Shop Your Closet
Part Nine of a great new series of guest articles from Sue Carter, image consultant extraordinaire!
Series Title – How Image Consultants CAN work together!
Those of you following this series will know how I stopped colouring my hair, culled my closet and had Jessie, the cat, be sick all over me. This led me to realise that I needed some more clothes if I was to survive in the real world. It was an excellent excuse to go personal shopping with Suzie Rice, which was my main aim all along.
As Suzie and I live about 120 miles apart I was instructed to load all my remaining clothes, shoes and accessories into the boot of my car and go see Suzie. I have to say that the back seat was required too. Before I went I sorted through my Charity Shop Bags to see if there was anything I could take from there. I never donate my unwanted clothes straight away. I have a system; loft for a few months, garage and then the Charity Shop. That way there is always the chance of rescue when I have been over enthusiastic with my throwing out. A useful tip to pass onto clients and something I learnt the hard way.
I thought that Suzie just wanted to see what I had so that she could plan for the shop next day. You know the drill – where are the gaps in the wardrobe, what does the client need to build up her capsule etc? Wrong. Suzie was going to shop my closet. I knew about this, in fact I do believe I have a book with a similar title and in these days of gloom and doom it makes sense to recycle what you have rather than buy new. However, you have seen the photo of the clothes I had left and I honestly thought she wasn’t going to get anywhere. OK, so wrong again.
This is what she took. She took the flat white ballet shoes with the flowers on, along with the blue wrap top from Kettlewell colours and with just a few cami tops, my one pair of jeans and some necklaces created endless outfits for me.
Yes, they were basically the same clothes but the accessories changed them so much that each one looked so different. And then she swapped the wrap for a dark purple cardigan and repeated the process.
And the most embarrassing part of all this: the shoes, wrap and cardi had been in a Charity shop bag ready to go to the next collector. I hadn’t even seen their possibilities. I apologise to those clothes. I now wear them so much that they will wear out before I give them away.
Shopping your closet works!
Shop yours. Shop your client’s closet. Look behind the sofa, in the dog basket or the spare room. There are hidden gems to find and use before you hit the shops. Try new combinations, write them down or photograph them so that you don’t forget. Experiment.
And the best bit of all? I really didn’t have enough clothes even with Suzie’s magic so we just had to hit the Cambridge shops the next day after all.
If you live near Cambridge – or even if you don’t – go shopping with Suzie, she is amazing!
Series Title – How Image Consultants CAN work together!
Part One – Let’s Talk Boobies
Part Two – Suzie and Sue get to know each other
Part Three – Suzie and Sue share four little words
Part Four – Suzie has light colouring
Part Five – What a difference a grey makes! Part 1
Part Six – What a difference a grey makes! Part 2
Part Seven – Bare Minerals Make-up
Part Eight – I have a big bum – NOT!
Part Ten – coming soon
Related posts:
- Vanity Sizing Part 1 Clothes Labels Flatter Your Ego
- Please write about clothes that I can actually buy!
- Lets Talk Boobies
- Suzie and Sue get to know each other
- What a difference a grey makes part 2