Personal Shopper – Client Story

Lookbook photo
from spring / Summer

Mabelle Style would like to share a client story from earlier this year, on the blog! Back in the spring, I had wrapped up a shop for a client that had wanted to do a big shop once she got to her most comfortable weight. This summer she was happy with her current status and was ready to build the perfect business and weekend wardrobe.

The goal was to develop and build a work-wardrobe that didn’t require a lot of items, we focused on multi-functional pieces. This included suits, suiting-shirts and sheath dresses on rotate, as well as the classic nude and black heel. After cleaning out her current wardrobe, we were able to begin from scratch.

Co-ordinating shift dress was included in this 4 piece ensemble

For weekend summer looks, I incorporated knit skirts with T’s (as shorts were not a favorite for fit) and also included a few button up linen t-shirt dresses. Sneakers and easy slip-on sandals were added for footwear as well as a cute crossbody!

Lookbook Photo

A common goal for Mabelle Style clients is to look fashionable without trying, easy and effortless pieces that fit well. We will be shopping in the fall to include sweaters, boots, outerwear and other fall pieces into her wardrobe. Quantity isn’t always the answer, sometimes it is about quality and classic pieces.

Lookbook Photo
Lookbook Photo

Stylist – White Year Round

Aritzia Suit
Stuart Weitzman Shoes
H&M Tank

The fashion industry once had a wise saying that went like this.. ‘don’t wear white after September Labour day weekend’ which was taken literally all around the world.  Mabelle Style says, ‘This rule, along with many other ‘fashion’ rules, has been thrown out the window nowadays because of social media, trend-setters and influencers being the ring leaders’. I think it’s only fair to say there are no rules anymore. It’s all about creating your own personal style for what suits you best.

I have had two white looks I’ve been sporting the past few months. A white suit with a double breasted blazer and a tailored white blazer, t-shirt  & white checkered pant.  Both styled looks are very effective when focusing on white, but the best part about the items is that they are all multi-functional and multi-seasonal with other pieces within my wardrobe. I liked the fact that these two looks kept my style effortless but still maintained a fashionable twist.

White is a year-round staple in any wardrobe with a handful of must-have styles to share. Check-out my most recent video sharing some top picks for white pieces every woman should have in their wardrobe. There’s a quick note at the end for men! Since a lot of Mabelle Style shops are for men, I would like to share a few tips on white must-haves for them too!

 

Stylist – Online Shopping Gone Wrong

Have you ever ordered an item online in hopes it would be as amazing as it looked on the model?You finally receive it and it’s nothing but!  I think that’s happened to the best of us, especially when we find a sale item and can’t resist. Once it has arrived it becomes much less than a steller deal as it just sits in the closet forever becoming another impulse buy.  I do think as a stylist,  there is hope!! Sometimes it just takes a little more thought and creativity to make that oversized sweater, to short of denim or whatever else you may have purchased look cool again.

Before Look: Online purchase ALC dress.

The look in this post shows a dress from one of my favorite brands, ALC, I had ordered online thinking what a deal, half price! When I received the dress in the mail it just didn’t fit, making me look wider and didn’t showcase any the areas I like to focus on with my personal style. I ended up trying different looks by layering  jackets to give the dress a cool casual vibe or dressy night out look! It worked and I felt like I had worked my personal style with the dress.

After: Dressy Look by adding a pair of heels & leather cropped leather jacket

 

After: Casual Look adding denim jacket & booties

For all those random online purchases, there’s hope! Add belts, jewellery, or like me a jacket to make the look suit your personal style. It could even be a heel vs a flat. Sometimes it’s just a quick visit to the seamstress to tweak that ill fitting area that didn’t seem so noticeable on the model!

 

It’s Closet Clean-Out Time!

Matching Hangers A Must! See more tips on Mabelle Style Youtube at the end of this blog.

Mabelle Style and everyone else have been hearing a lot about organization, minimalist living and cleaning out the clutter at home. I’d say Marie Kondo has been the dominant influence on these topics that have become so prevalent nowadays.  If you don’t know who Marie Kondo is – I recommend that you google her. She has a book available at Indigo. Even better, you can ‘netflix & chill’ watching the Tidying up withe Marie Kondo. 

Mabelle Style focuses on organization of one particular area in your home … the wardrobe/closet. This is not a small area and is one of the most important ones because it’s an area that you are into first thing in the morning or last place at night. It carries vital energy and you want it to be positive. The best time to start the process is NOW… why? Who doesn’t want an organized closet where you can see clearly what items you actually have, clothes you love to wear and feel confident in, and most importantly, when using Mabelle Style, you receive a personal shopping list of items you will need to complete that perfect outfit(s).

This before & after closet photo was done for a client that is ending her year off from Maternity leave and will be heading back to work at the end of August.  It was time for her to review her wardrobe and see how all those work clothes now fit and consider what items needed to move on as well as  evaluate the items worth keeping. Also, most importantly, the items she needed to shop for to create a capsule work wardrobe.

Before

After

 

Capsule wardrobe is a minimal curated collection of clothing that are multi-functional. Pre-baby days, her closet contained professional work-wear for her full-time job, but now that she is going back PT (3 days a week) she realized there wouldn’t be need for many pieces since 4 of the days will be living a different lifestyle out of the office.  Updating her existing wardrobe was a priority.

How did the process of wardrobe consult turn out? We ended up sending A LOT of the work-wear items to consignment or donation places. A detailed shopping list was prepared. I personally shop to find the specific pieces required to complete her curated wardrobe ahead of her personal shopping experience, and then I prepare a very organized closet grouped by colour & style with all matching hangers! I also recommended matching white baskets to keep her handbags & hats in.

What did the client think? – Here is what she had to say…

“I am extremely pleased with the closet clean out provided by Lindsay! The process was quick and easy and the results were fantastic! Eliminating old items that no longer suit my lifestyle makes my closet much more manageable. Everything is organized, making picking my outfit for the day quick and effortless.”

Want more closet tips? Check out Mabelle Styles Youtube page below with a most recent video on the Top 5 tips to keeping your closet organized!

Stylist – Creating Distinctive Headshots

 

Several people in Vancouver work in the film industry throughout the area. Each one has the personal task to separate themselves from the crowd,  to stand out. One of the first things that production’s look at before auditions is a file of headshots. The majority of photos show waist-up in the similar attire, which is usually a 1 button shirt,  t-shirt or knit top in solid neutral colours. This is a standard look but if your ready for a change in image, create an original distinctive look than it’s time to partner with a stylist for your next shots!

I recently worked with headshot photographer Rio Tio to style three separate looks ..  going away from a simple clean cut look to a more edgy style with wrinkles in a shirt, a worn leather jacket and even unfinished edges in the green jacket.

Personal Shopper – Sustainable & Eco Friendly Fashion

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Mabelle Style uses reusable bags for your personal shopping day

Sustainable fashion is happening now and growing in popularity quite quickly! This change is occuring with both choice of textiles by designers (using a less environmentally harmful option) and having durable fabrics to last longer. Think reduce, reuse and recycle!  Here are some tips Mabelle Style does to be apart of the eco friendly fashion shift.

  • Donate & consign whenever doing a closet clean-out.  If you have good condition brands stores like Mine & Yours or Turn About are great for consignment, Varage or Craigslist if you want to sell directly and any local charity. Donations can happen at any local charity in your area and if you have work wear for women check out Dress For Success
  • Fast fashion vs slow fashion. Fast fashion won’t come with the quality but very trendy we recommend quality (slow fashion) over quantity (fast fashion)  and sprinkle in a few of those trendy pieces that you don’t want to spend a lot but will wear through out a season. Be sure to try and donate or repurpose the fabric once your done with fast fashion pieces as the fabrics are not great for the landfill!
  • Reusable shopping bags! When we do a personal shop we end up with some many shopping bags!  To change this we have been using Mabelle Style reusable bags for a couple of years now! And we always condense as we shop to avoid taking bags from every store. Also, say no to tissue! Unless you have purchased a delicate fabric or dark denim jeans that could run.

Some of Mabelle Styles favorite sustainable brands …

Personal Shopper – Fashion Gone Wild

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will notice Animal print fabric trends just about everywhere these days, and it’s here to stay right through 2019. I’m sure this won’t be my first outfit post on this theme, more to come for fall!

T-shirts, cardigans, dresses, shoes in zebra, cheetah and snake prints and many more animal designs are being shown from low fashion H&M, mid range Nili Lotan to top designers like Gucci.  I’m thinking this may not be just a trend but is now considered forever chic.

I have a couple of cheetah print tops circulating in my wardrobe but I wanted to try something new that was a little out of my comfort zone. I purchased a snake print skirt from Mango,  which to be honest, reminded me of something I would have worn in the 90’s. It’s midi length, satin feeling with a soft snake print. I will say I’m pleasantly surprised how often I’ve had it on rotation throughout my wardrobe this season, as well as the numerous ways it could be styled!

Look 1 – I put the (I like to call them the Meghan Markle heal) Stuart Weitzman and a casual denim shirt from one my my favorite brands Rails. The thought of making a heel feel more casual with denim is a personal style I like to go for.

Look 2 – Printed band t’s are fun pieces to mix with other different styles including a printed snake skin skirt! This is my fave of the three looks with the classic Gucci slide. It’s casual but fun and very Vancouver.

Look 3 – Dressing up a skirt using a snake print is pretty easy by just adding some black accessories – you can wear any black top and black heel. I went for a cropped knotted-T as it’s cute with the subtle detail.  Two key points from this look are: black is an easy go-to for dressing up with heals which really change the look!

Personal Shopper – Having Trouble Packing?

Over the years, Mabelle Style has received questions regarding wardrobe selection for travel. The biggest challenge for most when packing is that they can never decide on what to pack. The suitcase becomes over the weight capacity allowed by the airlines and you are still unsure if you even have the right outfits? Or for that matter .. outfits period. Sometimes, the clothes selected are nothing more than a bunch of random pieces of clothing that you like, but they actually don’t tie together, and you are stuck away from home without any coordinated outfits.

Over the past ten years  I have had to travel a lot for work … only taking a small carry-on piece of luggage. And, most recently I have been sharing my suitcase with my little one whose clothes and diapers take up half of my space.  I would like to think I’ve become an expert on efficient travel packing! Let me share with you some tricks and tips that have worked for me as well as some frequent questions I have received from clients when I assist them on packing their best outfit combinations for their trips.

Putting together multi-functional outfits for my next trip!

MAKE A LIST ~ Before you even start packing, prepare a list of what outfits you would like to wear each day. This helps avoid over packing and gets you thinking of outfit combinations. If you are struggling with these combinations, that’s where I can come in and share some style expertise when needed.

MULTI-FUNCTIONAL ~ Shoes, coats, jeans, bottoms can all be multi-functional items that can be worn for more than one look on a trip. Think more about shirts & dresses as the items you may want to pack .

ROLL THEM UP ~ Save space in your suitcase by rolling-up as many clothing pieces as you can. This will be a big space spaver.

Mabelle Style can always create a packing list and lookbook for you that will absolutely make one part of travelling a little bit easier!

Stylist – Vancouver Club Portrait Series

For those of you who have been to the historic Vancouver Club, you know the Club is filled with memorabilia, dating back to 1889.

Mabelle Style had the opportunity of styling a photo shoot that took over the heritage Club, partnered with stylist Emily Gray. We had plenty of ideas on how to bring life and drama to its beautiful architecture. We styled a three shot series for photographer Mark Whitehead starting with the Georgian Room, one of my favorite wedding venues in the city.

 

The second shot styled for the series took place in the Captains Bar. Heritage personalized liquor lockers constructed from olde dark wood and  low ceilings enhanced with detailed thick crown moulding boasted a dramatic lounge.

 

The final shot of the evening took place in the billiards room where I had a vision of the leading lady taking a shot in a red power suit (this was before I even saw the room!)  Ladies you can’t go wrong with a bold suit; it doesn’t matter if it’s in the workplace or for a casual game of pool!

 

Thank you to all whom made this photo shoot come together ~

Vancouver Club, Mark Whitehead <photographer>, Emily Gray <stylist>, Steve Pinter <retouchter>, Cat Langdon & Becca Randle <makeup & hair>, Thiago Tarcitano <lighting>, Lisa Chandler, Mike Veal, Ror Tio, Owen Caddell, Dani Lerose, Shawn Yip, <models>

 

 

 

Personal Shopper – Toddler Fashion

  

Personal Shopping for toddler-clients has never been top of the Mabelle Style list until the past year. Once I posted a few photos of my own toddler, who receives special treatment in the fashion department, I received some inquiries.  The dress shown in this picture was a smocked green-print cotton dress purchased from the gift store at London Heritage Farm  as a special present from her Grannie. I added a cool pair of trendy pink Converse. She currently has a staple supply of hair-bows for everyday to match her outfits.

We  have often been stopped on walks where people compliment her fashion style. I’ll be honest, it’s a minimal multi-function wardrobe with some of the coolest pieces coming from Varage Sale (an app based in your area that you can consign products). Since having a baby, I’ve been asked numerous times to do a blog on the brands I love and where I shop. See below a list of my personal fave kids brands and why.

Tea Collection – TC carry an unique supply of fun prints! My favorite is the pj’s and leggings! They also have some cute prints on t-shirts and dresses.

LP Apparel – LPA has super cute t’s and hats! (Canadian too) Fits/sizes are on the smaller side.

Posh & Cozy – PC have the cutest graphic sweatshirts.

Petunia & Buster – PB carry my favorite harem pants, the prints are adorable. Local too!

Noppies – Overall, some cute fashionable pieces.

Mini Mioche – This brand is an all time fave! Fabric is organic and their clothes are made in Canada. Not only are the clothes perfect basics, they also have the coolest kicks like Vans & Adidas.

Childhoods Clothing – The products I favor are the camo prints and the very soft fabrics! Rompers are super cute as well.  They are a bit pricey with the dollar exchange but they use domestic manufacturers.

Portage and Main – PM carry fun and creative graphic t’s. Canadian brand!

Whistle & Flute – Cutest Prints! From sushi to cotton candy. Local Brand!

Aloha Kai – AK offer the coolest hats for kids. If you going to Hawaii you must shop this brand first for the perfect photo opp outfit. Local Brand!

Zara Kids – ZK carry a great supply of basics, cardigans, as well as some fun fashion pieces. This is an easy site to shop online and their prices are pretty good. I purchased a down coat last winter for $35 and it looks like it will fit through this winter!

H&M – Great prices and their looks are cute! I bought a lot from H&M. It is easiest to shop online for correct sizes. The conscious line is my favourite for basic rompers, onesies and layering pieces. Also, H&M has a good variety of hats for the little ones.  (Fits big)

Gap Toddlers – This store has the best sales! You never have to pay full price. I always purchase her skinny jeans/jeggings here.

Carters – Best price for cute onesie packs! They also have three piece outfits that come with a fun printed fleece jackets. (Perfect for Vancouver weather.)

Minimoc – From age 1-2, my baby lived in the soft sole mocs. (Gray, Pink & Cream colour.) I have not tried their sneakers yet. Local brand!

Converse – Because who doesn’t love Converse? It’s pretty fun to have matching shoes with your kids isn’t it? Well i’m sure not for much longer.

Native Shoes – A popular shoe company for both kids and adults. My daughter is obsessed with her Natives. I got her first pair on Varage for $8 in mint condition. They are comfy and practical in so many ways. Local brand!

Adidas – Another fave sneaker brand in lots of colours that you can have matching shoes!