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• 2009 New Fashion: Reader makeover: From shepherdess to princess

  
  02 March 2009
  

  Hilary Alexander helps a country girl discover her glamorous side as she dresses for a ball...

  When you are a shepherdess, entrusted with the care and safety of flocks of ewes and lambs and working all the hours God sends, fashion is hardly a priority. Clothes must fit, and they must keep you warm and dry.

  So when Samantha Stock was invited to this month’s Countryside Alliance Ball, it was only natural that she had a moment of panic. What on earth was she going to wear?

  Sam is 25 and works as a trainee “travelling shepherd” on the Wiltshire-Hampshire border. Her days revolve around feeding the sheep and moving them to new pastures in preparation for the lambing season, which begins in April.

  Sam was born and raised in a hamlet of 26 houses, surrounded by open farmland and animals. Her father and older brother shoot, her mother fly fishes and naturally Sam grew up with a love of the outdoors and a determination to work on the land.

  She took a lambing course at Sparsholt College, near Winchester, as soon as she left school and has been working on farms ever since. Her ambition is to marry a farmer and continue living the rural life she adores. “I can’t imagine anything else,” she says.

  Sam has a passion for adventure. She’s sailed twice around the coast of Britain with the Ocean Youth Trust and once to the Channel Islands with the Cirdan Sailing Trust. She rides regularly and has just started pony-and-trap driving.

  Her daily wardrobe is New Look jeans, Aigle wellies, T-shirts and fleeces, a padded lumberjack shirt, and anything waterproof.

  When she goes shopping, it is usually to the nearest Laura Ashley, Debenhams, Per Una or Dorothy Perkins in Salisbury or Winchester. She rarely buys dresses, preferring jeans and T-shirts when she goes down to the local pub with her boyfriend.

  “I know very little about designer labels. When you live and work in the countryside, such things tend to pass you by,” she says. “But I would love to have the chance to see myself looking incredibly glamorous, like a princess.”

  VERDICTS

  The hair

  Sam has fine hair, which was a little brittle at the ends. Considering the exposure to extreme weather, its condition was not bad. She wanted to keep the length, so we cut to remove split ends and sharpen up the shape, creating a softer look with subtle layering. We decided on a look that was glam, but not too “done”. After shampooing, we dried her hair with Charles Worthington Salon Shine Results/Volume Boosting Mousse. We set it on hot rollers, which gives amazing volume and curl. Then I used my fingers to loosen the curl, using tongs, where necessary, to define the ends. With these curls, it is easy for Sam either to shake her hair and finger it into it a loose, pretty shape on her shoulders, or to twist it into a curly topknot with a few strands trailing down.

  The make-up

  Sam’s skin was in great condition. It just needed a little brightening with Strobe Cream, a light layer of Face & Body Foundation and Mineral Skinfinish Natural powder. I contoured the cheeks with Golden Bronzer and used Pearl Cream Colour Base on the tops of the cheekbones. Sam had never had her eyelashes curled, but it opened up her eyes and made the most of her lovely, long lashes. I created a smouldering, shaded effect with Satin Taupe and Carbon shadows, and a Coffee pencil for more drama, finishing with black mascara, and a few strokes of Brow Shader. Her lips were extremely dry and needed exfoliating with our special Lip Exfoliator. I used a lipstick in Freckle Tone, which is soft and pretty, and lots of Lip Conditioner.

  Hilary’s verdict

  Sam, a size 10, with a 34A bust, was the perfect shape for traditional ball gowns. The corset bodice enhanced her bust and waist, and with a mid-heel shoe, she could easily carry off a full crinoline skirt, with tulle petticoats. The beflirtydresses.com website was my secret weapon when it came to finding the gowns. The site is crammed with cocktail dresses, prom-frocks and evening gowns of every description, colour, size (6-24) and style, from £180 to £350. Sam had specified glamour, colour and, above all else, long. I loved the rich, shot-purple taffeta gown, with a slightly-dropped waist and a sprinkling of beaded ornamentation. My budget pick was a prom-dress from Monsoon in black tulle, for just £95. But my absolute favourite was Be Flirty’s lapis-blue taffeta gown, with its crystal-beaded and sequinned bodice, which transformed the young shepherdess into Cinderella.

  Sam’s verdict

  I loved wearing the long, full dresses with swishy petticoats. These were my idea of truly glamorous ball gowns. I’d never tried on anything like them; it was such a treat. The purple one was probably my absolute dream dress; the fit was so good around my bust and waist. Also, it went right down to the ground, which I prefer. I loved the dark blue one as well, because there was such a lot of sparkly beading. The long red dress was very different to anything I had seen before and it felt quite nice on. I liked the shorter, pale blue dress, even though I wouldn’t normally go for pastels. And the black dress from Monsoon was really cute. I had such a fabulous day. I felt really pampered and special. I haven’t been able to stop talking about it since.

   

  (telegraph fashion news)