Something very exciting happened to me this week.  I have had a booking by my first international client!  Wow!  Four days later and I’m still buzzing!  What an exciting opportunity this is going to be?  As well as this being an amazing step forward for NE Styling as a business, it’s going to be a huge learning curve for me and I’ll also be able to pick up some of their international style and tastes that are completely new to the UK.  I can’t wait!

In other good news, I managed to pick up two incredible bargains this week in the last of the summer sales.  Two amazing dresses that I thought could have only ever existed in my head were both 75% off and had my name written all over them!  I love it when that happens!!

And although very cheesy and a little embarrassing, if I’m going to brag about my amazing finds, I feel I should share a picture…cue me, in the fitting room trying on the dresses…I need to learn how to pose…and I need a better camera!

Now, all I need is an occasion to wear them, maybe something to celebrate…oh yes that’s right…I’m on my way to becoming an international stylist!  Eeek!

Noreen  xx

The beginning of the wrap over

Since posting my bridal beach dress ideas a few weeks back, I’ve become infatuated with wrap over style dresses for wedding gowns.  This one from Yves Saint Laurent is another example of how elegantly simple and chic the look can be and I think for an older bride, this is a must-have style. 

Image courtesy of Style.com

Wrap over dresses are what I like to call a ‘one for all’.  It’s a style of dress that can be flattering for most bodies.  The entire design of it (as Diane von Furstenberg will tell you – she built her empire on creating and designing wrap over dresses) is to flatter every inch of the female form.

With a v-neckline to flatter every bust size, the dress drapes across the body to gently hug the frame.  The tie at the side kindly accentuates the smallest point of the waist and the A-line skirt skims beautifully over the hips.  Graceful sleeves and a flowing fabric add the final touch of femininity.

As seen in the original dress that I posted from Halston Heritage, you can find the same elegance in a floor length style.  For me, I would finish off the outfit by opting for over the top evening glamour with diamond earrings, sparkly hair jewels and high-high heels. Gorgeous!

Noreen xx

June's Brides

June was a busy month at NE Styling with two of my brides getting married.  The story of the first bride started back in February when I was contacted by the adorable Gwen who had spent hours and hours looking through magazines, searching the internet and going through stores but still hadn’t had any success in finding her dream wedding dress.  She needed help, and with only four months to go, we had to work quickly. 

The first thing we did was discuss what it was she was looking for in a dress and then we whittled it down to what style would suit her best, what colour or shade of white would work for her and what accessories she wanted.  Armed with this knowledge we were able to plan our assault on the bridal stores. 

From spending days and weeks trying to find the perfect dress, we went from consultation to finalising the outfit with the perfect pair of shoes, all within 10 hours!

“Noreen I never would have found a dress without your help, you made shopping exciting and relaxed.  My dress and accessories, and the bridesmaid’s outfits are all perfect thanks to you.” Gwen

Gush….here are the pics

Congratulations Gwen and Nick xx

'Stylish recycling'

So I’m back from my break away feeling relaxed, re-energised and excited to get back to work.  I had a fantastic time away; glorious weather, amazing food, delicious beer and the wedding was just perfect!

It’s been a bit of a struggle to get back into my work routine (lying by the pool all day with nothing to do but finish the next chapter in my book was quickly becoming my new lifestyle choice!) yet slowly but surely I’ve picked up old habits and found myself back where I left off.

The coolest thing I’ve seen since I’ve been back was this window display in a second-hand/vintage boutique.  They had their large window at the front of the store decked out with a blue shirt marvel.  I found it so quirky I just had to take a pic. 

One of the shirts was worn on the mannequin as trousers and it reminded me of the brand Junky Styling – a London-based design duo whose collections of wonderfully inventive outfits are built solely from recycled garments or dead stock.  The outfits include a ‘circle skirt’ made from three pairs of trousers, lapels from a suit jacket transformed into a halter top and scarves made from the sleeves of a jacket.

A lot of their stuff is a little too ‘1990s' for me, but I can’t help admire their creativity, their passion and the ethos behind the business ‘creating stylishly  unique designs from materials that already exist’, which later evolved to ‘Junky. An addiction to stylish recycling’.

For me this is very relevant to what being stylish is about – uniqueness, creativity and being able to re-wear/recycle your existing garments – perhaps not by cutting them up and turning three pairs of trousers into a skirt, but in terms of being able to re-wear an item in 10 different outfits without it ever looking the same.

I’ll definitely be exploring this idea further in future posts, perhaps even try and re-create some of Junky Styling’s looks, but for now I’ll share with you the pictures from the window display and my favourite pieces from Junky Styling’s previous collections

Window display of Thrifty Boutique, Eldon Square

 All Junky Styling pictures are courtesy of Junky Styling Wardrobe Surgery by Annika Sanders & Kerry Seagar.

 xx

'Summer Breeze' shoot, final pictures

I'm sure many of you will have already seen these on my Facebook page but just incase you haven't, here are the final pictures from my 'Summer Breeze' shoot.

xx

Who does Noreen Elizabeth Styling Recommend?

I’ve started to get a few images back from AnnaVPhoto.com from our shoot on Sunday and I couldn’t be happier with the final pics.  Everything is perfect!  From the hair and make-up to the location, the model’s poses and of course the clothes ; )

I first came up with the idea for the shoot about 6-7 weeks ago.  The concept itself was really a combination of my ideas of ‘how to dress for summer’, starting with a touch of 50s summer glamour, then an experimentation with fantastic summer silks and prints clashed together.  It’s taken a while to get the shoot organised but all of the stress and hard work have definitely paid off, but I couldn’t have got these results if it weren’t for the team that worked alongside me behind the scenes.  I’ve worked with a few of them on many occasions on other photo shoots or with clients and can honestly say they’re fantastic at what they do.  So fantastic in fact, that I am going to name and shame them as my recommended suppliers and pass on their contact details to you.  They all work in bridal sector and offer first-class service and results.

I’ve attached their website details below, so feel free to browse their websites and drop them an e-mail to find out more info!  And don’t forget the mention where you found their contact details!!

Anna Vasylonok – Wedding Photographer http://www.annavphoto.com/

Amanda Williamson – Bridal hair stylist http://www.amandawilliamson.co.uk/

Kristina Foster – Bridal Make-up http://www.kfmakeup.co.uk/

I’ll be posting the final images of last week’s shoot soon!

xx