PERSONAL SHOPPING TIPS: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A PERSONAL SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Let’s be honest, shopping for clothes can either make or break our day. When you have a plan, find what you need, the temperature is just right, and you feel confident within the pieces you have selected, a clothes shopping experience can be amazing.

For many of my clients, they have less of a fabulous result when they go shopping. They don’t have time for it so rush through the shopping, ending up with clothes they don’t love, don’t work with their current wardrobe, and ultimately waste money on garments they won’t wear.

For some, the feeling of overwhelm from the multitude of options can consume them. They can either rush around the stores and feel there’s “nothing for them”, or they spend hours trying to find the right pieces, but just don’t know where to go.

Finally, the most often feeling is that they just don’t know what will suit them from the shops, and feel they don’t know what to buy.

A personal shopping experience brings a specialist by your side to help you transform these downward spirals when shopping, and make them enjoyable and cost effective. Gone will be the countless pieces in your wardrobe that you never wear, but don’t have time to return!

That’s why we love helping people who feel this way with our online or face to face shopping experiences.

When you come to One of a Style for a personal shopping experience, what can you expect? Great question, here’s what we do here.

Personal Shopping – what you can expect from face to face shopping experiences

A personal shopping experience is one that we go through together, in person. The experience gives you the opportunity to have a full day or half day with one of our style experts to discover the shops, styles, and pieces that work for you.

It starts with a consultation, we get together online or in person, to find out what your wardrobe delivers, and what you may need to complement the outfits you already have and love.

Our experts will create a list of inspirational styles and will browse brands and collections beforehand, so when we get together for the shopping experience, we have clear ideas of what you need and what to look for.

We use our insights, knowledge, and experience to recommend stores that align with your personal style, your wardrobe requirements, and your shape. Because we already understand and know what is on offer across a variety of stores and budgets, we don’t have to try out loads of options, we have them in place already, and can take you to them for a new and welcome experience.

We may guide you to try a few new things, so you can step out of your comfort zone, while remaining true to your personality. We will also enable you to try on pieces, play with outfits, and have a style expert to hand to give you feedback on looks as well as how to style those garments for future looks.

You will walk away knowing that the pieces you have purchased will not only feel and look great, but they will work for you within the wardrobe you already have.

A personal shopping experience will feel like you have an expert there to hold your hand, give you new discoveries, and make shopping a more pleasurable experience. You will also be given advice and feedback for future shopping when you go out on your own, so you won’t fall back into the overwhelming and costly experience it may have been before.

Online Personal Shopping – What to Expect from an online shopping experience with One of a Style

You may think that online personal shopping would mean you miss out on that personal aspect, but we make sure that our online and face to face experiences feel as personal and engaged as one another. There are some differences, of course, as we are not there with you in person during the experience, but we are able to give a guiding hand throughout your experience.

With our Curated Online Shopping Experience, you will still get a real, accountable stylist (and no AI) working for you! We are here to make sure your shopping experience will be enjoyable, so having someone there to help you makes it all the more easier.

After an initial briefing call to discuss your goal, budget and needs, we create a bespoke lookbook just for you!

You will see different outfit ideas with links to the places to buy those exact items, so you can quickly and easily get what you see and like, with an approachable example of how to style them. No longer will an online shopping experience of urgency for one garment mean it only works for one event or outfit!

If you perhaps don’t love an exact piece, we have multiple options within your lookbook to try out, such as different colours, and patterns that still align with your outfit preferences and personal style, based on the briefing we have together.

You can go out, with the informed decisions and items that work for you thanks to these elements, and to add on that personal experience, we can organise a Zoom Fit Call, to show off your pieces once you get them, and see how they fall, and get an expert insight into the looks.

While the one-off experience can be so beneficial for you moving forwards, we understand that the trends that come into play, and the seasons come around, which may mean you need further support. This is why we offer our curated online shopping sessions in a one-off, bi-annual, or quarterly option.

Shopping should ultimately be a joyful, useful experience that makes your wardrobe more fun and useable. If shopping for clothes feels like an overwhelming experience for you, and holds you back from enjoying your wardrobe, we can help.

Whether you choose to have someone by your side in person, or via an online experience, each option provides a personal and bespoke solution to your clothes shopping experiences.

PERSONAL SHOPPER TIPS: HOW TO PLAN YOUR SHOPPING ONLINE AND MAKE IT REALLY WORK FOR YOU

My gut tells me online shopping will be the preferred options from the majority of consumers over 2021. Online shopping can be "tricky" so, while I absolutely understand that people feel safer and want to avoid stepping into a physical store (and also, most of them do not allow us to try things on during these times) I'd recommend being careful with shopping online, trying to search specific items and avoid random/compulsive purchases. So here are some tips to help make sure your online shopping experience is a good one!

Write a list

My first tip is to write a shopping list and follow it while researching items. Start your list by going through your Spring wardrobe and find the items you feel are missing that can extend your outfits. Do you have a need for new tops, or camisoles, perhaps you may need a few replacement light cardigans – whatever you feel you may need to add to your wardrobe that would actually work with your current collection will ensure you have a list that works rather than a haphazard approach to shopping.

Which clothing brands do you love?

We often gravitate to certain brands that work for us, and our wardrobe will show us those brands. So, while you’re writing your list, find out the brands that seem to pop up regularly. With this in mind, you can then visit their online stores for their new collections or sale items, that match your shopping list!

What cuts work well for your body?

Our body can look amazing in certain styles, and with a knowledge of the style of jeans you love most, to the dress types that you feel amazing in, figure out the cuts and styles you love to wear and this will help you when searching for items online.

For example, if you feel fabulous in square neck tops – look for clothes with a similar neckline that you know you’ll feel confident in. Perhaps you need a new pair of jeans (now we are finally being given the opportunity to go outside with friends once again!), consider the style of jeans you like, as well as the leg length and waist size, which you can replicate with your next purchase. Flared jeans are coming back into fashion, so if you’ve been desperate to get a pair, now is a great time to invest.

What colours will suit your current wardrobe and personal style?

Another really important part to remember when it comes to shopping is to know the colours you love to wear, and that work with your wardrobe. Many online shops allow you to categorise by colour as well as type, so use this option so you’re not distracted by items that just won’t work with your current wardrobe!

Know your budget

My final tip is to consider your budget. Fast fashion works well for quick required pieces, but with so many of us still being wary of going out quite as much, you may want to step back and consider your budget. With a higher ticket price, you will often find a much better item – and if this means waiting a little while before investing in pieces that you will love, or waiting for a sale, then you will find your wardrobe has more clothing that you want to wear more often. Invest in a few important pieces while online shopping that stay within your budget, to treat yourself, but also to know that they will be worn with love & will work with multiple items in your wardrobe (if you’ve done all the other ideas in this list!).

If you are feeling a little overwhelmed by the thought of shopping online, or perhaps you have bought clothes in the past that you’re not using, please get in touch – I can help you with my online personal style masterclass where we will work together to create a perfect personal style for you. With this in hand, your shopping (online and offline) will be a much more enjoyable experience!