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| Photo by mcfarlandmo (Creative Commons) |
1. We want you to look and feel good in your
clothing (because when you look good, we look good!). We don’t want you to tell
us you like something that you don’t just because you’re afraid of hurting our
feelings.
2. Be upfront about how much money you have to
spend on clothing so we don’t waste your time at the wrong store with the wrong
price point.
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| Photo by Alan Cleaver (Creative Commons) |
3. If you know there is a specific outfit or
garment you need to shop for, let us know that in advance so we can start
scouting stores for that specific item. Don’t wait until you arrive for your
shopping day to tell us you need a ball gown when we are meeting at a store
that doesn’t carry formal wear.
4. If you’re going to tell us what kind of clothing
you don’t like, you also need to be able to tell us what you do like. Don’t
keep us guessing.
5. We won’t give you rules that will limit you in
your options. Instead, we will give you guidelines to remember when you shop on
your own. Therefore, don’t give us rules (i.e. “Don’t pull anything that I’ll
have to iron!”) that will tie our hands and hinder us from doing our job. Instead,
give us direction or confirmation that we are or are not hitting the mark with
what you want.
6. If you’re looking for something “edgy,” tell us what “edgy“ means to you (or better yet, show us with pictures!). Your idea of
edgy may be completely different from our idea of edgy.
7. Understand that pulling outfits for you to try
on doesn’t take a long time, but what does take time is trying them on,
teaching you how to mix and match them, and then helping you make smart
decisions about what to purchase. It can be a process. Be prepared to put some
mental and physical energy into it. Prepare physically by wearing comfortable
shoes, clothes that are easy-on-easy-off, and appropriate underwear (this means
getting a proper bra fitting ahead of time). You may also want to bring some
snacks or water to have in addition to the lunch break we usually take. Mentally
prepare your mind (and your ego) in the event we have to go up a size in
certain garments.
8. Having stated the latter, know that everybody
has figure flaws because no one has a perfect body (not even the models in the
magazines). And everyone has something about their body that they don’t like. Learn
to embrace the body you’ve been given and we will teach you how to dress it in
the most flattering way. Don’t get hung up on what size you used to be or what
size you wish you were, and don’t obsess over the figure flaw that only you notice
until you draw attention to it by pointing it out to others.
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| Photo by Raymond Bryson (Creative Commons) |
9. Some things, such as jeans, are just not fun to
try on. We’ll try to make this process as painless as possible by having you
try those on first so we can get the hard part out of the way and have fun with
the rest of the clothing. It will be your job to put your “big girl panties” on
(so to speak) and push through this part without beating yourself up over how
you look. Remember, if a pair of jeans doesn’t fit, it’s because they’re the wrong size, not you.
10.
Don’t get so hung up on wanting to make
everything match. Let us show you how to expand the use of your wardrobe pieces
by being adventurous enough to mix patterns and coordinate colors with
something other than a neutral.
11.
If we tell you you look good in something,
believe us! We would not lie to you because, a) we don’t work on commission,
and b) we wouldn’t let you make us look bad by letting you look bad (see #1).
12. Trust us when we tell you something is too big
or too small on you. Don’t justify the purchase of something too small for you,
no matter how much weight you plan to lose. Dress the body you have now and
trust us also when we tell you something fits just right.
13. When you first try on an outfit, don’t start
immediately asking “What necklace would I wear with this?” “What shoes should I
wear with this?” Instead of jumping ahead, stay in the moment and look at
yourself in the mirror. Ask yourself, “Do I like this on me, and do I feel good
in it?”
14. Don’t turn your nose up at something until
you’ve tried it on. Some things look better on your body than they do on the
hanger.
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| Photo by WearIt.com (Creative Commons) |
15. If you say you’re doing this because you want a
change or you want to step outside your comfort zone, then trust us when we
start leading you in a direction you haven’t considered before. You can’t step
outside your comfort zone if you don’t put at least one foot outside of it and
experience a little discomfort. Change requires some change (funny how that
works, right?).
16. If we tell you something is not age appropriate
for you, know that we are more concerned about saving you from embarrassment
than hurting your feelings.
17. Understand that some people need a make-under
instead of a makeover. You may be one of those people if you hear us repeating,
“Less is more.”
18. Leave your best friends and family at home. This
is not the time to allow multiple opinions to overwhelm you, especially if
you’re paying by the hour for our expertise. Friends and family mean well, but
their opinions of what they like as opposed to what is right for you will just
eat away at the time we have together.
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| Photo by See-ming Lee (Creative Commons) |
19. If you come in to the experience with an open
mind and a positive attitude, you will have fun!
20. Don’t expect us to be miracle workers. We will
try our best to get you the look you are hoping for and that you love. Many
times this happens in the first day of shopping, but sometimes we just aren’t
having any luck and have to keep searching. BUT, the likelihood of you
understanding and incorporating the above suggestions increases our chances of
getting it right from the start!
If you've been thinking about getting some personal shopping assistance, contact us! We'll be happy to sit down with you and answer any questions you might have.
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