Finally, we have some sun!  Now is a good opportunity to have a good declutter for your summer wardrobe. 

The question is, where to begin! I can hear you screaming and panicking, not knowing what to keep, what to get rid of, what works for my body and style and finally, not knowing how to put it all together.  Well, if it makes you feel better, we all feel this way.  It is so overwhelming building the perfect capsule wardrobe; it takes time and knowledge, to get it right.

So many of us, hate shopping.  Not knowing what to choose, what suits us and what colours work together.  Nothing tends to fit us properly, so we either go home with nothing or buy some random piece which doesn’t work with anything else or sits in the wardrobe with the label on; sound familiar?  Hardly any of us are happy with our bodies; our confidence being affected massively.

Well, I am here to help!  Below, are some fab tips on what you need to do before creating a perfect capsule wardrobe.  I have provided some basics to help you shift your mind set into positive thoughts. Before you do anything, take a photo of what your wardrobe looks like now.  This is so powerful to look back at in 6 months time.

So, are you ready to begin again?! Let’s go!

1. Organisation

The first thing to do, is to put all your clothes into piles on the bed.

Knitwear, trousers, skirts, t-shirts, dresses etc.

Bring all your shoes out, and put them into neat sections with flats, heels and trainers.

2. Condition

To have a polished look, you need to have clothes that are in good condition.  Wearing tatty, beaten up clothes is not the answer.  Look at your garments carefully.  If they have holes or are worn, faded, stained in anyway, then put into a pile to throw or charity.

This includes going through your shoes.  If they have turned up toes, totally soleless, scratched or full of mud, get rid of them!

The garments that are ok to keep, use good quality wooden hangers and shoe trees in shoes and boots, to keep the shape and take out the moisture, keeping them fresh and good condition.

3. Comfort and Fit

One of the most important things on a day to day, is to feel comfortable. If you don’t feel this way, you won’t enjoy wearing your outfits, and it will seriously, affect your day.

You will know the garments that feel uncomfortable to wear as soon as you put them on.  This could be the fabric being too stiff or itchy.  It could be the fit is too tight? It could be the other way, and the garment is too baggy, which bothers you. Go through and clear them.

If you have gained weight for whatever reason, what you need to ask yourself is, am I going to lose that stone?

If the answer is yes, then great.  When you have reached your target, then go out and purchase clothes.

Be honest with yourself!  If you are not going to lose the weight, that is fine.  Be happy with your new size and ensure that you have pieces in your wardrobe that fit you well and flatter your shape.

Don’t forget your shoes.  They are the hardest item to get right in your wardrobe.  If they feel uncomfortable, whether they are too high or they rub or cut in the wrong places, or just generally uncomfortable to wear, then give to friends, sell to a dress agency or give to charity.

You will never want to wear shoes, if they are uncomfortable.

4. Up to date

One of the problems I see in people’s wardrobe, is there is always clothes, shoes and accessories, that have been in there since the 1980’s. My clients give me a great tale of when they wore it and get a little excited.

If you would like an up to date modern wardrobe, you have to move on!

• You are not at university anymore.
• You are not in a corporate role anymore, so why have all those clothes in the closet?
• The Dallas look with the wide padded shoulder pads is no more!
• Shapeless trousers with the large, low waistband is not going to look good on anyone.
• Are you saying to yourself I have had that necklace since school?

Having modern, classic pieces in your wardrobe is going to make you look fresh, young and modern.  I am sure, we all want that!!

5. Fear

If you have been good and achieved numbers 1-5 WELL DONE!!

This is great, you have done so well.  Give yourself a pat on the back.

You might have experienced many emotions whilst clearing your clothes. Some of my clients feel a failure that they did not get it right or have spent so much money on clothes that were not right.  When I first started doing this exercise, I felt the same.

I need to say that this is very normal to feel this way.  You need to remember, that you didn’t know!  If you haven’t had the education of what to do, then you cannot achieve the perfect capsule wardrobe.

You can now turn this round to a positive and clear out the old and start with the new you!  It feels fabulous when you get it right.

6. Memories

There will be clothes that you have in your wardrobe that mean something.  Maybe, from a loved one, funeral or wedding.  This is not going to be part of your day to day wardrobe.  A suggestion is to put these clothes in a memory box or in another wardrobe with a suit cover so they will be protected.

7. Other

You will have other clothes that again do not take part in your main capsule wardrobe.  This could be gym wear, walking gear, gardening or cleaning.  These clothes can be put somewhere nice and tidy away in a drawer or another part of the house.

8. Visible

The amount of wardrobes I have gone into that have 4 garments on one hanger or hidden shoes and scarves or areas that you cannot get to.

If you cannot see the items, you will not know that they are there so you won’t be wearing them.

When you put the pieces that are right, back into your wardrobe, ensure that they can be seen.

This will also make it easier when mixing and matching your garments.

By doing the above, will help your mind feel less overwhelmed before getting to the stage of knowing your colours, style and body shape. We all need to do the above twice a year, for our clothes and wardrobes to be updated and fresh.

The next stage of your capsule wardrobe is to inject colours that are right for your skin tone, hair and eyes, then look at your clothes and keep the ones that project your style preference.  We are then looking at your body shape.

Watch this space for ‘capsule wardrobe part 2’.

An inspiring lady who instills a love of clothes. Through her spot on evaluations of your body and personality she offers recommendations of what works for you.

Maggi’s expertise with colour, sizing and material is second to none.

I feel like a whole new woman inside and out.

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner Devon and Cornwall

 

I just want to say a big thank you for spending time with me yesterday to help me with my body shape and to focus my mind on my colours which I have evidently been neglecting!

You have given me a great point of reference for sorting out my wardrobe and I now feel a lot more confident as to the direction I need to go.  I shall enjoy looking for those lovely spring colours and realise too how my body shape affects everything I wear.

Thank you for your time, patience and fun as we tackled what is quite a life-changing experience but you made it enjoyable.  I loved your encouragement, enthusiasm and personal attention - it’s a real treat to have someone interested in how we look to the outside world!

Carolyn Mason    Winkleigh, North Devon

 

I met Maggi at an event and was impressed with some of case studies so decided to make an appointment. I was excited, but maybe a little apprehensive in advance of my visit to her, but I shouldn’t have worried.

Maggi is a lovely lady who makes you feel at ease straight away. I had a wonderful session with her, found it very enlightening and really enjoyed it.

I have had a sort out of my wardrobe and look at the contents with new eyes now and have got rid of some clothes that really don’t suit me.

Since my visit I now have the confidence when shopping I now say ‘no’ to items I know won’t suit me and have bought a lovely dress that is a size smaller than I would have bought before, so it fits snugly and it looks fab!

Thank you so much Maggi for your support and guidance – you’re amazing!

Jacqueline Shields    Marketing Manager   North Tawton

I was very privileged to be asked by my fab tailor Vanessa, to be part of her wonderful story. She decided to grow her glorious locks to then give the majority to Little Princess charity for children. When dealing with clients that have had cancer, they feel exposed and uncomfortable wearing a wig with synthetic hair and want to feel normal as possible.

• Here are the major stages we took – a remarkable transformation to Vanessa, I believe for the better.

 

Stage 1 – here is Vanessa with her amazing thick, long hair.

I gave Vanessa a consultation, deciding what hair style would be best for her.

This included – analyising her face shape, facial features, personality and scale. All these little things are very important to ensure the end result is right for Vanessa.

 

Stage 2

Putting her hair into pony tails about to do the scary thing and cut it off. The hair had to be a certain length to use to make a wig.

We were both very nervous and very excited about to make a massive change.

 

 

Stage 3

We have done it!

Vanessa holding her pony tails…

Now for the huge restyle… short hair here we come!!

 

 

 

Stage 4 - 

The new Vanessa

Wow, she looks amazing. I so much prefer the new hair style than the long hair.

Vanessa is a true dramatic, her style is fantastic, that is so her. She is creative inside and truly shows off her talent on the outside too. The new hairstyle looks vintage, that matches her look.

Career upgrade – Vanessa also wanted to improve the way she was being perceived. When you reach the end of your 20’s, early 30’s you need to be aware of looking age appropriate and more professional. You tend to stay with your look from school/university and need to move on with what what is going on today. This is a common problem, due to confidence and know how.

Hair – by providing layers on top of her head, makes Vanessa look taller, which was a focus. The layers also give width to the sides of the head, improving her face shape.

We wanted to elongate her neck, which has worked bringing the length up away from the neck.

Her new hairstyle has movement and curves which match her contoured facial features, this is an area that not many people are aware of.

Finally, we put some cool, bright lipstick on to match her stunning colour characteristics.

We were both very happy with the results. A very brave thing for Vanessa to do – but an amazing story! I very much enjoyed being part of it.

#confidence #imageconsultant #make-over #success #personalbranding #cancer #wigs #charity