Wardrobe Wisdom

Contrary to popular opinion, I abhor shopping. Don't get me wrong, I love new clothes, it's just the process of getting them that I can't stand. I've already seen everything months before at press days and, most of all, as I have an unusual figure, about 1% of any shop's stock actually looks good on me.(Huge bosom, tiny back, no waist, great legs.)

I'm also no good at impulse buying: I need to try something on, go away, think about it, and then maybe go back to do another trying on session. Preferably with my sister who can cut through my pretensions with a few well chosen words. It's a truism that stylists aren't very good at dressing themselves.

I also detest shopping with other people: I can scan a shop's entire stock in seconds for pieces that work. Everyone else faffs around, prodding and sighing and stroking for what seems like hours. It drives me bonkers.

I don't mind taking someone else shopping if they'll just sit in a chair, let me pick out suitable pieces and then escort them to the changing room. After all, I AM a fashion editor, and can generally be relied on to make other people look great.

I've just started up a sideline business called Wardrobe Wisdom, where I go round to people's houses, blitz their wardrobe, put together new outfits, and then email them a list of what they need to buy (& where) to pull together their existing pieces. Email me for details & references from some very happy clients if you are interested at libertylondongirl@gmail.com (I'm not cheap, but I am very good!)

With one client last week, we gave three bin bags of clothing to her cleaner, made a pile of designer labels for her to eBay and, even with so much pruning, she only needed to buy four or five pieces (mainly long sleeve T shirts) to bring her wardrobe together. I'm continually amazed at the ease with which people can forget what is actually in their wardrobes, wearing the same few pieces day in, day out.

Most pleasing of all, she has had lovely compliments on how glowing and pretty she looks each day since. But no one has commented on her clothes. Which is exactly how it should be for a size UK14 (US10) mother of two in her mid-thirties: her clothes should enhance her, not the other way round. (It's not about me inflcting what is new & trendy on my clients, or turning them into mini-mes, but making them look like a better version of themselves.)