Hello and welcome to my very first blog!
My name is Gilly and I'm a designer, dressmaker and stylist based in Bristol in the UK.
I design and make bespoke finery: bridal gowns, occasion wear and corsets, I style photo shoots, fashion shows, performers and individuals and I party pretty hard too.
I'm 30, I'm single and I live with a gay man, a papier mache flamingo and a lot of hats in a little flat in Cotham.
I decided to write this blog to offer impartial honest and realistic advice on style and beauty that comes from years of experience working with women of every age, shape and size and a deep seated, in built passion for making women feel beautiful, feminine, stylish and (above all) confident. Not from a load of celebrity endorsements and beauty industry back handers often designed to hard sell you unnecessary products by making you feel inadequate.
I deal with self depreciating, body dismorphic women every day and it makes me so sad that they can't see the beauty in themselves that is so obvious to me.
When I go out dressed up I get as many compliments from women about the way I look as I do from men, on one occasion, in a ladies powder room, I had an actual queue of women asking me where my outfit was from and complimenting me on my look, it took me 20 minutes to get out of the loo!... my date thought I'd climbed out the window ;-)
One of these women became a client, I told her her correct bra size, (2 cup sizes bigger that the one she was wearing) made her a corset (a welcome addition to any wardrobe and the only comfortable strapless garment she had ever owned) and altered some of her work suits so that they fitted her properly and drew attention to her tiny waist. I made an empire line dress which was entirely the wrong shape for her and far to small around her bust) into a pretty summer skirt and found a beautiful piece of silk to make a matching camisole (that fitted her bust perfectly.)
Most of these jobs were small and inexpensive but that woman told me I'd changed her life.
By learning how to dress her figure she began to love it for the first time.
People asked her if she'd lost weight or been on holiday and complimented her on how well she looked, her posture improved with her confidence and she told me that she was genuinely happier.
I'm not a model, I'm not unusually pretty, I'm an average size 12, I'm not rich or famous, (I'm not getting any younger!) there is nothing much spectacular about me at all, except that I know how to dress, I'm not afraid to stand out in a crowd, I know about underwear and structure and cut and fit and how to flatter my figure, I know how to apply good make up, I'm lucky enough to call my hairdresser my best friend and I'm on first name terms with my shoe repair guy.
It's as simple as that girls, it just takes a little knowledge and a little practise and it could just change your life....
My name is Gilly and I'm a designer, dressmaker and stylist based in Bristol in the UK.
I design and make bespoke finery: bridal gowns, occasion wear and corsets, I style photo shoots, fashion shows, performers and individuals and I party pretty hard too.
I'm 30, I'm single and I live with a gay man, a papier mache flamingo and a lot of hats in a little flat in Cotham.
I decided to write this blog to offer impartial honest and realistic advice on style and beauty that comes from years of experience working with women of every age, shape and size and a deep seated, in built passion for making women feel beautiful, feminine, stylish and (above all) confident. Not from a load of celebrity endorsements and beauty industry back handers often designed to hard sell you unnecessary products by making you feel inadequate.
I deal with self depreciating, body dismorphic women every day and it makes me so sad that they can't see the beauty in themselves that is so obvious to me.
When I go out dressed up I get as many compliments from women about the way I look as I do from men, on one occasion, in a ladies powder room, I had an actual queue of women asking me where my outfit was from and complimenting me on my look, it took me 20 minutes to get out of the loo!... my date thought I'd climbed out the window ;-)
One of these women became a client, I told her her correct bra size, (2 cup sizes bigger that the one she was wearing) made her a corset (a welcome addition to any wardrobe and the only comfortable strapless garment she had ever owned) and altered some of her work suits so that they fitted her properly and drew attention to her tiny waist. I made an empire line dress which was entirely the wrong shape for her and far to small around her bust) into a pretty summer skirt and found a beautiful piece of silk to make a matching camisole (that fitted her bust perfectly.)
Most of these jobs were small and inexpensive but that woman told me I'd changed her life.
By learning how to dress her figure she began to love it for the first time.
People asked her if she'd lost weight or been on holiday and complimented her on how well she looked, her posture improved with her confidence and she told me that she was genuinely happier.
I'm not a model, I'm not unusually pretty, I'm an average size 12, I'm not rich or famous, (I'm not getting any younger!) there is nothing much spectacular about me at all, except that I know how to dress, I'm not afraid to stand out in a crowd, I know about underwear and structure and cut and fit and how to flatter my figure, I know how to apply good make up, I'm lucky enough to call my hairdresser my best friend and I'm on first name terms with my shoe repair guy.
It's as simple as that girls, it just takes a little knowledge and a little practise and it could just change your life....
Class, you are amazing!
ReplyDeleteYou have quite a knack of saying it ike it is Gill. I'm hooked already! Love the photo too! ;-)
ReplyDeletexx
I can attest to the fact that thanks to the couture of the Woo, I have been accosted by fashionistas in Chelsea and followed around a Shanghaiese wedding by strangers who "wanted to have their picture taken with me." Next stop...Westwooding a vintage military jacket...
ReplyDeleteAwesome first post, Gilly!
ReplyDeleteI only started blogging recently as well- sad for someone who asks to be paid for writing! Guess we just fell off the turnip truck yesterday, as they say in the Midwest...
x
First class ... And simply ...the BEST..
ReplyDeleteOver the weeks watching the BBC's programme I think I've began to fall in love with you. You seem to be one of lifes very rare beauties both inside and out. I wish you the very best.
ReplyDeleteIn the words of the great Dave Wakeling.....
ReplyDeleteHands Off She's Mine.
i like cars infect i like car racing i want to say that these type of cars are the best and the best cars around the world.these are rarely known cars in some countries like pakistan an india and other under developing countries.i like it really i like it very much.i want to spend my whole life to this field because this is fantastic and super cool job i like it. Mercedes Benz C55 AMG Power Steering Rack
ReplyDelete