- Motherhood Melbourne
How a personal stylist can help you dress with confidence and style
Shopping, you either love it or hate it. But we've all got to wear clothes right? After growing a human (or three), our bodies ch-ch-change. Not only that but our identity and style gets all mixed up. For Melbourne Mum and owner of The Personal Styler – Tors Innes, the experience of motherhood was bumpy. Endless chats with other Mums, inspired a light-bulb idea of how she could transition from styling characters on TV and film, to helping Mamas regain confidence and a new sense of style. Find out how a personal stylist can help you set your own styling rules.
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Written by Tors Innes – owner of The Personal Styler.
Shopping you either love it or hate it.
Before I started my business ‘The Personal Styler’, I was shopping for a living. I wasn’t shopping for everyday people, but shopping for ‘created’ characters.
After starting in fashion, I moved into working in the Film and TV industry in costume where I have worked for nearly 20 years. I still freelance in the industry and I run my Personal Styling business too.
The two pursuits of shopping for a character in film and shopping for a personal client are similar but completely different at the same time. In film it may be shopping and styling to help build a character, a scene or film clip that framed our lives. The outfit and the styling is a carefully crafted piece of that ‘story- telling’.
Recently in film, I’ve mainly worked on contemporary shows like House Husbands, The Wrong Girl and Jack Irish. And yes, Guy Pearce is one of the loveliest humans you will come across (I get asked that a lot by Mamas).
Whilst shopping for a Mama (or an individual) might seem much more ’down to earth’, the truth is uncovering their character, and helping each individual to tell their story outwardly is an extraordinary process of discovery. Every individual has a unique set of attributes in personality, body shape, lifestyle, likes and dislikes, which acts as elements of their script.
My own story of transition to Mama-hood was not a fairytale. I was shell-shocked! I didn’t really know what to do. To be honest, I initially regretted having my son. I felt lost and didn’t know who I was or how I was meant to cope. I didn’t feel like me. All of my energy went into trying to be a Mum. I couldn’t breast feed – I felt like a failure.
Thankfully I had a very supportive partner (now husband) who really helped me through it. I went back to work after three months because I didn’t really cope very well with my new role of being a Mama. The connection with my son in the first few months was difficult.
At the same time, I had always wanted to have my own business, but felt I had a new business idea each week, but could never settle on ‘the right idea’. Then the seed was planted for The Personal Styler whilst chatting to other Mamas over a couple of kid-free wines. A recurring theme of conversation was that we all just wanted to feel like ourselves again and have confidence, something we had all lost since becoming Mamas. In a nutshell I could utilise all of my professional skills and my challenges as a Mama and bring them together to help inspire women like myself.
For this reason, being a Personal Stylist is one of the best jobs in the world. I feel like I have been on a huge adventure of self-discovery for myself since having my son. I have had to really look in the mirror and accept myself for who I am in a very confronting manner. Accepting I am not ‘perfect’ and discovering my perfect is being true to me was a big lesson (…and still in progress – whilst hitting my mid 40’s).
This story of self-discovery runs concurrently with my business and the two life elements have fed each other. My son is the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Now my son is about to start school and I want to be able to be there for him to support him and watch him grow. And even in an indirect manner my personal and professional practice of channelling true identity and confidence (in myself and others) is something I want him to carry through his life.
My advice and my mantra to all Mamas, is to be true to yourself. My mission in styling is to create looks, wardrobes and a way of putting on clothes that gives every Mama a secret weapon or suit of armour to take on the world in her own personal way. In this way I endeavour to flip the wardrobe dilemma of ‘measuring-up’ to anyone else’s standard or rules of fashion, comparison or conformity. You are discovering your own set of rules.
As The Personal Styler I guide, style and empower woman through group styling workshops, one-on-one consults including Wardrobe Edit, Body Shape Analysis and Personal Shopping Experiences. Client’s can select their own package or I can guide them through a tailored service.
ABOUT THE PERSONAL STYLER
Inspiring women to dress with style and confidence.
Business owner: Tors Innes
Coffee order: No coffee for me but have recently started drinking Almond Chai.
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