Six Steps to Creating Your Ultimate Wardrobe; decluttering & organising clothes; free ebook
Virginia Wells

Virginia Wells

Hiring A Stylist Saves You The Agony Of Clothes Shopping – Styling Part 2

This month I share more of my experience with hiring a stylist – specifically our shopping trip. Last post I shared my styling session experience that I had with Fiona Keary from Style Liberation, and what I gained from working with her. I’m still enjoying my wardrobe styling overhaul. (If you’re looking for wardrobe overhaul tips, check out the ebook Fiona and I put together).  I also wanted to share the shopping experience I had so you can benefit from what I learnt.

Prep for the Shopping Trip

I must admit I am addicted to Fiona after this experience. I will never shop for clothes without her again (ok well maybe I would, but it’s better with her). Leading up to the shopping trip I was pleasantly surprised at her professionalism, process and preplanning. Fiona had noted down the items I might need during the earlier wardrobe review. We discussed my priorities, my budget, and more importantly my shopping style. She then went off and did a bunch of research to pinpoint pieces that matched my needs. I then received an email with clothing options to comment on and review. This left me feeling very excited to shop (not something I would usually feel).

The Shopping Trip

The shopping day arrived (squee!) When we met up we targeted shops based on my email response. Almost everything I tried on was spot on and looked great. This really shocked me because my personal shopping experiences looked like this: Walk into 200 shops, try on 40+ tops, walk away 7 hours later with a top that ‘will do’ because I’m desperate and tired.

Fiona introduced me to brands, styles, colours and shops I’d never even heard of before. The experience was a whirlwind. I had so many great options to choose from at the end of the day. I thought things couldn’t get much better. But it did.

Fiona then took me for a coffee and we went over what I’d tried on and she reminded me of my priorities and budget.  This helped me clear my head of the overwhelm. So many options, what should I buy? She went over each piece, how I could wear them and what I could pair them with in relation to what I already had. There was no pressure to purchase any particular item. She then left it to me. I went around and collected the clothes I wanted. I ended up with 14 new pieces (which I now live in), and then culled another 15 pieces from my wardrobe.

The Result

In short, the result was a wardrobe full of things I love.

The experience was wonderful, yes, but why share it with you? Well, as a declutterer, I wondered if there’d be much impact on my wardrobe from working with a stylist. There certainly was – 68 fewer items (and counting) dropped from my wardrobe in the space of a few hours. These were the pieces I always wanted to wear, but for some reason didn’t quite sit right with me. I could never pinpoint why. Working with Fiona made me realise I should trust that gut instinct that it didn’t suit my style, shape or lifestyle. I was then comfortable letting it go.

Reasons You Might Engage a Stylist

Don’t want to experience the agony of clothes shopping for yourself?  Here are some reasons hiring a stylist to help you might be worthwhile:

  1. It’ll save you time.  It saves you the agony of trawling through the shops and finding nothing decent to wear. You’re shopping for a limited period of time for a targeted shop. All the phaffing about is done by someone else. This in itself is priceless. It also saves you time getting dressed in the morning.
  2. It keeps you sane. As per point one, a shopping experience can be positive instead of draining and a letdown. It stops the ‘I’m going to pull my hair out moments’.
  3. It saves you money. You only buy items that suit you, fit well and are versatile. Fiona was very honest throughout the shopping trip and was great at noticing my hesitation with pieces. She made sure I was going to love each item. No impulse buys. Her expertise meant I didn’t end up with pieces that were ‘right’ in style but not in colour or vice versa. So you don’t end up avoiding half the clothes in your wardrobe because they’re ‘not right’ for some reason.
  4. It gives you greater confidence in putting outfits together and knowing you look fab when you leave the house.

So even if you consider yourself ‘decluttered’ as I do, you can still gain something from hiring a stylist. I removed one-third of my wardrobe after working with Fiona just by understanding shapes and colours and what suits me. I then enjoyed the shopping experience (for a change) and ended up with some great new pieces to enjoy. A very worthwhile investment, with years of mileage yet to come out of what I learnt.

Have you considered hiring a stylist? Perhaps you already have. What’s been your best experience? If you haven’t had the privilege yet, what are you most looking forward to gaining from working with one?  Please share in the WellSorted Facebook group.

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