Styling For You
It is my passion to help you accentuate your gorgeousness through personal styling.
My Story
Take a minute, to find out about my love affair with style
and why I decided to become a Personal Stylist.
Thank you for visiting Ava Personal Stylist.
I’m Angela…
That’s right, I’m not called Ava!
But I love Ava Gardner and feel she is the embodiment of style and sophistication – hence my brand name. With that in mind, it’s my mission to make you feel like a star and help you accentuate your gorgeousness.
I have always loved clothes, not just fashion. When I was younger (much younger!), I got a job as assistant buyer at Defty’s – which was a very high-class haute couture shop in Sunderland. I applied never thinking that I, a girl from Sunderland, would really get the job – but I did!
So, there began my love affair with style and helping people look good.
The clothes sold there were extremely well designed, very expensive and made to last. Our clients were all very classy ladies who knew how to dress. I learned a lot from those ladies and working at Defty’s.
I must admit, after leaving Defty’s, I always found myself saying ‘they don’t make clothes like they used to’! I was always looking for quality clothes like the ones I had come to love.
This led me to develop a love for ‘vintage’ clothes and I began collecting them for many years. Then I began selling them at vintage fairs which was great fun. I met some fabulous people with a real sense of style. They appreciated a good cut, quality textiles and those all-important details that made those clothes so beautiful.
As I went around the vintage fairs, what I found was that although many women loved the clothes, they would often say ‘Oh! But I couldn’t wear that!’ or ‘That would never suit me’. So, I found myself dressing them, advising them and convincing them that ‘yes they could’ and they looked great.
It was then, that I decided to set up ‘Ava Personal Stylist’ to help women, like you, to recognise their own style, to feel great and look great.
So, if you’re here and reading this, you are obviously a lady who cares about how you look, and you don’t want to just follow the latest trend or fashion. You are a woman with personality, pizazz and principles. You want to stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons. Anyone can look trendy or buy the latest fashion…but your style is You. And I would love to help you find it.
As you can see, my own personal style is classic. Even when I’m casual, I’m classic. That’s me, my style – that’s what makes me feel comfortable. It may be yours too, or it may not.
If you’re not sure, then let’s discover your unique ‘Style Identity‘ together.
READY TO STEP OUT IN STYLE?
Why Choose a Personal Stylist
I’m sure you are asking yourself this question.
With so many high street fashion shops, TV programmes, magazines, websites and books available telling us what the latest fashion trend is and what we should be wearing or buying this season.
Why would you need to seek the advice of a personal stylist?
To me the answer is simple, because a personal stylist is only interested in you, in making you look the best you can, helping you discover your own personal unique style, which may or may not include some of the latest fashion trends!
How many of us were lucky enough to be brought up to really appreciate our own unique looks, body shape, colouring and personality?
Yes you may have had some sound words of advice from your Mother and/or older sister or even a best friend along the lines of, ‘don’t wear horizontal stripes’, ‘don’t wear two different patterns together’ or ‘you look great in blue’.
You may have been shopping with someone who really knew what suited you, who helped you put together a great look but more than likely you’ve shopped with your friends on the high street and bought whatever was in fashion that week or month and made you look like everyone else regardless of whether it accentuated you shape size or colouring.
Am I right?
The Investment
Working with a Personal Stylist requires an investment from you in terms of time and money. There I’ve said it!
However if you are reading this you have probably already decided that you are worth it.
And you are!
Have a look on my Services page to see what that investment and personal styling actually means.
I can guarantee that you will love the process and the outcome.
Designers I Admire
I admire Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, Chloé; the classics, the timeless icons of the haute couture world. These are my favourites and my influencers. Lovely to look at, desire, wish for but sadly for my pocket, unattainable.
Brands that I Love
As my personal style is ‘classic casual’, my favourite brands are those heritage brands that have as their signature the styles, cut, fabric and colours that I find flattering to me and because of their classicism they are flattering to many others too. They include such brands as Max Mara and Escada. These are brands that have been around for a long time and are recognised and respected for their quality and relevance to today’s lifestyles. They are accessible, to most of us, in the way that the big designers of haute couture are not.
Brands that I Buy
I buy both Max Mara and Escada, as mentioned above, especially if I am buying an investment piece such as a coat or jacket.
Other brands that I find myself continually returning to, as part of my personal styling journey, are: Gina Bacconi, Kettlewell Colours, Hobbs, L.K. Bennett and Kate Spade.
Some of my favourite outfits
A casual outfit
A vintage green dress
Pink bombshell dress
Classic gold wrap dress
Create Your Own Style Identity
Lockdown week 1!
Well here we are in an unprecedented situation, but we are making the most of it and staying connected with each other especially through the power of social media. Although we are not going out and seeing each other thankfully we still can see each other through...
