Industry Interviews: We talk to Stylist Sheila McNeive
Stylist and Image Consultant, Sheila McNeive - Bray Co Wicklow.
www.sheilamcneive.com
Q: How long have you been interested in style?
A: As a child I remember waiting at the bottom of the stairs in anticipation of what my mother would be wearing to a party. I loved clothes and in particular the details and colours fascinated me.
Q: When did you first realise that you wanted ‘fashion and styling’ to become your career?
A: While working in fashion retail I realized that dressing to suit your bodyshape really boosted a woman's confidence. Also I could make her look slimmer, taller and more attractive and this of course made her feel good about herself and leave the shop much happier than when she came in. It was this transformation on the inside of her that interested me most. It was then that I decided to get a qualification from the Institute of Image Consultants of Ireland.
Q: What kind of styling do you specialise in? Fashion styling, image consultancy, corporate dressing, or editorial?
A: All of them at one stage or another but now I do more image consultancy. The latter is more thorough and covers everything from colour analysis to personal shopping.
Q: What does a person need to be, in order to be defined as stylish?
A: That's difficult! Style is very hard to define but one thing is certain: most of us know it when we see it. It's an awareness of how to dress and how to give your way of dressing a certain distinction. I think attention to grooming, as in your hair, make-up, nails and accessories define us. It's all in the details!
Q: How would you describe your own sense of style?
A: Smart-casual during the day but I do love to really dress-up when going out at night. I stick to the rules for my figure and only really wear colours that suit me... even if I see a top I adore, if it's the wrong shape or colour and not worth altering, I'll put it back....occupational hazzard I'm afraid! Make-up for me is less is more. It can take longer to apply but the overall effect is better, I feel. I also love jackets and coats. You can do the school run wearing jeans and a T but with a great coat I still feel good. Also I tell all my clients of the wonders of the fitted jacket. Zara is great for jackets. I almost always wear one.
Q: Every single person has a different personality and therefore a different approach to style – so if someone comes to you for help, how do you go about determining what a person’s style should be?
A: I usually ask them what celebrity they aspire to look like and/or to bring along a few cuttings from magazines of clothes/celebrities they admire. It's a good starting point. If I'm doing a wardrobe detox or personal shopping with a client, I ask them to pick their favourite outfit from the shop/wardrobe. That tells a lot about your personality.
Q: What are the basic mistakes that people make?
A: Too much make-up/fake tan.
Wearing something that doesn't suit their figure i.e. short skirts when their legs are Not their finest asset.
The wrong colour tone in their hair.
The wrong colour tone in their clothes.
The 'it'll do for work' attitude drives me bonkers!
Q: What tips would you give to someone who wants to re-invent their look?
A: Start by looking in your wardrobe and taking out only what you think really suits your figure. You'll probably find that these are among your favourite clothes. Use them as a guide. Going to a Wardrobe Workshop, like I run, is the most economical and fun way to get a colour anlylsis and one-to-one advice on what suits you and what doesn't. Check the internet too for prize winning hair stylists and colourists in your area. Make-up is next; go along to one of the make-up counters like mac or bobbi brown where they use Real make-up artists and pick their brains. There are many make-up and hair courses running around the country, like beauty-bootcamp.ie. in Fitzwilliam Sq. It is really worth it as these are lessons for life.
Q: Who would you cite as your style inspirations?
A: My Mother. She was always impeccably dressed and very elegant. The fact that she was slim, tall and looked like a movie star helped too!
Q: Finally, if you got the chance to style or re-style a particular celebrity, who would it be and why?
A: Louis Walsh! He's improved a lot over the years but he's still making mistakes with shirt collars in particular. He should always wear a jacket too as he's got shoulders that slope and they need definition. He coloured his hair, if you remember, during the X-Factor last year and it was great at the beginning. A hugh improvement as his eyes were suddenly very blue and he looked younger. However, as the weeks went on his hair got darker and darker, until it was too dark. He's gone back to the grey hair now but if I was his stylist....!!!!
Your Comments
If you were logged in you could add a comment to this article. If you are not yet a member why not join now...