Last updated at 14:58, Friday, 02 October 2009

Party season means makeover time. Which is all well and good if you’re a dab hand with a smokey eye quartet and a dedicated shopper with a passion for fashion.

Title
Author
Copyright

Description

But what if your after work wardrobe is bursting at the seams with drip dry nylon and gym knickers?

Me prised four game members of Carlisle Hockey Club’s ladies’ first team out of their sports kit and packed them off to Debenhams for a top-to-toe makeover to help them grab some party style points.

Fresh from victory on the pitch in a match against Durham’s Broom ladies’ team, the Carlisle club girls, captain Katherine Illidge, 36, Claire Routledge, 26, Sarah Dodd, 32, and Sarah White, 38, were ready to swap their hockey sticks for high heels.

Katherine, a civil servant from Great Corby, said: “Ladies hockey doesn’t have a very glamorous reputation. Your femininity tends to go out the window when you’re playing. So we were thrilled to be able to get a Gok Wan style makeover by the team at Debenhams.

“I don’t go out much these days so anything glam that makes me feel good is great.”

With the whole of the Carlisle store to choose from and a personal shopper on hand to them how to adapt their sporty style to a more feminine look, the girls got into the party mood.

Claire, a PE teacher from Carlisle, spends her working days in sports gear too and was keen to indulge her love of fashion. While Sarah Dodd was eager to amp up the glamour factor – her job as a police officer sees her wearing uniform every day.

Wearing dress sizes ranging from a 10 to a 16, Debenhams’ personal shopper helped the girls find a look to suit their shape. Tunics make the most of sporty legs and teamed with leggings the girls went as high as they dared. Halterneck styles show off toned shoulders and a sculpted LBD screams classy and enhances curves.

Skyscraper heels completed the outfits, then it was onto the beauty department for some winning makeup looks centring on a wearable take on the classic smokey eye.

The team are no strangers to success, winning the Cumbria League last season and gaining promotion to the North Ladies Division Two West, but how did their makeover score in the style stakes? Carlisle media manager Sarah White said: “I wear suits every day for work, so it was great to try something out of the ordinary. I was a bit nervous – you do get used to dressing just for work and for hockey. But it was fantastic, we had a really great day and lots of fun together. We all loved our makeovers and definitely picked up a few tips.”

For more information on Debenhams personal shopper service see in store for details or visit www.debenhams.com

If you are interested in joining the hockey squad visit www.carlislehockeyclub.co.uk or call 01228 510135.

First published at 22:04, Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk