As often as I talk about styling, I thought I’d walk you through a shopping appointment I had with a client last month. Of course, the stores and the length of the appointment will vary per client, but I wanted to give you a preview of what you can expect if you hire me to help you shop!
Last month, my friend and new client Curron texted me and said “I need your help.” We met for a consultation to discuss what exactly he needed help with when it came to his wardrobe. Like many people (men and women), he struggled with making decisions about what to purchase when he went shopping. He knows what he likes, but he experiences hesitation when it comes to making a final purchase decision. Should he get a specific pair of jeans? How do certain shirts look on him? Like many of us, he needed help finding items he wanted to purchase and need reassurance that the items he liked were a good choice.
Since Curron had already gone through his closet and purged clothing that no longer fit or just didn’t work anymore (I’d normally do this for clients before going shopping), we made a list of the items he wanted to add to his wardrobe: graphic tees, polos, cargo shorts, jeans, khakis, ¾ length shirts and more! We also added Fall pieces to the list like a leather jacket and sweaters.
Please note: all items on a client’s shopping list are not purchased during one shopping appointment. The shopping list is used for multiple shopping appointments and when clients are shopping on their own.
Banana Republic
A few weeks after the consultation, I met Curron at Tysons Corner Mall. I chose this mall because it featured every store I wanted to shop in order to find exactly what was on the list. I got to the mall before the scheduled appointment to pull pieces for Curron to try on. I do this with all clients; they arrive at the first store and they immediately head to the fitting room. It saves time and is convenient for clients. Curron met me at Banana Republic. This store wasn’t originally on the list of places to shop but when I saw they were offering 30% off sale, I definitely had to stop by. I’m glad I did! Curron left the store with a really nice chambray shirt, polo and red sweater (it was on sale so we couldn’t pass it up)!
Jeans from Express
Following Banana Republic, we went to Old Navy, Hollister, H&M and Express. After three hours of shopping, Curron left the mall with cargo shorts, the chambray shirt, sweater, graphic tees, two pair of jeans from Express (they were on sale for $17.99 each) and a few other pieces (while staying under budget)! The jeans from Express included a salmon pair. Yes guys, you can wear jeans and pants in COLOR!! Have fun and experiment. To be honest, I was surprised Curron liked them. But I’m glad he stepped out of his comfort zone and tried them.
Five stores in 3 hours!
Following a shopping appointment, like all clients, Curron received a “recap” which included what was purchased at each store (i.e. Banana Republic: Chambray Shirt size L). I also sent an updated shopping list which will be updated every so often based on any shopping he does on his own or future shopping appointments.
To be honest, I was nervous to work with Curron. After all, he’s my first male client! But a little nervousness is good for you! We had a great time shopping and I look forward to working with him again this year to continue to update his wardrobe.
