Colours/personal shopper - department store ?

[Spring2015Summer]

Thinking of booking at John Lewis Oxford St - colours and then personal shopping experience. Colours cost £125. Can anyone recommend which lady to use. I have been to the personal shopper before, last time was not happy with the lady I got, previously years ago very happy. It takes 3 hours so I would like to get someone recommended. I am very bad putting clothes together so this experience should be useful for me, instead of buying random items.

I live in North London - can anyone help with recommendations please.

I don't know any names, but (and be aware this is coming from a completely biased viewpoint, as I am a colour analyst/personal stylist) I get a fair number of clients each year who have had their colours done by John Lewis shoppers and the chances of them having been analysed correctly is no better than 50/50. They know they've been done correctly with me because they see it for themselves, rather than me just telling them what they are, whereas the JL service seems to be much more 'here's what you are, that's the end of it'. That's entirely 2nd hand information though - I've never been to them myself.

See I am wary of this whole colours thing... I have blonde hair ( ash brown naturally), blue-grey eyes and a neutral-warm skintone (yellowish) so apparently I should wear salmon and olive... I hate those colours and wear lots of blues and jade, forest or mint green and black.

Many thanks for replies, Hopefully do you work in London? . I need new clothes but do need help in buying and I usually go with a friend but if I am buying and they have no money it seems unfair to be splashing cash around. I only did the help before with John Lewis not colour, the help service is free! but of course we make purchases

Gaston not necessarily - if I go by the online guides/books based on hair and eye colour I should be in jewel blues and pinks, black, burgundy etc, and I look like the walking dead in them all. Only draping shows what I actually am (an Autumn, not a winter or summer).

Spring I don't I'm afraid! The nearest I get is Bristol. The company I trained with operates franchise areas, so I tend to avoid London (except for shopping with clients who I have analysed closer to my home - no one's limiting where I shop!).

Thanks you Hopefully for your reply. I did look at the website of HoC as they are mentioned on the forum alot, my closest is Winchmore Hill/Barnet but I think it is more of a gamble going to a lady and having no recommendations for. I would still need help shopping. If anyone can recomend a HoC consultant or other company in North/Central London I would be happy. At this stage I feel it would be money well spent instead of random items in my cupboard.

Anyone with any suggestions please.

I went to a lovely lady in Twickenham
Would that be too far
I would really recommend both the colour and style day

Why don't you post on here with a description of your colouring, frame and lifestyle and ask the many contributors here to make suggestions? It is far more likely to be up to date and you can then spend the money on a great pair of boots etc.

Also have a look at the Vivienne Files for inspiration. There are loads of great capsule wardrobe ideas based around many simple palettes which might help to start you off.

They did a review in the Daily Mail recently and the personal shopping at topshop got a really positive review

I did the John Lewis thing at Oxford St recently and I don't recommend it. Really overpriced for what you get. The stylist took a quick look at me, said 'you're this style type' and gave me a season (which I think was actually wrong). It was all very cursory and not at all helpful. I then tried on about 20 things which were all uninspiring, bought a couple of items in desperation but haven't worn them! It was really disappointing.

I struggle so much with clothes - I love beautiful clothes and fashion but am hopeless at the shopping part. I've had sessions with various stylists (free in-house ones, and paid ones) and done the HoC colour analysis. Have never really hit on the right solution. It's disheartening.

newscenes stories like that make me so cross! It must be unbelievably disappointing to spend all that money and not get something useful from it. I would die if I felt that my clients felt like that after a shopping trip. I really think that sinking the money on a stylist should (a) net you a load of nice new clothes that you love and (b) equip you with the information to repeat the process so you don't need to pay a stylist every three months unless you particularly want to. Sorry you had such a disappointment of one - I hear too many similar stories about department store shoppers/colour analysts.

Thank you for the replies. I read the Daily Mail reviews and yes not very good. Last time I did John Lewis I was disappointed, it was too rushed, that was why this time I was willing to pay the charge. I should really just take my friend as she is really good or my sister who is great but lives a long journey away. I also dont like to admit what I spend - I think cheap clothes do not suit me so I usually buy expensive but cut the labels. I do like House of Frazer in Oxford St. maybe I should try them.

I went to an amazing lady in Battersea who was recommended to me - see Manina or Annie www.redleopard.co.uk/.

I went to the HoC lady in Camden, Fiona Ingham. She's very experienced and I felt she assessed me correctly - not that I'm too difficult, very typical winter colouring. I'm not sure that I would do a HoC style day, but I did find the colours useful. I particularly like disregarding half the stuff when I go into shops, and knowing colours like rust, brown & beige will never do anything for me.