Have you ever found yourself completely captivated by someone’s style?
Maybe it’s a celebrity. Maybe it’s someone you’re watching on TV at the moment. Maybe it’s a character in a series where every single outfit makes you think, “God, I’d love to dress like that.”
At the moment I’m watching ‘Love Story’, the story of JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette, and I have to say — her style was absolutely impeccable. Pure 90s chic. Caroline worked for Calvin Klein, and her wardrobe reflected that minimalist aesthetic perfectly.
Think straight-cut jeans, simple shift dresses, clean tailoring, lots of black, lots of denim. Nothing overly fussy. Just beautifully understated pieces that looked effortless. Sometimes she’d keep her makeup nude and natural, and other times she’d add a pop of bright red lipstick. It was simple, elegant and incredibly modern — even now.
What’s fascinating is how quickly something like this can influence us. Watching an episode every evening for the last couple of weeks has completely inspired me. It’s made me look at my own wardrobe slightly differently and appreciate the beauty of clean, minimalist styling again.
So do you have a style crush?
Is there someone whose look you absolutely love? Someone whose wardrobe makes you think, “I wish I could pull that off.”
It might be a celebrity like Cat Deeley with that classic, polished style. Maybe you love the slightly edgier look of someone like Claudia Winkleman. Or perhaps you’re drawn to the relaxed confidence of someone like Emma Willis or the glamourous sexy Maya Jama.
Different women, different looks — but we instinctively recognise the style personality behind them.
As a personal stylist, one of the very first things we explore with our clients is exactly this: what is your style personality?
In my world of styling, I tend to see six core style personalities emerging again and again. These can range from Classic to Romantic, through to Dramatic Fashion, Bohemian, to sporty casual.
The starting point is always understanding where you currently sit. What are you naturally drawn to? What do you instinctively buy? What feels comfortable and authentic for you?
But the next question is even more important.
Is that style actually serving you, and your current lifestyle?
Sometimes we discover that the style we love in theory isn’t actually working in practice. Perhaps it doesn’t flatter our body shape. Perhaps the colours are draining you, or maybe it simply doesn’t fit with our lifestyle.
This is where a stylist comes in. We don’t take away the inspiration — we work with it. We borrow from your style crush and translate it into something that works for your life, your colouring and your body shape.
For example, someone might love Carolyn Bessette’s minimalist wardrobe filled with black. But if that person isn’t a winter colour palette, head-to-toe black may not be the most flattering choice. So instead, we recreate the same clean, elegant aesthetic using colours that do enhance their natural colouring.
That’s the magic of personal styling.
You can absolutely take inspiration from the people whose style you admire — the trick is learning how to adapt it, so it works for your reality, your wardrobe and your budget.
And once you crack that formula, getting dressed suddenly becomes a lot more fun.
Love Nisha x