Oxfordshire bloggers go styling at Olivia May with LisaB Styling
For someone who currently lives in jeans and tops or jumpers outside work, and black trousers and brighter tops in work, a styling event doesn’t sound like somewhere you’d fine me. But last week, I met up with other Oxfordshire Bloggers for a styling event at an independent boutique in Oxford, Olivia May.
Organised by Kate who runs Oxfordshire Bloggers, the event brought together some of the usual crowd plus some other newer bloggers and business owners, to find out some hints and tips on styling from Lisa at Lisa B Styling. As well as giving us the opportunity to meet Ann and her team at Olivia May, and to have a nosy and try on of some of the clothes they stock.
It’s a real treat to get out and about like an adult in Oxford. I’ve usually got N in tow, and clothes shopping is off the agenda. With my diet, until I get to goal weight I’m mainly loving jewellery and scarves, but there were plenty of those on the agenda.
Olivia May is a gorgeous shop, situated in Little Clarendon Street, so perfect for shoppers wanting something different and more special than the high street. She stocks ranges from british, european and japanese designers (e.g. Les Filles D’ailleurs, Xenia, Lillith and Magnolia Pearl) each bringing something different. There’s more tailored pieces like some long tweedy coats and gorgeous burgundy taffeta dress coat that several of us spotted. Then a lot of layering and more romantic pieces – think Helena Bonham Carter with her carefree style. Oh, and then some more casual pieces – all of the clothing is made from good quality, more luxury and unusual fabrics (no shoving them willy nilly into the washing machine like I tend to do. More care needed!).
We started off with some networking and meeting each other, plus some tasting of Prosecco , juice and tasty treats. I love meeting other bloggers, and it’s especially nice to be able to compare notes with local bloggers. Small world though – I recognised one of the other girls as soon as they turned up and spent the whole time pondering where I knew her from. Eventually I approached her to ask, she recognised me, and we worked out we used to work for the same company back in 1998!
Ann gave us a quick introduction to her team who were all really friendly and chatty, and to the shop and the idea behind the designers and clothes she chooses to sell. Then it was over to Lisa for some styling tips.
Lisa shared the ideas behind ‘doing your colours’, and showed us the different colours behind those with warm or cool tones, and what might suit best depending on your colour season. I’m cool skintones (think blueberry cool hues, rather than peaches and cream tones of a warmer skintone) and surprising to me probably a summer (I’d always thought I was a spring).
She also took us through the various body shapes – apple, pear, hourglass, strawberry, rectangle, and showed us some clothes and jewellery that works well for each of the shapes. I’m a typical pear although at the moment have a bit of a tummy still, and at my slimmest I am straight up and down at the waist, so a bit rectangle. But I’ve got a pretty good idea of what I should and shouldn’t wear…I used to watch a lot of Trinny and Susannah.
Once we’d all had a think about our own colours and body shapes, it was onto scarves. For work I’m a bit partial to a scarf. I rarely wear them day to day outside of work, but they do dress up simple jumpers and tops and give a bit more colour. Spookily I’ve got a post about tying scarves just waiting on videos before being published.
We had a scarf tying demo, tried out a few methods, with a couple of people proclaiming to be converts. And then we were let loose on the shop.
I spotted several gorgeous necklaces and scarves that I could see myself wearing.
And there was one gorgeous jumper (maybe when I’ve got nearer my target weight I’ll treat myself) and a funky vest that was one of the brighter pieces. Not all of the spring and summer pieces were in store yet, so there were still a lot of greys and neutrals. While I didn’t try anything on, it was a good opportunity to ask both Lisa B and the in store stylist for advice about shapes and styles, and to step away from clothes we’re always drawn to.
Experiencing Olivia May at this blogger event has made up my mind that once I’ve got to goal weight I shall be treating myself to some new clothes and having a stylist session to do so. Roll on goal!
If you’re stumped about colour and putting them together, for clothing (or blog, decorating or anything else!), take a look at this article on learning the basics about colours.
Have you ever used a stylist or had your colours done? What type of style do you wear?
Why not check out these posts
It was a fun evening wasn’t it? Thank you for coming. For work I wear skirts or dresses but at home I tend to wear jeans, although today I’ve dressed them up with a scarf tied in one of the ways Lisa B showed us. I don’t find clothes shopping easy or fun so tend to do it online.
We’ve just been talking about clothes shopping – now annoying in town because there’s a new retail park which means if you’re shopping across different stores you need to go to the town centre, then to one retail park, then to another because places in town have moved out. Driving me mad, although saving me more money by not buying clothes at lunchtimes. I think more people will shop online because of it though.
It looks a fab evening – and I’m fascinated by the colours thing. I really should do something about it really, I think I know but it’d be nice to know for sure and not leaving it so much to chance. Thanks for linking up to #pocolo
I’m much like you and live in jeans and t-shirts or jumpers most of the time. I do love shopping though (who doesn’t right?), and I’m sure I’d love to go to Olivia May. Living in Nottingham I may have to wait a while though!
Thanks for linking to #PoCoLo
Another event that have missed out on (insert sad face here) lol. I have never used a stylist before but sounds like such a lovely event. I am also trying to lose a few pounds so outside the items been sent to me for review I am not buying any clothes myself.
I know that feeling. Hard when you don’t want to buy clothes you’ll then be out of soon. I’ve just given a stack of worn and unworn clothes to charity because they no longer fit. Even some recently bought ones
Sounds like a lovely evening, I am trying to turn most of my wardrobe into neutrals over a period of time so that everything goes together. I got my colours done several years ago and was bright winter. I wonder if they change over time! God luck with the weight loss and I hope you get the jumper!
What a beautiful event to attend and an absolutely stunning shop. There are so many pieces in your photos that I would love to have. And those little treats look delicious! xx
Oh my god those cakes look delectable! On another note I like the idea of a blogger styling event and giving you tips and advice although I personally think that everyone should be able to wear what they like regardless of skin colour!
I think a lot of people do wear what they want, but I know there’s a lot of colours that make me look horrendously washed out or ill, so wouldn’t touch those. That’s what they try and teach people – those colours that make the most of someone’s skin tone and colouring.
What a fab event! I really don’t have a clue about what clothes I should be wearing based on my colour or shape, I think I could have really done with going to this event!
The hardest thing is knowing what shape you are as your body changes. Mine used to definitely be pear, but now I’ve got a tummy, but still no ‘waist’. So I’m a bit of several. I just live in jeans anyway.
Sounds like you had an absolutely brilliant day! I am so out of touch with fashion, but I still love close shopping! I have a new love for winter jumpers and skirts and tights with boots, and maybe a pair of jeans! I really need to get myself to a blogging conference, I’d love to meet lots of new people as well as learning lots of new things! Lovely post! Xxx
It’s definitely worth getting to a conference. They’re so much fun, and it’s brilliant to learn from others
I absolutely detest cloning shopping, but if is could do it like this…. Wow! This looks like so much fun!
Clothing shopping, even! 🙂
I preferred clothes shopping when I was slimmer, but also now I see less clothing I like to look at. So then it’s all based on practical need rather than fun. Better on the wallet, but less satisfying.
This is something I would love, I don’t really have a clue about what season or colours I am, I just buy and wear stuff i like really haha x
I’m finding I do more of that nowadays compared with when I was younger when I’d avoid a lot of colours. Now I think sod it!
Wow this looks like you had such an amazing day. The fact that prosseco was involved makes it even more exciting. Oh how I yearn for a day out without a little person 🙂 I will have to check out the post about colours, I have never done anything like that and tend to live in jeans and vest tops. X
Embarrassingly, I also still just wear jeans and jumper/tops…Yep, the same style I used to wear as a teenager. I’m trying to move more towards smarter tops, but that’s still not really happening!
I have to admit, I have never been into a shop that looks like this!! I am normally rushing in and out and tend to stick to the High Street stores. What a treat to be able to go in and look at all the items without a tiny human attached to you! (And with a glass of wine in hand!) xx
Me too, or online when I can’t find what I want on the high street. But then there’s not many in our town.
That dessert looks AMAZE!!!