Mission Revamp

The Date: Wed 12th March
The Mission: To re-vamp my mate Jo’s wardrobe.
The Place: Topshop Oxford Circus

00Nicola Woodbine was our assigned agent for our two hour clothes revamp and I think you’ll agree the mission was a definite success…

My mate Jo works at an investment bank, so spends her days suited and booted and looking very much the ‘Working Girl’. She has amazing legs and a cleavage that I am extremely envious of, yet when she’s not at work she wears combats, baggy jeans, hoodies and t-shirts.

So for her 30th, I decided to take her to Topshop to be re-styled, which she was very much looking forward to. Now you need to be organised here as they get very booked up so plan ahead don’t just call the day before. It’s taken us since November to get a date in the diary. We met Nicola who was our assigned style advisor and she took a brief from Jo as to what she wanted, including the type of looks she wanted, colours she liked and disliked and then the fun began. Jo and I were given ½ an hour to play Topshop sweep and go and ‘gather’ things to try on.

I was in my absolute element, so much so I was asked several times if I worked at Topshop, due to the intense look on my face and arms full of clothes. Nicola had also gone off to collect numerous items and we reconvenied in the lush changing room and filled several clothes rails. The important thing to do is pick things you wouldn’t normally and also it’s good to take a friend as I was picking much more up than Jo and being more adventurous (she may say bossy!) but we had a really good selection.

Then it was GO GO GO - time for Jo to get trying on. It’s amazing how the time flies when you're having fun, it did feel like we were playing dressing up, there were clothes/shoes/bags and bangles everywhere! One thing though - don’t spend too much time pondering as the last ½ hour was a frantic period of us throwing as many items as possible at Jo for us to try on as you only 2 hours. We had a very good system in place, a definitely, a maybe and a definitely not, which I would recommend as it helps you keep track and probably helps prevent the bank come knocking too quickly. One thing we didn’t have was any alcohol.. till after.. which I think is wise when you’re potentially going to be spending a small fortune.

Jo wanted sexy, sassy casual looks, including smart jeans and interesting tops. She also wanted some more work clothes, and we kind of bullied her into things she’d not thought of but was really excited about them at the end. Jo soon realised that very subtle changes can be made to your wardrobe to change how you look. Have a look at some of the outfits she walked away with.

Click here to see Jo's stylish transformation.

TOP TIPS FOR A REVAMP:

• Don’t go too far outside your comfort zone or you won’t wear what you’ve bought
• Accessorize – Belts (a tan belt is a must), big statement Jewellry and a good quality handbag for everyday
• Dark jeans – yes skinny are still in. Don’t be afraid to buy a size smaller (as long as you can breathe) as they do stretch
• Do experiment with colour but think about your skin tone
• Day dresses give a different look – think floral or ditzy print, but not too dressy

KEY ITEMS

• High Waisted skirt
• Good jacket as outwear is what people see first, so why not go expensive and colourful

TOP TIP FOR A DATE
Don’t try to hard and don’t wear an outfit you will be messing with all night.