STYLING IN MILTON KEYNES WITH JANINE CONEY

Delighted to be in Milton Keynes with Professional branding stylist, Janine Coney; we take a look at Spring/Summer for the professional woman.

I’m back in the shops looking at new Spring/Summer fashion for 2022; and for this blogpost I’m joined by the fabulous Janine of Own Your Style UK.

You might know Janine, as a co-host from my monthly live broadcast of Fashion Fix Live – this styling date together has been over two years in the making, as Janine agreed to style me, for you, before Covid-19 came to the UK.

Well, we are super excited to finally share with you three looks that you can wear for work and for the weekend – in fact the combinations we have picked you can mix and match and create some versatile stylish outfits to suit the lifestyle and the agenda you have for the day (or night!). It’s all highstreet, and it’s all currently available (well it was at the time of writing in March 2022!).

As with my previous styling session in St Albans; Janine had carte blanche to style me as she wished; however we did agree a theme beforehand that the outfits had to also be relevant for the ‘return to work’ back to the office challenge – we wanted to visualise to you some of the chats we had been having on Fashion Fix Live about how ladies have struggled to return to their professional working environment with a stylish skip in their step!

Before we skip on into the outfits, let me give you a little insight into what you can expect from Janine as part of her personal branding services; to be clear, you can’t just book to go shopping with Janine, after a number of style sessions and a wardrobe edit you’ll then head to the shops, it’s all part of her full package on personal branding.

We met for coffee at the start of the session, which would be the starting point for you too on the day! Janine chat’s through what you want to achieve, the kind of shops that appeal to you and the budget you are considering to invest for yourself.

Janine throughout the session sprinkles a number of little surprises – I am not going to divulge what they are because they then wouldn’t be a surprise, but let’s just say, I felt super special – a VIP the whole time.

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THAT ‘THEY WILL SEE ME’ SUIT

If you ever felt overlooked in the office or you want to make an impact at your next high profile meeting then add some colour with pink suit from Zara.

The entire looks comes from Zara and the feminine blouse will take the edge of trying to be ‘one of the boys’ in this two-piece trouser suit. Add more edge with this gorgeous green bag that won’t be just for summer!

Colour will always make you more interesting to look at; it’s a conversation starter and not forgetting, you can’t honestly be in a negative bad mood wearing this fabulous pink suit – a positive mood lifter for you and your team!

Janine’s advice:

“It’s a safe option to reach for the classic black suit every day but I like to push the boundaries and by embracing colour into your wardrobe you can elevate and add impact to your work style.

This hot pink is not only one of the colours of the season but psychologically and emotionally hot pink projects energy, strength and power – perfect for supporting unshakable confidence and when teamed with a beautiful floral blouse it gives a feeling of femininity too ”

Lizzi’s wearing the following items from Zara:

TAILORED BUTTONED BLAZER – £69

FRANÇOISE FULL LENGTH TROUSERS – £29.99

BLOUSE – In store but not online

QUILTED SHOULDER BAG WITH CHAIN – £25.99

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THAT I WANT TO WEAR JEANS BUT I’M A PROFESSIONAL

A tricky one, especially if you head up a team.

You want to look cool, you want to look modern & stylish, but you also want to remain ‘in charge’.

A professional jeans look, if you do not work in a creative environment is a challenging look to pull off. Always keep your jeans a modern style, but never-ever any rips.

The front slips on these 70s vibes jeans I believe you can get away with, especially if you keep the blazer on – the wide leg elongates your legs giving the impression you are taller.

I absolutely love this blazer and with its thickness should give you the opportunity to ditch the coat! By pairing with a top that is lighter in both colour and material will make the whole look more Spring fresh, even if it’s not quite yet warm enough. This whole look is from River Island.

Janine’s advice:

“As work style has evolved ’ jeans are now an acceptable staple for the office especially on the inevitable ‘dress down days’, I loved the detail of the split at the hem which gives them a stylish elevated look.

I chose the blazer styled over a simple white blouse to add the working girl impact – blazers are such a simple way to elevate any look from casual to smart casual with ease”

Lizzi’s wearing the following items from River Island:

GREEN CHECKED BOUCLE BLAZER – £80

BLUE HIGH-WAISTED WIDE LEG JEANS – £42

WHITE PLEATED DETAILED T-SHIRT – £34

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THAT I’M NOT READY TO DITCH MY JOGGERS

If you work in a really relaxed environment at work and most of your colleagues are in joggers, jeans and hoodies, we totally understand you want to fit ‘stylishly’ in.

Janine and I chatted through what would be the fundamental pieces to elevate this ‘jogger need’ styling, and for me personally it needed two features, the stripes on the joggers – I always feel this is a more premium elevated look & high heels. If you wore trainers with this (and you can) you will lose any authoritative vibe you may wish to portray – I feel they are a big part of this outfit.

The relaxed cowl-neck soft jumper gives a clear I’m stylish, yet I’m totally relaxed too – I love both of these pieces so much I’ve been considering buying both the top and trousers myself. They are from Mint Velvet, a brand you can truly trust for quality, style and practicality.

Janine’s advice:

“I love this look it’s like a hug in business dress! Perfect for the days where you still want to be comfortable but you want to feel stylish too.

It’s such a classic look that can take you from wfh to the office with ease”

Lizzi’s wearing the following from Mint Velvet

(in Milton Keynes, they have a concession in John Lewis & Partners)

GREY COWL NECK KNITTED TOP – £79

NAVY POPPERS STRIPED TROUSERS – £89

MEET JANINE CONEY – OWN YOUR STYLE UK

Janine supports highly ambitious ladies to get visible. She mixes her business marketing skills with her personal branding style knowledge; a clever combination for ladies who wish to elevate their business and image.