Evening for Napier women to sort out their wardrobes

Image consultant Isabel Oakley will be hosting an evening at Napier Healthy Inspirations.

Isabel Oakley loves her wardrobe, so much so she wants other women to feel the same. Isabel is teaming up with Napier Healthy Inspirations for a 'women's power hour', a fun and interactive evening to learn how to sort out your wardrobe.

The newly retired Isabel says she is using her skills to help people make decisions.

"To me it's about women feeling good about themselves — it's not about your size, it's about your shape."

Isabel has drawn on her experience working in retail, helping sort women's wardrobes and her qualification as an image consultant gained in London, to help women.

"Every wardrobe I've helped, they can't believe it — it's liberating. I don't make judgments, it's about helping."

And it seems there are plenty of places where we need help.

"Women predominantly only wear around 20 per cent of their wardrobe. We hang on to clothes for four reasons — we have nothing to wear with it, it's the wrong colour for us, it's the wrong shape and it's not who we are."

Isabel says we all have a clothing personality style including classic, natural and creative dramatic.

"You can mix styles and be a bit edgy but you have to know how to."

She says we all love a bargain, but we make the mistake of buying an item of clothing without thinking about what fits or if it goes with anything. With her own wardrobe, Isabel has a colour theme and a style theme.

"I can be creative. I'm developing as I age. We need to think about what stage we are at and where we live our lives."

She also believes we should buy in threes and 'trans seasonalise' our wardrobes.

"It's about layering. We need to think about what we will wear something with — it depends on the fabric and style."

Having an emotional connection to our clothing can also be a hindrance.

"We are emotionally connected to our wardrobes. We may have paid a lot for it 25 years ago so we're not going to give it away. I'm over that now. I see it as a blessing to pass on to another woman. Sometimes it takes a bit of time to process that."

Isabel says she is a great believer in modernising yourself.

"You change. You're not the same woman you were three or five years ago. A certain look can peg you somewhere. It's about changing it up a bit and wearing what suits you."

"We are so hard on ourselves. It's about being healthy in your body and mind. If you feel good in your clothes, it gives you confidence. It's all about you, not what the world thinks."

■ Get your wardrobe style to work for you, Healthy Inspirations, Dickens St, Napier, Thursday, June 11, 5.30pm-6.30pm. Bring a friend and an item of clothing that fits but for some reason you never wear and what you would likely choose to wear with it. Bookings essential, RSVP by Monday, June 8, napier@healthyinspirations.co.nz or 835 8402.