Prepping for a private client for Christmas dress!
Every Christmas when I was growing up, we came to England to stay with my grandparents in Manchester. We lived in Canada, but Christmas always meant England, and it always meant a new party dress. It still does.
My mum made them. Every single year. She worked full time, and I still don’t know how she did it. The one I remember best, I was 12. Blue velvet, a white collar and white cuffs. It was my favourite thing I owned. When I put it on, I felt like the most special person in the room. That feeling never left me. I’m a grown woman, I’ve styled more than 80 catwalk shows and dressed artists from Duran Duran to Enya, and I still want something wonderful to wear every December. I think that dress is why. A party dress makes such a difference.
Why December matters so much
December is the one time of year when everyone shows up. The work party. Dinner with friends you haven’t seen since summer. The family photos that end up on someone’s fridge for the next twelve months and the work party Instagram moments! You’re getting dressed anyway. Choosing something that makes you feel good is one of the easiest changes you can make to how the night goes. When you love what you’re wearing, you stop thinking about it, and you get to enjoy the evening instead.
Why the outfit gets left to the last minute
Most of the women I shop for are a lot like my mum. They work full time, they’re busy, and they have no time or interest in shopping. A free Saturday to trail round the shops doesn’t exist, and if it did, they’d rather spend it doing almost anything else. So the outfit gets left to the last week. Then it’s bought in a panic, in whatever’s left in your size, and you spend the party tugging at it.
What a shopping day with me looks like
We start with a conversation. Where are you going, who will be there, how do you want to feel when you walk in? I also want to know what you already wear and what isn’t working.
Then I do the legwork. I prepare before we meet, so our time together is focused and calm, and you’re not wandering from floor to floor hoping something jumps out. We shop at Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, alongside independent and emerging designers. My advice is honest and comes without pressure. If something isn’t right, I’ll say so, and we’ll keep going until it is. Everything is completely private. I never share clients’ names, photos or wardrobes, on social media or anywhere else.
The moment I wait for
It happens in the fitting room. A woman stops checking the fit, stops pulling at the hem, and just looks at herself. You feels seen, and then you see your best self.
That’s what my mum gave me every Christmas, and it’s what I want for every woman I dress.
Four days this party season
This December I’ve kept four shopping days free, two a week. Most office parties fall in the first two weeks of December, so the earlier you get in touch, the more choice of dates you’ll have. You can read more about how I work with private clients, including fees, on my Private Clients page.
To book one of the four days, email me at rebekah@fashion-stylist.net and tell me where you’re going and when. I’ll come back to you with the dates I have left.