Behind the Scenes of a Virtual Wardrobe Consultation
Imogen* contacted me feeling lost with her style and needing some further guidance. Imogen had already had a virtual colour consultation with another stylist during lock down but was struggling to incorporate the colours into her wardrobe. She’d also had appointment with John Lewis stylist which she had great success with for special occasion wear, but not so much for her everyday wardrobe as she found the choices limited in store and made some purchases she regretted. She wanted advice tailored to her wardrobe that she could use to go forward with and had been recommended to me by a friend. Here’s what Imogen said when she first contacted me:
“After all the changes of the last couple of years, I feel like what worked previously just doesn’t feel appropriate or like ‘me’ any more. I am 40 next year and would like to approach the next decade with a more purposeful style and a wardrobe of clothes that supports my lifestyle, and that will help me get to where I would like to in my career. I want to look current but not as though I’m dressing too young or too old but I’m not really sure how to put together looks that I like in a way that suits me. I often go shopping and feel overwhelmed by all the choices and so don’t but anything as I don’t want to make a bad decision and waste money.
Ideally I’d like a capsule wardrobe for ‘smart’ work occasions when I am meeting with clients or for events, and then a more flexible wardrobe for the rest of the time that works for casual office days, working from home and also for weekends and socialising.
I have a work trip coming up at the end of the month where I’ll be travelling and meeting with clients for a week, which I’m panicking about, but I would say it’s more important for me to focus on the bigger picture and spend my budget on items that will have some longevity in my wardrobe.”
The Consultation
From the information Imogen had provided me with in our correspondence and questionnaire, I had a good idea of where she was struggling and where we needed to focus our time. Before we met, Imogen had spent time putting together a comprehensive Pinterest board of the kind of clothing styles and outfits that she liked so we had a clear aesthetic to aim for. Imogen favoured a smart casual parisian vibe that was effortless, comfortable and polished. There was a clear preference for warm but muted colours, darker and more subtle that those that Imogen had previously been advised to wear, which was why she was struggling to implement her previous palette into her clothing choices. We adapted Imogen’s palette to better suit her preferences and she immediately felt more comfortable with the new toned down version and how she could easily use it in her wardrobe.
Imogen already had a good understanding of the types and styles that suited her proportions, so other than touching on some basic principles to clarify what styles she should shop for, we didn’t go into greater depth with this. Instead we concentrated our time going through the current pieces that Imogen had, which as it was the start of the change of seasons was a mix of summer and winter clothing. There were a number of pieces which Imogen had bought over lockdown which she didn’t feel were ‘her’ and we identified were incongruent with the kind of aesthetic she truly loved as they were either too ‘girly’ or ‘preppy’. We created some new combinations from what Imogen had and discussed ways that she could wear pieces she did love but in different ways, such as combining a burgundy leather skirt with a burnt orange jumper she was wearing on our call but she had not considered paring together. As is commonly the case, Imogen was really limited in her footwear and outerwear which meant that she was struggling to finish outfits confidently and add that ‘polish’ that she adored. We created a list of pieces for her to focus on buying with suggestions as to where to find them in what colours. This would then create her longed for Capsule Wardrobe.
Imogen’s Feedback
“Thank you for your time on Wednesday. I really enjoyed our session and this is a really helpful summary of our discussion and suggestions of items to shop for.
It was so useful to clarify what my style preferences are and why, this has made it so obvious why I was struggling with wearing certain items and fitting them into my wardrobe. I’ve had a good sort out this afternoon, and now that I’ve had chance to put everything back in my wardrobe that I’m planning to keep, it looks a lot more cohesive, both in terms of colour and style. I was starting to pack for my NYC trip today and already found I had far more options than I thought I did when I last went back in June. I am also absolutely in love with the colour palette - it turns out a lot of my favourite items were in the warmer, darker colours which I hadn’t realised when I was trying to create a spring palette!
Thank you again for all your wisdom! I feel like I have a much better idea of what I’m aiming for now, and I hadn’t realised how many possibilities I already had in my own wardrobe. I am looking forward to enjoying what I’m wearing again after several yeas of feeling quite lost in my style. I’m also excited to find new pieces and curate a wardrobe that feels like me.
I’m going to go shopping tomorrow and try out some of the styles we spoke about and will definitely be in touch if I need more help.”
If you like Imogen live outside of the East Midlands but would like help with your style and creating outfits, consider a Virtual Wardrobe Consultation where we can look at your wardrobe and create a plan for you to work from.
*Name changed for privacy reasons
