PERSONAL STYLIST TIPS: HOW TO DRESS FOR AN AUTUMNAL WEDDING

Autumn can be a tricky time to dress for, then add on top of that an occasion such as a wedding and you may be baffled for what to wear.

In the UK, Autumn tends to be drizzly and cool – so being prepared for these weather changes is essential for your outfit.

In this blog, I’ll be sharing some top tips on how to dress for an autumnal wedding so you still feel appropriately dressed for the special occasion, even if the weather decides to change on you!

Select a warm layer

Layering is all important at this time of year. You’ll want to have a small additional layer to pop into your handbag, hotel room or car for the late afternoon/evening. Something like a bolero, pashmina, or blazer can be excellent solutions.

A pashmina works over dresses, jumpsuits and suits, and can be a boho-chic option, while a bolero is a more formal option. A blazer is an excellent solution for your two piece outfit, and you could go all out and wear a formal suit for the wedding, or why not play with different colours to make a statement?

Another option to keep yourself warm during an autumnal wedding, particularly if you are in older venue without heating (or when the fire isn’t lit) or if you are at an outdoor wedding, is to look for hosiery. A thicker dernier pair of tights can go a long way to keeping warm, without deterring from the elegance of your outfit.

Sleeve length

While during the spring and summer you may be wearing sleeveless or short sleeved garments, an autumn wedding may call for a longer sleeve. A ¾ length sleeve is a great option for this time of year and can be excellent for highlighting your waist. Look for a length of sleeve that stops right at the smaller part of your waist so it brings the eye in.

A full length sleeve is another option, and can be perfect for outdoor weddings where you know it will get a little chilly.

For an elegant look, why not try a dress with a cape attachment? This covers the shoulders, and adds an additional layer for warmth.

Play with suiting

Suits are becoming more and more fashionable, and are a beautiful choice for an autumnal wedding. Look for autumnal colours to really pop for the season, and match with a warm, elegant shirt underneath. To really play with the suiting element, you could mix and match your blazer and trousers, and add accessories to make the look more feminine such as jewellery, heels and your bag.

I wrote an article all about how to style a suit, for more inspiration, should you want to try a suit.

Try a jumpsuit

A jumpsuit is an effective option for this cooler weather as it keeps your legs covered, while looking formal and fun. Depending on the colour, pattern and style, you can dress up or dress down the jumpsuit to match the wedding.

Look out for the right shape for your body shape to elevate your confidence. Some jumpsuits can have a shorter torso or gusset area, so I always recommend trying your jumpsuit on at the shop.

One of the most important things about dressing for a special occasion is to feel confident and align with the dresscode. If you’re unsure on what to wear, speak with the couple or fellow attendees to gauge what level of styling will suit best. If it is a black tie or more casual affair, this will help inspire you for the outfit.

PERSONAL SHOPPING TIPS: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A PERSONAL SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Let’s be honest, shopping for clothes can either make or break our day. When you have a plan, find what you need, the temperature is just right, and you feel confident within the pieces you have selected, a clothes shopping experience can be amazing.

For many of my clients, they have less of a fabulous result when they go shopping. They don’t have time for it so rush through the shopping, ending up with clothes they don’t love, don’t work with their current wardrobe, and ultimately waste money on garments they won’t wear.

For some, the feeling of overwhelm from the multitude of options can consume them. They can either rush around the stores and feel there’s “nothing for them”, or they spend hours trying to find the right pieces, but just don’t know where to go.

Finally, the most often feeling is that they just don’t know what will suit them from the shops, and feel they don’t know what to buy.

A personal shopping experience brings a specialist by your side to help you transform these downward spirals when shopping, and make them enjoyable and cost effective. Gone will be the countless pieces in your wardrobe that you never wear, but don’t have time to return!

That’s why we love helping people who feel this way with our online or face to face shopping experiences.

When you come to One of a Style for a personal shopping experience, what can you expect? Great question, here’s what we do here.

Personal Shopping – what you can expect from face to face shopping experiences

A personal shopping experience is one that we go through together, in person. The experience gives you the opportunity to have a full day or half day with one of our style experts to discover the shops, styles, and pieces that work for you.

It starts with a consultation, we get together online or in person, to find out what your wardrobe delivers, and what you may need to complement the outfits you already have and love.

Our experts will create a list of inspirational styles and will browse brands and collections beforehand, so when we get together for the shopping experience, we have clear ideas of what you need and what to look for.

We use our insights, knowledge, and experience to recommend stores that align with your personal style, your wardrobe requirements, and your shape. Because we already understand and know what is on offer across a variety of stores and budgets, we don’t have to try out loads of options, we have them in place already, and can take you to them for a new and welcome experience.

We may guide you to try a few new things, so you can step out of your comfort zone, while remaining true to your personality. We will also enable you to try on pieces, play with outfits, and have a style expert to hand to give you feedback on looks as well as how to style those garments for future looks.

You will walk away knowing that the pieces you have purchased will not only feel and look great, but they will work for you within the wardrobe you already have.

A personal shopping experience will feel like you have an expert there to hold your hand, give you new discoveries, and make shopping a more pleasurable experience. You will also be given advice and feedback for future shopping when you go out on your own, so you won’t fall back into the overwhelming and costly experience it may have been before.

Online Personal Shopping – What to Expect from an online shopping experience with One of a Style

You may think that online personal shopping would mean you miss out on that personal aspect, but we make sure that our online and face to face experiences feel as personal and engaged as one another. There are some differences, of course, as we are not there with you in person during the experience, but we are able to give a guiding hand throughout your experience.

With our Curated Online Shopping Experience, you will still get a real, accountable stylist (and no AI) working for you! We are here to make sure your shopping experience will be enjoyable, so having someone there to help you makes it all the more easier.

After an initial briefing call to discuss your goal, budget and needs, we create a bespoke lookbook just for you!

You will see different outfit ideas with links to the places to buy those exact items, so you can quickly and easily get what you see and like, with an approachable example of how to style them. No longer will an online shopping experience of urgency for one garment mean it only works for one event or outfit!

If you perhaps don’t love an exact piece, we have multiple options within your lookbook to try out, such as different colours, and patterns that still align with your outfit preferences and personal style, based on the briefing we have together.

You can go out, with the informed decisions and items that work for you thanks to these elements, and to add on that personal experience, we can organise a Zoom Fit Call, to show off your pieces once you get them, and see how they fall, and get an expert insight into the looks.

While the one-off experience can be so beneficial for you moving forwards, we understand that the trends that come into play, and the seasons come around, which may mean you need further support. This is why we offer our curated online shopping sessions in a one-off, bi-annual, or quarterly option.

Shopping should ultimately be a joyful, useful experience that makes your wardrobe more fun and useable. If shopping for clothes feels like an overwhelming experience for you, and holds you back from enjoying your wardrobe, we can help.

Whether you choose to have someone by your side in person, or via an online experience, each option provides a personal and bespoke solution to your clothes shopping experiences.

PERSONAL STYLIST TIPS: HOW TO LOOK AND FEEL CONFIDENT, FROM THE WAIST UP

PERSONAL STYLIST TIPS: HOW TO LOOK AND FEEL CONFIDENT, FROM THE WAIST UP

With the recent announcement meaning many of us will be continuing to work from home for a while yet, I wanted to share some more tips to help people look and feel their best for the online meetings we will continue to be hosting!

Brighten up your mindset with some colour

Winter is often a time of year when many of us feel quite grey and perhaps even a little moody. For those of us without the joyous snow, it has been rainy and cold which means plenty of layers and perhaps our summery florals & colours are impatiently waiting to be pulled out for summer. My thoughts on winter are that this is the time of year that we most need colour in our wardrobe, and I feel this couldn’t be more needed than while we are staying at home. With an addition of colour to your outfit you will start to feel more uplifted, and they will also help you stand out when on a large online meeting!

You’ll want to know the best colours for your skin tone but a few ideas I can suggest for online meetings are pinks, blues, oranges, and bright yellows – they stand out really well on camera.

You could even go for a really bright and fun pattern like this jumper from House of Sunny, which will definitely perk you and your fellow online meeting attendees’ up!

Boost your confidence with a touch of make-up

Working from home can feel like bliss for those of us who had to get up hours in advance of starting work to not only get the kids ready and commute to the office, but also for the extra time-savings of no need for make-up. However, make-up can be a wonderful confidence and mood-booster. Whether it’s a colourful lipstick, or a dash of eyeliner, or even just a sweep of mascara, they can go a long way to helping boost your mood and help you look put together if you are asked for a surprise online meeting that you thought would be just a telephone call!

Go for an easy to apply, long-lasting lipstick in a shade that works for you, or a water-proof mascara that can survive the rain if you nip outside for a breath of fresh air on a walk or jog during the day.

Add an accessory

My final tip for boosting your confidence from the waist up is to add a favourite accessory to your outfit. Something that has sparkle, a lovely memory, or feels special to you. From a colourful silk scarf, to a fun pair of earrings, you can bring an accessory to your outfit quickly and easily to upgrade your casual work from home look to a professional business meeting outfit.

If you are feeling a little uninspired or overwhelmed on how to feel more confident when you attend online meetings or events, then I’d love to invite you to join Mel Byron and me for our “Confidence and Style from the Waist Up” webinar on 18th January where we will help you elevate your look and learn how to speak with professionalism & confidence.

PERSONAL STYLING TIPS FOR ENTREPRENEURS - WHAT TO WEAR FOR A BRANDING PHOTOSHOOT

As the world begins to re-open, and countless entrepreneurs are starting up new fantastic businesses, or wanting to rebrand and announce their business reopening, there are lots of people coming to me asking for advice on what to wear at their business photoshoot.

Photos are a pathway into getting people to notice you for all the right reasons. I know the importance of photography, particularly for my business, as my service is so personal, I want people to trust, like, and get to know me just by seeing my business images. With just a few correct selections, your business photos can convey the perfect message to your customers!

Here are just a few of my tips that I share with my clients in advance of their business photoshoot.

1) Define the message you want to give through your image and choose outfits and colours that'll help you express the right message. If you haven’t read it already, you can read my article on How Colours Affect your Mood, which can be a really useful piece to help when you are deciding on which colours convey your business in the best way. It’s incredible that a colour can instantly make someone feel a certain way, so if you haven’t gone through the process with a branding expert in terms of the right colours for your business logo, or just haven’t got there yet, then the colours you choose to wear in your business photos can make a huge difference, and should reflect your business in the best way.

2) Define your target audience. Understanding who are you talking to will have an influence in your image and looks choices. When you have a branding exercise, knowing your perfect clients is essential to your entire business. Who are your perfect clients? What do they expect from someone delivering your service or product? How do you want to be perceived by them? When you know your customer avatar, you will be able to attract them to you with the right outfit choices and image options through your photos.

For example, if you are a business coach working with women in corporate jobs, you may dress in a more formal pencil dress with a colourful necklace to show that you are professional, but with personality. On the other hand, if you are a make-up artist, you will want to show colour and flair, to show you know the current trends and how to work them. These are simple considerations you can have when thinking about the perfect outfit and styling to choose for your business photoshoot.

3) Enhance your personality. Remember, your personality is a unique selling point and can help you stand out, so always express it through your style. So, if you are a bright, bubbly, and excited person, let that show through the outfits you wear. If you are a reserved, professional, then you can choose more muted tones.

4) Wear colour shades that work best for you and your features. Although you may be overwhelmed right now with all the options of what to wear to get the best results, the most important thing I believe on top of all of this, is to make your feel confident and shine brightly. The way to do this best, is by choosing the colour shades that work best for you.

If you are feeling overwhelmed with the thought of your upcoming business photoshoot, or perhaps you have a team photoshoot coming up and want your business to be reflected appropriately, and want to organise a group session to help get everyone ready, then please do get in touch. I am always so delighted when I can help my clients feel their best, look fantastic, and show their business in the best light through their photographs. Besides, you’re investing in your business with a professional photographer, so you should invest in yourself to make sure the photos look the best they can!