Notes on Styling | 31 | The joy of starting fresh, little Christmas treats and other Substacks I love
..and a Happy Christmas to you all.
So often we’re only privy to someone’s finished thing, or story of success, which can easily give the impression that starting things is easy for other people. It never is. There is always the worry of failure, the messy middle and the little incremental steps along the way. Substack is the first home I have had online where I feel I can create some of the feeling of intimacy I had in a classroom. That feeling of having a warm cup of tea in your hand, chatting to some lovely women about things you love.
I am beginning to feel it in this space too. A feeling of joy spending time here, creating, writing and sharing with you what I’ve learnt about styling and building a wardrobe that has purpose and authenticity.
And so, as the year comes to a close and we are still here, I want to say thank you.
I started building my little mailing list in the early days of my business (I started styling in 2009). In those days, handing out leaflets, going to events and getting people’s email addresses on a piece of paper was the thing to do. How times have changed.
But it was Dragons Den (in 2011) that changed everything for my happy little list. It went from about 300 to over 5,000 in a week.
Since then I’ve edited down - a lot. We all join lists on the spur of the moment but there are few we truly engage with and look forward too hearing from. I get it. I do it too. People come and go as the seasons of our lives change and I’ve learnt over the years that just like our wardrobe, it’s not about quantity but quality and being able to reach those who need the value you have to offer at that time.
The New Year..
So, here’s to a fresh start.
I look forward to sharing much more about Style Design, how you can build your own Style Philosophy, Getting to the heart of your 3 Style Words, how do you know if you don’t yet know your true Personal Style and so much more.
I want my writing to be valuable and helpful to you wherever you are on your style journey. Whether it’s inspiring you to dust something off from the depths of your wardrobe that you were never too sure how to wear, or just give you an outfit formula to try out from one of my styling boards, this is a place for you to feel at home with the idea of your style being a changing thing. A thing to play with, get confidence from but ultimately for it to feel more like you.
Maybe you would like to start by having your style question answered?
Little Styling Questions
To begin the New Year, I want to you to hear from you. I am starting what I will call ‘little styling questions’. I want you to email me your style question in answer to this - What is the thing you would most like to find, know or understand when it comes to your wardrobe?
I will create a post answering your question (if I get lots I will pick one or 2 to begin). It will also be a way for me to use all the lovely ways Substack allows us to share. So the answer might include a little video of items I find for you or maybe me chatting or maybe will be a written post with images and links. It depends what you ask!
You can email your questions to - hi@juliecobbe.ie
Support my Work
I really want to thank those who have paid to support my work so far. It has truly given me the confidence to believe in what am creating here. Thank you. You can subscribe as founding member for £100 anytime and receive a complimentary 1-hour session with me, which is a lovely gateway into learning more about Style Design or to simply have your personal style questions answered (3 Styling Boards are included). You can also subscribe for £5 per month (the cost of a couple of cups of coffee) or £55 per year.
It also really helps when you just share my page with friends and family.
Christmas Extras
Over Christmas, as a little gift, I will be sharing all the items I’ve been saving that are currently in my ‘buying slowly’ folder. Whenever sales are coming I am reminded why having this little folder helps me to drop back and focus on things I liked enough to save in the first place.
To finish today, I thought I would share below some other Substacks I’ve been following and particularly inspired by since I joined earlier this year.
Happy Christmas to you and your family,
Julie x
Fashion & Styling Substacks I love
The Wardrobe Edit - Anna is definitely my jam when it comes to my own style inspiration. She is just a a bit of me. She shares a weekly outfit edit of what she’s been wearing and a weekly wishlist of items that have caught her eye. She is the only person whose videos I watch on You Tube too.
Jane on Jeans - does what it says on the tin - and so well. This lady has 20 years of experience in fashion both editing and designing and just chooses to focus on all things denim. So niche and so clever and all because this is what she loves.
5 Things you Should Buy - by Becky Malinksy - This Substack is unreal. The outfit INSPIRATION. Becky is a Fashion Editor with a huge amount of experience but what she focuses on here is unreal outfit inspiration for everyday outfits. Now, she has amazing clothes but her styling bravery, the fun she has with it and how her ideas match her quirkiness make her Substack brilliant. I defy you not to feel like being braver with your clothes.
Meghan’s Substack - Megan’s Strachan’s is the founder and CEO of American jewellery brand Dorsey. It has a wonderful story and connection to her late grandma. Her jewellery is amazing. She shares her own day to day style and the best recommendations. She also has a very very helpful ‘chat’ space created where all her readers share their own recommendations. It is high end. You won’t find too many high street bits in there.
The Cereal Isle - by Leandra Medine Cohen. Another page (kind of similar vibes to ‘5 Things you should Buy’ in that it is so super creative. Leandra says her page has an emphasis on how to wear the clothes you have to create the style you like. another page that will help you be more creative if that’s something you would like. Case in point ‘The holiday dressing menu’.
Everybody gets dressed - Liza covers a huge range of styling topics and in amazing detail. I am learning a but more about her background but she seems to know her stuff and covers everything from colour analysis to interviewing women to talk about their favourite jeans. She also does great resource pieces like this one on buying fabrics.
Presentable - by Victor Kearns. I had never heard of Victor before I joined Substack and I am sure he me but now we follow each other and enjoy each other’s posts. He is the only guy I follow and I love his vibe. He seems so lovely and shares life in San Francisco working in Design and has a wife and new baby and shares his journey with being a Dad alongside his love of fashion & travel and in his words ‘cool things’ he finds online.
Other pages I love include:
Lickedspoon by Deborah Robertson - a lady who upped sticks and moved to France. She’s a foodie who shares recipes, her weekly market food haul (niche but so lovely!), her adventures doing up a house in France and also a round up of all the best foodie pieces in the weekends newspapers.
Dinner Tonight - by Margie Nomura - You might be familiar with Margie through her podcast ‘Desert Island Dishes’. She is a chef and recipe writer. As she says on the tin, she shares one week night dinner recipe (always delicious). There is Q&A’s with paying subscribers and insider guides.
Peak Notions - by Laura Kennedy - Laura is an Irish writer who recently moved to Australia with her partner. I knew her from her beauty writing days but now writes and makes her living via her Substack community writing about all sorts from being an ex-pat now to really thought-provoking pieces on grief, loneliness and challenging society’s expectations and norms.
Things Worth Knowing - by Farrah Storr - Farrah works with substack now and used to be editor or Elle and Cosmo Magazine. She is someone who has chosen not to have kids and talks openly about her journey with that (How NOT to have children). Her writing is always honest and funny.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Jx
