Write a blog they said, write about anything you want they said, so as this is it, my first foray into blogging and it’s going to be about me! An explanation of how the heck I metamorphosed from secondary school headteacher to personal stylist ‘at my age’ shock horror!!!
I’m writing this in an effort to inspire you dear reader, to wear what you want and to express yourself with confidence so you feel like YOU every day. Well, that and to do and say what the hell you want, to follow your passion and to be who you want to be NOW!
I’ve been through a fair bit of late, maybe not much in the scheme of things, but I hope some of it resonates and that you can identify with the phases, the rights of passage, the ups the downs and the challenges of just being a woman! My mission is to help you embrace the concept that dressing with confidence can help you navigate those milestones with aplomb, nay gusto! Life’s episodes can leave us feeling lost, our sense of self can go AWOL, we somehow lack the self-esteem we had when we were younger, and it’s hard to find it again. Pregnancy, being a mum, going back to work, divorce, menopause with its hideous library of symptoms, retirement, depression, anxiety, changing shape, you name it, we might go through it all – and it’s bloody tough.
I can identify with most of the above and through the years, an attitude of 'just keep going' as well as an innate and ever developing sense of style has given me the strength to keep going, regularly blagging it along the way, to get to the other side. Sometimes I use(d) my outfits as armour, as a way of protecting what I was really feeling inside, of telling the world I’m in control, you can trust me – I know what I’m doing, or even just I’m happy, when quite often the opposite was true. Even now I will choose a particular colour to project a mood or a power piece to portray ‘I mean business’! Whatever life throws at us, clothes and how we wear them have a huge part to play in how we feel about ourselves and the person we present to the rest of the world. I can help you use them to your best advantage.
So, here are 5 things you might not know about me that got me to where I am now, happy with who I am, also happy to help you find a more confident, epic you!
1) Born in Bristol one of six, enjoyed a chaotic, competitive and creative upbringing in magnificent Manchester
2) I have a BA degree in graphics and worked in ad agencies before retraining as an art teacher
3) Turns out I was quite good at bossing people around, so I worked my way through various roles to end up thrice a secondary headteacher in the NW of England.
4) After my kids flew the nest, knackered and disillusioned with the education system, I retrained as an executive coach and personal stylist, did some travelling, then…
5) I started my own business as a style coach/image consultant and I haven't looked back since.
So that’s me in a nutshell albeit a hazelnut rather than a Brazil, there being soooo much more to tell but maybe not here for now!!
If you think I might be able to help you find your style personality and to show up in the world as the brightest, best version of yourself, then please do get in touch via the website or on my instagram @rachesmodernlife or find me on facebook @rachelquesnelstylecoach. As winter takes a firm grip I’m here to help with any wardrobe dilemmas you might have or just to help you find your style vibe with a bit of gentle coaching along the way. I guarantee it will be fun and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.
Much love,
Rache x