Hi Friends,
Do you sometimes feel that you’re stuck in a style rut, and end up wearing and buying the same style of clothes over and over?
I’ve got a great little tip to help you reinvigorate your style, and start LOVING your look again!
Make a friend your stylist!
Sadly, often when we look at ourselves in the mirror, we tend to focus on what we believe to be our flaws, and how we see ourselves has SUCH an impact on the clothes we usually wear.
Those closest to us such as our good friends and loved ones, often see us in a completely different light.
When our friends look at us, they tend to see our very best qualities.
Our friends might admire our lovely curvy figure, or beautiful smile, gorgeous hair, sparkling eyes…all of the wonderful features we may not see in ourselves!
By taking a friend shopping with you and asking them to be your stylist, this can really help you to see yourself through someone else’s eyes!
PLUS…
…a friend can really help you to step out of your style comfort zone, and will encourage you to try experimenting with colours and styles you may not normally try, but you could find actually make you look and feel ah-mazing!
This could be your best friend, mum, sister, cousin…anyone who you trust and feel comfortable with AND…
…someone whose style you really admire.
Maybe you love how they wear different colours together, or admire their confidence to experiment with new styles.
This will help you to trust the style choices they’ll suggest for you.
Choosing the right outfit will help to make your ‘shopping trip-style day’ easy and fun!
Pick out clothes that are easy to change in and out of quickly, like looser tops and sweaters.
Make sure your shopping outfit is something that’s not only comfortable but makes you stand tall and feel fabulous!
Wearing an outfit that you feel great in will help put a little ‘pep’ in your step and get you into a great frame of mind.
Wear comfortable underwear that you’d usually wear, so that you can see how clothes will look with your fave underwear.
Body-shaping underwear gives a smooth silhouette, which can be really handy for trying on anything slim-fitting!
Why not bring along a strapless bra and nude underwear (if you like to wear them), in case you need to try on anything sheer or strapless?
If you like to wear your hair and makeup in a certain way to give yourself a little confidence boost, do this for your shopping trip-style day!
By treating yourself and wearing clothes and makeup or skincare that make you stand tall and feel great when you look in the mirror, you’re more likely to feel fabulous in the clothes your friend picks for you, and feel ready to be styled.
Why not bring these along too?
If you’re trying on a dress, try it with and without a belt, to see how it affects the shape and overall vibe of the dress.
A slim belt in a neutral colour looks great with loads of different styles and looks!
By bringing a pair of heels with you, you can see how an outfit works with a slightly more evening vibe and may find that something you weren’t really feeling when worn with flats, looks WOW when worn with a great pair of heels!
Follow these simple tips to keep your mind and eyes open to all new style possibilities while your friend is styling your look…
…you might be surprised at the results!
Choose a store that suits your budget, and that has lots of different styles and colours to choose from.
Larger stores, such as department stores, are GREAT as they often stock clothes and accessories in lots of different styles, which gives you LOTS of options!
To give your shopping friend some pointers on what kinds of clothes you’re looking for, give them a brief beforehand BUT…
…keep the brief as OPEN as possible.
For example:
“I’m looking for some casual, daytime looks”
OR…
“I need some dressy outfits for some parties I have coming up”
By keeping the brief open, you’re opening up new style possibilities that you may NEVER have considered previously!
The idea is to allow your friend to ease you out of your comfort zone while they’re styling you and open your eyes to new style ideas.
Even if you look at something they’ve chosen for you to try on and you think “Yikes!” at first…
…just give it a try with an open mind and you might be surprised at how it makes you look and feel once you see it in the mirror.
For example, the style may not be for you BUT the colour they’ve chosen may be and voila!
You’ve discovered a new shade to wear!
Let’s say your friend has styled you in a crimson red, long floaty maxi dress for you, but you feel that the length of the dress isn’t quite right for you.
You ask your shopping friend:
“Why did you make this style choice for me?”
They say:
“I thought the crimson red colour would look beautiful with your hair and skin colour.”
Even if the style and length of the dress aren’t quite for you, perhaps you agree that the colour really sets off your hair or eye colour.
Voila!
This particular dress wasn’t quite right, but you’ve found a brand new colour that looks beautiful on you, so you’ve gained a new style tip you can use for the future!
Let’s imagine your shopping friend has chosen some GREAT new items to style you in that you that you feel you want to buy – amazing!
But before you head to the cashier, ask yourself this question:
“Will this item go with several different items I already own?”
If the answer is ‘YES’ – it’s a safe purchase!
When you start wearing your new style for the first time, you’re bound to feel a little self-conscious as you’re stepping outside your comfort zone but GO WITH IT.
You’ll probably find that you start to get lots of compliments on your new style!
It’s all too easy to brush a compliment off but really listen to the lovely comments people make.
These compliments will help give you the confidence and motivation to keep experimenting with your style and trying new things!
Ask a friend today to become your ‘stylist’ and book a date in your diary to hit your favourite clothing store.
Remember, you don’t have to buy anything, you can simply use the day to experiment with new styles to inspire you for the future!
I hope these tips have inspired you to use your friend as your very own personal stylist to help you LOVE your look like never before.
Bye, bye style rut!
Love,
Makeup Artist | Stylist | Founder of Beautyandtheboutique.com