My colour analysis and wardrobe edit with Personal Stylist and Image Consultant Sarah van Dort - time for a style makeover!

They say you should get your colours analysed regularly, ideally every 5-15 years because as we age our colouring becomes softer, we have less contrast to our skin and even the pigment in our eyes and lips can change.  I've been feeling very insecure recently, having grown in confidence in my early 50s, the last 6-12 months I seem to have completely lost my sense of style and happiness in who I am and my confidence along with it.  I've gone from (mostly) loving my wardrobe, to hating it!  I am also fed up with online shopping due to too many deliveries and constant returns.  I feel guilty at the amount I buy, I get anxious when trying to choose what to wear and the whole style thing is causing me a lot of stress.  I have been trying to gradually reduce my wardrobe over the last couple of years, I am learning not to keep things I never wear or don't love but it is slow progress and I am a long way off being perfect.  I have enough overwhelm going on as it is without the extra worry of what the hell shall I wear?!

I want to open my wardrobe and see a structured, capsule collection of styles I love, that I feel good in, work for my lifestyle, my colour palette and my body shape.  I want my clothes to fit.  I want to wear something because it works and not just because it is in my wardrobe and I 'should' wear it!

I have been working on this by myself for months, years probably, chipping away at it!  I've had a style and colour consultation in the past but I've never fully seen the process through to the end.  My goal is a carefully curated wardrobe that is perfect for me.

So when Sarah van Dort from Abfab Image and I got chatting on Instagram, it felt like the right time to ask for help!  Sarah and I met up for a chat in Marlow and I loved her enthusiasm for all things colour and style, she's a super bubbly person and we bonded over a shared love of wearing red!  I booked in for an image makeover which included colour analysis, body shape and style personality.  I also wanted some advice on a wardrobe edit!

A style and colour consultation with Sarah van Dort, Abfab Image, Personal Styling

In the three weeks between meeting Sarah and booking a date in our diaries, I got covid and was very unwell so we had to take our day together at a slower pace, I was still in the exhausted stage!  But Sarah was reassuring and kind. 

Sarah van Dort is an experienced personal stylist, following a lifetime love of all things fashion, a corporate career combined with raising her family, Sarah eventually decided it was time to retrain as a Colour and Image Consultant with Colour Me Beautiful.  Sarah set up her own business, Abfab Image and is loving working with women (and sometimes men) to support them with their style and getting their confidence back.  

Sarah from Abfab Image, Personal Styling

My style makeover - part one!  A day with a personal stylist!

The starting point!  Sarah asked me to wear a simple t-shirt and leggings and be makeup free, we sat down for an initial chat and to go through the pre-consultation questionnaire I had completed in advance.  Sarah asked lots of questions, made notes, and we looked at my Instagram photos to discuss some of my style choices!

Style Personality

First up was deciding on my style personality, there are five different styles - Creative, Dramatic, Classic, Natural and City Chic.  Sarah explained that I was currently a 'Natural/Classic' but that I am moving towards 'City Chic'.  The City Chic is someone who enjoys clothes but is not fanatical about them, they dedicate time and thought to the way they look, love accessories, and having tried lots of different styles in the past, know what suits them.  Yes!  This is where I want to be.  My goals include investing in basic, classic pieces in neutral colours and making a statement with a single accessory and of course wearing the right colours to make me feel fabulous,  Famous City Chics include Halle Berry and The Princess of Wales.  Sarah also suggested I give my new self a name to help me when shopping - so I can ask 'would X wear this?'

Colour Analysis

Next up was finding the right colour palette for my skin and hair.  This involved sitting in front of the mirror, makeup free, white cape around me to make sure there were no other colour influences going on, and Sarah trying out a selection of different drapes close to my face to see what worked best. 

Sarah is experienced, knowledgeable and has a fantastic instinct for what works.  Sarah explained what suited and why and I could see my face lift as the right colours appeared.  I learnt more about the tonal colour palette (instead of the more traditional seasonal palette we often hear referred to).  Sarah looks at skin to assess the undertone, clarity and depth of colouring, she also looks at eye colouring and hair colouring.

My new colour palette is SOFT, WARM and DEEP with my dominant look being soft and muted and we made a note of the favourites (including sky blue, sapphire, blush pink, geranium, emerald turquoise and gold).  I now have my lovely colour chart to take with me on shopping trips and to use at home when sorting out my wardrobe.  

Sarah shared tips such as suggesting I choose gold or mixed metals for my jewellery and detailing on handbags.  She pointed out I have a square jawline and that is why I don't feel I suit a square neck or high neck style - but you can cheat this by wearing a longer necklace!  I should also avoid too much contrast, so a tone on tone colour combination suits me better!

The final part of the colour analysis was to re-apply my makeup!  Sarah uses the makeup from Colour Me Beautiful which is both vegan and cruelty free.  Sarah explained it is important to use the right makeup to suit my natural complexion, we discussed a less is more, everyday look, with a few adaptations for special occasions and evenings out.  Colour Me Beautiful offer refillable customisable compact for eyes, cheeks and lips so Sarah was able to put together a palette to suit my colouring.  The Colour Me Beautiful range is very reasonably priced and it was fabulous to have Sarah recommend colours and give me some application technique reminders!

Body Shape

And finally my body shape, I needed to stand in front of Sarah in my leggings and black vest top so she could understand and assess if I am straight or curvy and which shape would work best for me.  I think we both already had a good idea, and we were right!  I am a NEAT HOURGLASS which means I have a balanced body with my top and bottom half in proportion and I suit clothes that show off my shape and define my waist, enhance my bust and highlight my hips and bottom.  I need to go more fitted (so an oversized blazer is not for me), dresses are better with a waist or a belt and I can wear any style of swimwear!  

Petite Sizing

We had an interesting chat about petite sizing too.  I am considered petite because I am under 5'4" (I am 5'2" and generally wear a size 10/S) but in reality I find petite sizing, especially for dresses, can be a bit short, I'd rather a longer midi length than a true midi, I feel it looks more elegant and less frumpy.  I'm also not a fan of a gap between top of ankle boot and hem of skirt, Sarah was able to explain why.  Most petite styles are adjusted with an overall size reduction, so the style is more proportionate for the smaller woman and this certainly suits me for sleeve length and trouser length but less so for dress length.  I am very fortunate to have a very talented seamstress who helps both me and my daughter when things need adjusting.  

Above: makeup free and ready to start, a rail of my existing clothes to chat through, and finally makeup applied and choosing my favourite colours from my new palette.

Wardrobe edit and style ideas

Now it was time to take a look in my wardrobe!  Sarah encouraged me talk through a few outfits with her, some I loved, some I wasn't sure about, and she helped me style things in a completely different way. 

The first outfit we put together was for my daughter's Norland Diploma Graduation in March.  I'd bought a sky blue (good colour on me it turns out) coat from Zara but was unsure what to wear with it and was thinking I'd end up buying a new dress.  Sarah suggested I wear one I already had which has the right colours in it and doesn't have too much fabric so it will sit nicely under the new coat, she recommended wearing my cream boots and cream cross-body bag.  It looked amazing - look out for my Instagram post on that soon!  The coat is now with my seamstress to have the sleeves made shorter.

We did a few more and what struck me was Sarah's eye for detail and skill at styling an outfit in ways I hadn't thought of!

I didn't want our session together to end, but Sarah could also see that my energy was flagging (thank you covid) so we agreed it was best to reconvene at another date in the future, and in the meantime give me a chance to have a further sort out in my wardrobe.

Every client gets a colour wallet with all their colour swatches in making shopping a lot easier!

Style homework and getting a better understanding of what I wear!

There were definitely a few habits I need to let go of and a few habits I need to introduce.  I have a lot of work to do to get my wardrobe to where I want it to be but I have made a start with Sarah's excellent advice.

Wardrobe edit - this has to be my starting point, I need to reduce the overcrowding and overwhelm.  I have already been slowly reducing but it is still a work in progress, I try to operate on a 'one in one out' method but this doesn't always work!  I am currently selling on Vinted and keeping a bag for donations (women's refuge and/or charity shop).  If I put something on in the morning and it doesn't feel amazing, if I don't love it,  then I am considering why, is the colour wrong, the shape, could it be styled differently but if I can't make it work easily, it goes!

Understand what I do wear - I am learning to consider my lifestyle.  I am mostly at home, walking the dogs, meeting friends for a casual lunch, shopping in London, seeing family and going out for dinner.  In terms of my more professional life and my writing which occasionally includes a PR invite, then I need some smarter, stylish looks but they still need to be comfortable for me (no high heels for a London day for example).  I have started a Pinterest board for inspiration and I might progress to a physical mood board as I prefer to see things at a glance rather than needing to spend ages on my phone.

Create a wish list - again the mood board will be good for this, but I am combining my existing style with my desired style and keeping a note of what I want or need.  I'd love an oversized blazer (but not too oversized), a good quality midi-length trench coat, a new statement summer handbag, a few new dresses (less ditzy floral and more geo-print or simple lines).

Shop with purpose - I have to slow down my impulse online buying!  And get into the High Street more, with my wish list!  I find shopping in-store easier in summer when there are less layers to remove to try things on.  Which means I like my summer wardrobe more, despite being a winter baby, I am much happier in lighter styles and less layers.  Sarah has a fantastic online shopping guide however, she shares a lot of really useful tips!

Quality over quantity - investment purchases are so much better, when I have been sorting through my wardrobe I can see the items I have loved consistently and that I still feel amazing in.  A Jaeger camel coat, my Louis Vuitton handbag, my Rixo dress, a red Whistles dress, a few of my pre-loved finds from Vintage & Vogue, especially silk blouses.  Colour, stripes, good quality jeans, my We Are Commando pleather leggings.  Cashmere.

Leave the label on - until you are absolutely sure, if I buy something and don't wear it immediately (special occasions excluded) then it will often go back.  I will leave something on show for maybe 1-2 weeks then if it still isn't being chosen, I take it back.

Find a good seamstress - as mentioned above, but it really is a game changer for me, I have a (pre-loved) DVF dress I loved but wasn't wearing much, I took the plunge and had the sleeves shortened, now it feels so much better!  Ditto an Aspiga dress.

Avoid being trend led - whilst I will go with a nod to a trend, I am slowly realising that the trendier items that I buy after being 'influenced' don't make it into my favourites!

Sarah from Abfab Image, Personal Styling

How to reduce spending but be confident about your style choices

I have been in a fashion rut for a while now, then when I hit a difficult patch in my life, what I wore became even more of a confidence drain.  To the point where I didn't want to go out because I didn't want to have to choose what to wear and see people.  I wanted to go back to having a wardrobe with items in I could reach for whatever the occasion, without needing to buy new or feel rubbish about myself.  

Comparison is the pits, and Instagram life makes it even worse!  But the endless perfect outfits shown on social media are rarely the reality.  Instagram is not real and whilst I try and be as honest and open as I can, by being 'authentic' the reality is that even I would rather post a good photo than a bad one.  But I do my best to post what I am actually wearing, that isn't always possible, especially if I am working with a brand (I need to earn some money after all) but even I need to remind myself 'comparison is the thief of joy'.  

​My advice to anyone is to invest in a personal styling session with a good stylist who can really support you through colour, body shape and style personality.  In the long run you will save money.  It is a big investment up front, I get that but ultimately the results will last forever.

I want to love my wardrobe, feel confident about my style choices and know that whenever I walk out the door (and at home) I feel my very best.  I want my confidence back!

And a final note on fashion and sustainability

Fast fashion comes at a shocking environmental and social cost.  We are all becoming much more aware that 'disposable fashion' just isn't acceptable any more, the pollution, water use, emissions and human cost an no longer be ignored.  

And one thing I am noticing about my own choices as I get older is that I want less and I need less, I am embarrassed to admit that my past habits have contributed to the huge piles of rotting waste clothes.  We may think we are doing good by donating to charity but there is still far too much than even the charity shops can cope with so the unwanted, damaged items end up getting shipped to places like India and Africa, hundreds of trucks transporting stuff we may not have even worn!  To understand more about what happens to your unwanted fashion, read this BBC News article.

It is time to rethink.  The clutter that I have bought into my house (and still continue to do so) must change and for me that starts with understanding my style, my habits and be realistic about what I need.  I am a long long way from being perfect but I am allowing it to filter much more into my conciousness.
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Look out for part two coming soon ... I am currently doing a Transformation to Tidy - Decluttering course with Jo from Less is More and I will be sharing with you the results of my style journey, my wardrobe edit and the transformation to a tidier and more organised wardrobe and home.  No pressure there then!

Have you mastered your style or are you a work in progress too?   I'd love to hear from you!

Love from
Michelle xxx


Photos of Sarah van Dort by Terry Joshi Images

Sarah helped me style some outfits from my wardrobe, this green and camel look worked so well!

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