From an early age, I enjoyed reading fashion magazines and loved to spend Saturdays scouring charity shops, jumble sales and the high street; buying clothes, accessories and make-up that caught my eye.
On leaving school in 1971, it never crossed my mind that I could carve a career from my love of fashion and styling. Over the past 40 years, my career pathway emerged as a qualified confidence trainer, career coach and certified practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
However, as my 60th birthday got closer, I was still wondering if I could embrace professional styling as a career. I started to research courses when I found the British College of Professional Styling. I decided to do this course because the information on the website was well written, pictorial and easy to understand.
There was no pressure when deciding if the course was right for me and the easy payment options meant that it was a realistic financial option.
The tutorials are an absolute joy to read. The information is provided in a structured way, so what you are reading about is always timely and relevant. They include many helpful links to websites and blogs, lots of handy hints and expert tips. The structure of the course also encouraged me to develop my own ideas and build and identify a library of resources (including online styling tools) as I progressed.
I read the tutorials and tutor feedback over and over again because I always found that there was something new to learn; making keynotes that I still carry around with me. I thoroughly enjoyed doing the assignments because they were fun, practical and enabled me to immediately put the theory into practice so that my confidence was increased week-on-week.
Throughout the course, I was encouraged to start practising with friends and family. I loved designing my clients’ bespoke styling sessions. In practising my styling skills, my clients gave me feedback which helped me to gain further confidence in my abilities.
The two years of the course flew by as I easily fit the course reading and assignments around my busy personal and professional life.
In November 2016, my husband and I opened Brogdale Boutique, offering colourful clothes and accessories.
I provide short colour analysis sessions in the boutique to help ladies learn how to create a bespoke wardrobe that reflects their personality, individual colouring and body shape.
Recently I hosted a fashion show as part of Ageless Thanet, and I was so proud to see some of our customers take “their walk of courage” in front of an audience as they confidently modelled the clothes they love to wear from Brogdale Boutique.
I now work with a range of organisations that include Clinique, marketing and web designers, and a range of professionals in the hair, beauty and photographic industry, who help me to offer a professional service.
Brogdale Boutique launched a range of customer feedback workshops to help women 50+ look and feel better.
I genuinely endorse this course because this course has enabled me to blend past and current skills with my love of fashion and styling. Now I have turned a dream into a rewarding and satisfying business venture and I have never been happier!
