By Jessica Frost
@jessicaxfrost

I didn’t really know what to expect when I began working as a customer stylist. I was passionate about fashion and dressing women but wasn’t sure if my knowledge would translate into being able to give advice to someone 30 years my senior about what style of dress she should be wearing to flatter her curves. I knew I had the knowledge and the customer service experience to be able to connect with someone I’d only just met about things as personal as their hatred of their love handles.

So I went in with an open mind and willingness to absorb every bit of information and life lesson that came my way. There’s all of those things that you learn at work that look handy on your resume and then there’s those things you learn that actually have a little more relevance to your real life. For me, a few of things have included…

Size 6’s find it hard to get dressed too.

Yep, you read that right. As much as women complain that finding something to wear would be infinitely easier if they were thinner, so many size 6’s and even 8’s for that matter, have the same struggles finding something that fits them perfectly. They even have their own insecurities about their bodies, contrary to popular belief, meaning certain styles are automatic no go zones.

Nine times out of ten, a customer shopping in active wear won’t find something they like.

The problem with this is that if you’ve put active wear on before leaving the house you’ve probably stopped at that and not bothered to do your hair and makeup. Most of us look completely different when we get dressed up. Putting that little bit of extra effort into your appearance before you go shopping makes it so much easier to put on a glam outfit and get an accurate sense of how it looks on you.

Some women will tell you that you can’t wear black with navy (ok a lot of women will tell you that). They’re all wrong.

Granted most of these women are over the age of 40 but seriously, it’s an age old style rule that should stay in the old ages. I wouldn’t be mixing these two colours when it comes to corporate wear but for everyday wear or an evening look, black and navy make a moody and edgy combination. Just take a look at Dior’s latest PFW runway if you don’t believe me.

Being a wedding guest can be stressful!

Trying to find an outfit to wear to a wedding can make a mother reconsider if she really has to go to her son’s wedding. There is no ‘one style fits all’ when it comes to a wedding dress code. Some women will opt for glamour, others feel they need to tone down their look so that they don’t seem to be wanting to outdo the wedding party. There’s a stark difference between that style that will look killer on the dancefloor later in the evening and a style that is appropriate to wear in a church or to the wedding’s ceremony. Finding the balance between the two results in something different for everybody but 80% of wedding guests will stress and struggle to find it.

Lastly, you can’t judge an outfit on the way it looks on the hanger

There have been countless times I’ve had someone screw their nose up at something I’ve pulled off the rack to offer them. Five minutes later, after I’ve conquered the eternal struggle of getting them to try it on anyway, they’re unable to take their eyes of themselves in an incredible outfit, shocked at how different it looks when there’s a body underneath to fill it out. Sometimes, your stylist knows best.