PERSONAL STYLING TIPS – THE KEY SHOES TO HAVE IN YOUR CUPBOARD

Shoes can be a fantastic finishing piece to an outfit, and I love seeing how many options we have on the market now. Whether you are looking to have an elegant trainer, a killer heel, a statement boot, or a simple dolly shoe, you can make your statement with your feet in this day and age!

The great thing about shoes is that they can last a lifetime with the right care, so I do recommend investing in a few key styles that can work with several outfits.

A pair of boots for Autumn/Winter outfits

I recommend investing in a pair of brown and a pair of black boots – these are excellent for Autumn to Winter. Now we are in Spring, you will find several stores are offering a great discount on their boots in store.

If you want a little touch of personality, you could break from the traditional black and brown, and invest in some colourful boots that work with your personal colour preferences. I love these white booties from Aldo, as they can be a great statement, but you could try maroon, purple, green, or even blue!

Comfortable Flats for every day

Alongside the boots, I recommend a pair of comfortable “every day” flats, these can be plain or with a touch of personality, but they are excellent for running between meetings if you prefer to be comfortable. There are a huge range of options available, but for a more smart look, I highly recommend the classic brogue or dolly shoe, as these can work well with any outfit, and you can potentially head to meetings in them without the need to swap your shoes around. If you need a little height, but don’t want the discomfort of your heels, a platform is an excellent solution.

And don’t forget about the trainers, one of the greatest (and most comfortable) trend in shoes at the moment! The can transform your outfit from formal to smart casual in an instant, making you look fashionable and stylish, while preventing sore feet!

The perfect pair of heels for any outfit

If you are a heels girl like me, then a pair of strappy heels can be great for the summer. If you want to show off a little flair when wearing your black monochrome outfit, then a pair of fabulous statement stilettos can be an fun piece in your shoe cupboard – there are these leopard print stilettos by Moda In Pelle, which are amazing, or for a little less statement, why not try these green stilettos by Hobbs of London. I also think a pair of nude heels can work wonders with a dress, jeans, trousers, or a skirt, so if you fancy treating yourself, I love the look of these nude shoes, as they are just the right heel for newbies and experienced heel wearers, and they basically go with everything!

Whatever your preference, you can truly show off your personality and style with your shoes, even if your business or job title require you to potentially stay a little more muted in your outfit choices. I hope these have given you some fun ideas for the essentials for your shoe cupboard, and I’d love to hear from you which shoes you love most to add a little spark to your outfit!

PERSONAL SHOPPER ADVICE: SALE TIME..HOW TO MAKE IT A REAL BARGAIN!

Christmas is yet to come but shops all around London have opened the sale season already!

Sales are tempting, aren’t they?! Everyone is waiting for the sales to get the chance to renew their wardrobe with new fashionable pieces; sales are the great opportunity we have, twice a year, to catch great “occasions”! Yet, it is so easy to make the bargain become a bad investment (not to say a waste of money)..

We are tempted by those tags reporting a 30%, a 40%, 50% discount on and even more, and most of the time we buy certain pieces just because of those numbers, thinking “I can’t let them go, that’s a real occasion”!! Yet, most of the time, once at home we realize we have nothing to wear with what we bought on sale, or that they do not fit us that well, and eventually we let them “age” in our wardrobe.

If we would count all the money we spent in one year on wrong purchases on sale, I bet it is quite a big amount! With the same money we could have bought something more valuable, really good for us, something truly useful to complement our existing wardrobe, or we could have simply them.tI am an image consultant and personal shopper and among my services there is the wardrobe edit. My words come for a reason.. through this services to my clients' I’ve seen so many of these situations, new items still with the tag on, never worn, bought ages before, and the answer to the question “why did you buy it?” is quite often the same: “it was an occasion!”... was it?!

Do not misunderstand me, sales can really be a bargain, but we need to understand how to shop wisely and avoid compulsive choices that would make them become only a "trick".

So here are some shopping tips, simple advice that can really help you to save your money, time and energy during the sale time: 

Ask yourself “would I pay for the whole price”?

Despite the discount, asking yourself this question will help you to understand the real value of an item and your real need of it. If the answer to this question will be "no, I wouldn't" , then leave it where it is.. it means you don't really love or need it and that you are tempted by the price and the discount = it would become a trick not a bargain.

Write down a list

It's always good to know what your wardrobe gaps are, but especially during sales time! Having your list with you during your shopping tour will help you doing a first important selection.

Go beyond that list just if you really fall in love with something, even if it is not mentioned in the list (but never forget point 1).

Stick to your style

Despite the fashion trends of the moment, despite the percentage of discount and the sales assistant persuasion, before buying something ask yourself if it really reflects your style and if you are really going to use it and wear it the next season! Sometimes we are tempted by celebrities or fashion bloggers, we want to wear what they wear and sales are just the perfect time to buy something extra to emulate our style icons. Very well, but what suits them won’t necessarily suit you, so always think if what you are trying on is really reflecting your personality and matching your lifestyle, otherwise it will last the time of the journey back home to become eventually another “untouched” piece in your closet.

Stick to your size

If it’s not your size leave it where it is. Be honest with yourself..If it’s smaller don’t think you are going to loose weight just to wear it. If it’s bigger you know you are never going to wear it, cause you won’t like yourself in it, as it is not going to enhance you and I don’t think you would rather put on weight, at least not on purpose, to make it fitting you. Save your money for what fits you perfectly.

Go to your favourite shops first

Rather than going randomly from a shop to another in the High Streets, make a list of your favourite brands/shops and start with them in your shopping tours. What usually work for you or what usually makes you satisfied throughout the year rarely will let you down on sale time either. After that, if you still have time, money and energy, or if you won't feel totally satisfied by your purchases, go have a look to other stores/brands..there can always be room for new favourites to add to your list!

Be on your favourite store's mailing list

The problem with the sales is that shops run out of sizes and stocks very quickly, so being late means having less chances to find items that suit us, for size, shape and colours, with an inevitable sense of frustration. Being on the mailing list of your favourite brands will allow you to be there at the very beginning of the sales time , getting more chances of finding the most suitable pieces for you.

Plan your shopping time wisely

Avoiding weekends and afternoons in general will give you a better assistants in store, better services in general, tidier stores and so more chances to find what you are looking for, in a nicer and quieter atmosphere. Too crowded places can make the shopping experience become stressful and unsatisfying, while we want to enjoy it, don't we!?

Dress comfortably

You are supposed to try on lots of things or, anyway, more than usual, so having comfortable clothes and shoes, easy to put on and take off, will help you to do less efforts and waste less energies. Being fresh will make you take good choices.

Stick to your colours

One of the services I do in a personal styling package is the colour analysis. If you have been my client in the past or you ever had a colour analysis in your life you should know what your best colours are. During sale time be carefull not to be tempted by the price, buying something in colours that you know will drag you down or will overpower your features. Once at home you won’t wear it anymore. Not to mention that, if you followed your palette to build up your wardrobe, something completely different in shades would most likely not match all the rest of your wardrobe with a consequent abandon of purchases on sale. 

Well, these tips should be enough to prevent wrong and compulsive purchases from now on.

I hope you did enjoy my article and, more than everything, that you will find it useful for your next shopping tours.

Merry Christmas to you all