NYC Personal Stylist, Breaks Down What To Expect From Complimentary Department Store Appointment vs. A Private Appointment....

The start of most consult calls for my personal styling services, “I had one of those personal shopping experiences at Nordstrom’s and bought so many pieces, but I still don’t know what I’m doing!”

To top it off, these ladies are confused by it. How could it be that they spent possibly thousands on the clothing- all great pieces, but maybe there are two, maximum three outfit combinations. 🧐

They forgot most of what the sales associate told them as far as styling everything, and the pieces aren’t necessarily matching back to what they have prior to the appointment. When I tell you this is common, I mean it, and there’s no shame in that!

I myself worked in luxury sales for years, and while yes, we created gorgeous outfits, the goal for our clients wasn’t to educate them or lay it all out on how to mix and match back to what you own. The goal was simple- sell the clothes from what you have in the store not how does it pair back to your wardrobe as whole. Which leaves a lot of people with alot of pieces but not many full outfits. Which yes, comes the saying you have a closet full of clothes with nothing to wear.

This is why personal styling (when done right) is half yes, shopping for you, but the other half, and in my opinion, the more important half, is educating you!

We need to show our clients WHY pieces are working for them, what to look for, and how to mix it all back. What color combinations, what cuts, all the things to make it easier for them. We provide resources; lookbooks, digitized closets, shopping portals, and all the areas that personalize the experience and go back to their specific needs.

Again, this is the differentiating factor between calling up your local department store and booking a one off complimentary session versus figuring out how to have a wardrobe that doesn’t leave you always second guessing.

There’s a reason why after a real personal styling service, there are clients that say, how easy it is now, how they’ve saved money moving forward, how they pack with out frustration.

Just look at the messages….trust me there are plenty others but you get the idea.

Because again, it’s not about one or two cute outfits. It’s an investment in your wardrobe as a whole, with a lense to make it cohesive and easily interchangeable. It’s an overarching look at making it simpler for you to put the outfits together without always wondering what’s missing, if it matches correctly or why is the fit off.

And trust me, I understand it’s super enticing to just call the local Bloomingdales and book that complimentary appointment!

Again, I think it’s a great offer for a few outfits! You can’t beat it! But it won’t solve your larger issue if you’re struggling with your daily wear and understanding how to put it together without a headache.

I’ve seen through 5 years of my business and well over a decade in the luxury retail world that without a plan of looking at the true gaps in your wardrobe, lifestyle, preferences, aesthetic goals and so on you will end up paying more in the long run.

Think of it like this, without a real plan:

• Buying duplicates in different colors

• Cycling through trends that don’t suit you but were told it’s the “it piece”

• Constantly editing and re-buying because you haven’t evaluated what you even want your style to be

• Owning plenty of clothes, but no cohesion. So there’s always something missing and therefore always a new purchase

You get where I’m going with this.

To sum it up, in my opinion this is who each option is for:

A personal shopper makes sense if:

• You need an outfit for a specific event- think bat-mitzvah dress, wedding guest FABULOUS

• You already know your style and just want help sourcing- ex. as mentioned above a few cute outfits in a fun, elevated shopping environment- TREAT YOURSELF!

• You enjoy trend-based dressing-you need the new it piece, if you have a good relationship with the personal shopper at the store, she’ll find it and hold it for you!

A personal stylist is for you if:

• You’ve outgrown your style, it feels outdated- feels like your old self, it’s just off not in alignment with who you are. Example- your entire wardrobe is Artizia between the effortless pant M-F and a bodysuit/ jeans for a date night- yet you’re seven years out of grad school and a Saturday night is a nice dinner with your partner bed time 11 pm but you’re dressing like the 22 yr old running errands for you at work. There’s nothing in your wardrobe that separates the two of you.

  
  

• You’re tired of “trying” and want clarity. Example, every time you want to “dress-up” it looks like a volcano went off in your bedroom, and it still isn’t a 10/10 outfit. You sweat half the make-up off trying to figure it out, yet something is always missing. WTF!

  
  

• You want fewer clothes that work harder. Example- you’re at a point in your life where you can understand cost-per-wear and investing correctly. You want to make sure you’re guided to the right pieces and information behind why. You don’t want it sold to you; you want it explained to you.

  
  

In A Nutshell

If you’re thinking of having an appointment at one of the department stores and think it will solve all of your problems, evaluate what you want out of it…neither is right nor wrong…simply different choices.

If you’re curious about what services are like, I always encourage you to simply book a discovery call. I work in NYC and surrounding areas along with virtual services. Let’s discuss where you are at and what would really make sense for you individually.