pre-loved items at the till!   Leah is an entrepreneur. She’s owned a number of businesses to date, all focussed on listening to the client's needs - much like my Personal Styling.  Her latest venture is called The Art of Order , a professional organising service to organise rooms, sometimes whole houses and even workplaces… allowing you to cleanse your space and your mind and gifting you back your time.


I love  meeting (and collaborating) with other women in business, so we decided to find out a little bit more about what makes each other tick over a cup of coffee and discovered our businesses have a great deal in common.  These are just a few questions I put to Leah to delve a little deeper into her world:

What does a typical client look like for you?

There isn’t a typical client. Every client is individual in their needs. I have had clients who are highly organised, high earning professionals, hoarders, stay at home mums, and even those who are retired who have moved home and have downsized. The clients who utilise my professional organisational services are also a cross spectrum of men and women.

I love the strapline on your website: ‘edit, organise, breathe’.  I imagine reorganising a room or someone’s home can be quite cathartic? Yes. Extremely cathartic, and on so many levels. I’m an empath, and I feel, and embrace, the sheer relief that my clients feel once the first and final edit is complete. They start to experience for the first time quite how liberating it is to be free from unnecessary clutter. How uplifting it can be to edit and cleanse your home, allowing your mind some clarity, and that sigh of relief after you’ve conquered something truly satisfying………….the feeling of being able to breathe! Hence my tag line ‘Edit. Organise. Breathe’! As this is exactly what happens, and in precisely that order! 

 


Do you find clients are able to learn from the experience and adopt new ways?

Totally. Every client I have had the opportunity to work with has said how the process has helped them implement new systems in other areas of their home, and now they know the best way to approach it, will continue to do so.

 


As with any bespoke service, people will often assume it’s out of their reach. Can you give us an indication of what the cost might be to reorganise a bedroom for example?

A typical double wardrobed bedroom, along with drawers, maybe some under bed storage, along with vanity units etc., take approx. 1-1.5 days, based on an 8hr day. A days professional organising costs £240.


People are often shocked at the time it takes to fully edit & re-organise a room; to remove everything from the room, emptying each drawer and every item from the wardrobe, to then sort through each item adding it either to the charity, for sale, or the ‘return to the wardrobe’ pile takes longer than people think. Once the edit is complete I then return the items in an orderly and aesthetically pleasing fashion!


More often than not people fall short of a full edit of their bedroom as they become easily distracted, move on to something else, or lose interest, which in turns leaves the room/wardrobe etc. never being fully edit and re-organised. This is where my services are invaluable. I am very thorough, and I am able to stay focused and on track to ensure that set goals are met. Accountability is key!

 

 

There will be a huge push on sustainable fashion again this year, getting value per wear on items you already own or buying second hand to reduce the impact of your purchases.  If we can all be a little bit more mindful of waste and more open to re-purposing items, it might just help make the world a better place?   


For more information on Wardrobe Edits or any aspect of my Personal Styling services just drop me an email: wendy@styleandcolour.co.uk or call me on 07788 713554.


If you would like to find out more about Leah's services simply visit her website or email her at info@theartoforder.co.uk

 

 

New Year, New Premises - Opening 15th February 2025!

By Wendy Thompson • January 23, 2025
New branding, New Premises! We are officially opening on Saturday 15th February so come and say hello...

And we are off!

By Wendy Thompson • June 14, 2024
This week was Day 1 + 2 of our first Colour Analysis training course so I've been a little busy but, absolutely LOVING the opportunity to share my experience with our new trainees - and what a fantastic group they are!

START A CAREER AS A PERSONAL STYLIST

By Wendy Thompson • April 17, 2024
After months of behind the scenes planning, I am delighted to announce the launch of my new business 'The Style and Colour Academy' and the dates for our first course in Colour Analysis!

Swimwear to flatter your Body Shape

By Wendy Thompson • June 27, 2022
With the summer holidays fast approaching the prospect of adorning a swimming costume (or God forbid a bikini) can be a little daunting to say the least! So strut your stuff with confidence this summer by finding out the most flattering swimwear for your body shape using my style guide below...

What is Colour Analysis?

By Wendy Thompson • November 15, 2021
Doing my own colours.... 'Having your colours done' is not a phrase which means something to everyone. And the 'seasonal system' can appear misleading... people often think if they are a 'Winter' this has a reflection on their character (cold or dark!). So let me enlighten you a little...

How good are clothing subscription boxes? Stitch Fix and Lookiero reviewed.

By Wendy Thompson • October 13, 2021
If you are new to subscription boxes, this is how they work. For your styling fee of £10 you receive five items of clothing in the post (which can include shoes). You then have seven days to try them at home. Returns are free (as is shipping) - the only money you stand to lose is your £10 styling fee if you choose to return all items. I signed up to STITCH FIX and Lookiero as the two leading names in this relatively new market and these are my findings:

The Art of Disguise

By Wendy Thompson • August 20, 2021
Whilst some people gained weight during lockdown, I put my mind to loosing a little. I think it was something I could have control over and it made me feel better about the chaos and uncertainty around me. But since restrictions have lifted, wining and dining has become my new normal. I know some people may look at these images and feel I have nothing to worry about, but this is about personal comfort zones and comfortable is something which several of my clothes are currently not! My wearable wardrobe is shrinking before my eyes, so until I get back into a healthier routine, I’II need to think creatively with my outfit choices. These are my styling secrets to help disguise some of the summer holiday indulgences… Smock dresses – our saving grace this summer! Loose fitting, cool and comfortable and not a muffin top in sight. Shirt dresses – shirt dresses are so on trend this summer. By tying the belt above your tummy this keeps the focus on your slimmest part. A slightly fuller skirt can help to disguise the extent of the tummy bulge too! Try keeping bottoms more fitted and tops looser (or oversized) – stretchy high waisted jeggings (best in a relatively thick denim) will help secure any spare tyres. Team with a bubble hem top or tops tied at the bottom to skim over (not cling to) your stomach. Be brave with prints! A print will provide an excellent distraction from unwanted lumps or bumps – always a winner. If you are anything like me, my weight fluctuates throughout the year. It doesn’t mean you need to buy more clothes, or size up. Personal styling is about finding the most flattering clothes to make the most of our bodies, so have a play with the clothes in your wardrobe to find your most flattering combinations. For more personal styling advice visit www.styleandcolour.co.uk or email me wendy@styleandcolour.co.uk

Opening your eyes to Charity Shopping

By Wendy Thompson • June 21, 2021
Allocating some time to a charity shop spree provides a guilt free way to shop. You can put your hands on a whole variety of colours (irrespective of the current trends) and find some truly inspiring items to add excitement to your wardrobe for a fraction of the price of the high street. And the best part is that it encourages you to be more daring... if it's not right when you get it home, it doesn't matter! You've contributed to a bigger, better cause. I've done a number of face-to-face colour appointments over the past couple of weeks and talked to all my clients about red. EVERYONE can wear it but it's all about finding the right tone. The 'right' red for me is a pink (not orange) tone so I was over the moon to find this dress on a charity shop run. Hunting through charity shops was a regular past time when I was younger.... I would find some fantastic fabrics in dated styles and 'up style' them with my Grandma's old sewing machine. Well, I don't get there quite as often, but if I can, I still love to mooch. Last week I popped into Acorns and found this beautiful red dress (just £7) and and gorgeous chunky, large scale, silver bracelet (£2)! LOVE THEM! Who wouldn't? Style it up with an animal scarf or a woven belt, a bright red lipstick and BANG! Just £9 for a a new outfit and all to a good cause. Do you know which red is the right red for you? x https://www.styleandcolour.co.uk/shop/Face-to-Face-Colour-Analysis-p365044639

Feeling brave? Why not try out some print clashing!

By Wendy Thompson • June 4, 2021
The ‘rules’ are simple – there are none! In fact, the more courageous you are, the more considered the outfit will appear. However, if the concept is new to you, I would suggest trying the following to ease you in: Stripes worn with florals (or animal print with spots) creates an easy start and these are items which most of us will have in our wardrobes. You can even just use a floral scarf with a striped top to get you going. Use complementary colours (if you are not sure what these are, have a look at my earlier blog on colours which work well together. Separating the clash with a waist belt suggests a sense of informed decision in your look and can add the perfect finishing touch. Once you’ve found your confidence with this look, you can begin to consider the benefits of flattering print placement too! A vertical line down the middle of a blouse or dress is great for larger busts as it elongates and narrows. Broken stripes on an outfit causes confusion to the eye and can create a distraction from a rounded tummy. In fact, prints in general can be hugely successful in disguising unwanted lumps and bumps! BEWARE!!! This look does come with one warning! Trying to make the prints match has the potential to leave you with an outfit where onlookers are not entirely sure whether you are making a statement or got dressed in the dark! Print clashing is about mixing it up with CONFIDENCE, so if you still feel nervous but are desperate to give it a try, keep an eye out for the garments which have been made featuring two prints of different patterns or colours already for you. Still not sold? Have a look at my Colour Analysis and Style Advice services to help build your style know-how and grown in self-confidence. Wendy x

Complementary Colours - Which colours work well together?

By Wendy Thompson • May 18, 2021
Even if you believe you have a good sense of the colours which suit you, you may well find that you still gravitate to the same few options (which you can probably count on one hand)? Understanding how colour works and more importantly, how we can combine different colours can help transform the way you wear your wardrobe and as a result, transform your confidence when you walk out of your front door. Here are a few colour combinations to consider...
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