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...

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Hello.

How was France? Did you canoe?

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Ah here you are Cod. I did a Euromaus thread. He's called Euromaus. He ruffled dd's hair.

It's a boring thread though. I'm not feeling very funny. Too tired.

France fab - suspect you've just reminded yourself of that. Yes we canoed - but seems a very long time ago now. Did you have fun?

Is aloha prepared to shop for all of mnet?

Thanks again - and yes, it was asking about personal shoppers per se, although all suggestions and recommendations are quite madly welcome. This is also because I'd like someone to appraise my own concept of what suits me and/or what I like, with a detached and somewhat professional eye.

Might take plunge re Selfridges, oooer.

Second what Olive said re buying same things,I do that all the time then have nothing to wear
Sophable,you are right in saying clear the dross.I think that is where the personal shopper thing scores,sorts out the best bits and creates 'outfits' not just 'items'.
MI,where are your skirts etc from,and what do you wear with them?

yes quattro, dh doesn't understand that all my black trousers are completely different and for different occasions

Selfridges sounds like a brilliant idea MI

What a great thread! So, can someone give a name specific recommendation for a personal shopper in the London/Kent area? I want to book one in for the autumn to buy some new autumn stuff and to give myself time to shed the lbs I have put on over the last couple of months
Issy - you didn't sound 100% convinced about yours?

I would spend all the cash on dresses and beads and scarves and some funky boots.

Dresses are completely rocking - cool prints are a good way to impress everyone with your stylish cleverness. Seems like knitted dresses are everywhere this autumn.

Humm I'm starting to think about this too. Like www I have never really cared about fasshion, but currently feel like a fump and like I'm turning into my mother (sorry mum)...., but I don' do anything that is hard work, it like my hair style it has to be 'wash it and go'..... So basically for work i live in black trousers .....

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Definately recommend Bentalls in Kingston, they have had a huge refit and now have tons of stuff in all prices, I went to a personal shopper there and she was wonderful. I was getting in a rut with Gap as it's easy to go with kids!!! But this was my time on my own. I wanted a posh pair of jeans and she got one pair which was perfect straight away as she new just by looking at me waht would fit. I think she is called Becky and it's on the top floor opposite the childrens clothes.

MI, a friend of mine did a feature on personal shopping for Woman's Hour a year or so ago - she was sceptical, but found it incredibly helpful, and still sticks with the advice now. The best thing, I gather, was that the woman worked with her shape, rather than forcing her into high fashion items that made her look like a hippo/clown/80-year-old. Rather in the way that a good hairdresser will make you look nice, instead of wildly fashionable-slash-horrendous. If you're interested I could ask her for the name?

In the shorter term, do you do Whistles? They have a 70% off sale at the moment, and lots of their stuff is vintage-boho inspired, which sounds like it might be up your street.

Don't laugh but a friend of mine saw a personal shopper at Top Shop. She had an absolute ball and said that there was a suprising range of clothes that she (over 40) felt good at wearing. She's not a wacky mutton dresse as lamb dresser either. Very inexpensive.

Ghosty where does your personal shopper friend work?

Pannacotta ...
She doesn't work for anyone. She has set herself up as a Personal Shopping service ... She goes to your house, goes through your wardrobe, tells you what is in and what isn't, what you should keep, what you should chuck and then takes you shopping ... Or she will just go shopping with you ... you don't have to have all that other stuff if you don't want to.
What I like about what she describes is that she will accommodate any budget ... high street to designer ...

Thanks Ghosty, I had meant whereabouts does she work, and will she travel? She sounds like what most mothers need!

you did not strike me as mumsy mi

however I do not work for a magazine so maybe do not count

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heee heee Pruners

she is prob thinking the same about me

MI, a mate of mine at work was 'done over' by a freelance personal shopper type. She does look fab now - but was much more mumsy than I suspect you are before.

Can find her details if you like. Not sure about £££.

And don't forget: all those fashion babes in the office may look gorgeous but are almost certainly HOPELESSLY insecure...

Pannacotta ... my friend lives in Surrey - I am sure she will travel within reason ...

Thanks Ghosty, am in Norfolk, quite a way away....
Porpoise, do you know where your personal shopper is?