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?

Some of her 'stylists' have truly shocking style.

I think the stylists have been hired for their mass market appeal though, not everyone wants high fashion, just perhaps to look better for their everyday lives. I wouldn’t use the service personally but if I did I’d go with the stylist who I identified with the most. I don’t like Susie’s style at all so wouldn’t want to shop
With her. Sarah or Fiona maybe.

I don’t expect stylists to be Emmanuelle Alt types, given the client base, ethos, budgets etc and I also understand someone would perhaps dress like that pic on a random errands day, throw whatever you can find together and dash to dry cleaners etc, but this “stylist” thinks she looks good and put together, she’s advertising that as a desirable “outfit of the day”.
FWIW I quite like Sarah’s style too, so maybe it’s just a case of trying to grow the business way too big too soon and recruiting totally unsuitable people, but considering Susie has allegedly “trained” these new stylists and is “so proud” if them, the whole thing does raise massive question marks.
There is another stylist from another region in who posted a yet another eyebrow raising pic yesterday.
Right now it’s starting to look a bit like a conveyor belt of charging women £150 and sending them to the nearest shopping centre with a random person who’s going to tell them to buy chunky trainers, use a bright lippy, tuck and pop a belt on.

Don't forget the statement necklace...

And I agree that the recent explosion of novice SBS stylists around the country feels so rushed and unprofessional.

Lol Clueless but there’s obviously a market for it. I love clothes, always have, have enough of an ‘eye’ to know what looks ok on me for my shape etc but clearly loads of women feel very unconfident about that stuff. You can tell from the posts on the Facebook page, ‘does this non descript blouse from Sainsbury’s look ok for an interview’ and so on.

If a jolly person with a weeks course in styling under their belt makes them feel a bit better why not?!

I haven’t been a member of this particular FB group, but blimey it sounds a bit like the Trinny London FB group.* It’s full of women slavishly trying to follow Trinny’s style rules, which precisely no one can pull off. I mean, sequins for daytime, with trainers? When you’re rich and famous and spend your days waiting around Knightsbridge, anything goes darling. When you’re an ordinary middle aged woman, you look like a tit.

Also full of women posting selfies and fishing for compliments. I left pretty quickly.

• I was intrigued about the make up. Verdict? It’s crap and overpriced.

I see your point @Cherrypie32 but the whole thing is giving me a bossbabe MLM vibe. They're telling all these women (who as you said are not the most confident about their looks, style etc) how stunning and gorgeous they are, and how even more stunning and gorgeous they'd become if only they'd get on the SBS personal shop/analysis/you name it conveyor belt, and how it's going to change their lives blah blah, banking on the fact that they would preach to their friends and so on.
Which is marketing and I get that, but I think if you trade on women's confidence and you present yourself as this amazing, oh so kind and empowering style guru, then the very least you have to do is offer a quality and honest service.

From the FB group:

**Thank you to everyone who has been reporting certain comments about SBS on a certain forum. I haven't looked because I don't give time or acknowledgement to negativity.

In short, please do not screenshot things and send them to me or my girls.

But my experts have it in hand and will take any legal action for defamatory comments where necessary, now or in the future.**

Watch MNHQ getting jiggy with the delete button now.

Legal action for expressing an opinion, or DARING to think differently from the "boss"?

Good luck with that Suze!

I have had it done and I found it really useful. I'm a curvy winter hourglass.
I was never advised to tuck in tops or wear chunky white trainers! I do see this mentioned on the facebook page - but these are both easy ways to update clothes you already have which is why I think this along with inexpensive lipstick colours are suggested by lots of people.
Susie recommended jeans styles, shops and make up colours and it has really made me try other things. I have bought lipstick colours they recommend and they really do brighten my face. Now I realise why I never feel right in bronzer or brown eye shadow. Also I know why certain boot lengths work best for me...and that I look better in a thicker sole. And if coats and dresses have a waist I look slimmer and more in proportion.
The analysis is about shapes and colours - not outfits.

Hi everyone. I am a close relative of Susie’s and am also friends with the stylists you are posting about. I understand you may not be happy with her business, product or service. And that you may not like her. Or her clothes. Or her group. That's ok.

But please try and keep this kind. Posting pictures of them and mocking what they are wearing. It is genuinely upsetting to read. There are real people involved here and some of what has been written is so upsetting.

I don't want to get involved in a fight or shut the thread down. I just ask you please remember these are real people you are talking about when you write. I feel upset for having read some of what it written here. Thanks

teaandtwix this is a fair comment and I hope people heed it.

Some of the comments ( eg about typos etc or dealing with customer feedback) are useful constructive feedback. Having a clear and honest way of addressing these would so far more to serve clients than ignoring them and filing under ‘negativity’.

I think everyone realises posting pictures of group members would absolutely cross a line, but the stylists are getting paid to erm... be stylish. I think it's ok to say that you would not purchase a service based on the way that service is being promoted especially when no one from SBS has to come and read someone's opinion on MN.

If anything, the concerned SBS members who screenshotted posts and sent them to Susie are the unkind ones - why draw her attention to it? She's even said stop. It's her concern if she only wants positive feedback on her business. There's the facebook group for that, and she doesn't have to read anywhere else.

Legal action eh?

For what?

Look, people don't think it's a good service. It's just opinions.

You might not like hearing them but you can't shut down everyone who doesn't rate what you do by saying people are not being kind. That's obtuse, manipulative and in poor taste b

If you really want to see Mumsnet froth search scones, jam, cream.

Not everyone likes everything. It's called life and it's really really not a legal matter.

As they well know.

I had an analysis about a year ago. Just the basic bronze one. It was generically flattering in language. I liked some of the suggestions- biker jackets, statement earrings, scarves etc. I am NOT an autumn and was surprised by that. Kind of wanted to be as their colours are in every shop, unlike the ones for my season which I also don't like as much. On shape, I agree with the analysis but the again quite generic tuck / half tuck advice was given even though I said I am very conscious about my tummy post kids as I have separated abdominal muscles which make me look permanently 5 months pregnant and honestly a tuck doesn't help at all. It looks good on others even those who are larger overall but just emphasised my worst bit (the FB group doesn't allow that kind of language though so very hard to get alternatives...)

In the FB the relentless 'no negative comments' is becoming wearing. Someone asked recently about lipsticks that don't make your teeth look yellow. I have this issue too and was looking for tips which did come but also with a warning from admin to not talk about teeth whitening at all?

I find the advice that cut of clothing is more important than colour a bit odd and wish I had seen it after my analysis before I charity shopped lots of clothes I liked but thought were the wrong colour for me.

I don't especially like the style of any of the stylists but find other members of the group share nice ideas sometimes. And Susie and the other stylists show how to wear one item of clothing multiple ways which is super helpful.

I also stick to my own choices on footwear as I cannot stand to be uncomfortable so heels and shoes with soles that do not bend (including flatform trainers!) are a complete no-no for me.

If anything, the concerned SBS members who screenshotted posts and sent them to Susie are the unkind ones - why draw her attention to it?

Totally agree. It smacks of schoolgirl tattle tale which is frankly embarrassing - how desperate must they be to get validation?

I also think it’s a pretty fair comment to point out that some of the people giving style advice are perhaps a little under-qualified. But I get the impression that the advice given is so generic, anyone could do it?

Having a negative opinion isn’t a legal matter.

'My experts have it in hand'

This conversation reminds me of the Instamum threads that have cropped up on here in the past.

When you create a nice little echo chamber full of 'POSITIVITY' (which is actually just shutting out anything you don't want to hear), then people will go elsewhere to discuss it. And, unless the law is broken, you have fuck all control over that. Sucks, eh?!

As someone said a few posts down (sorry, on the app so can't name check), the best way to get away from people offering criticism or simply a different perspective on somewhere like MN, is not to shut out criticism in the first place.

Wow! Some of you forgot #bekind very quickly!
The people behind sbs are people with feelings not a huge brand. It doesn't matter how a stylist dresses or what their personal taste is, as long as they are able to style you! Yes, the Facebook group is a positive place. No one is asked to be falsely positive, you just can't be unkind, which is obviously why some of you don't fit. Nobody forces you to stay in the group, if you don't like what it offers then why stay?

I came across styled by susie earlier on this year. I am a fairly confident person who has always had her own style and never really cared about what anyone thought. However, after having my twins some time ago, I had parts of my body that I hated and became fixated on. I stopped buying clothes because all I saw was my 'bad bits', I dressed the same kind of way most of the time, wore a lot of black and had also became a bit more frumpy than I'd like to be!

Earlier this year I bought a gold package and have never looked back. Being styled as having an 'edgy' style personality awakened a part of me that I'd forgotten about and gave me the push I needed to start dressing how I love again and to rediscover my love of fashion.

Knowing what clothing cuts suit my body shape best gave me the confidence to stop obsessing and focussing on my least favourite body bits. I don't even notice them any more because the good bits of my body drown them out by wearing better fitting clothes.

Knowing what colours suit my complexion best has stopped me wearing so much black. I am confident to mix colours and patterns more than I ever was before. I chopped off my highlighted "mum hair" and recoloured it copper and now my eyes shine and my skin looks brighter.

As for the mentions of chunky trainers, belts and lippy. Yes, chunky footwear flatters a lot of body shapes (but not all) so is mentioned a lot in the group. White trainers are currently in fashion (you can see this yourself in the shops) so why wouldn't lots of people buy them? I have a pair myself but I also have copper, pink leopard print and grey ones, as well as a variety of other footwear! Why would people not recommend accessories like belts and lippy, they can make an outfit! Yes, I also own a biker jacket, again, it's a popular item of clothing out in the non sbs world! I owned mine 4 years ago.

So in answer to the original post. Yes, I've tried sbs (I've had an online shop too) and yes I would recommend it if you feel stuck in a rut and want some fresh ideas.

Oh I forgot to mention the jeans advice! I am small waisted but have a round pert bum...first time in my life I own a pair of jeans that don't show the world my bum crack when I bend down and don't continually fall down or feel uncomfortable!

Spot on @DaisyTulips, my post with the stylist's outfit pic was deleted.
Just to be clear, I wasn't mocking her, she (as a private individual) can dress however she likes - just saying I would not pay for her advice AS a STYLIST given the way she "styled" herself which she is ADVERTISING.
Since when have we stopped allowing people to form and voice opinions on brands, services etc based on the way they advertise themselves? Isn't that the whole point of advertising ?

It doesn't matter how a stylist dresses or what their personal taste is, as long as they are able to style you!

But Mumlifethereality surely the #1 indicator that they are able to style me is whether I think they are good at styling themselves? That is what Cluelessbeetroot is saying. It is personal opinion. Not defamation