Meet the Aussie mum who shares body positive clothing reviews to help women shop

Everyday Aussie mum Natalie Angel has turned her natural flair for fashion into a business opportunity after her realistic try-on videos on Instagram amassed her a following of more than 123,000 women who soak up her every word. 

The mum-of-one from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, started her page ‘Let Me Try Before You Buy’ 18 months ago after noticing a ‘huge gap in the market for honest feedback’ for clothing that is inclusive of sizes 16 and beyond.

Natalie, 41, sat down with FEMAIL and explained that while the average Australian woman is between sizes 14 and 16, few honest reviews exist online for them.

Since there is no standard size guide in Australia, Natalie often felt blinded and frustrated shopping for clothes online that fit correctly.

So, the personable mum decided to ‘give it a go’ herself and began sharing videos of herself trying clothes on online to help women find the perfect fit.

Her brand now has a strong, engaged following and companies almost always sell-out immediately after appearing in one of her ‘try-on’ videos. 

  

Natalie Angel (pictured) is on a mission to help women shop for outfits online with confidence by sharing honest videos on Instagram 

The mum-of-one from the Sunshine Coast started her page Let Me Try Before You Buy 18 months ago after noticing a 'huge gap in the market for honest feedback' for clothing that's inclusive of sizes 16 and beyond

The mum-of-one from the Sunshine Coast started her page Let Me Try Before You Buy 18 months ago after noticing a ‘huge gap in the market for honest feedback’ for clothing that’s inclusive of sizes 16 and beyond

In the clips, Natalie oozes confidence and records herself wearing different outfits for the first time to share her initial, honest thoughts and styling tactics.

Natalie said she doesn’t feel pressured by the brands and retailers to share her honest reviews because she always ‘puts the woman watching first’.

Her main goal is simple, to ‘help women be kind to the beautiful woman in their mirror’ and give them the confidence and knowledge to be able to style themselves well.

‘Our bodies will change all the time, and that’s completely normal,’ she said.

Natalie herself is a standard size 16 and her target demographic is the ‘every day woman’ who lives a busy life balancing work and family matters.

‘Older woman are often the ones who have more disposable income, but aren’t represented,’ she said.  

In the clips, Natalie records herself wearing differnt outfits for the first time to share her initial, honest thoughts and styling tactics.

In the clips, Natalie records herself wearing different outfits for the first time to share her initial, honest thoughts and styling tactics

What are Natalie Angel’s 7 go-to style rules for all ages and shapes?  

1. Focus on what you want to enhance about your body rather than what you want to cover 

2. When wearing a shirt, twist and tuck it in on the front or sides 

3. Cuff your jeans to show off your shoes

4. Consider the practicality and material the clothes are made from

5. Mix and match different pieces together  

6. Try aim for three to five looks for each piece 

7. If you don’t feel comfortable in it, don’t wear it 

Due to the inconsistent online size guide, Natalie said brands should work harder to be more inclusive and consider customer needs.

‘I think the Australian system is changing, but there is still a long way to go,’ she said, adding: ‘And as a customer we should be using our power to let brands know what should be changed – because the brands won’t know unless we tell them.’

When asked about her top styling tips, Natalie said it’s important to ‘focus on what you want to enhance’ on your body rather than ‘what you want to cover’.

Due to the inconsistent online size guide in Australia, Natalie said brands should work harder to be more inclusive and consider customer needs

Natalie said she hopes to 'give women enough tools' to style their clothes and be able to 'rock an outfit'

Due to the inconsistent online size guide in Australia, Natalie said brands should work harder to be more inclusive and consider customer needs 

Natalie said she hopes to ‘give women enough tools’ to style their clothes and be able to ‘rock an outfit’. 

‘You can twist and tuck a shirt in to tell the observer you want to enhance your waistline, or you can cuff your jeans to shorten the length and focus on your shoes,’ she said.

‘You can also wear long skirts to make you look taller – there’s so many ways to style an outfit if you know the basics.

‘I want women to feel empowered, I want them to feel happy and comfortable in their own bodies.’ 

'I want women to feel empowered, I want them to feel happy and comfortable in their own bodies,' she said

‘I want women to feel empowered, I want them to feel happy and comfortable in their own bodies,’ she said

Moving forward, Natalie doesn't want to stop sharing videos to help women, but said she does have another mission in mind - help women feel comfortable wearing swimwear

Moving forward, Natalie doesn’t want to stop sharing videos to help women, but said she does have another mission in mind – help women feel comfortable wearing swimwear 

Moving forward, Natalie doesn’t want to stop sharing videos to help women, but said she does have another mission in mind.

‘The thing for me is summer; if I can help get women swimming and feeling comfortable enough to wear swimwear, that’s what is in my heart and that’s what I want to push for,’ she said and held her hands towards her chest.

‘I want them to be loving to themselves and the woman in their mirror, and having fun – not sitting fully clothed on the beach.’

Natalie has worked with countless brands and retailers from around Australia, many of which have been impressed with the high rate of first time customers flocking to their sites to purchase the clothes worn.  



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