Professional shoppers...

[mensimageconsultant]

It generally is a bad idea to buy most or all your items from one store/chain. That is one of the reasons relying on an in-house personal shopper is not a good idea.

"Stylists" are likely to pick out trendy items by default, so buyer beware. Anyone calling him- or herself an "image consultant" without any evidence of training in the field should be doubted.

It can be a worthwhile experience, with the right shopper with a strong background who takes you along much of the time, doesn't pick out everything for you, and is a good listener. You probably can get some idea of a personal shopper's quality by where that person would take you shopping, if one would say much about that before you commit. It seems that, in most cases, there will be some paid evaluation of wants and needs before any shopping is scheduled.

 

[Ziss]

Originally Posted by David Reeves

What kind of lawyer is Foof?

 

[RSS]

Originally Posted by Twotone

My ex-wife was a professional shopper.
My late mother certainly qualified for "job" title. When we were selecting her coffin, the funeral director informed us,"This one is guaranteed to protect your dear mother for two hundred years." My nephew retorted, "You obviously didn't know my grandmother; she'll have a new one long before then."

 

[Thread Killer]

Instead of spending money for a personal shopper, follow these steps:

1. Buy clothes you like, leave tags on.
2. Take pics.
3. Post on SF, with thumbs up/down poll.
4. Let poll decide whether to keep or return.
5. Repeat.

 

[voxsartoria]

Originally Posted by RSS

My late mother certainly qualified for "job" title. When we were selecting her coffin, the funeral director informed us,"This one is guaranteed to protect your dear mother for two hundred years." My nephew retorted, "You obviously didn't know my grandmother; she'll have a new one long before then."

That sounds more like a Congregationalist or Unitarian joke than Episcopalian.

I mean that as a compliment.


- B

 

[RSS]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

That sounds more like a Congregationalist or Unitarian joke than Episcopalian.

I grew up thinking that church was what we did before Easter lunch ... and after Christmas Eve dinner.

Interesting you put it the way you did ... my nephew's father is Unitarian. Personally I'm more Buddhapalian ...

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Originally Posted by Thread Killer

Instead of spending money for a personal shopper, follow these steps:

1. Buy clothes you like, leave tags on.
2. Take pics.
3. Post on SF, with thumbs up/down poll.
4. Let poll decide whether to keep or return.
5. Repeat.

Very inefficient and unfair to retailers. More importantly, with that method, one probably will never learn much about what makes an item good or bad for him.

In theory, at least a personal shopper might use the occasion to point out pluses and minuses. In practice, as suspected by forum members, some of those professionals probably are more about enjoying shopping and making money than they are teaching people how to dress well. If a shopper doesn't particularly care whether the client goes with him or her much in the beginning, that's not someone to hire.

 

[GQgeek]

This is a dangerous path to go down imo. You could spend thousands in an afternoon and not come out with a better wardrobe. I'm of the opinion that most personal shoppers are probably brand whores and that you'd get much better advice buying one thing at a time and posting for a critique on SF. Very few salespeople have the requisite attention to detail.

What city are you moving to? Maybe you can get recommendations for a good salesman at a high-end store like Saks. They are quite few and far between imo. When I first started getting in to clothes, mine was very useful. He spent hours with me at times. He understood that repeat business was better than loading someone up with lots of stuff they might not be happy with and so he had a very regular clientele. He also understood that sometimes I'd "waste" his time and not buy much, but other times I'd buy a lot in a short period of time, so he never put any pressure on me.

If you have boatloads of money you can afford to make lots of expensive mistakes, go with whatever is easiest, but I think it's really worth developing your own instincts when it comes to this stuff.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Thats seems somewhat unfair GQ.

I think its possible to find a personal shopper who really has an eye for style, but much like finding a good contractor you need to do a little research and get a good referral, or spend a lot of my trying.

I think if i were to paint a broad stroke, i would say that if you are on this forum then you're learning how to be your own personal shopper.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba

Thats seems somewhat unfair GQ.

I think its possible to find a personal shopper who really has an eye for style, but much like finding a good contractor you need to do a little research and get a good referral, or spend a lot of my trying.

I think if i were to paint a broad stroke, i would say that if you are on this forum then you're learning how to be your own personal shopper.

I don't know... 8/10 people that work in high-end retail don't know wtf they're talking about. They're all about brands and their training consists of talking points (look at these mop buttons, pick-stitching, etc) and is very superficial. When I was new to this I was sold some things that fit terribly. I wouldn't imagine personal shoppers to be much different. MC really is a fairly select group in terms of our collective standards and how anal we are about perfection.

This guy is talking about putting a lot of trust in someone. I think he should be on his guard. As someone else said, most people get their idea of style from GQ.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

I don't know... 8/10 people that work in high-end retail don't know wtf they're talking about. They're all about brands and their training consists of talking points (look at these mop buttons, pick-stitching, etc) and is very superficial. When I was new to this I was sold some things that fit terribly. I wouldn't imagine personal shoppers to be much different. MC really is a fairly select group in terms of our collective standards and how anal we are about perfection.

This guy is talking about putting a lot of trust in someone. I think he should be on his guard. As someone else said, most people get their idea of style from GQ.

I've met some people who work in high end retail that really know what they're talking about, and those are who i deal with for the most part.

I also have a pretty good idea of what I'm looking for and I'm extremely picky, so i very very rarely leave a store these days with something i dont like.

I've actually met people who I've asked them what measurements a pair of jeans will have off the peg, and he knew things like the hem measurements for my size range right off the top of his head, thats impressive. He's also extremely well dressed.

What might be key for this is finding someone who dresses very similarly to how you want to dress.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

What might be key for this is finding someone who dresses very similarly to how you want to dress.

Unfortunately, many people probably think that. It's not true, and one shouldn't copy another person's style. Some similarity in formality is sensible - would a goth give good advice on interview dress? - but that's about it. (Let's skip the digression about people dressing well yet not necessarily knowing how to dress anyone else. Anyone who charges money ought to be competent at dressing some other people and not necessarily as clones of the professional's style. People in the industry usually appreciate a wide range of looks.) A better method of screening is to ask if a professional has worked with others with wants and needs similar to the prospective client's. Also, a way to weed out professionals who likely aren't worth the money they charge is to stay away from those who heavily emphasize color. That probably means they work mostly with women and might not know much about helping men.

 

[origenesprit]

No need for a personal shopper. Just find a good SA on the floor. If you thin they are well dressed, and they seem knowledgeable, just ask for help, and maybe steer them in a certain direction for what you want (e.g. a new shirt) and they should be able to show you what is good and what they believe would look good on you.

 

[imatlas]

My wife uses a personal shopper, and I've "borrowed" her a few times myself. She isn't paid on commission, and generates enough sales (easily in the millions per year) that she has zero pressure to hard sell. For my wife, who has a difficult time with fit and hates shopping, it's been a godsend. The PS knows my wife's taste at least as well as I do, and keeps an eye out for new arrivals that would interest her, setting aside pieces and letting us know when they're available.

Her service also frees me up to spend as much time in the men's department as I want, while she keeps my wife busy.

For me she's been helpful in letting me know when they're getting new stuff in that I might be interested in, and she has a very good eye for fit, so I'll often stop by her office just to get her opinion on a specific item.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Originally Posted by origenesprit

No need for a personal shopper. Just find a good SA on the floor. If you thin they are well dressed, and they seem knowledgeable, just ask for help, and maybe steer them in a certain direction for what you want (e.g. a new shirt) and they should be able to show you what is good and what they believe would look good on you.

That was debunked earlier in the thread. Another problem with it is that someone seeking professional help might have a hard time judging how well another person is dressed and how knowledgeable about style he or she is.