We’re talking today to Personal Stylist Simone Thorpe of Style With Soul about the reopening of retail and how to bounce back from spending the last couple of months working from home in track pants (or is that just me?).
Firstly, the most important question. What does a stylist wear when they’re stuck
at home during a pandemic?
Great question! I’m really no different to everyone else, I’ve embraced my active wear and cosy knits. What we wear should be all about what makes us feel good and for me, my active wear is comfy and encourages me to go on my daily walks and my cosy knits are all about snuggling up on the couch with a good book or tuning into a webinar while we’re in isolation. I’m also putting my jeans on at least once a week! It’s a good check in but also nice to have that change. At the start of lock down, I did have grand visions of wearing my kimonos and channelling that 1920’s bohemian artist style, but it was short lived and not really practical for these cold Autumn/Winter months!
Now that we’re allowed out again and more shops are starting to open, what’s the first piece of clothing on your shopping list?
For me it’s a great pair of long boots. They are such an investment piece and I had my last pair for almost 15 years, so I’m ready to invest for another 15 years and maybe this time with a lower heel too, so that I’m speedier on my feet when out with clients. I’ll be wearing them with dresses and skirts which I can’t wait to wear again!
More importantly though I’m looking forward to just being back in boutiques and being able to be tactile with clothes again – touch, feel and really study the colours and prints. I rarely buy online, for me buying clothes is all about the process, admiring the curation, the design lines, the craftsmanship and indulging my senses. You can’t experience that online. I also think it gives you a stronger connection with what you buy and for me as a lover of vintage and preloved fashion, it’s so much harder to buy online anyway.
I’m sure I can’t be the only person to have been dressing like a slob recently. Seriously Kath and Kim look like style icons next to me at the moment! I maybe have also put on just the tiniest amount of weight from a steady diet of TV Snacks and ice cream. How can a stylist help me face the world again with some semblance of panache?
The most important thing I want to say here is BE KIND to yourself! It’s been a unique time for all of us and our routines have been thrown out of whack and completely challenged so no doubt many of us are going to be feeling a little strange about going out again and wearing what we wore before isolation. If you’re feeling a bit of out of sorts, practice some self love and give yourself some TLC or pampering. If the jeans are feeling a little snug, embrace some of the other pieces in your wardrobe for a while. Our routines are constantly evolving at the moment so we’ve just got to ride this out without thinking we need to buy a whole new wardrobe! Surprisingly, trakkies (or technical term: Athleisure) are actually on trend and you can style them in many ways to make them feel stylish! So, just because we’re starting to come out of isolation doesn’t mean you have to ditch your trakkies.
On a deeper level, for many of us it’s been a time for reflection and some of us might be even wondering if our style actually represents who we are? A stylist can help with this. In a style consultation I go deep to find out your goals and values, if you’re on a new path we can work towards reviewing your wardrobe so that it reflects who you are and where you want to be. A stylist can also make your wardrobe work for your current lifestyle though tweaking outfit combinations that you may not have even thought of. We can also guide you through making smart purchases to get you through this next phase so that you’re not seduced to buy something in some of these ridiculous online sales that you might not even wear!
Many people have the perception that hiring a personal stylist is expensive and that they’re only used by movie stars and people who dress in designer labels. What would you say to those people?
Why not enjoy feeling like a movie star for a day?! No, seriously, I’ve had clients tell me it’s the best investment they have ever made in their personal development. Yes that’s right personal development, not just their wardrobes! Let me tell you about my own personal experience that actually got me started on this journey. Over 10 years ago, I wasn’t feeling great about myself or my wardrobe so I engaged a Personal Stylist. Up until then I’d been wasting money on clothes that I either didn’t wear or didn’t make me feel good. Within 4 hours of my time with a stylist, my self-esteem had completely changed, I saw my body in a whole new light and I had 10 pieces of clothes that became a capsule wardrobe that I loved wearing and made me feel good. I also started to feel like what I saw on the outside reflected who I was on the inside. The reason I’m now doing what I’m doing was to be able to gift that experience to other women. Think about the money you have spent on clothes you have only worn once or not at all, imagine investing that in a styling experience where you get to learn about what design lines work best for your shape, what fabrics are a great investment and how to make each piece you purchase work with everything else?
With the weather rapidly cooling down, what are the must-haves for this winter?
We’re in this really unique position this season where we can learn that less is more. While many of us will be working from home and attending less social events we won’t be craving the variety we usually do in our wardrobes, so use this as an ideal opportunity to invest in a few pieces rather than consume lots of pieces.
Invest in that winter coat you have longed for, buy the soft cashmere knit or cosy merino jumper, the leather jacket, the dress in a print you absolutely love, the boots that you’ll have for many years to come. Invest in a few pieces that will give you many years of joy!
Also expand your shopping options, consider exploring some of Melbourne’s iconic and lesser known shopping strips and discover some new boutiques. During this time, it’s more important than ever to shop your values and support those businesses you would love to see stick around in the future. Think local, think Australian, think Australian made.
Thanks for your time Simone! I’m definitely feeling a little more prepared to face the world again and the idea
of a cosy merino jumper and some long tan boots is really calling to me. It will make a nice change from the trakkies (which I will in future I will refer to as Athleisure because it sounds much classier!), but sounds just as comfy!
We’ve worked with Simone for around 4 years now and it’s always a joy to watch her interact with our guests. We have the privilege of watching them start to step out of their comfort zone and see the delight on their faces when they realise that they can wear things they never would have dreamed of - and look amazing! For some of us, even buying something as seemingly simple as a pair of jeans can be fraught with indecision and angst. Working with an excellent stylist like Simone really does give you a whole new insight into what to look for, for YOUR body. And learning how to make accessories transform an outfit and flatter your body was eye-opening to say the least! And we love that she will work within your budget.
If you want to learn more about Simone, check out her website at www.stylewithsoul.com.au. And if you’d like to book a private shopping tour with Simone as your stylist, email us at info@melbourneshoppingexperiences.com.au for a quote.
