We have some very exciting news to share with you on our blog post today! We were approached by the British clothing brand Wallis as part of their Petite and Powerful campaign. Traditionally 'Petite' clothing is for women size 5' 3" and under, however working with Wallis we have come to realise that we are all unique in our body shapes, and accessing a range of petite clothes can really help with creating a perfectly fitting wardrobe.
Women in the UK are increasingly finding that many clothes from high street shops do not fit right. So what's going on? It could be because more of us have a body shape where our top half is a different size to our bottom!
Here is our full interview on our style and work life with Wallis below -
What’s your go to item of clothing to make sure you look and feel great for the day ahead?
Chloe: The most versatile item of clothing I have at the moment are definitely my skinny jeans. They’re so comfy. Dress up or down, black or blue, I love them! Skinny jeans always seem to make your legs look longer too, which is a bonus.
Christine: Well fitting, flat fronted black trousers.
Who’s your biggest source of inspiration?
Chloe: My mum, she’s awesome! She’s always so busy yet always has time for us all, and makes a mean Sunday roast.
Christine: Game-changing people, like the late Anita Roddick of The Body Shop.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Chloe: There was a printed postcard with a poem on it in my Grandmother’s house that I thought always served as good advice, it read –
Success is speaking words of praise,
In cheering other people's ways.
In doing just the best you can,
With every task and every plan.
It's silence when your speech would hurt,
Politeness when your neighbour's curt.
It's deafness when the scandal flows,
And sympathy with others' woes.
It's loyalty when duty calls,
It's courage when disaster falls.
It's patience when the hours are long,
It's found in laughter and in song.
It's in the silent time of prayer,
In happiness and in despair.
In all of life and nothing less,
We find the thing we call success
Christine: A day without laughter, is a day wasted. Enjoy life.
What do you wear when nobody’s watching?
Chloe: What I wear most evening’s, joggers and a hoodie – hair tied up obviously, snuggled up under a fur throw.
Christine: Sweat pants and oversized tee shirt.
What’s the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
Chloe: Check our Facebook and Instagram feeds, to see what’s happened overnight, then it’s time for tea.
Christine: A cup of tea and download the newspapers to my I pad.
What do you do to wind-down after a long day at work?
Chloe: If it’s a nice evening I take the dog for a walk or run, then it’s usually catching up on tv before bed. I always go to bed about 10pm, I just can’t function without a good 8 hours sleep.
Christine: A game of tennis or walk my Labrador, Lucy, followed by a long soak in the bath.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Chloe: Carry On films. They just make me laugh so much. I’m sure they get funnier the more I watch them.
Christine: Reese’s peanut butter cups.
How do you maintain a good work-life balance?
Chloe: I try and stop work by 9.00pm, and have an hour downtime before bed. Also I have a pamper night one day a week, with a nice long soak in a hot bubble bath.
Christine: Work smart – not long. I allocate blocks of time per task and try not to get
caught up in less productive activities. Weekends are work free and strictly family and friends time.
What’s your secret to success?
Chloe: We both work very hard, and try to treat every customer and every order we send out, how we would want to be treated and we would want to receive a gift. Also lots of lists!
Christine: Being passionate about our product.
What was the first job you ever had?
Chloe: I was a Saturday girl in a small local Chemist. The staff used to save up all the jobs on the cosmetics stands for me to sort and tidy up at the weekend. I love sorting and organising.
Christine: I worked in a small sweet shop/newsagents as a Saturday girl. I loved it and always wanted my own shop. I now have the 21st century equivalent!
What are the three things you can’t live without in your work wear wardrobe?
Chloe: Jeans, printed or patterned t shirt and trainers.
Christine: Jeans, tunic tops and colour.
What’s an average day like now you’re the boss?
Chloe: I have small children, so the start of the day is always mayhem. Once they are off to school and the childminder, the work starts. We’re very lucky that we can work from offices at home, so a trip down the garden and off we go. After the school run, I have the children until their bedtime and then work again in the evenings. The best thing about being your own boss is the ability to work flexible around your family.
Christine: I spend most mornings in the office dealing with ordering, deliveries, checking out new products etc, or meeting new suppliers.
Afternoons are spent making sure all our hampers are beautifully packaged and ready for collection by our friendly couriers. Every day is different though.
Our interview can be found on the Wallis blog.
