*It's 'The Glorious Twelfth'!*
(No, not that one in August, when they go out in the country to shoot Red Grouse!)
A P R I L 12TH ! -
when so-called 'non-essential' shops re-open.
But 'Essential' for seeing, feeling, and (in some shops) trying on new Spring/ Summer merchandise.
It looks like its going to a while before we get back to the previous level of 'dressing up', but in the meantime, I still have plenty of ideas for the less formal approach to menswear which might follow WFH! See my latest blog: 'Return Of The Sharp-dressed Man?'
S P R I N G S A V I N G S !!
- My Initial Consultation Fee of £250 is reduced to £200, and the shopping trip fee of £75 Per Hour is reduced to a Flat fee of just £70 for the trip.
So, before you go out and spend all that money you accidentally saved during lockdown, consult me for a SPRING shopping trip
Unlock Your Potential
Do you feel like you could dress better, but don’t know where to start? If so, get in contact with You Wear It Well. I am a personal stylist in London providing men’s style advice for those who wish to look their best. Whether you want an entirely new wardrobe or the perfect suit for an upcoming event, I can provide the specific help that you need. The two packages that I offer – Prestige and Economist – cost the same but are based on how much you are willing to spend on merchandise, with Prestige enabling you to access the very best upmarket shops and brands.
Why not get in touch and see what I can do for you?
Show Your True Colours
I have extensive knowledge of fashion trends in London and Europe but, more importantly, my main strength as a personal stylist in London is knowing how particular clothing items and colours go together. There is no point in spending £500 on a new outfit if the colour scheme doesn’t work! I take into account your body shape, skin tone, hair and eye colour, along with any potential upcoming events, to make recommendations that will help you discover the colour combinations that work best for you. My main goal is to enable you project the image that you want to project.
Component Assembly
For just about as long as I can remember, men (and women) have asked me: “Where do you get your clothes?” In response, I always tell them: “From several different places.” The crucial aspect, however, is how I put things together in terms of colour use, pattern, contrasting and matching. If I buy an off-the-peg £500 suit and, later on, see a silk pocket square costing £30, the combination could make the suit look like it cost £1,000! That is what gets people’s attention. And this is what I can do for you.
Fashion, Fit and Function
Pick the right clothes for your shape and lifestyle. We are all different! Should your clothes be more fitted, or should they be looser? For instance, skinny jeans and trousers don’t look great on a heavily-built man, especially when the trousers are part of a suit. Tight-fitting clothes, as a rule, don’t make you look slimmer – quite the reverse, in fact! Finding a size that really fits you is so important.
What appears to be fashionable doesn’t always end up looking good! If you need advice on smart wear or casual wear, I am a personal stylist in London who help you choose the right fit, colour combination and accessories.
Personal Shopping Tip
TIP
Find the best possible fit ‘off the peg’ and then take the garment to an alteration tailor, who will ‘customise’ it for you. This works particularly well with jackets, where the back or waist can be taken in. The wrinkle at the back of the neck can be eliminated by a process known as ‘passing through’, or a tight-fitting under-arm can be eased by deepening the ‘Scye’ or Armscye’. This is a service that I regularly use myself. Some outfitters offer such services ‘in-house’ whilst others will send you to a trusted practitioner nearby. Doing this has the dual benefit of giving you a bespoke look and allowing you to be much more comfortable.
Formal and Semi-Formal
Someone once said that “a well-cut suit is to women what lingerie is to men.” If you are working in the City, or simply want to look as sharp as possible, I am a personal stylist in London who can help, locating for you the highest quality of brands and a colour scheme that gives you your ideal look.
Semi-formal attire, on the other hand, is for those who want to look smart whilst not coming across as acutely formal. This could entail something like a powder blue suit, a pale grey shirt and a turquoise tie. I can help you pick out a series of suits – blue, grey, etc. – and therefore leave you with a diversity of first-class outfits to choose from.
Smart Casual Redefined
A well-worn phrase, smart casual does not just mean ‘designer’ jeans and a shirt. I can advise you on fashion trends and provide you with several other forms of stylish smart casual dressing. Good quality chinos in a few different colours or shades, for example. Some compatible knitwear, a stylish suede, leather, or fabric blouson, or a tailored lightweight jacket, will serve you well. Alternatively, there is nothing wrong with a good pair of jeans – just keep them solid blue and allow them to age with you!
Beyond Trainers
Adding a pair of suede shoes can complete the tone and feel of your look. A ‘hybrid’ shoe, which looks more like a shoe but feels like a trainer, also gives your wardrobe greater variety. Moreover, if you invest in a range of good leather shoes and vary the items you wear with them, your wardrobe will seem larger. I can show you precisely where to look for a rich variety of first-class shoes.
What to Wear, With What?
Mix it up, spice it up! I am a personal stylist in London who is passionate about the perfect assembling of components. Have you ever thought about putting a very strong coloured or patterned pastel shirt with a sober grey or blue suit? That look can be augmented by a carefully selected top pocket square.
If you want to be more imaginative with colour use, wear a strongly-patterned suit whilst keeping the shirt and tie combination fairly plain. You can always add flair, an extra dimension, with a pocket square – just make sure that it doesn’t match exactly with the colour and pattern of your tie! I will offer men’s style advice that helps you to find matching or contrasting colours that work perfectly.
Cutaway From the Norm
Every part of the outfit matters. When it comes to the collar, you do not want to be stuck in a rut with some standard edition. After all, variety is the spice of life! We can pick out semi-cutaway, short or long point collars, or perhaps a penny-round, tab collar, pin-collar, or a button-down shirt. The latter works well with or without a tie, and sits up nicely when undone.
To Tie or (K)not to Tie?
That is the question. We can choose a few different colours and patterns. You may not wear a tie all the time, but having a few options is useful. The more important factor is the way you wear an open-neck shirt. If it is of poor quality, the whole look gets dragged down. A high-quality shirt should sit neatly under your jacket.
Depending on cloth density, you should leave only the top button, or maybe two, undone. A strong weave or texture, such as a twill or Oxford cloth, adds a sense of class. This is especially important if the suit is fairly plain, or the pattern is rather muted. Always stop, look and think when doing this – you don’t want it to seem as if you’ve just yanked off your tie and put on your jacket in a hurry!
Politicians are particularly good at this, trying hard – and failing – to look ‘trendy’.
Act (Dress) Your Age!
Let’s be honest – there are some things that the older man just shouldn’t wear! Skinny jeans and slogan t-shirts, or a bright yellow puffer coat, does not align with the essence of somebody above the age of 50. Alternatively, a 21-year-old wearing clothes suitable for an older man can work, but only if it is done in the correct way. Why not call on a personal stylist in London to provide men’s style advice that brings out the best in you, regardless of age.
Hangups
Basic discipline – when you take off your jacket or trousers, hang them up! This allows for clothing to regain and retain its original shape. Fold or hang your knitwear neatly, and don’t wear the same things again for a couple of days, enabling you to have a different ‘look’ every day.
Personal Shopping
I will show you some of my favourite shops, mostly in the West End of London, taking you on a tour that aligns with your preferences. Some places you will know, while others will be new to you. Depending on what you need, we could visit somewhere extremely exclusive with the latest fashion trends, or perhaps find you precisely what you need at somewhere like Marks and Spencer!
As a personal stylist in London, I can demonstrate how to mix the classics with various fashion trends with many ‘classics’ being made available on a seasonal basis. For example, there will be a particular time to buy something like a ‘Harrington’ zip-up jacket, a tweed or wool hacking jacket, or a trench coat. This is an investment – something that will always look good and sustain you for a prolonged period of time.
The International Eye
During travels abroad, I have discovered a couple of European shops and brands that are, remarkably, not represented in London or Brighton – brands that give you ‘the edge’. Some are, admittedly, rather expensive, but one or two can be reasonably priced and extremely stylish. This is something you can do online, with your personal stylist in London helping you to choose the right product.
Totally Impartial Advice
I am here to help you discover the garments that work best for you. My service is geared exclusively around your personality, ambitions and style. If there is a particular garment that is right for you, I will recommend it regardless of brand, shop, or store. This approach is designed in order to help you achieve your perfect look.
Where I Work
Dividing my time between Central London and Brighton, I can provide men’s style advice to clients in both cities. If you live in the South-East area, either on or near the coast, we can meet up in Central London and I can show you some shops whose existence you may not be aware of, giving you a chance to purchase merchandise that you would otherwise not see.
If you live/work in or near Brighton, but don’t have time to travel to London, perhaps Brighton is best for you? I provide exactly the same consultation and shopping service ‘locally’, by showing you the best pieces from the best of Brighton’s individual shops, combined with merchandise from a select few of the sharper national retailers represented here.
Enabling you to achieve the best look for you – it will be hard to tell whether your outfit(s) came from Bond Street W1 or Bond Street BN1 !
(Other Brighton streets will be included, of course!)
Are you looking to improve your look and require a personal stylist in London, Brighton or the South-East? If so, look no further than You Wear It Well.
N.B. All images on this site are for general example only. They do not relate to – or recommend – specific merchandise, nor are they offered for sale. However, if you happen upon a particular ‘look’ that you wish to imitate, I can easily find and create it for you!