Personal shoppers: I need your recommendations, before I slump into middle aged matronhood for ever and never dare leave the Inferiority Complex again

[motherinferior]

I hardly ever start threads these days, but oh please fellow MNers, I need help. Especially as I'm working three days a week in a Proper Office, where jeans are permissible but you do have to look quite presentable, and some of my lovely colleagues regularly pop out to spend squillions on a nice new frock.

I really do seem to have lost the plot, style-wise, over the past seven years (oddly enough, the ones coinciding first with motherhood and then with turning 40, and then with motherhood part 2). I don't want to turn into a Proper Laydee but I do need quite badly to revamp my act a bit and drag it out of quite such current mumsiness.

Where would you recommend? Am a shortarse, probably not quite as enormous as I think I am as I fit a size 10 around the bottom and 12 around the norks, red hair, still a bit of a vintagebohohippywanabe, don't do flat shoes, do do norks. Can spend some cash but not squillions...

ooh cod! some of it is rubbish, but you can find gems if you look carefully. Lived in TS Maternity this 2nd time round...

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still better value for money than primark on the price/quality thing....

MI - I went to the personal shopper at House of Fraser because my wardrobe had lost the plot. It was full to busting with clothes that fitted badly (pace Johnny Boden but your lot are the worst offenders for me). The shopper was the best thing I have done - no lolling on a sofa or wine, but honest advice about what worked and what didn't plus she did all the leg work. She took one look at me in a pair of trousers and even identified the makes never mind the styles that would suit me. I now have a small amount of clothes because I threw out/gave to charity all the ones that didn't fit but because they all fit and work together I have got more to wear than I did before. Can't recommend it enough. Am going back for winter stuff.

That is my trouble too Polly,Ihave far too many clothes that are ok,but very few that I love,IFYSWIM.Always seem to have less problems on holiday when my choice is restricted!

Sad I know but I would describe my personal shopper experience as life changing. I am a born again zealot on the subject. The two other fantastic things I did this year were:-

1. go to a bobbi brown counter and have a make over. I have tiny thin lips with a mouth that can look frankly like a rats arse. They sold me some miracle lipstick, lipliner and gloss combo that has banished that rat forever;

2. buy enormous reinforced sloggi pants on the recommendation of a kindly lady in the John Lewis lingerie dept. I'm not proud of this and they look hideous (will never let DH see me wearing them) but they have made a big big difference to how I look in trousers. Muffin top no more and they are comfy - unlike "shapewear".

MI - before you do anything, get yer colours done. It's a miracle I tell ya.

actually.....before you do ANYTHING clear your wardrobes of anything that doesn't fit/make you smile when you look at it.

no dross

make room for some good stuff.

Thank you my lovely friends. I shall weigh up the different options open to me. It's very hard, I think, to try to kind of marry up the person you were in your pre-baby 30s (in my case) with who I am now.

not read all of these but may I recommend getting Eve Vogue Elle yadda yadda, tearing out a few pics that scream Hellloooooooooooooooo and making a list of what you want?

then hitting the shops?

Eve has shoe and bag section this month, I think Vogue has catwalk stuff in around now

not done personal shopper myself but if I did I would go Selfridges as they have pauper stuff and ££££££££ so suit all budgets

I keep buying fecking t-shirts and cardigans

dh despairs at me moaning I HAVE NO CLOTHES as I keep getting the same stuff

good dresses for work MI, wrap or wrap look ones, v for cleavage and wafty material to cover stomach and arse bits you may wish to hide

Just had the September Vogue through today - it's the extra-huge catwalk issue (am I sad to find that exciting?)

ooooooh

will have to get that then

is it about £4 now or thereabouts

Ooh MI, I want to see a personal shopper too. Maybe we should go as a girl gang.

£3.70 (but I had a subscription as a Christmas present from my ILs )

Having a baby has just destroyed my sense of understanding what fits me, let alone what suits me.

(sorry for going a bit off-topic there, MI)

The only thing with catwalk stuff is the, er, price. I have surveyed the pics in my own magificent publication, but cannot really stump up a few hundred per frock. I tell you who is doing nice stuff, I think, it is - rather surprsingly I know - Jaeger London. But pricey.

But you need to look at the shapes you like, and then find them cheaper elsewhere, I think. But would definitely echo the advice on personal shoppers.

get Eve MI

they have designer on one side and then a high street version on the other so you can copy the look

unfortunatly, I always want the expensive version

French Connection is my favourite atm. I have a dress from last year that is still washing well and lovely

good trousers too

Do you have a Joseph? Good trousers in there

I would definitely second House of Fraser (is Kendals in Manchester), fantastic advice, and good mix of high st bits like oasis, warehouse and then coast etc up to v expensive bits if that's your thing. I found that the things she suggested lasted, still looking up to date. Have worn everything lots too rather than buying and not wearing.

Me too - I need a personal shopper. Going back to work after ds2 in 3 weeks, didn't really buy any new work stuff when I went back after ds1 2 years ago and really have nothing decent to wear. Well one wrap dress from Hobbs that is OK but can't show up in that every day. Was thinking about trying a personal shopper at Jown Lewis (too frumpy?) or Fenwicks (too ££?). Takes me to long to shop on my own, hoping a personal shopper will save a lot of time. Anyway v encouraged by everyone thinking it's a good idea and am going to try to book something tomorrow.

"Yes, on condition that you provide a written undertaking not to purchase another black suit."

I am wounded by that comment and it wasn't even directed at me.

At the last count, my wardrobe did contain 6 black suits. They are of course all very different ....

Lyn Barber did this great article about a personal shopper that India Knight recommended to her. Find the article. She thought she was a bit weirdly dressed but apparantly she does wonders. I want her a lot.

But I think motherinferior wants us to be her personal shoppers doesn't she?

Hello 100x.