Having been an Image Consultant for nearly eighteen years a large part of my job involves taking clients shopping for an outfit or a new wardrobe or just a few items to update his or her look. Quite often when a person shops with me once they will book to shop again because of the results.
What does it involve? Sometimes a shopping trip is preceded by a wardrobe planning consultation in the client's own home to sort out what to keep and what to discard. This gives me an idea of the client's current tastes and style and what I think is missing from their wardrobe. If I haven't done wardrobe planning I may have advised the person on their colouring or make-up or indeed their style and how to dress, so I may have an idea of them from that or I may be meeting someone from fresh just to shop.
If I've not seen the client for a while or am meeting them for the first time, we tend to spend the first half hour or so having a coffee and allowing me to build up a picture of the client, what they do, their leisure interests, their current style and what they want from the session - also useful is where that person has shopped before. Often I make a few notes and a list of that person's requirements for the day. And then we start shopping:
What am I looking for? Good question! Wherever we decide to start our search for clothes I'm looking for good colours - if the client's been analysed that's helpful but not always necessary as I generally have a good idea of what shades I would like to seen them in. Once I've spotted the colours I will be looking at the shape of the garment to see if I think it is the right one for my client (so details like turn-ups on long legs might be fine - but not on short legs all come into play). I'll also be considering if I think the garment will suit my client's personality and project the type of look they want. Only if all these details are favourable will I suggest that the person tries the item of clothing on - so I am quite capable of walking through a few stores before I suggest that we stop and try.
If we're stopping to try there are usually a few items to try as I like to present my companion with a complete picture. For instance if I've found someone a good jacket I may well select trousers, skirt and a couple of tops to build up an idea for the client on how it will work in her wardrobe. Also I very often take advantage of having my client in a changing room to trawl the sales floor for anything that will be useful to them so that they can try.
Generally the shopping trips are successful - the clothes we purchase, sometimes from differing stores and ranges will fit together and mix well with one another because I'm pretty specific in what I select. So the leather jacket bought in John Lewis may well go beautifully with the top from Kaliko and the trousers from Country Casuals. Often it's not until the client has worn and worked with the clothes for a few weeks that the true value of this type of shopping, for ease and simplicity of dressing comes across. (Male clients particularly like the idea that several shirts will work with several ties with two or three suits as this gives them confidence to mix and match without feeling they're "getting it wrong").
Do I have to stick to a budget? Can I stick to a budget?- Sometimes and yes is the answer to that, however one thing I've noticed is that the budget grows when the client is happy with his or her choices and it is only then that they buy. No amount of persuasion will ever make someone purchase what they don't believe suits them - there are two of you on the trip - not one.
Why do people book? Many reasons - a lifestyle change, new job, new partner, a wish to upgrade the items they buy, a wish for a co-ordinated working wardrobe and a sense that you can make them look good and for some a necessary evil, in that they have to wear clothes, still want or need to look good and shopping with an expert can be the best use of their time and money. Personal shopping - will it work for you - you don't know till you try it - it could be the best money you've ever spent on clothes!
Find out more at ColourMeBeautiful. Book a Style Consultant or to find details of your closest qualified Style Consultant just get in touch. Cindy Rossiter has been a Nottinghamshire award winning consultant with Colour Me Beautiful in the U.K. since 1991.
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