Inside a Shop and Drop Appointment for a Plus Size Client
I’ve worked with Michelle* a couple of times, she initially came to me after gaining some weight and feeling that she’d completely lost her sense of style and herself. Michelle had decided that she needed to embrace and invest in her wardrobe for the body that she had now. She was fed up of feeling the way she did in her clothes and it was making her feel worse about herself.
Michelle said “I probably know what suits me deep down clothes-wise, but since I’ve put weight on I’ve really lost a sense of myself. I can’t find the right clothes and what I am wearing is not doing me any favours! I would just like to look less frumpy. I know I’m carrying too much weight, but I know from before, you made me feel like me again.’
Michelle was wearing the same few items in her wardrobe, usually jogging bottoms and an oversized top. She acknowledged that she used the clothes to hide behind, but didn’t know what else to wear that would be comfortable but look good on her. Michelle didn’t really feel confident to go to the shops and as a dress size 20-22 the options instore are really limited as not many carry extended sizes. So we decided that we would do a Shop and Drop, whereby I search for pieces online, order and then deliver them to Michelle. It means she had access to all the brands online and none of the hassle of being in for a delivery or dealing with returns- something she told me she hated!
Michelle’s Preferences:
A mix of smart casual clothing that she could wear to the office and whilst out and about without thinking about it.
To look smarter, but without compromising on ease and comfort.
Darker colours but with pops of brightness and a statement incorporating into her look.
She really wanted to find some long boots to wear with dresses and skirts which were comfortable to wear all day, as well as a leather jacket which she had been wanting for a long time.
Online Shopping
I shopped for Michelle and pulled pieces that matched her requirements and pinned them onto a Moonsift board for her so that she had a chance to look at the pieces I recommended and approve them before I ordered, to make sure we were on the right track! I had selected 39 potential pieces, creating mini outfits for Michelle and giving her plenty of options, knowing that there would be a couple of pieces that she may not like. We had a quick call to go through the pieces and Michelle said ‘“There’s lots of really pretty stuff!! I feel happier already!’
After our call I ordered the items and they were delivered to me in readiness for my appointment at Michelle’s home.
With a boot full of clothes and shoes I headed over to Michelle’s house so she could try on all the pieces I had selected.
From the pieces I ordered Michelle kept 10 Tops , 4 Trousers, 3 Skirts, 3 Dresses, 3 pairs of footwear, a coat and a jacket.
Outfit Creation
Here’s a selection of some of the outfits we created for Michelle:
If you are struggling to find clothes on the High Street, you may find my Shopping Directories helpful. They include a range of mid-priced brands for those over a size 18. There are currently over 30 brands listed and it is FREE to download!
*Name changed for confidentiality
