A Styled Life

Alex Standley

Welcome to A Styled Life, the podcast for purpose-led female founders & senior leaders ready to use style as a powerful tool for confidence, impact, and influence. I'm your host, Alex Standley, multi award-winning Personal Stylist, Speaker and Sustainable Fashion Consultant, with two decades of experience in the fast-paced world of fashion. Join me as we redefine success from the inside out. This podcast isn’t just about clothes. It’s about personal power, purposeful style, and creating a life that aligns with your values. So whether you’re running a business, leading a movement, or stepping into your next chapter, you’re in the right place. Each week, we’ll dive into the world of personal style, sustainability, female empowerment, and living with intention. Through real stories, expert insights, and plenty of inspiration.

  1. How to Make Your First Impressions Count: Style, Presence and Communication with Priscilla Pollara

    1D AGO

    How to Make Your First Impressions Count: Style, Presence and Communication with Priscilla Pollara

    By the time you walk into the room, the first impression is already forming. The question is whether you shaped it or it shaped you. Priscilla Pollara has spent her career helping leaders, brands and politicians answer that question before it matters. This is a conversation about what actually happens in the moments that matter. The ones you have prepared for and still somehow not quite nailed. The filmed interview, the keynote, the high-stakes meeting where you knew your material but left feeling like you hadn't quite landed. Priscilla and Alex explore why style, presence and communication have to work together, and what falls apart when they don't. It is direct, honest and full of things you will want to write down as a female founder or senior leader. YOU'LL EXPLORE Why first impressions are made before you open your mouthThe difference between performing confidence and being preparedWhy buying something new for a high-stakes moment is one of the most common mistakes women makeWhat journalism teaches you about commanding attentionHow to decide what impression you want to leave before you walk inWhy Priscilla wants more women to learn to professionally boastWhat style and communication have in common and why they have to work together TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — First impressions and where Priscilla's work begins  01:02 — From newsroom to communications consultant  08:23 — What journalism teaches you about finding the story in a person  13:32 — Knowing the impression you want to make before you walk in  21:00 — When credibility doesn't translate into the room  28:08 — Being better in smaller groups and why that is not a weakness  35:28 — Dress how you want to be treated  37:27 — Why buying something new before a high-stakes moment lets you down  40:12 — Authenticity versus performance - where the line is  50:51 — Perception: how you see yourself is not how others see you 55:13 — The one thing Priscilla wishes more women would give themselves permission to do  58:13 — Quickfire: the wedding dress, the blazer collection and no fashion regrets If this conversation landed for you and you are ready to work on your own style, presence and communication before your next big moment, Stage Ready Style is a full-day in-person event on 17th June at Citizen M Tower Bridge, London. Alex and Priscilla are working with a small group of women, on exactly what this episode covers. Tickets are £497. Places are limited. 👉 https://www.alexandrastandley.co.uk/stagereadystyle Or if you want to start the conversation before then, book a free Style Strategy Call. 👉 https://www.alexandrastandley.co.uk/service-page/style-strategy-call Find Priscilla at www.toptrick.co.uk, on Instagram @priscillacomms and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priscilla-pollara/

    1h 1m

  2. APR 29

    The Style Identity Gap That Shopping Will Never Fix for Female Founders & Senior Leaders

    You have been meaning to sort your style for about eighteen months. You know this because the evidence is everywhere - the saved posts, the abandoned basket, the thing you bought, returned, then bought a safer version of and wore twice. You told yourself you would deal with it properly before the next big thing. And then the next big thing arrived, and you wore something fine. There is always a next big thing. There is never more time afterwards. In this episode, Alex Standley, Personal Stylist and Identity-Led Style Strategist, names the pattern that keeps capable, established women stuck in the getting-ready-to-get-ready loop, and why the solutions most of us reach for do not work. This is not a shopping problem. It is not a wardrobe problem. It is an identity problem. And until you solve it at that level, nothing else will stick. You will learn why effort alone does not fix the gap, what actually needs to come first before any style work will hold, and how the Mirror Moment changes everything that comes after. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — The question most women are privately sitting with  01:20 — Not a laziness problem  02:17 — What we actually do when we want to sort our style  03:30 — Three patterns that show up again and again  04:37 — Treating the symptom, not the cause  05:10 — Why previous style work drifts  06:37 — What needs to come before anything else  10:00 — The free guide: Styled for Impact Ready to close the gap? If this episode named something you have been sitting with, start here. Download the free guide, Styled for Impact below. The style visibility guide for trailblazing female founders and senior leaders stepping into keynotes, media features, photo shoots and high-stakes rooms. So you walk in thinking about your message, not your reflection.  Work through it before you buy anything, clear out anything, or do anything practical at all. www.alexandrastandley.co.uk/styledforimpactguide

    13 min
  3. The Energy of Getting Dressed: Flower Essences, Identity and How We Show Up - with Saskia Marjoram

    APR 22

    The Energy of Getting Dressed: Flower Essences, Identity and How We Show Up - with Saskia Marjoram

    Every morning you answer a question - consciously or not. Who do I have to be today? Or, if you're lucky: who do I want to be today? Saskia Marjoram has spent over two decades helping women get back to the second question.  Saskia Marjoram is the founder of Saskia's Flower Essences, a former professional gardener, and spent a decade as assistant florist to the then Prince of Wales before building her own brand from the ground up. She now has a thriving online business and a retail shop in Somerset. Her world is botanicals and vibrational medicine. But what she's really talking about is the same thing I talk about every day: we're being photographed, filmed and expected to show up as our own personal brand more than ever, and that has changed how women relate to their own image. This conversation is about the gap between who you are and how you're coming across. And what it takes to close it. We explore: How flower essences work and what they actually treatWhy being constantly photographed has changed how women relate to their own imageThe Speaking with Confidence blend and why Saskia took it before we hit recordGrowing into a piece and what it means when the world finally sees you in itYou don’t ‘have nothing to wear’ you have nothing to wear for all the things you have to do todayThe energetics of natural fibres, colour, and dressing as a daily act of self-expression TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — When the most important conversations don't start with the clothes 00:52 — High Grove, Sandringham, and shooting parties in the Cotswolds 03:23 — Why the story behind you matters 08:33 — What flower essences actually do 09:22 — Bringing you back to the truest version of yourself 13:16 — The hemline at the wedding: knowing when something's slightly off 17:15 — Where the love of clothes began 27:06 — The blend for "I don't know what to wear anymore" 32:22 — Speaking with confidence: why you deserve to be heard 38:02 — Who do I have to be today? Or who do I want to be? 43:25 — Growing into your own presence 45:43 — Quick fire round KEY TAKEAWAYS How you get dressed is a question you're already answering - the work is to answer it consciously.Style isn't what you wear. It's every way you move through the world. READY TO CLOSE THE GAP? If this conversation landed for you and you want your style to match where you're headed, a Style Strategy Call is where we begin. Book yours here: https://www.alexandrastandley.co.uk/service-page/style-strategy-call FIND SASKIA Website: www.saskiasfloweressences.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saskiasessences/ Use code ALEX at checkout for 15% off.

    50 min
  4. Being Seen on Your Own Terms: Visibility, Identity & Permission, with Antonia Taylor, PR

    APR 8

    Being Seen on Your Own Terms: Visibility, Identity & Permission, with Antonia Taylor, PR

    What does it really mean to be visible? Not just seen, but seen in a way that feels aligned, intentional, and true to who you actually are right now? That question sits at the heart of this conversation. And the answer is more complicated than most visibility advice lets on. In this episode, Alex Standley is joined by Antonia Taylor, PR and communications strategist, founder of Antonia Taylor PR and Comms, and author of the report Being Seen: Women, Leadership and Visibility at Work. With over 25 years in B2B communications, Antonia has spent her career helping organisations amplify female voices and create environments where women can lead sustainably and visibly. Alex and Antonia explore the real barriers that hold women back from being seen, and why the answer is rarely about strategy, and almost always about self. They talk about the paradox of visibility (keep your head down and get overlooked; step forward and face the backlash), the internal critic that talks us out of everything, and what it actually means to build a visibility practice that you can sustain.  They also get into identity transitions, the symbolic power of shedding old versions of ourselves, and why your wardrobe might be holding a version of you that you've quietly outgrown. This is a conversation for the woman who wants to be seen, but on her own terms. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 06:03 — When the purpose behind your business quietly shifts 08:27 — What professional visibility actually looks like for women (it's not one thing) 10:17 — How hybrid working pushed women to the margins 14:35 — The paradox of visibility: overlooked or punished for standing out 16:24 — Wanting to be seen, wanting to be liked, and the permission women aren't giving themselves 17:05 — Fearing the exposure that comes with being visible 19:00 — The misogyny women have internalised about other women — and where it really comes from 23:22 — Consistency not constancy: building a visibility practice that doesn't break you 27:30 — Brené Brown, Adam Grant, and the bit everyone missed about vulnerability and boundaries 29:00 — Defining your own version of visibility and knowing your boundaries before you begin 31:02 — Loop it through your heart: the filter one TED Talk speaker uses before posting anything 38:32 — The black column dresses: a coach's advice and a symbolic shedding of an old identity 41:12 — Wardrobe scarcity mindset and the "one day" clothes that quietly chip away at self-worth 51:44 — Style evolution: Antonia on finding your own aesthetic as you get clearer on who you are 54:13 — Why caring about style is joyful, not frivolous 58:36 — The first step if you want to be seen but aren't sure how 1:00:14 — Having a bigger purpose than yourself as the reason to stand on stage CONNECT WITH ANTONIA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antoniataylorpr/ Report: Being Seen: Women, Leadership and Visibility at Work https://www.antoniataylorpr.com/being-seen/ ENJOYED THIS EPISODE? If this conversation resonated, share it with a woman in your world who is ready to be seen, but hasn't quite given herself permission yet. Ready to align how you show up with who you are actually becoming? Book a Style Strategy Call with Alex: https://www.alexandrastandley.co.uk/service-page/style-strategy-call

    1h 6m
  5. The Power of Being Seen: Visibility, Self-Worth, and Style

    APR 1

    The Power of Being Seen: Visibility, Self-Worth, and Style

    What actually stops accomplished women from stepping into visibility and what does it take to move through the fear that comes up at every level? In this episode of A Styled Life, we cover what visibility truly costs women, why self-worth is at the root of almost every block, and what it means to be in a room that actually changes how you see yourself. I'm joined by Sara Spindle and Jess Levy, sisters, co-founders of Level Up Ladies, and two of the most energetic and honest voices in the women's entrepreneurship space. Over three years, they've built a community of hundreds of women, created over 100 business collaborations, and consistently sold out every event they run. They also speak on stages in front of thousands of women.  Sara is also a client. We worked together on her bespoke colour palette & wardrobe foundations. So there's a personal thread running through this conversation, including what happened to Sara's relationship with colour and confidence after leaving teaching, and what it actually felt like to reconnect with both. In this episode we explore: Why low self-worth is the most common block to female visibility and why most women don't recognise itHow other people's projections become the scripts we live byThe role colour plays in confidence, energy and how you show upWhat Sara gained from working together and what she tells other women considering itWhy waiting until you feel "ready" in your body to invest in style is the wrong orderThe daily practice that rebuilds self-belief and why putting yourself last is a choice, not a fact Episode Highlights 00:00 — How Level Up Ladies began (a dream in Mauritius at 4am) 03:00 — Energy-first networking and why it changes everything 08:10 — The sister dynamic: seven years apart, radical honesty, and why that's the foundation 14:30 — What actually stops women from stepping into visibility 17:00 — How other people's fear shows up as criticism 19:45 — Why the work is never finished and why that's okay 23:20 — Colour as a conscious leadership choice 24:40 — Losing confidence after becoming a mum 27:00 — Using colour as a wellbeing tool, not just a style choice 29:50 — What Sara gained from the wardrobe edit and what changed her mornings 33:30 — Why waiting for the "right" body before working on your style is the wrong order 36:10 — Why high-achieving women still don't feel enough 43:25 — The dopamine list and the wins round 45:30 — "I just don't have time for myself" and why that's a choice If this conversation landed for you and you're ready to stop dressing for who you were and start dressing for who you're becoming a Style Strategy Call is where we begin. It's a free, no-pressure conversation. 👉 Book yours here: https://www.alexandrastandley.co.uk/service-page/style-strategy-call Connect with Sara & Jess:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_levelupladies/ Website: https://levelupladies.co.uk/

    58 min
  6. Clothing Is Identity: Pre-Loved Luxury, Conscious Style and Finding Your Armour with Paige Mengers

    MAR 25

    Clothing Is Identity: Pre-Loved Luxury, Conscious Style and Finding Your Armour with Paige Mengers

    What does it really mean to dress with intention? And what happens when the industry you've spent your career building starts to feel like the problem? In this episode I'm joined by Paige Mengers, founder of Phoenix Style, a group of luxury resale boutiques and thriving online store focused on sustainable fashion and conscious style. Paige has spent 25 years in the fashion industry, from running her own communications agency to acquiring a tiny pre-loved store in Cobham and building it into something that genuinely reflects her values. Her story is one of reinvention. And it starts with a red dress that had no meaning behind it at all. We talk about the moment Paige realised she was part of the problem, why she walked away from PR at the height of her career, and how buying Phoenix eight years ago, before sustainable fashion was cool, turned out to be one of the most important decisions she's ever made. We also go deep on something I think about every day in my work: the connection between clothing and identity. Not as a surface-level concept, but as something we feel in our bodies. The way a piece carries meaning. The armour we reach for before walking into a room we've already earned a seat in. In this episode we cover: The red dress story, and the moment Paige knew she had to leave PRWhy she bought Phoenix when secondhand still had a stigmaHow the pre-loved market has shifted, and what's still holding women backClothing as identity, not performanceThe difference between trend-led dressing and individual styleFabric composition, quality, and why it matters more than everHow to shop secondhand without feeling overwhelmed, practical tips from someone who lives itWhy size labels are irrelevant (and what to do about it)The one blazer Paige would never part with This is a conversation about values, reinvention, and why what we wear is never just about the clothes. Connect with Paige & Phoenix Style:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phoenixstyle_/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-mengers-07a8849/ Tiktok:https://www.tiktok.com/@phoenixstyle_ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@phoenixstyleboutique Website: https://www.phoenixstyle.co.uk/

    44 min
  7. Why Clothes Don't Fit Anymore:High Street Sizing Secrets from an Ex Fashion Buyer & Personal Stylist

    MAR 18

    Why Clothes Don't Fit Anymore:High Street Sizing Secrets from an Ex Fashion Buyer & Personal Stylist

    You're standing in front of a wardrobe full of clothes with nothing to wear. You've come home from a shopping trip empty-handed, again. And somewhere between the changing room and the car park, you made it mean something about you. It doesn't. Here's what's actually going on… Sizing on the high street is in chaos and it's not your body that's the problem. In this episode, Alex Standley goes behind the scenes of the fashion industry she spent 15 years inside as a buyer at M&S and Amazon, to explain exactly why finding clothes that fit has become so difficult and so demoralising. Fast fashion has quietly done away with the rigorous checks that used to ensure clothes actually fitted real women. The result? Garments that vary wildly in size, even within the same brand, on the same rail. And women who walk out of changing rooms feeling like the problem is them. It isn't. And this episode explains why and what to do instead. You'll learn: Preloved is a strategy, not a compromise. Know your measurements, not your size.Style is a leadership tool and every woman deserves to dress with intention.Why your label size means nothing and what to use insteadHow vanity sizing and production shortcuts created this landscapeWhy grading up from a size 12 is not the same as designing for a larger bodyThe environmental cost of sizing chaos that brands don't talk aboutBrands worth knowing that combine quality and considered sizing Episode Highlights:  00:00 — The pattern Alex keeps hearing: overwhelmed, not defeated  02:00 — Why the high street has become harder to navigate for most women  03:20 — Vanity sizing: when the number is made for your feelings, not your fit  04:00 — What a proper fit process looks like — and who's cutting corners  06:40 — The changing room moment: an industry failure, not a personal one  07:20 — Grading explained: why scaling up is not the same as redesigning  09:00 — The environmental cost: returns, landfill, and the data nobody collects  11:00 — Three shifts: label, body logic, and preloved as strategy 13:20 — Brands worth knowing  15:00 — The identity and visibility layer beneath every shopping trip Ready for a wardrobe that works for the woman you are now? If you're stepping into bigger visibility and done with the guesswork, a Style Strategy Call is where we begin. 👉 Book yours here: https://www.alexandrastandley.co.uk/service-page/style-strategy-call Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrastandley  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-standley-personal-stylist Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=500777031 TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@alexandrastandley Independent Article: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/clothes-size-shop-high-street-b2623886.html

    18 min
  8. Authenticity Isn’t Enough: Visibility, Leadership & Disrupting Tradition with Founder Amanda Thomson

    MAR 11

    Authenticity Isn’t Enough: Visibility, Leadership & Disrupting Tradition with Founder Amanda Thomson

    What does it really mean to show up? In this episode of A Styled Life, I’m joined by Amanda Thomson, founder of NOUGHTY, the world’s first premium non-alcoholic wine portfolio. For a conversation about leadership presence, cultural conditioning, and the responsibility that comes with visibility. Amanda went from BBC arts broadcaster to building her own global brand disrupting a deeply traditional industry, whilst holding her nerve when she was ahead of the curve. We explore: • Getting comfortable being uncomfortable as a founder led brand • Why British self-deprecation limits scale • The difference between authenticity and being underprepared • The hidden time tax placed on female leaders • Modern luxury as quiet confidence • And how style directly impacts behaviour and performance A few years ago, I quietly chose to stop drinking. What surprised me most wasn’t the lifestyle shift, it was the identity shift. This conversation goes far beyond alcohol. It’s about how ambitious women take up space. If you’re stepping into bigger rooms, this one will resonate. Episode Highlights 00:00 Why I stopped drinking and the identity shift that followed 01:34 From BBC broadcaster to founder 07:24 The white space in the wine industry, creating an innovative brand 15:46 Alcohol as a signal of success and belonging 24:23 Founder life: getting comfortable being uncomfortable 28:10 The time and energy cost of being a female leader 36:23 The rise of founder visibility 41:06 Leadership = showing up (even on your worst day) 45:45 Authenticity vs underprepared, why style affects performance 49:08 Holding your nerve when you’re ahead of the curve 56:31 Why we should teach resilience over perfection 3 Core Takeaways • Visibility is a responsibility, not just a privilege. • Authenticity isn’t about doing less, it’s about alignment. • Style isn’t superficial. It’s a leadership tool. Book a free style strategy call & connect with Alex: https://www.alexandrastandley.co.uk/service-page/style-strategy-call Connect with Alex on Socials: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrastandley https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=500777031 www.tiktok.com/@alexandrastandley https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-standley-personal-stylist Connect with Noughty & Amanda: https://noughtyaf.com/ https://www.instagram.com/noughtyaf/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/noughtyamanda/ https://www.facebook.com/noughtyaf

    1h 6m
See All (31)

About

Welcome to A Styled Life, the podcast for purpose-led female founders & senior leaders ready to use style as a powerful tool for confidence, impact, and influence. I'm your host, Alex Standley, multi award-winning Personal Stylist, Speaker and Sustainable Fashion Consultant, with two decades of experience in the fast-paced world of fashion. Join me as we redefine success from the inside out. This podcast isn’t just about clothes. It’s about personal power, purposeful style, and creating a life that aligns with your values. So whether you’re running a business, leading a movement, or stepping into your next chapter, you’re in the right place. Each week, we’ll dive into the world of personal style, sustainability, female empowerment, and living with intention. Through real stories, expert insights, and plenty of inspiration.

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Standley
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Alex Standley

You Might Also Like