Don’t Count the days, Make the Days Count

March 25, 2026
7 minutes

The Story Behind Vera Rae and Why I Chose to Start

I’ve always loved fashion. Not in a casual “I like clothes” kind of way – but in a way that felt instinctive. It’s why I chose to study Fashion Communication and Promotion at university. I thought I knew exactly where my life was heading.

But after graduating, reality looked different.

The fashion industry is incredibly competitive, and I struggled to break into it. So I did what felt practical at the time – I came home to the Isle of Man and leaned into my second passion: marketing. And for a while, that was enough.

But there was always something quietly pulling at me…

My relationship with style

Like many women, my style used to change constantly. Every year, it followed trends – what was “in,” what I thought I should be wear, what looked good on others.

Some of it worked, and when it did, it gave me a real confidence boost. But looking back, those pieces only worked because, completely by chance, they aligned with my body shape and my (at the time) undiscovered style personality. There was no understanding behind it. No consistency. Just luck.

And then there were the trends that didn’t work – the ones that felt uncomfortable, unflattering, not quite me. But instead of questioning the clothes, I questioned myself.

I remember the bodycon trend in particular – trying to make it work, thinking I just needed the “right size” or the “right version” of it. But with my rectangular body shape, it worked against me completely. It clung in all the wrong places, and instead of feeling confident, I felt restricted and self-conscious.

What I didn’t realise at the time was that I didn’t need fitted, contoured shapes – I needed structure. Straight lines. Pieces that worked with my natural shape, not against it. And that’s the part no one teaches you.

So like so many of us, I stayed stuck in that cycle – trying, buying, doubting. Because there’s that quiet, constant pressure to look a certain way, to be a certain size, to fit an ideal that was never designed for us in the first place.

So when something didn’t flatter my body shape, it felt personal.

But what I came to realise is this:

It was never about my body. It was about the clothes.

The dream that wouldn't go away

For years, I talked about starting my own personal styling business – helping women feel confident, creating something of my own, doing work that actually made a difference.

It lived in conversations, in notes on my phone, in quiet moments where I let myself imagine it.

Until 2025, when I decided to stop talking about it – and start.

I made a plan, because dreams without action have a way of staying exactly where they are. I used a company benefit at the time to fund part of my training, and the rest came from savings I’d been building over time. While waiting for my course to begin, I started laying the foundations – shaping my services, building a business plan, thinking about the experience I wanted to create.

At that stage, it was meant to be simple. A side business. Just Sundays.

The moment everything changed

The day before I travelled to the UK to complete my personal styling training, everything shifted.

I was told my job was being made redundant. Two weeks, and it was over.

This came just a month after something far heavier – losing Tony, my sister-in-law’s forever partner, suddenly and tragically. Life already felt fragile. This just made it impossible to ignore.

So I found myself at a crossroads:

do I find another job and keep this as a side business, or do I take the risk and go all in?

And the answer came quickly.

Life is too short. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.

Years ago, Tony had asked me to make him a plaque for their home with the words:

Don’t count the days, make the days count.

And in that moment, I realised I couldn’t ignore those words.

So I made the boldest decision I’ve ever made. I invested in myself – and in this business.

More than style

For me, this was never just about clothes. It’s about how you see yourself.

I’ve seen first-hand how powerful that shift can be. When I first experienced my colour analysis, I brought my mum with me and treated her to one too.

At the start, she didn’t want to look at herself in the mirror. She was hesitant, uncomfortable – almost avoiding it. And I think so many women will recognise that feeling – that quiet disconnect from what you see looking back at you.

But as we moved through her colours, something changed.

As she began to see what truly suited her natural complexion – the colours that brought her to life, rather than washing her out – she softened. And then, she smiled.

She looked at herself… and she liked what she saw.

And that moment stayed with me.

Because it wasn’t about the colours. It was about recognition, connection, and a shift in how she saw herself.

And I remember thinking – this is what I want to give to other women.

Coming back to yourself

We spend so much of our lives trying to follow trends, fit expectations, or become versions of ourselves we think we should be. It becomes a cycle of trial and error – buying, doubting, second-guessing.

But real style isn’t found out there. It’s found when you come back to yourself.

When you understand what works for you – not just physically, but personally. Your colouring, your shape, your lifestyle, your personality.

And when you stop trying to be someone else, and start owning who you already are – that’s where confidence begins.

Why Vera Rae?

Because I believe in what I offer- completely.

This isn’t about quick fixes or surface-level style. My services are designed to create long-term change.

Yes, some might see £190 for a Colour Analysis or £325 for a Style Blueprint as an investment. But how much do we spend on clothes we don’t wear? On pieces that never quite feel right? On wardrobes full of options, yet nothing that works?

This is about changing that.

The name Vera Rae means True Light – and my goal is to help women find their own.

When everything else feels uncertain

We’re living in a time where everything can feel unpredictable. And when the world feels out of control, it’s easy to get caught in a cycle – of thoughts, emotions, and physical feelings that feed into each other.

But there’s something I always come back to: the circle of control.

There is so much we can’t control. But there are still things we can.

And one of those things is how we choose to show up.

What we wear might seem small – but it isn’t. Because how you feel in yourself influences how you move through the world. And sometimes, that small shift – feeling just a little more like yourself, feeling good in what you’re wearing – is enough to change the direction of your day.

Ending note

Starting my business didn’t come from having everything figured out. It came from a decision. A decision to stop waiting. To trust myself. To take one small step forward, despite the uncertainty.

And that’s where everything began to change. Not all at once. Not perfectly. But enough to shift the direction of my life.

And in many ways, your journey is no different.

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. You don’t need to feel ready. You just need to start. Because when you begin to understand yourself, when you start showing up in a way that feels aligned, confident, you -everything else begins to follow.

Your confidence grows. Your energy lifts. Your outlook shifts.

And with that, your passion for life starts to come back too.

Starting is where it all begins.

So if you’ve been waiting for a sign –
this is it.