Personal Stylists: The Secret Weapon for Retail Revival

I’m in a toxic relationship ... with shopping.

If I’m being honest, the relationship was toxic from the start: bad lighting, pushy salespeople, crowds, deceptive mirrors. But those things were considered normal, so I didn’t clock the toxicity. Then e-commerce entered the chat, what started as a disruption (to quote Carrie Bradshaw, “Shopping is my cardio”), ended up being a beautiful addition to the relationship.

Beautifully toxic.

Online shopping had me spending more money and even more time scrolling. I got myself into some debt, but I also got myself out of it, so how bad could the relationship be? I clearly made it work.

In fact, I made it work so well that I turned my “relationship” with shopping into a full-blown career. What started as a career in celebrity styling morphed into a fulfilling career in personal styling. So, not only was I out in these retail streets shopping for myself, I was out there shopping for my clients, too.

When I started my personal styling business, roughly sixteen years ago, most people thought stylists were only for celebrities. Sure, image consultants and personal shoppers existed, but they were more for utility. Personal styling was an experience. A personal stylist won’t just shop for you; they will build your aesthetic from the ground up. A good personal stylist will consider your lifestyle, goals, body, budget, and the internal hang-ups standing between you and your ideal style. It’s an internal transformation just as much as it is an external one.

In my business, I applied everything I learned as a celebrity stylist to my non-celebrity clients. I also tapped into my personal relationship with style, added a splash of psychology, and a heavy dose of personal development to complete my methodology.

My methodology worked. From a transformational standpoint, my clients were feeling more confident, making more money, getting engaged, promoted, and starting businesses. From a transactional standpoint, my clients were purchasing entire wardrobes in one swipe.

This was worlds different from my work as a “stylist” in the retail world. Retailers love calling their sales associates “stylists”, but stylists they are not. These faux “stylists” aren’t trained in transformation. They are trained to sell, and let’s be honest, not very well.

If retailers trained their sales associates like personal stylists, they would make more money and have more clients engaging with their brand in-store. When clients are properly taken care of (seen, heard, and understood), they won’t just buy a few random pieces; they will purchase entire wardrobes.

I developed and taught a custom training for a major department store on just that - turning their sales associates into actual in-store personal stylists. With a little education and some simple shifts to the on-floor experience, customer satisfaction and units per transaction increase.

Unfortunately, retailers aren’t getting this. The in-store experience is trash at every level.

Nordstrom was once known for its exceptional customer service. Now, they are known (at least by me) for being a hot steaming pile of garbage. A few months back, I walked in ready to purchase a Stella McCartney handbag. No one was there to help me. No one. It was a ghost town. The few employees I did see were chit-chatting amongst themselves, ignoring their customers.

Where the heck did the Nordstrom from yesteryear go? The one with the piano player and ‘no questions asked’ returns?

Last week, I walked into Bloomingdale’s ready to purchase a pair of Saint Laurent sunglasses. I had to flag down an employee, who had to flag down another employee to help me. The sales associate seemed very annoyed that she had to work. She offered zero feedback when I tried on the glasses, and couldn’t even muster up a basic “some weather we’re having” level of conversation.

I didn’t make my intended purchase at either department store; I purchased online (at completely different retailers) instead.

Now imagine if those same department stores had properly trained employees who took 3-5 minutes to engage with potential customers in a meaningful way? Who could confidently and competently aid their clients in making styling decisions? Everyone would win.

Personal Stylists have skills that no other fashion professional has:

• Empathy and an understanding of what style actually does for a person

• Understanding of fit, body image, body-type dressing, and what’s possible through alterations.

• What genuinely looks good on a person - not just what’s trending.

• The ability to see style holistically (not just one piece or outfit at a time)

• Relationship-building skills that keep clients engaged for years and years

I do see some online retailers experimenting with a version of the “personal stylist” model, who are getting it more right than their offline counterparts. I also see some who are doing it very wrong. I want to name names, but it feels a little too spicy for this post. However, even those who are getting it half right would benefit from consulting with a personal stylist who has done this work for a long time. *Cough cough* raises hand.

As someone who has worked online and offline, I see where the pendulum is swinging. People want to live more of their lives offline. After years of drowning in short-form video, Zoom screens, and remote work ... folks are craving connection.

This feels like the perfect opportunity for retailers to engage with the best-kept secret in the industry: Personal Stylists. Ask them to host events at your stores and boutiques. Train your sales force to be more like them. Personal Stylists bring in the big bucks and big transformation, I’ve seen it too many times for it to just be a theory.