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?

Anyone want to place a bet on when Susie posts a #bekind related Insta story today?

Red leopard looks good but the fees are out of the range for a lot of women which is why Suzie is popular. There is no way I would justify paying £300. We are comparing apples and oranges.

Agreed. However, even at 50 quid the analysis should be accurate. Has anyone ever had a hair anal8thatbisnt chipmyoie hair off, by the way?

Damn phone. Analysis that isn't just chop your hair off.

Red Leopard is pricey but worth mentioning. It’s a one off and a great experience.

Obviously I understand that it’s not in everyone’s price range ... Actually all the others such as HoC and Colour Me Beautiful are in a similar price range as Red Leopard, except Susie who has positioned herself firmly in the high street “affordable” market.

For those who can’t afford Red Leopard and have been put off by SBS, I still say that SBS will give you ideas and inspiration. I know people have complained about the PDFs but I thought they were acceptable. It depends what you’re looking for. It won’t change your life or your body size but might save you time trawling through shops.

Example, in my professional life I don’t wear jeans and wanted to invest in some more casual clothes but didn’t have time to go to the shops and try on lots of pairs, without really knowing which style suited me best. I was specific about this in my questionnaire with Susie and got some great high street recommendations of jeans and found a perfect pair straight away - With link to brand and shop and prices. Job done. Red Leopard does not do this. They will say look for this cut, shape, colour, etc. But you still have to then go and find the brand, the shop, etc.

So, it all depends what you’re looking for.

Having said that, it’s not because it’s cheap that those who had bad customer service with SBS, should just accept it!

As I said earlier in the thread, contact the Citizen Advice bureau or send a more formal email to Susies admin explaining what you weren’t happy with. It must be factual with examples. Typos and spelling are good examples- you just need to highlight them. You could ask for a second analysis from one of the other stylists, instead of a refund. Worth a try?

Anyway so glad you’re enjoying the Red Leopard videos. Yes, they are addictive and fascinating!

I agree. The likes of Red Leopard and HoC might be expensive but well worth saving for as it's a one off. Their analyses look quite in-depth.

In my opinion, the fact that HoC and red leopard charge more for their services prove that 1) colour analysis is more accurate in person and 2) it’s impossible to do this cheaply.
Fair play to susie for trying, but not everything can be affordable to everyone, and if you try to make an inherently valuable service cheap, then you are going to get a cheaper result.

There’s a place for “cheap and cheerful”. Not everyone has the finances to pay for the more detailed analysis. This is why I think Susie’s business model can work but needs adjusting. She is just like the “girl next door” and that appeals BUT the boundaries of her and her business means people get a sense of familiarity. And as the saying goes - familiarity breeds contempt. She needs to polish the business and herself and the team and create some distance. And put a proper after sales service into place. And clients need to lower expectations- she’ll give basic colour advice, capsule wardrobe ideas, links to jeans, make up, etc. which can be a good starting point but it’s not an in-depth game changer.

I think being predominantly “high street” is ok if you are slim and choose carefully from places like Primark or Top Shop etc what ever your age. Or if you are older or fatter then you have to choose what suits you more carefully
I do think playsuits should be left to the slimmer younger end of the market. Although I don’t think dungarees have ever made anyone look good. I really don’t know why manufacturers bother making them and boiler suits, like kipper ties have had their era.

But if you have certain bits that need covering or are older then you might need a few items that are cut well and might be a bit more expensive.

Eg a fitted T. shirt that covers a belly rather than the standard T.shirt that just isn’t long enough. Sometimes you don’t want the long voluminous tops that does cover your belly but then makes you look even larger than you are.

The problem with using only “fast fashion” is you can’t really dress someone with what might suit them one day and expect the same sort of things to be in store in a few months time and not everyone but the very young and slim can carry off some items of clothing.

I guess the SBS model is little and often, with all the new services that are brought out you could well spend £300 if you got something extra every couple of months. Where HoC or RL (also now hooked on the IG) is a big splurge in one go. I'm sure a PP on here had spent nearly £200 on a few SBS services, and the facebook group is an advertising platform for all the extra/new services they provide.

Agreed. With HOC and RL you get a proper professional service. As @Oopsadaisydoddle said earlier there is little point getting a cheaper analysis if it is not correct!

Some of the women in that SBS facebook group have spent hundreds on entire wardrobes of clothes in the wrong colour season.

My HoC experience was dreadful. Really poor, rushed, quite literally read from a script. And to be fair, they have no more training than Susie. They market well, but I really regretted the wasted money.

You don't have to spend a fortune. EBay is rammed with quality used clothing. Cheap clothes hang badly and look, cheap. You can only really get away with them very young and very slim. Middle age, no matter how slim you are, needs better cuts, fabrics and quality.

I saw red leopards colour service is a 2.5hr face to face appointment for the £300. I don't understand why it would take so long but for £300 I wouldn't expect it to take 10 minutes either. I'm definitely leaning towards something like this as a reward for when I get to goal weight, along with a styling session.

@TofinoSurf
The Red Leopard experience is definitely personalised. The initial coffee and chat is not just 10 minutes either. They put drapes on you and ensure that YOU can see the difference the colours make. It’s a training experience. They want you to learn how to recognise the right colours on yourself and others, They talk about everything, including posture and accessories. They will ask you to define someone’s season to see if you “get it”. It’s fun!

I think it boils down to feeling a fit with the stylist. I relate more to Annie than Susie, although not as old as Annie. But I’m not a high street girl. I’m not interested in fast fashion but SBS fitted a specific need at a specific time so that’s ok by me.

I would always recommend to someone looking to improve their style to look at better cuts, fabric from some of the more exclusive brands, not the high street. Look at the finish of the article and how it washes to see the quality. eBay, Vinted all have good quality clothes for reasonable prices. Better to have three great pairs of trousers than 10 badly cut pairs.

As someone else said too, you can have negative experiences with other stylists- HoC for example. Shop around and find one that really suits you.

Really good article in the Guardian today about describing clothes as “flattering”.
Quote: “Great clothes should amplify your personality, not shrink you silhouette” Amen!

@FlasknTea which shops do you recommend?

My ship would be long sailed for a refund from SBS, I've written that off but I feel like I don't know if I can trust anything that's in my analysis!

@LyraSilvertongueBelacqua
For shops, I think it depends on your style, budget, etc.

I’d probably start with a big declutter, get rid of anything that you have that doesn’t make you feel GREAT. You don’t need to pay for that service, get a friend over, husband, sister, whatever, someone that you know will give you really honest advice but not make you feel bad. Then literally make note of outfits you have and see what you need to buy. I did this and got rid of things I’d had for 20 years ... I ended up with about 7 outfits. I remember thinking, I’d last a week before needing to rotate, ha! I have more now but my wardrobe is not stuffed full of things I don’t wear.

You can then sell or donate the stuff you decluttered and start looking for new purchases.

I’m not a stylist (!) so don’t know all the shops out there and it does depend on shape, size, budget and taste. I love Boden and Brora for example - you might hate them! One piece of advice from the leopards and Susie too I think, is to find a style icon of someone you like who is similar in size, shape to you. So could be Kate Middleton (example!) and cut and paste things she wears that you like and look for the same things within your budget.

Another shop where I find things that suit me is Mango and the quality seems good. I’m not an expert though. Brora quality is great. Boden can be expensive and hit and miss for quality but has a good choice of colours.

Anyone looking for a glasses analysis, go to an optician who is trained in choosing glasses for face shapes - it’s FREE. For hair, find a hairdresser who has trained with face shapes, etc. Again that advice is FREE and available.

I'm early 50's, Size 10/12 pear and quite tall. I wear zara, other stories, mangi, M&S, boden and charity shop and vintage stuff. The odd stuff for work from H&M and uniqlo too. Cos, toast, me and em x

@Oopsadaisydoddle
Oh so glad you DM ‘d the Leopards!! I have no links to them btw - just a humble but satisfied client. I’ve been following them ever since. They are inclusive of all sizes and will personalise the service. As I said they are about training people so that people have more autonomy over their choices. Like anything though, it might not suit but I hope you find something to help you spruce up your style. 👍🏻 I got what I wanted from them.

Also maybe don’t throw everything that Susie said out? There may be some ideas in there? I know it’s frustrating when you feel you didn’t get what you paid for but there might be a link to a shop or an accessory that’s useful? Hope so!

I'd have to say I agree with the comments about the after service. That is definitely an area for improvement but I'm unsure as to how any of you can say that people are being analysed as the wrong season if you are not trained in this yourself? Surely a group of women who are trained in this are better equipped to make that assessment than we are?

@Styledbyserpents

I'm early 50's, Size 10/12 pear and quite tall. I wear zara, other stories, mangi, M&S, boden and charity shop and vintage stuff. The odd stuff for work from H&M and uniqlo too. Cos, toast, me and em x

@Styledbyserpents

Ok so similar size, more a 12 early 40’s. I have a problem finding trousers that are long enough and M&S are great for that. I also do charity shops - you can find some amazing clothes for literally nothing. I also like Uniqlo and Toast. Similar tastes, lol. I buy for my teens at H&M and it serves a purpose but quality can be iffy. I also like Hush. I can’t be bothered to go round lots of different shops so buy a lot online. Charity shops are an exception and a pleasure to rifle through. Vintage is a thing but the actual vintage shops are so expensive for what you get,