Easy Styling Secrets

I carry a small wheelie suitcase with me to each wardrobe sorting appointment and have to reassure the client that I'm not moving in, just bringing some kit with me to help their appointment go more smoothly. I thought I'd share what I use to help clients style and look after their clothes - I've been doing The Wardrobe Angel job for nearly 4 years now and these bad boys have stood the test of wardrobe time:

1. M&S Stain Remover Wipes - my Mum bought me these as a joke one Christmas. Well Cathy Roper the joke is on you: these wipes are immense at stain removal and a must if you look after young kids who wipe snot/food/paint on you as you attempt to leave for work. Buy them in the food section by the tills, 2 packets for £1.50.

2. A Bic razor - some knitwear bobbles. Even Brora cashmere has been known to bobble. A jumper will be more prone to bobbling the more fabrics that are included in it: say Cotton, Wool, Acrylic and Viscose. This is because as more fabrics are added to the mix the fabrics begin to lose their original properties thus weakening them and Hello Bobbles! A quick shave with a razor will remove the bobbles and relieve your jumper of its scruffy state. If the jumper in question isn't that bobbled try a velcro roller to remove fluff instead; it's a bit more gentle.

3. Bulldog clips - if you are thinking of getting a garment shortened or taken in but it is a delicate fabric like silk (and a pin mark will show through) or a really heavy fabric like gaberdine (so a pin won't stay in it) then clipping the fabric with a bulldog clip holds the fabric in place. You can also use hair grips if you don't have pins - they won't mark your garment either.

4. Scissors - there's nowt worse than those pesky loose threads and labels ruining the look of garments. I always cut the labels out of sheer garments.

5. Masking tape and sellotape - great for removing fluff and bits from clothing if you don't have a clothes brush to hand.

6. Ecover spray and a cloth - when cleaning out a wardrobe the last thing I want to do is damage clothes with a bleach spray. This is a gentle formula with no parabens which I have successfully cleaned the shelves, rails and corners of many-a-wardrobe.

7. Labels - a useful tool for labelling clothes that need to be altered, dry-cleaned or washed so that the client doesn't have to remember what all those clothes piled up on the chair are for after I've left the building. They are also great for labelling an outfit to give you a jolt of inspiration in a morning.

8. Spare buttons - I take a bag of these with me in case buttons need replacing or changing. I also take thread and heel replacements for shoes. What a well prepared Girl Guide I am!!

9. Bin Bags - an essential for any wardrobe clear out. The most I've ever removed from a client's wardrobe was 18 bin bags. A good day for the charity shop!

10. Calibri Anti-moth - All cashmere needs protecting with this stuff; it's an odd smelling insurance policy against moths!

11. Dylon Dye - if a client wears a lot of black clothing this stuff is essential. Black can wash out at varying degrees so you can end up with a grey/black top and black trousers which can cheapen your look. Cheaper than buying new clothes, I often recommend Dylon Dye instead.

12. And then there's my contacts. A client emailed today saying

"I have some amazing Citizens of Humanity flares, but they are too long. Is there a shop/way/person who can take them up without losing the flare?"

I sent her to The Denim Doctor in Manchester. Click here to see the website. Michael has repaired all of my jeans and turned a pair of heavily flared Diesel jeans into boyfriend jeans for me a couple of years ago. As jeans go, he is beyond talented at fixing, re-styling and patching up.

13. And finally a recommendation I leave with clients - to carry some extra jewellery, spray deodorant and foot spray with them. I have a make-up bag under the front seat of my car with all of the above packed away in it. Extra jewellery because sometimes you just need a little more ooomph, spray deodorant and foot spray to keep everything peachy fresh. A must with summer just around the corner!

Til next time...x

The Big Blog Clothes Swap

So, you all know how I LOVE a Clothes Swap and chatting to my soon-to-be-sister-in-law, Janet, on Twitter recently we thought: what would happen if we tried to organise an internet clothes swap? I think most of us have those clothes in our wardrobe: the dress we can't quite work out how to style; the trousers that were a sale bargain... if only they fit properly; the shoes that don't go with anything. Stuff you can't bring yourself to donate or eBay, but haven't actually worn in months or even years. Clothes swaps are the perfect home for those clothes. We are going to gather together as many bloggers, and blog readers as possible, pairing them up according to clothes or shoe size, and let the swapping commence.

And so here it is: the big blog clothes swap!

Want to take part? To sign up, all we need is the following information emailed to 

info@wardrobeangel.co.uk by the 9th February:

Name:
Address:
Blog address and/or social media:
Clothes size (if you need to split this for tops/bottoms, do):
Shoe size:
Swapping preferences (for example, Do you want to swap one item only or more? Do you have specific clothing preferences, e.g. dresses only? Would you be willing, or prefer, to swap shoes, bags, accessories, etc?):

We are especially keen to ensure this swap is inclusive for all sizes, so please do sign up whatever size you wear. Once we have all your responses, Janet and I will wade through them and pair you with someone of the same size. You can, if you wish, then use social media to get to know your partner and their style, or you may already have planned ahead about what you want to swap. Either way, you'll be responsible for parcelling up your swap items - be it one top or a whole horde of goodies - and posting them to your partner by the deadline of March 10th.

So what are you waiting for? Off you swap!

Pure Collection Cashmere me up

It's been well documented on this here blog that I LOVE cashmere and it is one of my ultimate wardrobe staples along with seam free pants and a silk blouse. I am the very proud owner of not 1 cashmere jumper but 4 (black, navy, camel and lime) and each time I wear them I get a compliment. Case in point - I met my friend Amy a while ago and the first words that tripped out of her mouth when I exited the wardrobe mobile were

"You look so expensive."

Not bad, eh? I was wearing my Pure Collection navy crew neck jumper with phat jewelz, grey suede Zara court shoes and a Preen lace skirt. Cashmere is versatile and stylish and warm - now that winter has firmly set its sights upon us we need to wardrobe-up and bring out the big guns! Acrylic may be half as expensive but it'll only keep you half as warm and last half as long as a proper cashmere investment piece.

Ever wondered why the price of cashmere differs so widely on our Great British High Street? Pure Collection uses the longest fibres of cashmere to weave their jumpers which cost the most but means they pill (bobble) the least. Brands like M&S use the shorter ones which cost less but pill more when you wear them. 

This week I am styling at the Pure Collection shop in York showcasing their new Autumn Winter stock. Pure Collection is the largest online and catalogue retailer of cashmere in the UK and it is always a joy and a pleasure to work alongside them, inspiring their customers at seasonal events. Here's the info in case you'd like to pop along:

Pure Collection exclusive Winter Styling Event at the York store, on Wednesday 8th October 4pm - 7pm including 15% off our full price collection. The perfect opportunity to build your winter wardrobe!

The event is FREE TO ATTEND, including a glass of Prosecco and a goodie bag. Awesome!

To reserve your place at this exciting event, please call the York store on 01904 466477 or email shopyork@purecollection.com. 

I've been drooling over the Pure Collection website all week and these are my top picks:

For those cosy winter nights in with a DVD and a mug of tea the Gassato Cashmere Cowl Neck in heather grey worn with the Cashmere Lounge pant are beyond perfect. How decadent!!!

Duster coats and mannish tailoring are BIG again this winter and the Pure Collection Revere coat has not only nailed this trend but it's a coat you'll be wearing for seasons to come. Not for the faint hearted - the colour is so striking and impactful:

And then this skirt - my oh my how perfect is this sequinned skirt for me  the Christmas party season. Hell, I'd wear this with a white tee tucked in in summer. BIG YUM:

See you on Wednesday night!

Busting through Wardrobe Myths with Captain Birdseye

I've lost count of the number of clients that come at me with 

"I always thought you couldn't do that." 

There are loads of wardrobe myths out there that are passed down from generation to generation sometimes without question or reason. Some of the most spectacular styling comes when these wardrobe myths are busted wide open: not matching your shoes and your bag and pairing navy and black together being two examples.  

I LOVE wearing navy and black together. I fell in love with this combo back in 2012 when I saw the flame haired actress Jessica Chastain rocking catwalk Carven. This picture went out to loads of clients "LOOK!!!! YOU CAN WEAR NAVY AND BLACK TOGETHER!!!"

(Just FYI - you don't need a Hollywood actress to give you permission to wear something. Dress for yourself. Simple as.)

A short while afterwards I purchased a vintage navy jacket from The Bramhope Dress Agency which was, as my mate Emily pointed out to me, slightly reminiscent of Captain Birdseye. Fish fingers aside, the jacket got A LOT of wear with my black jeans and a grey t-shirt underneath to break it up. Then this happened:

I used this picture on Instagram and fine tuned it to the max with all kinds of filter magic

I woke up one morning with this outfit in my head. The black based leopard print with the navy shawl collar jacket and stone wash jeans somehow just works. I've had the jacket 2 years, the blouse since February but never thought to put them together. And this is what's great about having a wardrobe unique to you - you don't see all the possibilities straight away. 

And here's a pic of Captain Birdseye for the memories....

Figgahugga

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Amanda from Figgahugga asking if I would like to try one of their dresses. I usually wheel out the shape wear in January (ask me about the shape wear/Urbis lift story when you next see me) and the rest of the time just wing it with a mix of no VPL pants so the offer really interested me especially as the Figgahugga range is designed to be worn as part of your wardrobe, not just underneath in the manner of Bridget Jones's Big Pants (if you don't know what I'm on about watch the film clip here). In received my dress and a lovely note from Amanda who has the most beautiful handwriting, FYI.

On Saturday one of my closest friends got married and I chowed down on the buffet: ham, potato wedges, bread (and I don't usually eat bread due to a wheat intolerance but this was a special occasion) salad, numerous pieces of cake....now double that and add a few more pieces of cake. And chutney. And coleslaw. And third helpings of ham. By the time I exited the do my food baby looked like it was 6 months old. This, I decided, was the perfect time to try the Figgahugga and this was the result...

Not a food baby in sight. 

So - they aren't the easiest thing to get on. There was a moment when the dress was mid thigh when I thought "it's too small." Then a rather panicked moment further up around my hips when I thought,

"I can't get it on! But I can't get it off!"

But I'd committed so inch by inch I pulled the dress on as instructed in the video on the Figgahugga website and my panic subsided.

Then I looked in the mirror. I was speechless:

(speechless) 

I am 33, I work out, don't smoke, don't drink so I am in pretty good nick but that tiny blue dress had worked its magic and there wasn't a food baby in sight (although there is a hideous carpet, for which I apologise). Plus the blue colour I had chosen looked immense with my red nail/lip combo.

Now the thing is - am I going to wear it? I always said that when I started The Wardrobe Angel I wouldn't recommend anything to clients I wouldn't use myself and I can hand-on-heart say that I will wear this again.

I set about styling the dress with the contents on my suitcase (I was staying in a hotel in Manchester post-wedding). Styling the dress with a top and shoes from Zara and a Luca Jack ring, turned said dress into a skirt. I'm not into the whole bodycon look so I love a bit of volume to balance out the silhouette and keep some of the goodies under wraps. My legs - I love my legs - come on summer so I can get them out! Plus the Figgahugga has silicone around the bottom hem to keep it in place so no flashing the cash incidents, and they are a British product.

Immense.

Click here for the Figgahugga website.

Follow the action on Twitter

Swing by their Facebook page and turn your thumbs skyward

And proof that you can walk in said Figgahugga....The Wardrobe Angel cocks her leg... (it was 1am - there was no way I was going outside to walk around the hotel car park!)

Behold the 2013 M&S AW13 campaign shot by Annie Leibovitz. They brought out the big guns didn't they? So who have we got here: Helen Mirren, Ellie Goulding, Katie Piper, Grace Coddingon (the flame haired beauty), Tracy Emin, Karen Elson, Nicola Adams. It's like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy except Actress, Singer, Artist, Boxer - and a gold medallist to boot.

Well, what can I say? I love it.

I frequent M&S to buy my pants (not my bras - Bravissimo all the way) but rarely do I venture there for clothes. I pass through the racks and routinely feel....uninspired. The worry that comes with the "best stuff" on offer is that everyone will be wearing it because the "best stuff" is so few and far between. But glancing my eyes over the shots for the latest campaign, not only have M&S nailed the new season looks (leather, pink, tartan) they have showcased them on women of all ages making them instantly accessible and wearable.

What will left to be seen is if M&S have got their supply chain right and bought enough of the "best stuff" in the first place or whether just the larger stores will be serviced with the gems leaving the dregs for the smaller stores thus pissing women off who have been fashion-penalised due to their geographical location. But then again, there's always online (click here for M&S website)

With a supplement in the September issue of Vogue, M&S have upped their fashion credentials and with the canny mid August press sweep they are leaps and bounds ahead of other retailers in the AW13 new season rush to secure consumer spending power.

Job well done M&S, job well done. Now Karen Elson - hand me those leather leggings.

Throwaway Britain - my TV debut on ITV

In January I gave a talk at Manchester WI (click here for more info) about the importance of re-styling and re-imagining clothes to keep them out of landfill:approx 10,000 garments get thrown away every 5 minutes in the UK. 6 months later I had a phone call from ITV asking me to come in for a meeting about the same topic. An ITV researcher had been sitting in the audience at my WI talk and had recommended me. With the help of my trusty and talented seamstress, Laura from Just Sew Perfect (click here for her website), we had a day filming at the awesome Photolink studio (for more info click here) in Manchester with 8 women who wanted to get more wear out of their clothes. 

Styling kit ready and waiting

Lights, camera...ACTION!!

My set for the day. How mega are the chairs??!!!

Lulu Guiness slippers came in handy after 12 hours in heels...

We upcycled, we swapped, we styled. The finished result will be on ITV on Thursday 1st August at 9pm. It's a 1 hour Tonight Special on waste called Throwaway Britain.