But many of us have also been feeling time-poor,a bit low in confidence and overwhelmed by choice for years.
“The idea of getting a personal stylist and doing it all in one hit,and just having some help and guidance from someone with an expert eye and objective opinion really appeals to people,particularly at this time of the year[the change of season],” she says.
Bradley Lauten,David Jones’ personal styling suite manager,agrees. There are month-long waits for styling sessions at Sydney’s Elizabeth Street store and theBourke Street store in Melbourne.
“It takes the anxiety out of shopping for some people,” he says. “Especially in a store our size and with the option of so many brands to pick from.”
Men are getting in on the action,too. While the core customer base remains women,Mackinnon and Lauten say more male customers are embracing an expert opinion.
“Definitely more corporate men are coming through,but also the husband[who] doesn’t like shopping,so the wife will bring him in,” Lauten says.
And,quite simply,it makes it fun. Why spend hours on the shop floor searching for the right size,colour or cut when you can call in the experts?
Why see a personal stylist?
It’s been 15 years since my brief stint as a fashion reporter,and in that time I’ve grown and fed two babies,developed a roller-coaster relationship with running and gyms,and lived through a pandemic in the world’s most locked-down city.
Fed up with hearing me moan about my WFH wardrobe of leggings,singlets and long cardigans,my husband books me a two-hour session with a personal stylist to mark a milestone birthday. There’s no turning back now.
I meet Guergues at a cafe for a quick chat before we shop. I have already filled in a questionnaire via email:the obvious questions include my age,height,dress size and body shape.
But she also wants to know if there are parts of my body I would like to hide or minimise (tum/bum),where I usually shopped (of late,online) and if I had a celebrity style crush (ah,nope!). We discuss my wish list (smart casual pieces that can be mixed and matched for work,play and the park) and my budget (my credit card limit!).
Soon,I am trailing Guergues around as she peruses racks of coats and blazers,corporate skirts and shirts,and playground-appropriate jeans and tees,occasionally glancing back at me to check a size,before we hit the change rooms.
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Guergues says she’ll know immediately if I don’t like something,and it’s true. I don’t have a poker face,and while I’m willing to try on anything,I am quick to take off most garments with billowing sleeves,high necks or anything that means I’ll have to pull my stomach in all day.
But I say yes to a lot. A blush-coloured woollen coat,paired with my first pair of non-skinny jeans in a long while and a basic white T-shirt is my new favourite outfit. I am surprised to find a mustard-coloured blazer suits my colouring and I do a swirl of delight in a hot-pink maxi skirt.
A slinky knitted skirt is too tight for comfort in my usual size 10 but Guergues urges me to try a bigger size and it’s perfect. I learn it doesn’t matter that it’s styled to fit differently on the mannequin.
And we spend about 10 minutes rolling up sleeves and playing with ways to tie or tuck a striped soft cotton shirt into pants and skirts for different looks.
How to make the most of a personal shopping experience
- Wear your best skin colour bra and undies,comfortable shoes,good deodorant and a touch of make-up
- Have a list of what you want to buy,in priority order
- Ask about discounts in certain stores
- Set a budget and make sure your stylist knows it
I part with $1500 in the first shop after receiving the stylist’s 25 per cent discount (which,incidentally,more than covers her fee) and we carry on.
We visit two more stores,discussing my new purchases and which particular pieces might need another top or pair of shoes to create a different look. I buy a pair of black leather loafers which fit perfectly in store,but in reality are way too tight. I swap them the following week for a bigger size.
I spend another $500 before I call it quits well before our two hours are up. I have about six new outfits I can mix and match and a new-found excitement about getting dressed in the morning.
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