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Jeremy’s Story
Let’s get personal! In today’s blog post (with Jeremy’s permission of course) I am sharing his style story with you.
Jeremy is approaching 60 and when the pandemic hit, he shed many pounds over lockdown! This resulted in him going down a whole size and needing a wardrobe overhaul. While a change of circumstance like this might be on the extreme end when it comes to personal styling, there are some great examples from this experience that I think can be relevant to everyone. So thanks for letting me share this, Jeremy!
As with most clients, we started off with the all important Colour Analysis session. It’s such a valuable exercise to find out what colour tones best suit your skin and personality, that once you’re armed with the knowledge it truly makes finding outfits so much easier going forward. And it only takes an hour!
In Jeremy’s case, we found him to be a wonderful Winter palette. Funnily enough he was wearing the classic winter shades of navy blue and black that day! And most of the other colours in the Winter fan he liked already, which is always a win, and very often the case that we naturally tend to gravitate towards the right colours for ourselves.
Identifying a client’s colour palette can sometimes be borderline and other times crystal clear. With Jeremy, we shared a moment when the winter forest green was draped beneath his face and we saw how great it looked!
Colours can inform our personalities too, and Winters tend to be soft and introverted, also perfectionists who love to learn. It’s also fascinating to match your own characteristics with some colour psychology and we definitely found the right conclusion for Jeremy. We enjoyed the process so much that next I’ll be headed to his office for a group Colour Party — always a brilliant team activity!
It can be quite efficient to follow a Colour Consultancy session with the Wardrobe Edit back to back, since they both normally take place in your home anyway. I find it’s useful to carry that momentum as well.
For Jeremy, while he already owned quite a few items in his appropriate seasonal colours, some of them were now too big. But there were also upsides where he found that, having dropped a waist size, he could fit into old suits from when he was younger! These items to keep go straight to the dry cleaners ready to be worn afresh.
One thing we learnt with his newly trimmed body shape was to highlight Jeremy’s slim legs. To do that, it’s all about fit, and we uncovered some classic Levi’s chinos that hugged his legs perfectly without being too skinny. Happiness!
These one-on-one sessions are often a great opportunity for that extra nudge we sometimes need to get rid, especially the clothes are in poor condition, never to be worn and taking up valuable wardrobe space. Let’s use those local recycling banks or donate what we can to charity shops.
Getting to know Jeremy, he revealed he loves cruises and that he has one approaching on the horizon. Assessing the wardrobe first helped us to determine what pieces needed sourcing to prepare both comfortable holiday outfits and smarter looks. An upcoming event or occasion, like a holiday, is a great target to have when it comes to Personal Shopping. For Jeremy, it was my mission to go and find the perfect evening shirts and formal trousers.
Amid the Covid climate we avoided shopping in-person, instead opting for shopping online. After discussing styles and budgets, I set out to select a handful of brands where I registered online accounts on Jeremy’s behalf, adding pieces to his basket and sharing easy-to-follow moodboards of outfits (just like we would at the shops!)
John Lewis, M&S and TM Lewin were among the brands already on his radar and I wanted to introduce a couple more accessible but just as classic options in Next, H&M and even ASOS, which he had pigeonholed as for younger audiences but was pleasantly surprised to find pieces to his taste—and I love when that happens! Brands are always evolving but also it’s very often that one unexpected choice or combination that can unlock a style that’s truly personal to you.
Jeremy has a fun, youthful and slightly alternative flavour that I wanted him to embrace. In the end, he ordered some of the picks, delivered straight to his door, and departed for his cruise with confidence and zip! And I know, having seen the holiday pics! (There was a pair of swimming trunks that didn’t quite work, which I help to return as part of the service. So don’t worry if the thought of online refunds scares you!)
These last few years have affected each of us and our lifestyles in different ways. Our bodies change, where we work and what we do in our free time, as well as what we even value when getting dressed every day.
Some people may have learned from spending time in comfortable clothes that comfort is a valuable element to how they dress. Others may have been aching to dress up and now that they can go out again are embracing how fun fashion can be.
Whatever your current situation, I can help you find the best ways to express yourself in ways that work for your lifestyle and body! Get in touch if you’d like to get started.