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| @Lovedbylizzi |
I’m so excited by this post, it’s been a while since I’ve published an interview and you are going to love Lizzie! Yes that’s right there is two of us!
I met Lizzie just under four years ago and she is a fabulous Image Consultant; she has a huge passion for helping woman be the best of themselves and helps them find their signature style.
She kindly agreed to give some tips about how to discover your own body shape and what Spring 2018 trends she is excited about. We hope you enjoy it reading it, we certainly enjoyed putting it altogether! We would love to hear your thoughts so please do comment on any of our social media posts.
Lizzi x
Tell us about yourself?
Hi, I’m Lizzie and I am a married with two young sons who are both under 4 – I work as an Image Consultant and Personal Stylist, based between Maidenhead and Reading in Berkshire. I travel all over the south east of England for client sessions, workshops and presentations. I am wonderfully busy with my babies and my business, and I feel very fortunate to be able to do both and feel proud I am a working mummy.
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| @lizziestylistuk |
What has been your journey so far?
I have been a personal shopper and a wardrobe & outfit stylist for 17 years, and for the last 4 years as a qualified Image Coach with The Federation of Image Professionals International. Before that I was working as a PA and Executive Assistant in major corporations after obtaining a BA Honour degree in Business and Marketing Management. In 2015 I undertook an advanced Diploma in Image incorporating coaching executives, communication, executive presence and personal branding; I know it’s a mouthful! My past clients have included global businesses, top executives, business and life coaches, schools, graduates and brides and their bridal parties to name a few.
What is a typical day in the life of Lizzie?
7am – The day starts with either tea or coffee, definitely coffee if we’ve been up with the children, this is normally made by my husband. My husband tends to be on breakfast duty most mornings so once the children are occupied at the kitchen table I will head back upstairs to write in my journal for 15 minutes about how I am feeling, I will meditate for 10 minutes before jumping in the shower.
8.30am – By this point the children dressed, teeth brushed, hair combed and chat to them while having my breakfast, and then I am on the nursery run!
9am – My working day starts and during this time I will be responding to emails, planning client shopping trips and any last minute requirements before my client sessions start.
10am – 1pm – this time is dedicated to my client sessions
1.30pm – 6.30pm – Time to pick children up and possibly head to the park, library or soft play dependent on the weather and moods. During their naps I’m back working playing catch up on voicemails and emails. Evening routine starts about 5pm and children in bed by 6.30pm
7.30pm – Hubby cooks dinner while I work at the kitchen table. We chat and talk about our days while we have dinner. He then either goes out to play football, has to work himself or goes to our Snug to read. I will then work on internal preparations for my upcoming workshops. I will also have Skype calls with clients and business collaborators.
9.00pm – Bed for me. My husband brings me a cup of chamomile tea and we chat for half an hour before I fall asleep.
What’s the best thing about your work?
Working with my clients is the absolute best. I am a stickler for detail and ensuring my clients really own their style. I have a very warm and inclusive approach, so much so that many of my clients send me text messages or messages through WhatsApp when they are off to an event like a wedding for example, to show me what they are wearing and tell me how good they are feeling. They like me to share in that joy and I really do. I also tend to get a lot of changing room photos asking me what I think about an outfit that they have tried on. This is a big compliment. My clients trust me to kindly tell them the truth and they respect my opinion. That’s pure job satisfaction right there.
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| @lizziestylistuk |
How does dressing for your body shape help the way you look?
So the obvious one here is comfort. If your clothes flatter your body shape then they are more likely to fit well and be comfortable. It’s also about confidence; if we feel that we look good in our clothes we our going to hold ourselves taller and our body language will be more self assured. What we wear also affects how we feel on the inside, so if we feel great in our clothes it is going to affect our mood. When undertaking a style consultation with a client I am looking at many things including their proportions, their outside frame, face shape and whether they are high or low waisted. All of this informs me of what shape and length of clothes would suit that individual, this is what makes it personal. I also talk to the client about what they like about their body and any areas they don’t like and why. In my experience my clients want me to take the focus off the areas they don’t like and I see my job as helping them to do that.
Are there any tips on how to work out your own body shape, or get a feel for what you could be?
If you are investing in yourself, then for the best results it’s worth investing in the right advice from the start, and Image Coaches are here to do that for you – it prevents you wasting money on items that you may get wrong.
But if you want to have a go yourself, then a starting point for dressing well for your body shape is to work out your outside line. You will need a full length mirror. Pop on a pair of leggings and a tight t-shirt or strappy vest, then stand in front of the mirror and ‘what do you see?’
What you are looking for are either angular (straight) lines or curved lines in your:
- Shoulders
- Waist
- Hips
- Top of legs
If your shoulders are more rounded, and your waist curves in then your top half is a curve.
For an angular top half we are looking to see that your shoulders don’t slope dramatically and the line is quite straight. We are also looking for a straight outside line at the waist.
On your lower half if your hips and legs curve in noticeably then we would classify you as a curve in this area.
If the line from your hips to the top of your legs is relatively straight then we would classify this area as angular.
You can be:
- Curve on curve
- Curve on angular
- Angular on curve
- Angular on angular
Once you’ve worked on your outside line these tips will really help you with your clothing choices:
- Curve – go for curved neck jumpers and t-shirts. If wearing a v-neck balance it with a curved necklace or rounded earrings. Wear skirts and dress with a predominately rounded silhouette – namely at the neck and hem – An a line skirt for example. Rounded patterns and prints like polka dots.
- Angular – look for v-neck tops, pencil skirts, square and angular jewellery such as pendants for example.
I believe that in order to have good style one must bend or break the rules from time to time and so this quote rings true: ‘Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.’– Pablo Picasso.
What advice can you offer to readers about adopting new fashion trends?
Fashion should be fun and it should also suit your lifestyle too. Don’t feel pressured to wear what an Influencer or celebrity is wearing if you don’t like it. We all have our own style and that is where the joy and art of dressing well is.
Clothes are like magic in a way; they can transform the way you look, feel, behave and hold yourself. Your signature style tells a story about who you are and if a trend doesn’t appeal to the story you want to tell, then I’d avoid it. In the same way if a trend speaks to you and who you are, I don’t believe you would regret investing in it. Just make sure it fits and is comfortable!
What two Spring 2018 trends are you most excited about?
The Trench Coat – Designers are constantly reimagining the trench coat, and for spring, the classic staple was officially the key piece in many collections. To be worn with everything from bikinis to boardroom attire.
Bold colour – This summer will be very bright indeed if the catwalks are anything to go by – From New York to Paris, the shows were awash with vibrant, bold shades to suit every colouring.
What three things could you not live without?
My husband and my two sons.
Your recommend ‘best buy’?
That has to be New Look’s Wide Fit Red Patent Block Heel Ankle Boots, they £29.99 and I have normal width fit and they fit just fine. Love them!
Lizzie without hesitating, what’s your favs?
- High street or Designer? Both and worn together
- Heels or flats? Flats because I have had a problem since birth with my right ankle otherwise I would say heels!
- Leather or faux fur? Faux leather for me
- Instagram or Facebook? The Gram all the way!
- Paper notebook or digital tablet? I’m all about the pretty paper so a notebook for me
- Diamonds or Pearls? Diamonds
- Zara or H&M? Tough one! Both but not worn together
- Tea or Coffee? I love a good coffee although I can’t have much of it otherwise I get the shakes
- Starter or Desert? Usually dessert but I have been known to stray…
- Lipstick or Lip Gloss? It could be either – mood dependent
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| @lizziestylistuk |
Lizzie along with Anna from Isanda Consulting and Stephanie from Summers Photography, are running a workshop called Brand Yourself at Great House Lodge in Sonning- It’s a personal branding workshop for business owners to look at their business brand presence and take action to realise their brand, have lifestyle photographs taken for their social media web presence then finishing with a social media workshop and action plan bespoke to your business. Click the link below to book.
Brand Yourself – Personal Branding Workshop Sonning – Style,Image,Online
You can find out more about Lizzie at Lizzie Parsons Image Consultancy or you can follow her on Facebook and check out her 365 outfits in 365 days challenge plus more on Instagram.
WHAT I WORE
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| @Lovedbylizzi |
So we had a lovely lunch in The Botanists in Marlow, fabulous little spot! I had a chicken and avocado salad and Lizzie had a steak sandwich – she was kind enough to share her chips!
I wore my January sale items – AllSaints blue jeans and my Zara red jacket, teamed them with Next navy shoe boots and my Reiss navy jumper.
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| @Lovedbylizzi |
The post A date with Lizzi – Meet Lizzie Parsons was on Loved by Lizzi first.
