In this guest post from a client of mine, Hannah Liversidge, she shares her experience of her wardrobe edit and personal styling session with me.

It all started when I was at the realisation that I was hitting a particular age – 30. This year is when I believed I should really start upping my game when it came to having the right style for the occasions I was getting the opportunity to attend. As an entrepreneur, and someone who mainly works from home, I don’t tend to require outfits that are of a corporate style, but with clients I had started to look after, I was heading to their offices on a regular basis, or attending events with them, and found that I was changing my outfit each morning at least 5 times, with the extra stress and hassle that comes with self-confidence and a desired “look” to uphold.

I have struggled with self-confidence issues throughout most of my life, the joys of media and general personal self-doubts, has already plagued my outfit wearing existence, to the extent that I had sometimes just cancelled going to an event due to the worry and stress of dressing for the occasion. This is just not good, I thought, and it had to change.

Upon meeting Stefania in 2018 at a mutual networking event, I was delighted to see a stylist that had real style, flair, and a personal attitude that synergised with me. She used style to show her own personal brand, and I loved it. After considering the need to have a bit of an upheaval and mainly support in knowing how to create outfits that aligned with my own alternative and sometimes quirky style, I decided this was the time to invest in myself, and save myself the daily morning struggle of finding (and ultimately changing) outfits for meetings & networking.

It started with organising the sessions, which was quick and simple, with her organising to come to me directly one week and then us to meet in Oxford Circus the week after. For the wardrobe edit, Stefania turned up with her clothes rack and we ploughed through all my “work appropriate” clothes, trying everything on, with Stefania helping to showcase new ways to wear some items, as well as getting rid of items that just didn’t serve me. This was such a relaxing and eye-opening experience, as I had not seen some of the ways these items could be used and felt they had to be donated!

Hannah Liversidge and Stefania Bartolomei Personal Styling in London

Throughout the week before the edit and after the edit, we combined forces and style inspiration on a secret Pinterest board, with Stefania taking the lead sharing outfit and item ideas for me to comment on. It was a great way to get inspiration for us both before the personal shopping experience.

The shopping experience started (thankfully) with coffee in John Lewis in Oxford street – and then Stefania got to it! Letting me have the chance to veto items, as well as pushing a few items I would not have ever thought would suit me. It was fantastic as with her style insights and knowledge of which shops would be best for my style personality we went through an array of pieces! We selected the key items that I really loved, including 3 blouses, 2 jumpers, a coat, a pair of leather trousers, and a velvet blazer. I knew these would be investment pieces that not only could I work with one another, but also with the clothes I already had in my now organised wardrobe.

Personal shopping sessions in London's Oxford Street - Stefania Bartolomei

Then came a few extra stores with some accessories and a pair of sustainable jeans from a store I hadn’t heard of before, but actually fit my pear shape! It was a denim dream come true. I can honestly say that the day was an enjoyable experience (and this is not something I usually say about shopping, particularly in London) and it helped me to broaden my mindset for when I go on future shopping trips alone.

People have already complimented me on the outfits I am wearing, and I have completely relaxed into knowing what to wear each day thanks to an organised and useful wardrobe. I highly recommend booking a session with Stefania if, like me, you want to stop starting your day with worry about what the heck to wear, and start feeling like your true self in outfits that not only feel good, but sing your personality too.