Styled by Kimberley: Kimberley

Happy 2nd blog birthday to us! The 13th May signals 2 years of us working together as a kick ass styling duo. To celebrate, we thought we'd style each other up with our biggest inspiration challenge- ourselves! No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, this is in fact Helen dressed as my twin by me. Follow us down the rabbit hole...



Jumper | c/o Wear Eponymous
Shirt | Primark
Jacket | Warehouse
Skirt | Topshop
Boots | H&M
Bag | Bailey and Quinn
Colin the Pompom (RIP) | River Island
Scarf | Naromode
Necklace | Etsy
Blether Badge | Bonnie Bling
Name Ring | c/o Bonnie Bling
Bone Ring | Bloody Mary Metal
Wig | Ebay

In theory, this should have been an easy Styled By challenge. Dress up Helen in an outfit I already own and wear. But there was a lot of pressure to get the essence of 'Kimberley' and a lot of clothing choice. It's never been so difficult to dress like 'me'. It begged all kinds of existential questions of me... who is Kimberley? How can that be transferred to another person? Who am I??




In the end, I went with the Heather Mac approach: Stuff What I Like. And, since lately monochrome is my life, I started off my palette with that. The top was a last minute swap- Helen quite rightly pointed out that the previous top was one we would both wear, whereas the mint coloured collar pushed her out of her comfort zone and helped to get her in character (I think.. that's when the arrogant strutting started anyway). A pencil skirt is a must in my wardrobe and this striped one is an old favourite. I also like to mix up my prints to give everyone eye ache. All the accessories are my favourite independent designers, like Naromode, Bloody Mary Metal and Bonnie Bling- an important part of any ensemble of mine.



Although this wig was absolutely awful and refused to be styled, I was actually pretty envious of the vibrant lilac, as my own hair colour has faded. Adding my makeup to Helen was a bit odd and I was surprised by how subtle differences we make in our eyeliner or cheeks really changes our looks. I was pretty damn impressed by my faux-Kim brows.
 The only essential accessory that was missing was multiple bruises. I am forever bumping into things, dropping stuff or just plain falling over. It wouldn't be a Kimberley photo shoot without the obligatory trip. And Helen has learned from the pro to do it like a graceful elephant.



Watching Helen being 'me' was a surreal experience. I think I would recommend it to others though, as it's quite fascinating to see someone stereotyping and overacting your idiosyncrasies. I'm a bit weird. I'm clearly as arrogant as Helen portrays me though, because seeing 'myself' in third person really boosted my confidence. I'm pretty okay with my quirks and I liked my outfit on her. In fact, I wanted to be wearing it! That says a lot for a look made up of old items I just throw on.

Helen's verdict:
Kimberley and I have very similar styles. We often like the same things and, on occasion, have even bought the same items. Her wardrobe is full of items I want to borrow and we're always swapping lip colours and jewellery. Becoming Kimberley was a whole different story though. The weirdest thing was having Kim's eyebrows. She's always had very tidy and perfectly shaped brows. While mine didn't quite meet her high standards, having them shaped like hers had a surprisingly big impact on me. Catching my reflection in the mirror my face just didn't look like me. It's amazing how something so small can have that kind of affect. The second weirdest thing was being dressed from top to bottom in Kim's clothes. I might borrow one piece from her wardrobe but looking down and seeing a complete outfit was odd. It was fun to wear a mix of colours and shapes that I wouldn't normally try. The third weirdest thing......has to be the wig. This purple, plastic monstrosity does not reflect Kimberley's lovely locks. I was impressed that her styling skills manged to make it look presentable. Got to love a cute pin curl - a Kimberley staple if ever there was one.



What do you think of Helen styled as me? Were you convinced? Or is there something else you think of when thinking of my style? Wait until you see me returning the favour later this week...
We also have a very special present for our lovely readers. Watch this space!