• I received the best birthday present this year from my friend Sarah.

She took me to the Liberty Beauty Hall to help me find a fragrance that was uniquely mine.

Sarah always smells like herself, and I’ve always loved the simplicity of that. Having a signature fragrance that follows you through life becomes part of who you are.

What If You’re Wrong About What Suits You?

The process started with a simple question: what scents do you like and dislike? I …

• like sandalwood, vetiver and tuberose.
• don’t like iris, patchouli or vanilla.
• then smelled several fragrances, none of which felt quite right.

Eventually, our consultant handed me something unlike anything I’d smelled before. Sarah immediately agreed it was special.

“I’m glad you like it,” he said, “because it’s one of my favourites too. But do you know it contains Iris as a top note and Patchouli in the base?”

I love being challenged and proven wrong.

When I work with clients, I absolutely take their preferences into account, but the magic often happens when I introduce them to a new way of thinking. Sometimes what we think we don’t like isn’t the problem. We just haven’t experienced it in the right combination.

And style is exactly the same.

It’s not just about the individual pieces in your wardrobe; it’s about the alchemy of how they are mixed together and worn. The personal interpretation you bring to a garment is often what makes it feel special.

So when you stand in front of your wardrobe feeling frustrated, it isn’t necessarily because there’s something wrong with the clothes themselves.

Often, what’s missing is a fresh perspective on how they work together.

I’ve bought pieces in the past that I barely wore for months, only for them to suddenly become favourites. Not because the item changed, but because I changed. My perspective shifted. The way I wanted to wear my clothes evolved.

If you’re feeling stuck, try these three things:

1. The Opposites Exercise (20 minutes)

Choose one item you rarely wear and challenge yourself to style it with its opposite. Something …

• feminine with something masculine.
• structured with something soft.
• polished with something relaxed.
• A formal piece with a casual shoe.
• A casual piece with a more elevated shoe.

The goal isn’t to create the perfect outfit. It’s to push beyond your first instinct and discover combinations you wouldn’t normally consider.

2. The One Swap Rule

Take an outfit you wear all the time and change just one element. Swap the …

• shoe.
• jacket.
• jewellery.
• bag.
• belt.

Just one change.

Like perfume, sometimes changing a single note completely transforms the overall effect.

3. Borrow a Different Style Personality

Think of someone whose style you admire but whose wardrobe is very different from your own.

• How would they wear that item?
• Would they roll the sleeves?
• Layer it differently?
• Add unexpected jewellery?
• Choose a completely different shoe?

You don’t need to become them. Sometimes borrowing a different lens is enough to unlock new ideas.

You’ve heard me say these things before… because they work.

Your style evolves from buying something new. But the biggest breakthroughs come from seeing what you already own in a different way.

Oh and if you want to see what I perfume I bought you can find it here. It’s our little secret though. 

Penny.

P.S. If you’ve ever stood in front of a wardrobe full of clothes and thought, “I have plenty to wear, so why doesn’t any of this feel right?” that’s exactly what we help solve.

Sometimes the answer isn’t buying more—it’s understanding how to make what you already own work harder, feel more cohesive, and reflect who you are today. A fresh perspective can change everything. Book your styling appointment now.

Photo Credit: This is a photo I took of a print I have in my home by Lee Miller