How to New Season your Wardrobe

I spotted a big ball of sun in the sky over the weekend which, coupled with the abundance of sunny daffodils and sprightly lambs lolling around in the fields (this is all rather picturesque, isn't it?!) seems to signal spring is indeed here! Around this time of year, I get incredibly twitchy - keen to cast off my winter coat and thick black tights and hurtle headlong into the new season. After I filched a blue cotton shirt from Rich's wardrobe last week, absent-mindedly pairing it with a pair of jeans, white mules, and silver jewellery, I thought I'd better get this post done before he notices it's gone.

So here's a step-by-step of how I "new season" my wardrobe:

1. Get Inspired. I read all the magazines and blogs I can get my hands on. I have a very good magazine feeder system: my mum and sister-in-law stockpile magazines and fashion spreads for me. I get a monthly subscription to some magazines, I read the rest online. I use Facebook, blogs (click here to see my favourite blogs from the blogosphere) I am also incredibly nosey - I eye up what people are wearing at networking events, in shops, on the street - outfits fascinate me no end. 

2. Make some Decisions. Like chia seeds on your already tasty granola, flares have been eating up the fashion pages for breakfast with a sprinkling of 70's suede for good measure. The last time I wore flares was in 2007. I so remember my outfit (Que weird wardrobe recall moment...): brown moc croc mid heeled courts from Kate Kanzier, flared jeans from Monkee Geans via Topshop, a blue and cream striped top with a scoop neck also from Toppers, and a gold wrap bracelet picked up on my travels. Now being a pint-sized 5'3" the flares kinds took me over and I never got used to the feeling of loads of material bagging out from the knee down (they were HUGE badass flares, FYI).  Plus they were a nightmare in the rain; talk about soggy bottoms. So, entering into flares territory is a big commitment - to pull if off it will require new footwear: chunkier heels, blocks rather than stilettos, platforms. See? Decisions, decisions. I'm sitting this season's flares out.

(Ergo Wide legged trousers. Delving into the Telegraph Style page it seems the fash pack, lead by Lisa Armstrong, have already done a new season U-turn:

"Having recently dragooned my colleagues into modelling wide trousers for these pages, I now sorrowfully conclude that they're a pain to wear, and best avoided by most.")

3. Put something in. I bought some off-white "lady" trousers from Zara and a black strapless jumpsuit, also from Zara. The trousers are the most grown-up item in my wardrobe and fit into the culotte category although on petite old me they are slightly longer than calf length (which, with my man calves, is a god send.) Here I've styled them with my (Rich's) blue shirt and Zara snakeskin heels for day and with a black H&M Trend vest for night.

4. And take something out. I've removed a pair of ASOS lime yellow heels from my wardrobe (which even by my standards are too high to walk in) and a Zara 60's style shift which has washed appallingly. It bobbled after 5 washes. Lets hope my new lady trousers fair better! I've also sent my camel coat to the tailor to be re-lined and have cleaned all my suede winter boots.

Til next time...x

Jennifer Hamley - Ethically designed handbags in a designer handbag world

On my travels as The Wardrobe Angel I chart the seas of Twitter, climb the hills of Instagram and walk the deserts of Facebook. Late last year I came across one of the most positive, honest, courageous and awesome entrepreneurs I had met in a long time: Jennifer Hamley. Her designer bag range is launching in April THIS YEAR – excitement abound! Who sets up their own designer bag label? No-one I’ve ever heard of until Jen came on the scene. It’s something she has always wanted to do, even when she had another business making headpieces for brides, her heart always belonged to the bags. So she made the leap. 

Her bags are specifically targeted at business women, entrepreneurs, the work hard and play harders who have a little bit of fashion sense in all they do. They also have busy lives, carry that life around in their bag and need their bag to be able to cope without breaking a sweat (or a handle). Case in point: Jen has thoughtfully designed a removable clutch component in some of her bags and the clutch can be used for an I-pad as well. Many a time I’ve suggested to client to keep a clutch inside their tote bag in case of post-work shenanigans (I do it and swear by it) and it’s a key feature for some Jennifer Hamley bags –get in! Finally, bags which respond to the needs of the owner, not the other way round. There’s also detachable key chains (no more rooting around in the dark depths of your bag in the pouring rain) and A4 document pockets. PERFECT. 

Things don’t always go smoothly in the land of the entrepreneur. But admitting something is wrong and asking for help? You won’t find many entrepreneurs doing that for fear of their reputation shattering like glass. Jennifer’s website disappeared before Christmas and she took to Facebook and Twitter to ask for help. This is what makes her brand so utterly authentic and awesome – when you interact with her online you feel you really know her. And that extends to the design, craftsmanship and manufacture of her bags - all done in the UK. She hasn't sold out and had her bags made in China to reduce costs. 

I cannot wait for her bag launch and I’ll be blogging about it in April. In the meantime ...

"She's giving away a handbag at the launch to one lucky winner, so SIGN UP FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!"

The winner of the bag can choose their prize from the catwalk on the launch night!  

Click here for the sign up page or click here to sign up on her normal site now. And remember to keep up to date on her exciting, handbag shaped journey on social media (she's very social!)...

Facebook  Twitter Pinterest  

Google+  YouTube 

Thanks for being an inspiration, Jen!

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!

What's Grotbags got to do with my Clothes Swap?

Hello January! I've indulged in quite a few of those 'glorious nothing days' this holiday which Peter Capaldi harks on about so knowingly in a well-known butter advert. This culminated in a discussion with Rich this morning about which kids TV programme Grotbags was in (I stumped my money on Fraggle Rock). Only kids of the 80's will truly appreciate the reference to this warty green witch:

Image courtesy of Showbiz Geek

Which led me to think I should get back in the blogging saddle with a way that will (hopefully) rejuvenate a couple of wardrobes in the meantime. If you overspent at Christmas and are bored with your clothes what I'm proposing will help you get rid of some of your clutter and receive some free clothing to boot. I'm proposing an online clothes swap which starts with me and ends with you and in the middle we swap clothes.

It worked out really well with Polka Dot Pink earlier this year when I sent her my sunshine dress and she sent me a blue dress in return so I'm really keen to see what other great swaps can take place. Read my original clothes swap blog post by clicking here. 

So what's up for grabs this month? A Faux Fur wrap from H&M. One Size, fully lined and machine washable in great condition. It has one hook and eye fastening or it can be worn open. It looks great worn over evening wear. All you have to do is send me something in return which suits my wardrobe. My style is dramatic, I love leopard print and sequins, black and white, big gold chains and colour pop heels in size 5. I'm a size 8 and am currently loving bodycon dresses. 

If you want the faux fur wrap, it's yours!

First come, first served.  

Tweet me @wardrobe_angel, message me via my website or leave a comment in the section below.  

Lets dull the painful nonsense of all the New Year, New You malarky and refresh our wardrobes for free! 

***SOUND THE KLAXON*** THE FAUX FUR WRAP HAS LEFT THE BUILDING***

(my friend Amy has nabbed it)

Flowers at 180

What I've found since starting The Wardrobe Angel is that business moves pretty fast and relationships come and go. You will have an intense friendship with someone, collaborate, meld your businesses together, chat on the phone, email and text then you don't hear from each other for years. It's the relationships that come back around again that I've learned to take note of and Cate Wood is one. 

Many moons ago I wrote about Cate Wood and her awesome jewellery making skills after randomly going to see her house when she was thinking of selling it. Cate dropped me an email a few weeks casually mentioning she'd opened a flower shop. True to Cate the shop is a treasure to behold. Nestled on Mirfield High Street it is a work of Cate's passion for interiors, design, floristry, and above all style. 

I visited Flowers at 180 on the day of the end of Cate's first order pad. Like getting a hug when you walk through the door, Cate is vibrant, knowledgeable and personable. Even the wording she uses reflects her brand down to a tee - instead of funerals she says 'farewells'. Check out her Facebook page for daily inspiration: the beautiful bouquets she creates and the wonderful curated selection of ornaments and vases she sells. 

She's got Christmas sewn up!

Slopping my creative juices

For nearly 3 years I got away with being The Wardrobe Angel doing hardly any outfit posts. Weird, right? I turned up at client’s houses, and was greeted with "you look great” or “I love your necklace/skirt/bag (delete as appropriate)” or “where did you get that?” But I always shied away from taking the joy of these compliments and transferring them into outfit posts.

I was adamant when I set up The Wardrobe Angel that I wouldn't do those wanky selfies, those boasting posts of “look what I'm wearing today.”  In the face of all this fast fashion consumption, weekly style trends and outfit of the day (#ootd) Instagram shots, I felt how I dressed was going against the grain: I do more with less, I create different ways to wear, some of my wardrobe is nearly 10 years old, I rarely go shopping.

But then I met the wonderful coach Jennifer Potter of Simply JP coaching and in 10 minutes she had me reaching for my phone to capture my outfit. She asked me point blank “what makes you different?” And I answered “I'm where fashion meets style meets sustainability.” Not hard at all. She then asked me what was holding me back. Simples. “Me” Another quick fire question “Why?”

She had me right there – confidence. Until this month I have had a huge lack of confidence putting ‘my style’ out there. So Jen offered me a lifeline and I took it – she suggested making the outfit posts about the clothes rather than me to inspire other people so when they looked at what I was posting they would think “Ah ha! I’ve got a skirt like that – I’m going to style it like The Wardrobe Angel today.”

And since then it’s been like a dam breaking and I've been slopping my creative fashion juices all over the style steaks on Instagram, Facebook, and this here blog (check out the Outfits page next door.)

I can’t recommend Jen highly enough – please check out her website by clicking here to find out how she can help you too.

Wearing someone's misery

I first saw the link to the shopper finds 'cry for help' label sewn into £10 Primark dress article on Facebook last night. Have you seen it? It's really disturbing. Rebecca Gallagher found this hand-stitched label in her Primark dress:

Hand-stitched label in Primark dress

She phoned Primark for an explanation, was on hold for 15 minutes then cut off. A PR disaster all round then for the high street giant. Articles have popped up like this one on the Huffington Post website (click here for the article) advising people how to shop ethically from eBay, charity shops and vintage boutiques. Harriet Bignall, a writer for the Independent, has said she will continue to shop from bargain retailers because she can't afford to shop ethically (click here for the article).


And this is where we need to have wider demystifying conversation. People need to know that 'ethical' 'sustainable' 'recycling' and 'upcycling' aren't dirty words co-opted by hippies wearing tie-dye. That when you chop up a pair of jeans into shorts for your holiday you just upcycled - it's that easy. That vintage stuff might smell a wee bit but it's a way to really stand out from the crowd and it isn't that expensive to buy. And thanks to Channel 4 and Dawn O' Porter for demonstrating this on prime time TV last night with This Old Thing. 

I haven't shopped from Primark for years. I never take clients there on a personal shopping trip or recommend a client buy anything from there either. The brand just doesn't sit right with me. Why? Because when you buy something from there you are literally wearing someone's misery: long hours, low pay, bad conditions. And how can you feel good about what you are wearing when you know that? 

2014 has started with a BANG!

I entered the Network She Business awards late one Friday night at the beginning of January. As I trawled through my computer files finding evidence to support my entrance for Networking Woman of the Year, I stopped: Danielle La Porte's Truth Bomb (pictured above) sums it up.

• Did I have a newspaper column two years ago? I do now. 
• Did I even have a Twitter account two years ago? I do now. 
• Did I have anyone to help me when I set up? I have my three musketeers now:  a book keeper (HOORAH!!! Even though my Dad is a maths prof, my brain just isn't designed for all those numbers and Excel? Don't even get me started on Excel), a PR savvy lady and a wonderful, wonderful business mentor.

I've had my business over 2 years now (2 and a half to be precise) and though the journey to and through self-employment has been a struggle at times, I wouldn't have it any other way. Self-employment forces you out of your comfort zone, it stretches and pulls you like pizza dough, makes you realise just what you are capable of and exposes the vulnerabilities of your personality and character in brutal and unrelenting ways. Yes, the hours are long, yes the weight of responsibility to yourself can be like a 10 tonne brick but oh...the joy when you get a glimmer of recognition for what you do.

This year I have had two such glimmers: a business award nomination and an invite to a rather swanky fashion event in London. On March 7th I will be extremely honoured to be in attendance at the Network She Awards as a FINALIST in the category of Networking Woman of the Year.  Facebook was my first port of call for my announcement:

"So this happened...

Congratulations Stephanie

It is with great pleasure that we inform you that you have been selected by the judges as a finalist at this year’s Network She Foundation International Women’s Day Awards 2014. 

Woo-hoo!!!!!!!!"

The most awesome thing? The outpouring of support from my peers, friends and family: over 70 people turned their thumbs skyward and left messages of congratulations. I was STUNNED. Then Semple magazine got in touch and asked me to appear as a guest at their next Semple Secret event. 

See that photo? That's me alongside 2 of the UK's most prestigious fashion bloggers wearing a coat from a charity shop and 10 year old jeans that I bought with my first wage packet from M&S!! Click here to buy tickets for the event in London. 

So - to all you self-employed folk out there. Pull over, see how far you've come. Enjoy, bask, and live it.