Wardrobe Overhaul by Made You Look Lifestyle Stylists

August 17, 2012 by • Lifestyle • Tags: • 1 Comment

Okay, I’m just going to put this out there. I have a lot of clothing. And not alot of space. And a stubborn husband who refuses to let me take over our spare bedroom with my clothing.

Enter- Made you look lifestyle stylists.

MYL offers affordable wardrobe overhauls, closet design, personal shopping, style consulting and everything in between.

Their service is about providing busy (and clueless, like me) people with wardrobe interventions and affordable solutions. They help you tailor your wardrobe such that you have all the essentials you need for both formal and casual occasions. They also help style your existing clothing, so that your wardrobe is being used optimally.

For me personally, I didn’t need much styling/ shopping advice as I love putting outfits together and shopping for clothes.

BUT… What I did need desperate help with was wardrobe organisation.
My stuff was just chaos. I couldn’t see all of my clothing, let alone find what I wanted to wear. I had so much stuff in my wardrobe that my hangers were practically glued together so flipping through them was impossible. My shelves were a jumbled mess.. When I wanted something, I would dig my hand in and pull clothing out at random, like a lucky packet.

I do try and organise my wardrobe every few months, but all it takes is one rushed getting ready session, and everything is crazy again.

I would never have thought that I could afford a service like the one MYL offers… I thought that these kinds of things were only for celebs! MYL is surprisingly affordable, and can be justified because it is an investment.

So, one Saturday morning, 2 ladies arrived on my doorstep armed with notebooks, a camera and a whole lot of determination. The first thought that struck my mind is wow, they are gorgeous! Dominique and Carol were both dressed to the nines, and look like supermodels with bodies to match! The next thing I thought was.. oh my gosh, I am so intimidated… I can’t believe I am going to expose my wardrobe to supermodel-esque strangers. Are they going to judge me? They’re probably going to be horrified that my clothing is in the state it is. My wardrobe definitely isn’t something I am proud of.

These ladies were totally not judgemental at all. We started the session with an in depth consultation.. all about what types of clothing I prefer, what my lifestyle is like, my weight and measurements, my style icons etc.

Next I opened my wardrobe and Dominique said: “I am so excited to start! I can’t believe you live like this. You’re going to be blown away when we’re done.” I was shocked, and must have asked her 3 or 4 times whether she actually enjoys cleaning out people’s cupboards. She replied saying it is her passion! After watching them work, I could see that clearly both ladies love what they do.

So- here are the before pictures *cringe*

 They started by empting everything out the cupboards, so they could get an idea of how they were going to reorganise.

Previously, I had a “belt” hanger and a “scarf” hanger… both of these had to go!

The 1.5 hour appointment went super quickly. We agreed that they would return later that week to complete the wardrobe overhaul.

When I saw how they arranged my cupboards, I was gobsmacked. Oh em gee. I cannot believe that they managed to do this with the limited space I had!

I previously had suitcases and other rubbish on my top shelf. They moved the suitcases and used the left hand side of the space for jerseys and handbags. Since I had 2 bridal showers (one for my DBN friends and one for my JHB friends), I got tons of lingerie which they put in the pretty box at the top right hand side of this pic. All my wire hangers were thrown out- apparently these damage clothes and make them lose their shape. These were replaced with plastic hangers. Scarves and gloves were placed in the hanging organiser on the right hand side- close up below.

Love this storage idea for pumps and sandals
Hatbox and handbags on the top shelf, with clothes neatly folded below. Swimming costumes were placed in a clear plastic box.
My winter wardrobe (coats and suits for work), as well as seldom worn items like my wedding dress, were placed in our spare room’s wardrobe. I am convinced that I can maintain this new look, because everything is so spaced out and easily accessible. Now, you’re probably wondering how much all of this costs..
The initial 1.5 hour consultation is R750. The wardrobe overhaul costs R400 for the first hour, and R250 per hour thereafter. This does not include any hangers/boxes etc, but MYL has good suppliers and can get these things at very affordable prices.
The next steps after this (which I did not opt for), would be to pay a R100 retainer per month and have MYL at your disposal, for special occasion shopping, wardrobe maintenance, alterations etc. You can also give MYL a budget so that they can shop for you. They specified that even if you have R200 to spend per month on clothing, they can find items that would fit in perfectly with your lifestyle and your wardrobe.
Lastly, they offer a Personalised Style Book, where they dress up a mannequin in different styles, looks and accessories from your wardrobe. They take pics and put together a comprehensive style book. The hourly fee for this is R250 and the complete printed style book is R1500.
Husband always complains that I am a difficult person to buy gifts for because, well, I am a bit of a shopaholic, so I make a plan to buy most items I want- leaving him clueless as to what to buy me. I think using MYL makes an ideal gift. The wardrobe overhaul is something that has really changed my life and has made a difference to my “getting ready” experience every single day.
I thought it would be fun to do a bit of a Q&A with Carol and Dominique, so that you could get a better feel of MYL.
Q: Tell us a bit about how MYL started
A: Dominique has a background in PR and marketing and has worked at various magazines includiong Cosmopolitan, FHM and Heat. She wanted to keep her time flexibile and explore her creative side, and discovered that she was passionate about doing wardrobe overhauls and helping people work with their clothing to improve their confidence.
Carol studied fashion design, makeup and styling. She opened Agog clothing in Fourways Mall and then went on to do freelance makeup. She then opened Gemini Jane in Rivonia Village (next to Woolies). She remains constantly curious about style and loves getting to know people. She and Dominique have been friends for years, and over a glass of wine one day, MYL was born.
Q: What were your initial thoughts when you saw my cupboard?
A: Dom: To be brutally honest, I could not understand how you dressed in the morning!! It was, as I said, a dream come true for us, because there was so much to do. I could not believe that such amazing clothing was so badly ironed and packed. I am sure you can see now, how much better your clothes look on, once they have been hung and folded properly!
Carol: My actual first thought was that you cannot possibly wear all those clothes nor could you have remembered you had some of those items.
Q: What are the 3 items every women should own?

A: Dom: In my opinion, an amazing pair of jeans that can be dressed up or down, a fabulous, classic little black dress and good underwear!

Carol: Good jeans, killer heels and properly fitted underwear (most importantly a well fitted bra)

Q: What were the key changes you made to optimise my space?
A: Re-hanging and folding items allowed us to separate gym and more relaxed clothing from your blouses , knitwear and pyjamas which immediately made items more visible.

Q: What suggestions could you give people on a budget to better organize their clothing?
A: Dom: Pack away what you don’t need, don’t hoard unnecessary items and keep folded clothes neat. Drawer dividers and boxes are brilliant and make your cupboards more visually appealing. Use MYL- we are not an expensive option!

Carol: Good coat hangers don’t have to be pricey and they really make your wardrobe visually pleasing

Q: What are your favourite stores to shop at, for both casual and glam wear?
Dom: I love Zara, Mango and Woolies for basics; Gemini Jane for evening wear; Luella and Aldo for shoes; Guess for jeans and Puma and Adidas for gymwear

Carol: I have to say Gemini Jane! I buy my shoes from Nine West and luckily get to travel where I buy good inexpensive basics from H&M and Uniglo

Visit MYL’s Facebook page for more details or drop Dominique a mail at: dominique@myl-stylists.co.za
Their website, www.myl-stylists.co.za will be live soon.

xo
H

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