Meet Lydia: Style Guru and Wardrobe Wizard Extraordinaire

Where it all began

I’ve always had a deep love for clothes. I grew up surrounded by family who cherished clothes and valued the importance of dressing up and showing up for oneself. My mum, the glam queen, taught me how to look after my clothes and served as a huge style inspiration. Studying the history of fashion in school, I was fascinated how everything from politics to societal norms impact how we dress. To me, clothes are communication, power, playfulness, and confidence. We can tell so much about someone through what they wear and I’ve always enjoyed exploring that.

Marie Kondo Who? Declutter your wardrobe like a boss

Decluttering your wardrobe can be an overwhelming task, but a short-term effort is better than long-term closet chaos. Treat it like an act of self care and approach it with kindness and it *might* even become fun!

Having a clear out is about creating both physical and mental space, but it’s also a really good way to check in with yourself and acknowledge who you are and what you need from your clothes at this point in your life. A cleared out closet decreases anxiety and stress, increases creativity and saves SO much morning chaos.

Give yourself time

The first thing I’d say is to set aside time. It sounds obvious, but you can’t efficiently tackle decluttering your wardrobe with ten minutes here and ten minutes there. If you’re feeling brave, get everything out. Everything. Pile it all up and then just step back and see just how much you own. This is a great method for a number of reasons. One, it holds you accountable for everything that goes back in because every item you place back into your closet is done so much more mindfully when you have an empty space to fill.

Secondly, it allows for play time which is something I try and get my clients to do. I enable playfulness in the same way we would play with the overflowing dressing up box as kids. It allows for you to put things together on the floor, and really get messy.

Wardrobe organising: detox your space (but make it fashion)

Arrange everything into three piles – the ‘never worn’, the ‘wear all the time’, and the ‘hardly worn’ pile, and then start with the latter as it’s the one with the contentious items that take up the most energy. Ask yourself questions like: why did I buy this, why don’t I wear it, how do I feel now I’m in it? The more honest you can get with yourself, the easier the clear-out. When it comes to the wear all the time pile – stick it back in your wardrobe but stay curious – why do you wear it ? Is it a colour you love? Do you get compliments when you wear it? What is it about this item that you love? Pay attention to your answers and you’ll be able to streamline your style so much quicker.

More About Lydia: Why I became a personal stylist

For three reasons. One, because I simply had to intervene from watching my gorgeous friends berating themselves about how they looked and how their bodies didn’t fit into the brands they were buying from, and spending so much money and time on clothes they’d never end up wearing.

Two, I noticed there weren’t many stylists out there for ‘normal’ people; for those who just needed a hand but who didn’t have huge shopping budgets. Believe it or not, not all stylists are chihuahua holders for rich people wandering Harvey Nicks on a Monday afternoon. I’m allergic to dogs, so I’m definitely not…

Three, because the way we consume clothes is having such a detrimental impact both environmentally and on the humans that create them. Our approach has to change, so training to be a personal stylist became a way to help people shop less, shop better, and wear more, to counter the chaotic world of fast fashion that we live in.

My mission is to help individuals find their voice, and in turn, help the planet by encouraging people to shop slowly. It is mindfulness, and it’s more important than ever. It is a huge privilege to be able to help people connect with the person they know themselves to be, and bring that to light through their clothes for the rest of the world to see.

Working nine to five, in wardrobes

I love delving into clients’ wardrobes and getting creative with their items. We dig deep into colour analysis, style personalities and dressing techniques for their shape, alongside creating lots of new looks and possibilities with the things they already own. For me, it’s like getting to know a person o n a whole new level and being a part of helping them rediscover their confidence. 

Loved this? For more match-less wardrobe guidance, read Lydia’s downloadable PDF: Falling in Love with Your Wardrobe Again to find out how to revamp and fall in love with your clothes again once you’ve started your detoxing journey. Plus, discover how to shop sustainably moving forward – with style and substance.

Get in touch with Lydia:

Wardrobe edits start from £300

Email her via: stylingwithlydia@gmail.com

Follow her styling tips over on Instagram 

Contact us:

mark@daviesdavies.co.uk – Sales Director (contact for sales, lettings and new homes)

katrina@daviesdavies.co.uk – Head of Property & Block Management (contact for property and block management)

Davies & Davies Estate Agents, 85 Stroud Green Road, London, N4 3EG

Article & images by Barefaced Studios

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