Winter Weekend Capsule Travel Wardrobe

Going away for a weekend this Winter? Margaret River or somewhere similar?

You really only need to take a few carefully selected garments, similiar to those above, to have an outfit for any occasion that may arise. Except a black tie function.

Here’s how to combine these items for 5 different looks:

Friday Night – Travelling and Arrival – A, D and G. 

Saturday Morning – Al Fresco Breakfast – A, B, E and H. Wear scarf and gloves for extra style and warmth.

Saturday Afternoon – Wine Tasting and Lunch – C, D , H and scarf.

Saturday Evening – Dinner – C, F and H. Wear E for extra warmth, and necklace for style.

Sunday – Check out, Breakfast and Travel – A, E, F , B and G. Add scarf and gloves for warmth and style.

You should be able to fit your weekend travel wardrobe, including toiletries, sleepwear and underwear, easily into an overnight bag. Leaving plenty of room in the boot for cartons and cartons of wine!

Cheers!

If you would like to know more contact me via my website or Facebook page.

I am available for Personal Style workshops, public speaking, wardrobe and colour consultations and personal shopping styling sessions, based in Perth, Western Australia.

Using a Personal Stylist – Why it’s the New Norm

In the early 1990’s, I was a young mother of two working part time as an aerobics instructor at various local Tasmanian fitness centres. One day, I came home and told my husband that I had an idea for a business, but that I would need to travel to mainland Australia to do the training for it. I discussed my idea with a few close friends, most of whom told me to forget it. I was living in a small Tasmanian city, and they could not see how my business vision would ever work.

No-one in their right minds would ever pay $20 an hour to have someone physically train them – personal trainers were only for the very wealthy and famous. I persisted and became one of Tasmania’s first female personal trainers.

Me! Circa 1995 – Photo by  Karleen Minney

More than twenty years later, Personal Trainers are used commonly by the general population. Everyone I know has used one at some stage, for a variety of reason.

A few years ago, as owner and manager of a fashion boutique, I did a Graduate Certificate of Business at University of Tasmania, and completed an assignment predicting that, in the same way people now use personal trainers to maximise their fitness goals, there would be a rapid growth in the use of Personal Stylists.

Why use a Personal Stylist?

We live busier lives these days, with different priorities. The rise of social media has made us become very much aware of the importance of our image. More and more women and men are choosing to use a stylist to help with their wardrobe, either on a one off basis, or two to three times a year.  You may think it’s expensive (around $100 per hour is an average fee) but go and add up how many items you have in your wardrobe that you’ve only worn once or twice, or, even worse, never. And how many hours and hours have you wasted trying to find the right outfit!

Instead of thinking “Can I afford to use a stylist?” ask yourself if you can afford not too?

 

Who uses Paterson Personal Styling?

Most of my clients are not rich and famous – most of them are everyday women living in normal circumstances who are feeling frustrated  and lost with their clothing and that their clothing doesn’t really reflect who they are and is not flattering to their body shape and colouring.

And I can fix that!

The benefits of using me as your Personal Stylist

My clients come to me because it saves them a lot of time and stress, and also quite a bit of money. Together we create a wardrobe that mixes and matches, is flattering shape wise and colour wise, and is in line with their lifestyle, personality and, importantly, budget.

And you know what I love about personal styling particularly  in comparison to personal training?

The results are IMMEDIATE! I can make you look younger, slimmer and taller in about two hours!

Without you even breaking a sweat!

 

I am available for Personal Style workshops, public speaking, wardrobe and colour consultations and personal shopping styling sessions, based in Perth, Western Australia.

 

Reasons Why Women Buy Clothes But Never Wear Them

Let me start with this sobering statistic: In Australia, over her lifetime, a woman will buy more than 100 items of clothing that she will never wear! Add that up in monetary terms, and tell me again why you think shopping with a Personal Stylist is too expensive?

I’ve conducted dozens of wardrobe audits and I don’t think I’ve ever had a client who didn’t have at least one garment hanging up in her closet still with shop tags on. Here are some of the most common reasons I hear..

“I bought it on sale.”

No matter how much an item is reduced by, you will be wasting your hard earned cash if you never wear it. A $200 dress reduced to $50 is still a waste of $50, if it doesn’t suit you, fit you properly or just doesn’t feel right.

A good rule to adopt is to never buy anything on sale that you wouldn’t buy at full price.

“I bought it online.”

Online shopping is great fun and by the time your purchase arrives you kind of feel that it’s a present arriving for you, don’t you? There are so many ways you can be disappointed though – the size,  fit, the colour, length, shape can all be different to what you were hoping for.  You must be prepared to return any garments that are not ‘right’. Do it immediately- the garment is not going to magically improve hanging in your wardrobe!

“It’s just not my style.”

This commonly happens when you take a friend/sister/partner/Mum shopping with you to help you choose something.

When you allow others to choose for you, it’s highly likely that they will choose the items that they like for themselves. They may be clever enough to get the fit and colour just right for you, but whenever you put the garment on, it just doesn’t feel right. Each of us lean towards certain style ‘personalities’and wearing something that doesn’t fit in with that may feel like you’re wearing a costume.

One of the hardest parts of being a Personal Stylist is learning to choose clothes and outfits for the client’s style personality and completely switch off from my own personal style and has taken a lot of training and practice. Relying on a friend, no matter how well they dress themselves, can be an expensive and ultimately fruitless, waste of time and money.

“I don’t know what to wear with it.”

Impulse buying often leads to  a hit and miss wardrobe full of clothes – but very few outfits!

Before buying on impulse, take a deep breath and ask yourself if it will have at least three ‘friends’ already in your wardrobe – i.e. can you immediately wear it with three existing items ?

Does it fit in  with your style personality and work with the colours of your existing wardrobe?

Personal Shopping and Styling sessions can save you both time and  money.

If you are guilty of ever thinking or saying any of the above, I am happy to help you dress fabulously!

If you would like to know more, follow me on Facebook or  contact me via my website.

I am available for workshops, public speaking, wardrobe audits and personal shopping styling sessions, based in Perth, Western Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

Returns: Repair, Replace or Refund?

A few days ago I bought an item at a store. It’s not an owner/operator store, but a nationwide chain store.

At the checkout, the sales assistant said to me “If there any problems, you can bring [the item] back for a store credit or replacement. We don’t give refunds.”

It’s actually illegal to say this. Because, by law, if an item is faulty the store MAY have to give a refund. But not always – it depends on the fault.

  An example of a good store policy sign

This sign gives the impression that the store will not give refunds or exchanges, under any circumstances.

If it’s a major fault, the customer can choose a refund, replacement or repair. On an item of clothing, a major fault would be something like the fabric tearing or fraying at the seam (on the first wear, and providing the garment is the correct size), or the colour running even though washing instructions were adhered to.

With a minor fault, the store gets to choose whether to repair, replace or refund. Buttons coming off, for example, is a minor fault.

If you simply change your mind, no matter what the reason is, then it’s entirely up to the store as to whether they refund, give store credit or do nothing at all.

To avoid any problems, always keep your receipts until the refund/return time has lapsed. The time frame will depend on the garment and it’s intended use. You can’t expect to return a garment that you’ve worn dozens of times before the problem arose.

Always wash in accordance with the instructions on the garment.

Lastly, deal with it as soon as you possibly can. Even if it’s a genuine fault, you’ll have your work cut out if you leave it for a few months before attempting to get a refund.

For more information, click here.

Why I Didn’t Buy the Dress that Looked Amazing on Me.

I was walking past Temt today, when this dress in their window display really caught my eye. I mean, like, really, really, really caught my eye! I was in the store, had the dress in my size and was in the changeroom faster than a fly can flap it’s wings.

It fitted me perfectly. A great style for my body shape, it was sexy but not too clingy. The fabric and the ruching draped my body in a very flattering way. But it wasn’t enough for me to buy it.

The colour looked lovely, and it made my complexion glow. A good colour on you will do that, whereas a colour that doesn’t suit you can make you look tired, sick and older. No-one wants that. But, it still wasn’t enough….

The dress suits my own personal style. I lean strongly towards the elegant, feminine and sexy styles, and this dress is that. But, still I didn’t buy it.

Price? At $29.99 it almost had me. But I knew not to buy it.

You’re probably almost screaming now “why didn’t you buy it?”. Here’s why…

I have a wardrobe where everything mixes and matches. If an item doesn’t mix and match with other garments and accessories that I already own, I don’t buy it. I have a personal aversion to wearing red with black (and yes, that does have something to do with the Essendon Football Club, haha), so this dress would require me to buy a new jacket, shoes and/or boots in nude or beige shades. Not such a bargain after all.

Walking away takes discipline, but if you really want a wardrobe that works well, it’s what you have to learn to do. Need a hand? Get in touch.

Five Reasons You Have a Messy Wardrobe.

Did you know that most women wear only 20 percent of their wardrobe 80 percent of the time? That means that four out of five garments taking up space in your wardrobe only get worn very occasionally – if at all! And that’s criminal!

If you have a wardrobe that is bursting at the seams, I know the chances are that you will be having trouble finding something to wear. Yes, the more clothes you have in your wardrobe, the harder you will find it to put outfits together.

This is because you are guilty of the following closet crimes:

1. There is clothing in your wardrobe that doesn’t fit anymore. I don’t care what you paid for it, how many times you’ve sworn you’ll lose weight and get into it again etc. etc. It does not belong in your wardrobe anymore.

2. There is clothing in your wardrobe that you haven’t worn in years. See above.

3. There is clothing in your wardrobe that no longer suits your lifestyle. If you’ve gone from being a high flying corporate business woman to fully retired you no longer need all those business suits. Keep one and move the rest out.

4. There are brand new items in your wardrobe. Never worn. With tags on.  Usually bought on a whim, or on sale. If you can’t work out why you haven’t worn them, and you have a lot, you will benefit financially from having a session with me, an experienced and professionally trained Personal Stylist.

5. You have other things in your wardrobe. A wardrobe is for what you wear. Clothes, shoes and accessories. Nothing else.

If you are guilty as charged of the above, here is a link to my step-by-step guide to cleaning out your closet. 

https://patersonpersonalstyling.wordpress.com/2014/07/28/cleaning-out-the-closet-how-to-organise-a-wonderful-wardrobe/

And if that’s still too hard, you can always book me for a wardrobe audit at www.patersonpersonalstyling.com.au