What is Work Casual??

I am unsure of what "Work Casual" is exactly. Or to be put a better way, what other people interpret it to be.
For me work casual is smart jeans and a shirt/cashmere sweater/smock style top. I tend to dress my style of of work casual on a Monday (usually a quiet day for me) or a day where I am hoovering the skirting boards and hard to reach places. The rest of the time I dress in the styles that I currently have on sale in my shop.

I have found that since I have been working for myself I take a lot more care over my look each day. I plan my weeks wardrobe on a Sunday evening (where possible, I do not turn down social invites to do this) and I try to have things washed and ironed in advance.
I like to keep on top of my hair cuts and make sure that my hair is always clean and styled.

I wear make-up everyday now. Before I used to moisturise and go. But now I make sure that my lip gloss or eyeshadow is a shade that matches my dress or my top. I even carry a small collection of make-up essentials with me in my handbag to touch up throughout the day.

Work casual is now an outfit that I wear very rarely to work. I feel that it does not show myself and my business off in the best way.

I have been thinking about where this change has came from and it came to me quite quickly.
I am the only employee in my shop. I do not have a big advertising campaign. Therefore, I am the face of my brand! So, if I don't make the effort who will?

The size issues!

I wear a UK size 12, I have done now for about 4 years, my weight goes up and down a bit but I never really move far away from this size. When shopping for new clothes I only ever try on a size 12. If I really like something and I have to go up a size then I will, but usually find that the item will fit badly somewhere or another! I thought this was the normal attitude to shopping, but I have really had my eyes opened in the last 6 months.

I have two customers who come to my shop on a semi regular basis. One is a size 12 and the other is a size 14-16. The are very different customers, but the one thing that they have in common is their attitude to shopping. They both, always, start by trying on two sizes smaller than they wear???

This, to me, is bizarre! It must surely make them feel bad to try two other sizes before one fits. I personally get great satisfaction from trying on an item and it fits perfectly. I think I would no matter the size!

I think it all comes down to the fact that, generally, as women we would almost always like to be smaller than we actually are.......

The Dream Coming True!

It has always been a dream of mine to work for myself, mainly, due to many bad bosses with power issues.
I have always been interested in fashion, clothes, accessories and how people transform themselves with these objects.
So the dream became to have a beautiful little fashion boutique that people were drawn to, where they could find something a bit different without breaking the bank!
This year my dream became a reality….
I began trading early autumn 2007. After weeks of transforming the premises into the picture that I had in my head.
The colour scheme had to be just so. I had a vision of the classic “Tiffany” blue, but did not want to rip off someone else’s look, so I came up with a pale but bright turquoise.
The entire frontage of the boutique was painted in this bright and attractive colour, as was the internal display place and a feature wall.
The rest of the walls and wood work were kept simple and clean in white.
I decided that carpet was to be laid (in place of laminate or some other industrial material) for a feeling of warmth and comfort. I contacted a local flooring company and asked for information on hardwearing carpet options. I finally settled on a grey blue industrial carpet.
Displaying my stock was something that I took a lot of time researching. I knew instantly that I did not want the traditional hooks and racks that shop fitters had to offer. The rails were to look and feel like a wardrobe without the casing to create, the fantastic, feel of a walk in wardrobe. Therefore people could imagine the item that they wanted hanging in their very own wardrobe.
The small, finishing, touches were hugely important to me….. The chair in the changing room had to be aged, but not old. The mirrors I wanted to be just what you would have at home. Honest mirrors! Not the trick or slimming mirrors that some of the chain stores use.
The counter was a similar thing. After thinking that I wanted an aged table, I saw a 1950’s display cabinet and it was perfect! It is 50% glass and the other 50% is aged pale wood. It is just fabulous, has room to display my favourite pieces and to store all of the bits and bobs that I need everyday. The remains of stickers and old pieces of sticky tape only add to its character - I am fully aware that it has helped someone else before coming to me…….
The clothes were hung, the carrier bags were ready to be filled and finally it was time to open my doors!
The most nerve racking night of my life so far was the night I opened my boutique with a champagne launch. There was no need to worry, it went fantastically and from there word started to spread.
There were rumours of fantastic, unique pieces…but at high street prices……
I was so proud, excited and nervous I thought I might just burst!