Claire Jacklin is a Personal Stylist who has been in the fashion industry for over twenty years. Her first ever job was in the design rooms of Paul Smith in Nottingham, where she is from. Claire went on to study Fashion Design with Marketing & Promotion before training in London to become a Personal Stylist. Claire’s reputation goes from strength to strength and she is increasingly becoming known as the ‘Self Care Stylist’ of Wales.
Initially, I was very reluctant to move my work ‘online’. It isn’t the way in which I like to work as I am all about working ‘with’ people. However, as the weeks rolled on during lockdown, I realised that if I didn’t adapt, I would soon be left out of the game and my clients deserved to have access to me in whatever format it took.
So, I offered ¾ of my services in a new online capacity. The only service I couldn’t offer was Colour Analysis because I feel that this cannot be done accurately without a client ‘in person’ & I never compromise on the quality of my work! Surprisingly, the online Style Consultation, Home Wardrobe Styling/Edits and the Online Personal Shops have gone well – really well! I decided to discount these sessions too, as I felt I was offering some help, in some sort of strange way?
I also managed to push myself a little further out of my comfort zone and joined some more social media platforms to get my brand’s reach further afield. I finally joined LinkedIn and (again reluctantly) set up a YouTube Channel, both under my handle ‘Claire Jacklin Stylist’. What I realise by having set up the YouTube channel, is that I can further develop my online services should I need to. By offering advice in short ‘training’ style videos I can cover topics, which come up time and time again, for example, ‘how to style a dress several ways’ or ‘what is Colour Analysis’. I can now add to this video library and send these out directly to clients for further help or information if required – a real positive!
All of this said, I am more than keen to get back into my studio in Penarth to see my clients face to face. Why? Because I love building up relationships with those who book to see me – many clients have remained with me for several years. I absolutely love doing Colour Analysis and demonstrating how certain colours can help you look younger and fresher. The power of colour is incredible! I also love showing ladies their correct make-up shades using the now well known, Tropic’s make-up, which is cruelty-free, vegan and freshly made here in the UK. I can personalise a make-up palette for each Client with colours that work perfectly for their skin tone and they know that they are buying the correct shades etc. With Tropic purchases, a percentage of each sale goes to the World Schools Organisation, helping to educate underprivileged children. It’s just a fantastic brand to be working with!
My main aim in what I do as a Stylist is to help someone feel better about themselves, and clothing just happens to be the tool that I use to do this. If you know your best colours, the fabrics that work well for your body lines and what your true Style Personality is, you are armed with the knowledge to dress for yourself, in a way that makes you feel more confident. It is not about the latest trends or buying more. In fact, it is about trying to utilize what you already own and just add some tweaks to give you a confidence boost that you so richly deserve. I like to call myself the ‘Self-Care Stylist’ because I care; I really care about you feeling good, by looking good and representing yourself to the world as your best, confident self.
You can find Claire on her Instagram Page @clairejacklinstylist
