I am frugal. I know, you may not have realized that from reading my blog but truly, I hate to waste money. For years, my wardrobe consisted primarily of white, black, brown and cream with the occasional spot of colour thrown in because I thought that was the most classic way to dress. Then I started this blog, and suddenly colour became a huge part of my image and I found myself struggling with how much colour to buy and how to wear it, etc.
As a consultant myself, I truly believe that if you find the right expert, you will save money or make money depending on what kind of consultant you need. And love what you end up with, whether it’s your clothes, colours, furniture, tile, house, business, the list goes on.
What bothers me the most about clothes shopping is that I pretty much end up wearing only 20% of what I buy 80% of the time. So I decided if I add up all the mistakes I make each season buying the wrong items, sometimes in the wrong size (I didn’t know that premium denim does NOT stretch), or simply clothes that aren’t me, that money easily pays for a fashion stylist. So, the following is the story of my shopping day with Angie at You Look Fab.
I’ve been following Angie’s blog since the Spring when I was first introduced to it. I instantly fell in love with her style, her personality, and all her amazing advice which landed in my in-box every morning. A daily subscription to You Look Fab is certainly the first step in becoming more fashionable.
We met for lunch on Sunday for a quick wardrobe review (I’m a bit star-struck here, being a huge fan). I had taken pictures with my iphone of my shoes, jackets, bags, etc (since we were doing this long distance). Angie asked me to bring a Pashmina scarf because I told her I have a boatload of scarves and needed to figure out what to do with them. She said the problem with most scarves is that they are too small and/or skinny. That was my first of many lessons I learned.
Then she said “Do you like fringe?” For someone that ALWAYS has an instant opinion on all things design and colour related I found myself stuck for an answer. It either comes with a scarf or it doesn’t--doesn’t it? Apparently fringe is more bohemian (which I’m not) and Angie says she cuts it off (just make sure you leave 1/4 of an inch).
We then discussed my denim situation and Angie decided we should get a few basics before we started the full shopping day on Monday.
Next stop, premium denim. Within approximately 8 minutes, I had already tried them on and owned a fabulous pair of boot cuts (when was the last time you bought a perfect pair of jeans in under 10 minutes?). And we were on to the next department. Shoes. . .
Here we debated the colour of these cute oxfords and I ended up with the black and white ones. Next a quick trip to the Gap for skinny jeans. . .
This fitting room looks just fine.
Angie got me on the stool for a ‘sit test’. Gaps Bootcut jeans were also fabulous but Angie (the voice of reason) said I already had one new pair from Nordstrom so I most likely did not need two.
Day one, my new shoes (boots) are considerably cuter than the day before, and look at Angie with her adorable black and white polka dot scarf, black and white bag and fabulous over-the-knee boots (I ended up with the same ones).
Angie is great fun, easy to be with and such a professional. This (see how she’s leaning on the shirt?) is how you know you should probably try it on :) I wanted to buy a skirt we saw in one store but Angie wouldn’t let me because we didn’t have the matching top. Angie makes sure you don’t end up with any orphans!
When Angie said “try it on”, I just stood at the table (the store was empty) and took off my leather jacket, then my scarf and necklace, and then when I got to the shirt, the security guard (who was standing a few feet from me) casually walked away. . . I think he was convinced I was about to strip. Wearing a camisole (like this black one below) makes trying on tops so easy, you don’t have to run to the fitting room every 5 minutes.
I never would have found Angie without her blog. And reading it convinced me that she would be the perfect consultant for me. Here’s how you know you should hire a fashion stylist (not just for the stars people!):
1. You’d like to LOVE all your clothes, not just 20% – 50% of them.
2. The orphans (wasted money) sitting in your closet bother you and would be better spent on a stylist.
3. You don’t have time! Angie says she works with lots of women who have 8 hours every fall and spring and that’s it!
If you can’t get to Seattle to shop with Angie, check-out her on-line store. Everything is hand-picked and tested by Angie herself! Thanks Angie for such a wonderful 2 days!
If you would like your home to fill you with happiness every time you walk in, contact me for on-line or in-person decorating and colour.
Related posts:
How to wear Colour or Neutrals; Which Group are you in?
Do you make this Mistake in your Business/Blog?
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