August 2021 - Kirsty France Writes

Hello August! How can we be in August already? It only seems five minutes ago we were in our duvet coats sitting in each other’s garden under a blanket to try and keep warm. What a memory that was, desperate for some normality. And now things are slowly getting back to normal. I have mixed feelings about this, about going back into the ‘real’ world. How about you – are you ready for it and excited to have your life back or are you nervous and don’t feel ready? There’s not a right answer to this. I guess we just need to prepare ourselves when we do feel 100% comfortable.

So it got me thinking – Is my wardrobe ready ?

So much has changed over the last year that I am using this time to CLEANSE my wardrobe. I know work has changed as many of us are now working from home, therefore many of our wardrobe pieces no longer serves us. Long gone are the suits we needed, instead we are opting for more comfy attire. Not only is this comfortable to wear all day, but also helps with the extra pounds or three we have gained during lockdown. Or is it just me?!

There is nothing more satisfying than cleansing your wardrobe and having a good declutter. August is a great month for this as we start to transition our wardrobe back to Autumn.

Not only is it good for your mental wellbeing (tidy house, tidy mind) but when you open it you won’t have that dreaded feeling of, ‘I’ve got nothing to wear!’

So my top tips are ….

Remove everything out from your wardrobe and look at each item.
Ask yourself, Does it spark joy ? Does it still fit? When will I wear it?
Organise your clothes based on these 3 questions in to 3 separate piles

a KEEP pile, a DONATE (to friends or charity) pile AND a SELL pile.

Be ruthless, as a tidy wardrobe with items you love, is better than a crammed wardrobe you struggle to find anything in.
Think about your change of lifestyle and how this may have changed. If you no longer require wearing suits consider selling them or donating them to a charity close to your heart.
When you put everything back in your wardrobe, anything hanging up place the hanger the opposite way. When you wear a particular piece hang it back the correct way. In 3-6 months you can see the clothes you wear lots as they will be hung correctly and the ones still hanging the other way you don’t wear often…maybe it’s time for a another cleanse in 6 months?

Now your wardrobe is looking less decluttered (and hopefully not too empty), it’s time to start dressing to make YOU happy.

Here are my top tips to help make you look fabulous:

Wear a pop of colour to lift your mood – wear a bright scarf, colourful Tee or a splash of a bright lipstick
Update an older outfit with a statement necklace or a pair of statement earrings – remember jewellery always fits!
Wear blazers for a smart yet casual look (don’t just save them for best!) Team them with jeans or your favourite comfy trousers for an updated look. Have a look at my collection of magic pants on my website – once you own a pair you will never look back!
If you’d like your legs to appear longer and slimmer, wear heels! I’m not sure I am ready for this challenge yet! I am living in trainers at the moment!

Clothing should always make you look great, make you feel fabulous and give you confidence no matter the occasion, and I love helping woman achieve just that!

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and if I can help with any styling queries, style tips or help you find the perfect pieces for your wardrobe I’d love to hear from you. I own a ladies online fashion boutique offering stylish and affordable clothing and accessories for the real woman. I’d love you to be part of my facebook style community for the latest style drops, collections and offers – https://www.facebook.com/groups/lisalovesstylecommunity/

I can be contacted here too.

www.lisalovesstyle.com

hello@lisalovesstyle.com

FB – lisa.loves.style

IG lisa.loves.style

Thanks so much for reading this,

Stay Stylish,

Lisa x

Know your customer

If you’ve read my blog before, you’ll know this is a common theme. Creating good content starts with understanding who you want to talk to. At its simplest, this means working out who you help and where you’ll find them. If you could (theoretically) help anyone, start by thinking about who you most enjoy working with. I could work with any business, but I prefer small business owners. They’re often also business-owning mums – maybe we just speak the same language?! You can find out more about getting to know your customer here.

Show your personality

The difference between you and every other business that does the same thing as you is – drum roll please – you. This is particularly true if you’re a one-person business. Your character, values and the way that feeds through into your business are incredibly important. Your customers might choose you over your competitors simply because they like the way you come across. That could be because you share the same values. It could equally be because they feel as if they’re chatting to an old friend when they read your social media posts.

Find your content focus

Good content has a clear focus and sticks to the point. If your blog posts meander off on multiple tangents, you’ll lose your audience, especially if they only have time for something short, sweet and helpful. Of course, if you’re offering up the ultimate guide to something, then it’s going to need to be long. There’s nothing wrong with that. The important thing is that you bring everything back to one central thread. If you find yourself sticking to the point and still writing loads, your topic could be too big.

Do your research

Research doesn’t just prevent you from going over old ground. It can help you to find your own angle on an existing topic. One of the biggest obstacles to creating great content (or any content at all) is the thought that somebody, somewhere, has already written about it all. They probably have, but they haven’t written your take on it. Research allows you to potentially find a gap, but it could also give you something to respond to. If you read advice that you disagree with, write your own.

Edit at the end

The best content has writing that sounds like you. It helps your audience to imagine that they’re sitting down having a chat with you. That doesn’t happen if you’re overthinking every sentence, worrying about grammar or whether you should use a more sophisticated word. Plan your blog post, then sit down and write. You can also dictate into Word if that works better for you. Let the words come out naturally and tidy it all up later. There will be more on this in a future blog, so watch this space!

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Month: August 2021

How you can refresh your wardrobe post lockdown