What is your personal style?

I had a fabulous weekend in Carlisle at the Radio 1 Big Weekend. The highlight was watching Lady Gaga perform from the stage, AMAZING! Watching her made me think about the importance of fashion identity. She is a highly creative performer who likes to push the boundaries and her look, with the help of her amazing stylist Nicola Formichetti, strongly reflects that. Her go to designers include McQueen*, Mugler, & Kiki de Montparnasse if you want some Gaga inspiration.

I don't often write about what I do when I am with my clients. But my job as a Personal Stylist isn't just about clearing and organising wardrobes and personal shopping. A really important part of what I do and what I love doing is getting to the heart of how you see yourself, what you want to wear and where you want to be sartorially. I help you develop a style that suits your current and possible future situations, your lifestyle and your personality. Your own fashion formula if you like.

Here is a fun exercise that you can do (which I do for myself at the beginning of every season) if you find that you are in a style rut or feel you have lost your way sartorially. Buy a pile of magazines and tear out about 10 images that you love and resonate with you. It could be a pair of shoes, a glossy advert for Chanel or your favourite celebrity. Once you have all the images together, have a look for similarities in the images like use of colour, accessories, fabrics, make-up, shapes. Finding the consistent theme will help you develop a consistent signature style that you feel comfortable in and that people will notice. Keep the images in a folder so you can refer back to them when you feel you are losing your way.

So today I want you to think about your message; and whether you are happy with the way you are presenting yourself of whether you need to start developing your style by taking some time out and doing the exercise above.

If you would like some advice on how to move your look forward, I am always here for you.

*Just as a little side note, I went to a lecture about McQueen at the V&A hosted by Kristen Knox. If you have a fan of McQueen or are interested in fashion inspiration, I love her book McQueen: Genius of a Generation