I am fashion challenged. I know, you’re shocked right? When I announced this to my sister Elizabeth (whom I shop with every Spring & Fall so that she looks good) she said “If you’re fashion challenged, what about me?” My other sister Anita, (who writes this blog) agreed.
I’m 42 years old and trying to be current and fashionable without spending a fortune. The problem is I’m not sure how far I should go with the skinny jean trend (for example) before it’s too ‘young’ of a look for me. I have bought 2 pairs of skinny jeans (the dark ones—below--I bought right before Christmas when I had slimmed down even more and I was so smug. . . sigh) and a second pair I bought this January that I wore for almost 2 weeks and then thought “Maybe they should be washed” oops.
So this week I decided to take the advice I’m always dishing out on this blog and hire a professional for everything I can’t do professionally myself. I hired a stylist, Amber Foreman (click here to email her). It took 4 1/2 hours to go through my entire closet. I have 2 huge bags of clothes that are going out to the local thrift store! Anyone in Vancouver a size 6-8, you would love me right now!
I consider myself to be a practical shopper who buys ‘classics’ so I was a bit sheepish about the 2 bags of clothes. Most of them I have barely worn. I try to shop outside of the box but then I don’t end up with clothes that are ‘me’. And I still stick a turtleneck on in the end because I hate to be cold. I have 11 turtlenecks.
The other reason I don’t need to spend a lot of money on clothes is I don’t go to an office everyday (like I used to) where I didn’t like to wear the same thing for 3 weeks. I see different clients and different suppliers every day so I just want to look designerish (is that a word?). Plus when I do on-line consults, I could be in my bathrobe, which honestly does happen sometimes. When I’m working from home I get annoyed when I look up at 11:00 am and I’m still in my robe!
So back to the moral of my story; I had bought 2 sweaters last week which my stylist pointed out were all wrong for me so I returned them (Value $130.00). My consultation with her cost $250.00 - $130.00 which she immediately saved me, actually reducing the total cost to $120.00.
I would not be happy if I started adding up the cost of all the clothes in those 2 bags that I have barely worn. So I have decided to only buy clothes with my stylist. Is this only for the rich and famous. Hardly. But isn’t that how we think about hiring these professionals?
When I arrive at a clients house, many times they’ll say to me “Just ignore that rug it was only $200, that was only $50 bucks I can toss it, and the list goes on. Wouldn’t you rather just pay for a designer to buy the right pieces in the first place so that your house looks finished and most of all has ‘atmosphere?’.
How about the gallons of paint you buy in the wrong colour? I have never left a consultation without the client saying (or thinking—I can tell :) I never would have thought of that! Just this week a client (in a kitchen renovation) was going to replace all the laminate flooring in the house because it had faded from the sun in the kitchen dining area (and they couldn’t find a match to the existing flooring). I suggested they take the tile that was going into the kitchen into the dining area as well, saving them thousands in labour and new flooring!
Well that’s where I’m at with my wardrobe. I would rather pay my stylist and buy a few quality pieces that I’ll add to my favorites pile than waste a bunch of money on clothes I don’t wear.
She pointed out simple things like the length of my tops (many were too short) necklaces (should be longer for me) and my favourite Bebe jeans were wearing out so she told me to hem them so they could be my weekend jeans (and then I could wear them with flats)! Things that did NOT even remotely occur to me!
Just like when I’m in your house. There’s a fine line between your colour and furniture having a relationship with each other and being too ‘matchy matchy’ or the opposite extreme. You know the “Just-moved-in-need-to-paint-moving-out-soon-look”. The latter a client said to me once and I wrote it down I thought it was so funny—and true!
So just before you decide design advice is only for the rich? Think about what I’m saying. Professional help is not free but we don’t value the help we get for free the same anyway!
When I’m being paid, my clients are listening and paying attention, vs. my family or friends (quick email questions excluded) who take my advice for granted and sometimes waste my time because they are not paying for it! Okay, that’s another post so I’ll stop there, but I think you see what I mean.
You know that post I wrote, 20% of the colours we use 80% of the time? Isn’t it true that we tend to wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time?
I’m thinking a Designer or Stylist equals Stylish homes and Sylish wardrobes, period!
If you want your home to have atmosphere including colours that flow to fill you with happiness every time you walk in. Contact me by email for on-line rates or call me directly if you are local.
Related posts:
Why you can’t afford NOT to hire a Colour Expert
When it comes to your Decor, your friends are Polite
Signature look or your clients look; Which one works the Best?
