What to expect from a personal styling session

People often ask me what they should expect when they book a personal styling session. It's a fair question — most styling websites describe the outcome but skip the experience itself. So here it is, plainly, what happens before, during and after a session.

Before the session: 3–7 days ahead

When you book, three things land in your inbox:

1. A confirmation email with the time, the location (or video link, for remote sessions), and the price.
2. A calendar invite so the slot is held.
3. A short pre-session questionnaire — usually 10–15 questions covering your goals, your typical week, the parts of your wardrobe that frustrate you, your budget range, your size, and any pieces or stylists whose work you love.

The questionnaire takes about 15 minutes to fill in. The more honest you are, the better the session works. Telling me you "want to look polished but not corporate" is more useful than a Pinterest board, though Pinterest boards are welcome too.

The day before, you'll get a reminder with anything specific — for Colour Analysis sessions in London I'll remind you to come bare-faced, for Wardrobe Edits I'll suggest blocking the time and not pre-tidying.

During the session — by service

Each service has a different rhythm. Here's what to expect.

Colour Analysis (90 minutes)

• First 10 minutes: brief chat over tea, going through the questionnaire and what you want from the session.
• Next 60 minutes: drape after drape of real fabric, in natural light. We work through warm/cool, then bright/soft, then deep/light. You'll watch your skin react to each — sometimes the difference is dramatic, sometimes subtle. You won't be quizzed; you just look in the mirror with me and notice.
• Final 20 minutes: we identify your palette, your hero shades, the metals (silver/gold/rose) that suit you, and the ones to leave on the rail. You leave with a swatch guide.
• Within 48 hours: a written summary in your inbox.

Figure Finding (2 hours)

• First 15 minutes: quick body shape audit. We measure proportions (shoulder/waist/hip ratio, leg length, torso length) and look at the lines that already work for you.
• Next 75 minutes: structured discussion of cuts, fabrics, hemlines, necklines, sleeve shapes — translated into "look for X, avoid Y" rules and styling tricks for everyday outfits. Lots of examples on a tablet so you can see what we're talking about.
• Final 30 minutes: we apply the rules to a typical week — work, weekend, evening — and build a small shopping framework you can keep.
• Within 48 hours: a written summary you can shop with.

Wardrobe Edit (3 hours, at your home)

• First 30 minutes: I arrive, we have a quick coffee, and I look at the wardrobe as it is. Don't pre-tidy. The goal of those first thirty minutes is for me to see your wardrobe honestly.
• Next 90 minutes: we work through every piece — every drawer, every shelf, including the bag of "I'll get to it" items under the bed. Each piece goes into one of four piles: keep, alter, donate, sell. The threshold is yours; I never make you part with anything.
• Next 50 minutes: we build outfits from the keep pile. Real ones, photographed, organised by occasion — boring Tuesday, school run, Friday office, dinner, weekend. By the end you have 15+ photographed looks on your phone.
• Final 10 minutes: the donate pile is bagged, the alter list is tagged with a recommended London tailor, and the gaps in your wardrobe are listed for a future shopping list.
• Within 48 hours: the photographed gallery in a private link, plus a written summary and itemised gap list.

Personal Shopping (4 hours, across London)

• The day before: I plan the route — usually 4–6 boutiques in central or west London — and reserve pieces in your size where possible.
• First 30 minutes: we meet at the first boutique, recap the brief, and start.
• Next 3 hours: I pull, you try. You don't browse. We move at a steady, calm pace through the boutiques, with a built-in lunch. Items that work are catalogued (photographed, with care notes); items that don't are gone before they distract you.
• Final 30 minutes: at the last stop, we review what we have, what's been bought, and what's still missing. If something is missing, I'll either book a follow-up boutique for the next week or order it for delivery.
• Within 48 hours: a catalogued list of what was bought, with care notes, alterations and how to wear each piece.

What it actually feels like

Three things people are usually surprised by:

1. It's slow. Sessions don't feel rushed. There is time for tea, for a moment to think about a particular piece, for a tangent about your job or your sister's wedding. The pacing is part of the work.
2. It's quiet. No high-energy "transformation" vibe. The work is precise, not theatrical. You don't leave with a montage; you leave with clarity.
3. You do most of the deciding. I bring the framework and the eye; you bring the body, the life and the call. Even in a Wardrobe Edit, you make every keep/donate decision. I just help you see clearly.

After the session: the follow-up

The follow-up is the part most clients say they use the most.

Within 48 hours, you'll get:

• A written summary of the session — palette, body-shape rules, restyling notes, or shopping catalogue, depending on the service.
• Photos, if relevant (Wardrobe Edit outfits, Personal Shopping pulls).
• A small set of next-step recommendations — what to do this week, what to do next month, what to keep an eye out for.

You can email me follow-up questions for two weeks after the session at no extra charge. After that, sessions are a-la-carte if you want a re-up.

A few practical things

• Cancellation: reschedule for free up to 48 hours ahead. Inside 48 hours, the deposit is non-refundable.
• Confidentiality: photos and summaries are private to you. Reviews are only published with explicit consent.
• Privacy of the wardrobe: for in-person Wardrobe Edits, what's in your wardrobe stays between us. I never share photos, names or details.
• Gift vouchers: all sessions can be gifted — get in touch via contact and I'll send a styled voucher.

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Most clients arrive a little nervous and leave a little surprised at how natural the process felt. If you'd like to book, you'll find each session here. If you'd rather chat first about which one suits, get in touch — I always reply within two working days.