Gok or Trinny?

[Dreamerofdreams]

I am badly in need of a style overhaul! I am not going to be 40 fat and frumpy any more and I can no longer blame baby weight gain as my last baby is now 2.5 years old.
So I am taking myself in hand. Have so far lost 10lbs low carbing, can't really get to a gym so I am using my WII Fit Plus but I need some style advice.
Would love to have professional advice, but cant afford it, so was thinking of buying a Gok Wan or Trinny and Suzannah book.

Does anyone have any style book recommendations for me?

Go to a shop for a personal shopping session.

I have got 2 Trinny books- what your clothes say about you, and what you wear can change your life ( yeah.....)

the 2nd is the best but you can usually pick either up on ebay for not many £s.

Please just remember that neither Gok nor Trinny are GODS, and the books are their opinions. I found they helped me with colours etc and so on, but a lot of what they say is common sense .

Trinny & Susannah.

the programmes are cringy but the first two books are great. they will be out of date fashion-wise but they're about general principles which don't date.

Gok is great on tv but I don't like his books. Has to be T&S.

go to library or as cyibissimo says go to personal shopper

Definitely another vote for a personal shopper. I had a great experience in Fasers & Harvey Nicks. Was a fab afternoon, great advice & at no time did I feel intimidated or patronised.

Gok is great on tv for a bit of fluff but, a lot of his over-accessorising is just daft-driving gloves, fascinator, corsages & 2 belts all worn at once = a total mess. The books are pretty rubbish.

Trinny books are ok-ish.

To be honest, though, I get a lot of ideas from Grazia, Red, Easy Living & The Sunday Times Style magazine.

I like Trinny and Susannah's Body Shape Bible for determining your body shape (a mere 12 to choose from). I was fortunate enough to go shopping with a personal stylist at Westfield Shopping Centre (a 40th birthday pressie), not attached to any one shop. It was definitely the best money I've ever spent, and would thoroughly recommend it.

Thanks, will have a look on ebay for one of the Trinny books.
I may be brave and try a personal shopper, when I have lost some more weight, just not confident enough at the moment. Fear being patronised or pressured into buying expensive clothes, or both!

Dreamer, don't wait to feel good about yourself. My personal stylist was very gentle with me, not patronising or pushy, and found me some gorgeous clothes that I felt good in (despite being 3 stone overweight after dc2). It was a bit of a healing process if you like, I did even shed a few tears with her at the beginning. I was excited about doing it but very nervous too.

She asked beforehand how much I wanted to spend on each outfit, and was equally happy in M&S and H&M as in Hobbs and Coast.

I wish I'd done it years ago. I was elated with my new wardrobe but a bit sad about all the weddings and events I've bought outfits for over the years that didn't suit me and I spent ££ on and wasted.

another vote for the personal shopper too.

I don't know about the books but I never like how Gok styles his victims clients. I much prefer what Trinny and Susannah do, dreadful as they are they make their women look their best without being fashion victims.

Neither.

Gok has about as much style as my 2-1/2 year old has in her little finger. Same old, same old 'wide patent belt' 'air-hostess scarf' 'fifties dress' and red/white/black. Plus he sniggers at the so-called fat birds.

Trinny is just plain unstylish.

Read sartorialist.com for ideas on colour combinations and how to wear vintage. There are a range of people on there, some fashion, some rich and thin, some street, some young, quite a few old, some (well, I reckon alot) gay, others straight but all the photos have 'something' about them and will get you to look at fashion, or rather, style, in a new light. It's not about copying, it's about being surprised that an all-white outfit can look good, or that a good pair of shoes can mean so much, or that teal and mustard go well. Texture, length, etc. Really inspiring, and free.

Instyle is an ok magazine with lots of ideas.

what Trinny is really good on, is the 'which clothes suit which body type'. So if you are at that basic stage of not knowing what to wear, you can hate the clothes she wears/recommends but still get a lot out of her books. IME.
If you have known all that stuff since you were 17 and are much more advanced style-wise I agree there wouldn't be much point.

Thanks. I have booked a place on a style and colour workshop with a personal stylist. I thought that I would feel more relaxed in a group; now worried that I will be the only "fat bird" amongst a group of stick thin size 8's!
But I do agree that life is too short to put everything on hold until I lose weight. I need to start now.

Good luck, and please don't think I use the term 'fat birds' - he does. I know someone who has worked with him. Surprising, seeing as he used to be a 'fat bloke'

Well done. I was going to suggest going down the stylist route. You can flounder around for years buying books but never quite feeling you really know what suits you.
Are you going to House of Colour? They're a great starting point, but the best experience I've had is having a shopping session with an image consultant, one to one rather than a group. She got me trying on things I'd never have dreamed of and my style is now much younger and less stuffy.

Again, we did the range of shops from the HoF concessions like Therapy, Mango and Esprit, to Jigsaw, Hobbs, Warehouse, plus one independent boutique where I think she realised I wasn't up for spending a fortune.
We ran out of time but she suggested I look in New Look as well.

These women are fantastic because they know what's in the shops, but they can also analyse your style and spot things they know would suit you. So exciting.

No offence taken by the "fat bird" comment! The person is an independent, so not House of Colour or Colour me Beautiful. It isn't until next month, but it is "dipping my toe in the water" I may then go on to book a one to one.
Feeling rather excited!