A week in the life of...final part

After a late and long drive on Thursday night (slightly delayed due to late picking up of samples as my client was a delight and led me astray at Selfridges champagne bar) I arrived chez parents for my work in Bristol the next day.

Friday 22nd August - technically had a lie in as I didn't get up until 8am. Skipped mater's wholesome breakfast and opted for Costa Coffee cappuccino and an apple slice instead. Met and had a good chat with my personal styling client. A lovely journalist who needed a bit of an update. We had a successful shop and I created a great look for her (I plumbed for a 70s take on this season with great success, because a) my client had a preference towards rock chic and boho and b) she had fabulous long tamed curly hair. All I did was reignite her passion and the rest was easy. Lunch was M&S vegetarian sushi with water which was pointless as I then met my sister-in-law with her six month old twins for a mocha and muffin. Truly I need to love food less and embrace my shallow VB tendencies.


After a fashion I stopped cuddling the cuties and hit the road again - this time the M5 which was mercifully OK for a bank holiday Friday and I managed to find my way to Cricket St Thomas with ease. I had hoped to set up everything for the fashion talk the next day but the hotel events person had abandoned her station. I resigned myself to dinner sans company and sat down with book in hand whilst picking my food. The make up artist was late so I went to bed at 10pm.
Cricket St Thomas, Chard, Somerset image:Warner Leisure


Sat 23rd August - Got the room ready with the help of Hazel the Wildlife park manager who was also a mind of information on the place. How firstly the family had let 'To the Manor Born' be filmed there and then Noel's House Party. It was the latter which ruined them, and led to the sale of the house and some of the grounds to Warner Leisure. The grounds were designed by Capability Brown and were delightful. The make up artist rocked up and we were all set for our talk. I'd failed to pack my mood board due to my squiffy packing on Thursday night but I happily talked unprompted with my rail of clothes about this seasons trends. The event went well including photographs for a feature in The Sun newspaper.
I packed, changed and headed off again this time to Hardwick Parks in Oxfordshire to join the Jolly Boys WAGs do. Basically a bunch of accountants being nice to their other halves providing a day and night of fun to make up for their annual golfing jaunt, except we were camping. Despite a rainy evening and night we had a jolly time snuggled up in our sleeping bags even if I did have to endure the amorous couple in the tent next door - both Mr MD&M and petit garcon fell asleep straightaway

A week in the life of...part 2

Wednesday 20th - Dropped the petit garcon off at nursery, and met a fellow stylist for coffee to talk new season and fashion assistants. Put cheques in bank and other mundane things like posting my Career Development Loan form for my MA course.. Also had to check out store's stock for my shop tomorrow with client. Picked up the garcon from nursery to find out he'd been hopeless with his potty training. Once again became mad mother and made him use potty at train station before thinking 's*d it' and putting a nappy on him. Got to Canary Wharf in one piece with pram and picnic to watch the Garden Opera company

The performance was Donzetti's Don Pasquale at Jubilee Park, Canary Wharf. The performance had tremendous costumes from the 70s - the real deal. I'd like to take credit but despite having styled the manager I'd had no input on the choice of costume. If only I'd had a proper camera you'd be treated to sartorial elegance circa 1974.


The only damp squid was the weather which decided to pour forth in the second half so I missed the finale. It is worth going to and is a great introduction to opera if you've not been. The next performance in London is on Monday 25th of August at Greenwich Park but it tours round UK until end of September.

Got bag ready for tomorrow's shop and early start, fell into bed.

Thursday 21st - A personal shopping session for one of my contracts. Hard work at beginning of season because stock levels are variable. Early finish so off to Austin Reed PR team to pick up samples for my fashion talk on Saturday. Back home to sort out household before driving off to Bristol ready for Friday's personal styling session.

A week in the life of...part 1

Busy times again so this post is part one of a few days worth as I travel the country! Often people think what I do is quite glamorous because fashion stylist sounds better than being an insurance executive. However I'm a jobbing stylist - a grafter, not a styliste. Before kids (yes there are 3 but the other two would kill me if I mentioned or featured them in a blog - opps I'm dead!) I had a bit of glam in the old Elle office on lower Regent Street, many moons ago and I can tell a few tales ...but these days it goes more like this:

Sunday 17th- day 5 of potty training petit garcon why oh why can't I have a nanny who does this sort of thing. Skim through The Sunday Times whilst simultaneously trying to write blog, read other blogs and comment. Put up tent that has hibernated in attic for eons, to check all OK before its outing later this week. Large glass of wine with late Sunday lunch. Finished a proposal and then settle down to read difficult academic film studies book, needed dictionary to check certain words! We are camping on Saturday in a true make do and mend style as the location is hot property over bank holiday and charges exorbitant prices. We've gone for cheap as chips.

Monday 18th- check email, send off quotes for two fashion shoots. Chase clients for money. Read through personal styling forms from clients. Do the pile of washing and attempt cleaning. Decide to add to burden by hand dying four items - a canvas belt and dress with tulip red and a knit and ballet belt violet. Also have to get sleeping bags for myself and petit garcon. Dash to out and buy cute Cath Kidston racing car sleeping bag for garcon and snag a Celia Birtwell number in Millets for me. Sales Assistant assumes I'm going to Reading Festival so briefly I concur - who's interested in a gathering of accountant golfing chums in Oxfordshire! Proceed to join league of mad women by making garcon sit on potty in John Lewis car park before driving home.
Cooking, blogs and break through on potty training when petit garcon actually asks to go on it and we have a eureka moment! Go to swimming training but coach has gone to see band so only a few of us there. I get chatted up by fireman in jacuzzi, sadly I think this is a result and am particularly pleasant to Mr MD&M. I fall asleep while reading film studies tomb and wondering what the **** auteur is. Thank goodness for Wikipedia - Auteur theory holds that a director's films reflect that director's personal creative vision, as if he or she were the primary "Auteur" (the French word for "author").

Tuesday 19th - more household chores and day 7 of potty training. Play trains and cars whilst emailing, blogging and generally attempting to run household. Arrange a play afternoon with garcon's chum. Finish A/W fashion summery board - choose red, black and purple as the colours and lace, sheer and sculptural as my main talking points. Go for shop at Sainsbury to stock up on food and household items plus take plastic and cardboard for recycling. I have to force myself to change out of track pants into jeans. Then peaked by adding mascara and lippy.
Playtime again followed by making tea and then hot footing it off for a run. More joyous chores - the delights of ironing. Think about telly then think need sleep!