A little insight into Liz, Owner at Beautifully Different Brackley
Irrelevant of what inspires us many of us get carried along in life by the need for a steady income and our passions get overlooked. Others of us are unsure what it is that genuinely interests us, or it takes time for us to trust in ourselves to make the big step towards our dreams. I have ticked all these boxes.
Image: My Trusty Old Sewing Machine.
My younger years…
As a young girl and into my early teens I was surrounded at home by fabrics and sewing machines. My mother was a curtain-maker. I loved the fabric offcuts with their diverse colours, weights, piles and finishes and I would make dolls clothing for my Pippa dolls from them.
I didn’t really like the ‘dolls’ for dolls sake – I just loved making chic outfits for them with unusual seams, necklines etc – and I made loads! I have always loved luxurious fabrics. It gives me immense enjoyment thinking about the design process that went into producing a beautiful fabric, along with the pleasure that they can bring when coupled with a unique fashion style or soft furnishing.
By 12 years old, I had moved onto cutting up and dying old sheets to make clothing for myself along with individualising clothing purchased from charity shops, and I was having loads of fun.
Following a career in IT in my younger years I returned to my love of all things tactile and sparkly in my mid 30’s by setting up a new business designing and producing sterling silver and costume beaded jewellery. I would travel to local independent boutiques to wholesale my designs and became great friends with many of my shop owner clients, who I am still incredibly happy to call my friends today.
How Beautifully Different Brackley was born…
Image: The store today
Triggered by a lack of variety and interesting styles available in shops on the high streets, in 2015 I finally followed my passion for clothing, fashion, and anything sparkly, and ventured into the business of being an independent boutique owner. I merged my thriving wholesale business with my wonderful friend and then client Kim, who had a retail presence in Winslow. Together we were driven by the desire to bring an opportunity of uniqueness and individualism to the ladies within our local community and in 2016 we were excited to expand Beautifully Different into Brackley.
As you will all be aware, the various lockdown situations put many pressures on small high street retail businesses and in August of 2020 Kim and I made the decision to split into two independent boutiques with total ownership and control of a single shop each. So, I am now the owner-proprietor of ‘Beautifully Different Brackley’ – an independent boutique, supplying unique ladies’ fashion and accessories to Brackley and the surrounding community. I have been making changes in the shop and recently launched an ecommerce website www.beautifullydifferentbrackley.co.uk .
Our community…
In lockdown we all needed connection, friends, fun, laughter, and little treats to make us feel human and to raise our spirits. Thank goodness you all wanted to look ‘Beautifully Different’ when taking your daily exercise be it across a field or down the High Street! Thank you so very much for your support.
I am very much enjoying my boutique being back open once again so you can visit, and we can catch up in person. Julie and I love taking time to assist you with discovering a new style in store. We ladies, me included, can sometimes have the most ridiculous limiting beliefs for ourselves, and these can extend into our wardrobes. Sometimes it just takes someone else’s viewpoint or suggestion to boost your confidence and for you to push your boundaries for a little sense of fun and change in style.
If you are struggling with your wardrobe, a new top or knit could be the very thing that helps your confidence for that Zoom call or Facebook Live this week. My suggestion is, take a good look into your wardrobe, believe in yourself and be bold – you should enjoy your clothing. ‘Play’ around with how you wear things and think outside the box – you will surprise yourself when you allow yourself to let go of age and colour limitations that you may have set for yourself.
Sparkle, Sparkle, Sparkle….
It goes without saying that I LOVE anything that sparkles – this goes for jewellery, clothing, footwear, and I have even had strands of sparkles in my hair. I have a sign on the wall in my boutique which I truly believe we should all live by which states, ‘Don’t let anyone dull your sparkle’. For me being confident and happy with the way I look on the outside can really help me feel my ‘sparkle’ on the inside. I’m in the business of helping you to feel great and enjoy your own sparkle.
Don’t you just love to see others sparkling? I do!
Liz xx
