The key elements to ensuring a successful shopping trip.
How many times have you gone shopping and come back empty handed or disappointed that you couldn’t find what you were looking for?
It’s often frustrating when you look forward to you spend your time wandering around the shops and can’t find the perfect outfit or item you are looking for.
There is so much choice with the stores crammed with stock and endless options online it’s no wonder that a common problem clients come to me with is the feeling of overwhelm. There’s a lot of noise from all directions telling you that you need to buy this or that.
Whilst it can be fun to have day out with friends looking around the shops for inspiration, this isn’t the best time to buy. This is often when those mistake and impulse purchases are made. Those items that you get home and realise that you don’t have anything to go with and often get left hanging in the wardrobe with the labels and tags intact.
Here are my tips for getting the most out of your time at the shops…
Planning is key. Have a good look through your wardrobe. Know what you have so that you know what you need.
You can cut out a lot of the noise if you know you body shape and what will flatter it. It is so much easier when you can quickly dismiss what you know isn’t for you.
Knowing your style also helps you to dismiss brands and shops that won’t have what you’re looking for.
Be prepared to try things on and make this easier by choosing a comfortable outfit to shop in.
When you try something on make sure you love it and don’t buy anything that makes you think “it’ll do”.
Shop alone or with a professional so that the focus of the shops completely on you and your needs. Shopping with friends can be fun but it is easy to be influenced by their taste and style.
What happens at a Personal Shopping experience with me…
If you still feel overwhelmed and think you might like some professional advice, here is an outline of how a Personal Stylist like me can help make shopping an enjoyable and productive experience.
There’s a common myth that Personal Styling and shopping are only for the rich and famous. The reality is that the services of a Personal Stylist are for everyone and the investment can save you money in the long run. Any stylist should be able to work with the smallest to the biggest budgets and tailor the experience completely to your needs and lifestyle.
Before we meet…
The preparations for Personal Shopping start well before the day of the experience.
In most cases I will have completed a wardrobe edit for a client and know what they own and what gaps they have in their wardrobe. At this point I will have also conducted a body shape and colour analysis so I know exactly what will suit their figure and skin tone. Chats with the client and discussions about their lifestyle also allows me to know the personal style that is going to make them feel that they are showing up as the best version of themselves.
If I am meeting a client for the first time at a Personal Shopping experience then we will have had discussions and they will have completed a detailed questionnaire with photos to allow me to make similar assessments.
What I do next…
At this point my research starts and I create a style board for the client filled with outfit ideas (not always with coffee and cake!). I share the board with the client in advance and we also agree what the focus of the trip is going to be. A big part of my job is lots of brand research. I am always making sure that I aware of any new brands that I can introduce my clients to and ensuring that I know what is currently in the stores.
I do all the hard work so that on the day I know that we are only shopping at the places that will meet the individual needs of my client.
Prior to the appointment I also work with my contacts at various stores to make sure that items will be available on the day of the shop.
On the day of the shop…
I arrive at least 2 hours before meeting my client and visit the the stores that fit the brief I have created. I pick items in advance of meeting the client and have them waiting in the fitting rooms or on hold for them. This is where I get my steps in!
No two shopping trips will look the same as each experience is completely tailored to a client’s needs and budget.
When the client arrives they are welcomed with a beautiful rail of clothes and some items that they would perhaps not have chosen themselves. These items often end up being the favourite pieces. That is another great benefit of investing in a stylist - they all make you push your boundaries and try things that you would never have thought of trying before.
Trying on clothes can be tiring so I always make sure that there are refreshments on hand and we take a break whenever needed. The whole experience should feel like a treat and nothing makes me happier when my clients tell me how much they usually hate shopping but they have loved every minute of the Personal Shopping experience.
I never let the client buy anything that makes them feel less than great and this means they leave at the end of the day with purchases that they love and I know they will wear again and again.
I feel very lucky to do a job that I love and seeing my clients go home excited to start wearing their new clothes fills me with absolute joy.
I hope that you have found this newsletter helpful if you are planning a shopping trip.
If you would like to find out more about working with me please take a look at my services at www.allisonbuckley.co.uk or email allison@allisonbuckley.co.uk
I am determined to keep these newsletters as free advice and I hope you find them helpful. If you found a post particularly useful and would like to buy me a coffee, I would be extremely grateful.
Have a great weekend,
Allison x