Making the most of your body shape

By BARBARA WARD

Rifling through people’s wardrobes is all in a day’s work for style consultant Natalie Stevenson.

If a client is in need of a style overhaul, she starts by checking their clothes and, by mixing and matching, tries to create as many new outfits she can from existing ones.

She says: “I do look in people’s wardrobes, a bit like Trinny and Susannah, but I’m not as rude as they can be.
“I don’t like to throw things out. Often things can be repaired, dyed or altered. A lot of clothing has been bought for a special reason and means a lot to people.

“I like to encourage people to adapt what they’ve got.”
Natalie will photograph outfits and compile a report, so clients remember what alternatives they have.

She also provides a list of shops that she thinks will have clothing and accessories to suit them best.

Natalie was at Aura Boutique on the top floor of The Buttermarket in Newark, on Saturday to offer customers extra style advice.
Natalie, through her company, Natty Style, also offers a personal shopping service. She pre-selects items for clients to try on and they can return later if they want to buy. Her style services cost £40 an hour.

She says: “Many of my clients are time-poor. They don’t want to traipse around shops.

“Nature has given us a basic body shape that other than cosmetic surgery cannot be altered, so you have to work with what you’ve got.

“I encourage people to make the most of their body shape. Most people find if they look good they feel confident.”
Aura Boutique is co-owned by Rachel Drummond and Jo Llewelyn. They both worked in fashion before opening the shop and decided to stock clothes they themselves would want to wear.

Clothes from the shop will be featured at a fashion show at Flintham Village Hall on July 26 in aid of Flintham Community Shop.

ABOVE: Natalie Stevenson, left, with Aura Boutique co-owners Jo Llewelyn and Rachel Drummond. A010706JC4-1

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