Styled by Susie - anyone done it?

[Alanis41]

Hi all, I've been following the tribe group on Facebook for a while but just wondering if anyone here has tried it. I can't seem to get to the bottom of what they advise, seasons etc. Is there something similar closer to London. And she keeps advising chunky trainers, is this a thing now?

@CharlOtteSometime totally agree and sometimes wonder if I am missing something when I see the outfits the stylists wear. The combo of that hat and those awful plastic shoes makes my eyes itch.

Silly question, but where can I find the John Lewis stylists?

@ohmygiddiest I stumbled across the JL stylists on their website so just go there and scroll down to the services they offer and personal styling is one of them. You can have a free session with one of them and they link to all their instagrams so you can have a nosy and see which one you might 'gel' with. I've not done it yet as I'm waiting for a few months to buy a new wardrobe of clothes but a few of them caught my eye. They've got something for everyone - a curvy woman, an older woman, a casual type dresser, a quirky dresser, a couple of male stylists etc. Not all appeal but all of them are clearly relatively stylish! And that's the name of the game when you're in the business of saying to people 'I can make you look better'

And don't get me started on the hat Susie is wearing. It makes me laugh every time i see it because it reminds me of the lead singer of curiosity kills the cat. Sorry

Charl cross between Boy George and Zorro for me! On the flip side though I think the women who want/use the service are comfortable with the high street look and uniform of the stylists and also therefore the clothes suggested. Going to a JL store could be quite intimidating. It’s al about the relatability so it’s a clever tactic to employ ‘normal’ people.

Yes absolutely - I get the thinking behind it. The JL thing is virtual at the moment but I fully get it's a higher price point than say, Primark or H & M

But it's not 'proper' styling for £35 odd quid is it? What even is 'glasses styling?' Genuinely I'm confused. They look at you in various specs and give their opinion. Your friends and family could do this equally as well.

But what do I know? The more I look into it the more I see there's happy people out there and that's the main thing.

Lolling at Boy George

I find Susie herself the least appealing of all the stylists. A couple of them come across very well on social and have gained a lot of followers as a result.

I'm on the Facebook page. Some of the stylists seem very good, but others less so. There is one in particular who I don't think ever dresses in clothes that suit her or body shape. I stay on the page because I quite like seeing some of the outfits that are put together. Although the obsession with chunky trainers is ridiculous.

I don't mind Susie, and I think her business idea was good, but she is only as good as the stylists she recruits. They represent her brand. They're not all good, although some are excellent and likeable. I think she is reluctant to take any sort of criticism, even constructive criticism, and that won't help her in the long run.

And there are a disproportionate number of women being diagnosed as Autumn Apples. Way too many being told they are Autumn, when they are not.

I posted a pic of a stylist in an atrocious outfit on this thread, no face showing/neck down and no name. It was removed and I’ve seen comments now saying how nasty that was.
But calling Susie Boy George and describing in details Sarah’s pics is fine.
Double standards much ?

Of all the stylists, Susie and Sarah have the most clearly defined style (oh and Mhairi with her cute glasses and quirky clothes). But that doesn't mean they're good at styling other people even if they have done a course on it.

I guess style is different things to different people. Many of the people in the group seem low in confidence and actively want to dress like others. Which is fine! It's not like they are copying their real life friends, and if they are making more effort than they used to then that's a good thing if it makes them happy.

At the end of the day I think there's a reason personal styling has historically been for the wealthy. It's like they say, you can't have good, quick and cheap, you can only have 2 - and I think if you want proper personal styling you need to pay someone for it because they need to put a lot of time into it for it to be truly personal. Susie's idea to bring it to the masses is commendable but flawed imo. (For one thing she doesn't seem to understand colour theory at all, or at least her clients definitely don't even after an analysis which you will never get me to believe that you can do from a few emailed pics - and don't get me started on her made up meaningless style categories!)

@CharlOtteSometime Thanks so much for the info on the John Lewis stylists, I will have a look later.

I don't think the pic of Susie should have been taken down, or that the comments about her and the other stylist's outfits are particularly nasty. They have put themselves out there advertising themselves as a service to help others to be stylish! If people were commenting on their physical features then it would be nasty, but nobody has done that. Turning off commenting is really, really shady.

I wonder how many people have paid for the service and have found this thread and been relieved that the doubts they had have been confirmed by those of us who are not afraid to say what we think?

I saw the recommendations for SBS here last summer and was really close to booking a session. Never did as I just didn't get round to it but I started to follow her on Insta. At first I really liked her style but once the DM article came out, the one with girls and sun glasses in Primark (the one that clearly never happened) I started to see her in different light and then subsequently saw the comments here how she won't accept any criticism or constructive feedback.

I have a small business and once received some constructive criticism from a customer, it did really sting and felt personal but I took in on board and by doing so my sales improved by quite a bit. I always listened to any feedback, no matter how unreasonable it may be and take time to consider if the customer has a point and is it something that I can work with and improve further. Suzie's approach will only damage her business in the long run, which is a shame as I think her business idea is amazing and could become huge if she was willing to listen to her customers.

@Stellakent I was analysed as an "autumn apple"...I have no idea if that's right or not!

I had to message the admins of the fb group to ask them to request that people stop using the word "diagnosed" because I found it quite triggering having been diagnosed with cancer.

I feel like a fool spending money on an analysis that is identikit and really nothing I would wear.

@LyraSilvertongueBelacqua Did they stop using that phrase after you messaged?

I bought it but it was terrible. Very formulaic, one size fits all.

I like what she does for her, but I've never seen anyone look nice/good/better. So I think she's had her moment, expanded too quick etc.

The colours are generally wrong - not everyone looks good in a white tee, can wear black or looks good in cheap tat.

Desperate women are the target audience & that's why it works - everyone comments positively, no-one is allowed to say the truth.

Oooh...its a cult.::

Had a quick look at one of the Daily Mail articles. So, is Susie's argument that fast fashion is OK if you wear an item 30 times, then it does not impact the environment??? So it's fine that someone worked in a sweatshop in terrible conditions to make the garment. Might as well call her cult 'Styled by Slaves'

As someone said earlier, nobody is being empowered here!

Yes. She essentially caveats her promotion of cheap fast fashion by claiming that number of wears per purchase negates environmental and social impact of production. So wrong.

I guess she has to justify it somehow...

Seen someone on there today who is apparently analysed as a winter, asking whether they should look for a blue or orange toned red lipstick. What are you paying for with the analysis if you need to ask that question afterwards?

I think we are not Suzie's target audience - they are the DF reading, Primark shoppers, who don't give a rat's ass about ethically produced clothing.

I've just seen a post from someone analysed as a 'Winter Rectangle'. Her husband has bought her several items recommended by Susie as part of a personal shopping session.

There's a red coat which I agree is a good winter colour - a cool toned, blue/red. All of the other items I just don't see as winter colours at all - 'ice-cream coloured trousers' in pale lemon and sage green, cream/beige striped top etc.

What's the point of being analysed as a Winter and giving specific recommendations to buy clothes that are clearly not in that palette?

@ohkevin not at first - the admins were apologetic and out put a general announcement to remind people.

I think I ended up messaging Susie (when you still could) and not long after people's posts were screened and requested a change of wording before being approved.

@Ironfloor269 I'm not sure whether to take offence to that or not

I agree ironfloor's comment is pretty offensive.

I apologise. I didn't mean it to come across that way. Sorry.

I don't think ironfloors ccmment offensive at all - even though I do have the odd glance at DF...!

I think she/the brand is more geared towards fast fashion because affordability is important if you're trying to cover so many women. I don't think it's malicious.

Useless on Instagram is great for anyone who wants to curate their wardrobes in a sustainable, non- fast fashion way. Really good YouTube videos as well.

Not offensive at all!!!!! (But then I would say that)