The secrets of a personal styling session

I met Elly through Instagram, through searching hashtags and engaging with local Mums who I could network with and help to grow reach. I had been following Elly’s slimming world and fashion styling for a little while, then when I saw she was offering personal styling sessions, I had to reach out to her, especially as Elly’s goal is to help new mums regain body confidence and to help them find themselves again. A lot of new mums shy away from the camera in my sessions, due to lack of confidence, and I knew that with a little help from Elly, we could diminish that fear and soon have mums feeling fabulous and ready to make some memories feeling beautiful, inside and out!

I’ll be totally honest with you, I didn’t think there was anything ‘wrong’ with how I dress. I’m always buying new clothes and shoes and thought I done it quite well. I was not prepared for the huge impact that Elly was about to make! When you think of personal styling, what comes to mind? A huge budget? Designer labels? Feeling pressured into spending? If I was to say forget all of those phrases and think of confidence booster, high street shops, a fun, relaxed day out, would you believe me? Here’s how I got on…

Before we met, Elly had sent me a questionnaire about my goals for the day, was there anything in particular I was wanting to try or change, my budget, my job etc. On the day, I met Elly in a Cambridge coffee shop and it was just like meeting a friend. Her contact in the days before hand were second to none and I already knew that she knew what we would be looking for and we got straight onto wardrobe staples. What clothes do I already own? This really made me think about what I have already, how I currently wear it, and the difference it would make if I wore it slightly differently. Elly also covered the various body shapes and we discovered that I am a pear shape, and the key is to draw attention to my waistline as that is my smallest feature.

Tops

First stop, H&M. We both ventured around the shop and picked up clothes and accessories for me to try on. I picked up things I would usually try on, Elly picked up items that were tailored to my pear shaped body. 

One of the biggest transformations was tucking in tops. I have never thought of doing this, yet it made an amazing difference and now it feels peculiar if I’m wearing a top that isn’t tucked in! Next I found a love for a blazer! I’m rubbish, I literally have a ‘big’ coat and a ‘little’ coat. I never really thought of a coat as part of my outfit. Well, I do now!  I loved this colour, perfect for spring. It’s not a colour I would
have chosen either, but Elly explained which colours worked well with my skin tone and hair. I always think about this when I’m styling my newborn sessions, but never for myself!

Jeans

After feeling confident about my new choice of tops, jackets and coats we moved onto jeans. Trying to find a pair of jeans which fit me, usually leads to despair (and a glass of wine). Yet, I live in jeans most of the time. So much so, I needed to be able to style them casually and dress them up. Straight away, Elly knew I needed high waisted because they would highlight my waist. Off to Topshop. Who knew there were styles of jeans, within styles of jeans?!

Accessories

Lastly, accessories. Bags and shoes. I used to have SO MANY pairs of flip flops and boots, but nothing in between. Purely because there’s so much choice, I just stuck to what I knew and didn’t venture outside of my comfort zone. Bags are easy. I have loads of those, but all a similar style. It’s safe to say, my collection of both is rapidly growing!

The Reveal

By the end of the trip, I felt confident I could walk into any shop and know what style of clothes I should be looking for, and if I wasn’t sure, I could whatapp Elly and ask her! So you know I mentioned that I thought I dressed fairly well, before I met Elly? Here’s the final reveal. I don’t mind saying myself just how different I look. I was standing taller, felt better and smiled for the rest of the day!

Final Thoughts

If you follow me on ​facebook​ and i​ nstagram,​ you will have heard me say this already, but I’ll say it again. Everyone needs an Elly in their life! We had such a fun day and she has made a massive impact on my shopping habits in the space of a few hours. She offers a range of services, from wardrobe edits, online consultations and shopping trips in Cambridge.

If you’re booked in with me for a photography experience, either a signature or mini session, I would recommend adding on a personal styling session to ensure you’re feeling your best and show that glowing confidence in your final images. We are all beautiful inside and out, and I believe that we all deserve to feel and show it in any we can!

If you would like to add one of Elly’s services to your photography experience with me, get in touch, as I have unique packages to be tailored to your requirements.

Find Elly online by searching Mummy Yates Style to follow her fashion finds.