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“MANY WOMEN LOSE CONFIDENCE AND IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO EVOLVE AND MAKE SMALL CHANGES. IT’S ALL ABOUT CREATING THE RIGHT FOUNDATIONS AND NOT JUST HOW YOU LOOK BUT HOW YOU FEEL”
when I started my latest venture designing shapewear, my husband and I decided we wanted to move as we were rattling around in a large house but I couldn’t decide where to go. I started looking at rental properties and was horrified by the cost but also the state of the places which were appalling! Then by chance I came across this pretty modern house which is about three years old. It’s in the countryside and overlooks some gorgeous fields which I love and it’s about 40 minutes to the station and I can be in London in just over an hour so I have the best of both worlds. It has three bedrooms, with one being my dressing room, an en suite and family bathroom, a pretty kitchen/ diner, sitting room and my little office, which is where I practically live. I am a workaholic and will never retire, so my office is my home. It has underfloor heating and I am shocked at how cheap it is to run. I hate being cold and in the thatched house it cost around £600 a month to heat and it was still cold and here I have the heating on all the time and it’s only £200 a month – I have had the warmest winter ever – perfect! The
and I opened a secondhand store called Begin Again. It went very well but I thought that most of the clothes were far too good to sell for very little money and I began again with my mission to help women rediscover their confidence through style. I have now been working as a personal stylist and wardrobe coach for the past three decades. I was so fascinated by the psychology of what we wear I decided to train as a coach. I ran the first course and was pretty amazed that 13 people turned up and two were from Iceland and one from America. I have now trained hundreds of people and I love every minute of my work.
over time and my mission is to help women feel good about themselves whether they are young or getting older. Many women lose confidence and it is very important to evolve and make small changes. It’s all about creating the right foundations and not just how you look but how you feel. I have always hated shapewear – it’s sweaty, the fabric is awful and you get bits of flesh sticking out everywhere. So, I have designed a base layer which is totally different. If you can imagine when you wear a pair of leggings it makes you feel trim. My range is based on athletic wear and feels like a second skin. It’s made from Italian fabric which is excellent and keeps you firm and in shape – it even supports your back which helps with the way you stand.We sell all over the world and I am very excited about how it is all going. My mission is very simple – I want to help women feel amazing from inside and out! FTB : What advice do you have for first time buyers? AK: The market is very interesting and when you are buying your home it has to feel right. If you don’t get that special feeling when you first walk through the door then it’s not for you. Location is also very important and you have to decide if its right for you too. If you are a family it might be accessibility to good schools, or if you commute it will be transport. Think about your lifestyle and if it will suit you and also ask yourself how long you are planning to live there. Buying a home is a very big decision and cannot be gone into lightly. I also think organisation is very important – when you buy a home you tend to sort out what you have and whether the furniture and accessories will fit in. So when you do this also take a look at your wardrobe and try everything on and if it doesn’t make your heart sing then don’t keep it. Plan ahead and try not to get stressed.
house is immaculate and as I adore cleaning (it’s my way to relax) it’s easy to look after and maintain. FTB : Tell us about your career? AK: I left school with no qualifications and I am dyslexic so I got a job in a posh dress job and I met a guy who asked if I would like my own shop. I jumped at the chance and was one of the first retailers to stock designers like Moschino, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana. I
FTB : Can you explain what your new
shapewear collection is all about? AK: Every
woman’s body
changes
ended up with five shops and was living the life. I didn’t do the buying for the shops for three seasons and if you don’t buy the right stock then you are bound for failure. It all went terribly wrong and I lost
everything and went bankrupt. Eventually I felt I had to do something and asked my old customers if I could re-sell the
@aliciakiteshapewear aliciakite.com
clothes they no longer wanted
First Time Buyer August/September 2026 15
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