Fashion can be terrifying. First there are the jargon — Neo Victorian, normcore, sports luxe; and then there are the seasons. Fail to dress according to them and you might just be dismissed after a once over as “so last season.” Adding to the dilemma are those lovely clothes and accessories that deserve attention and decisions — scalloped shorts, slip dresses, overalls, skinny knife pleats, mules (not the animal, darling), bucket bags ( don’t scamper around your bathroom though) ... Now, what goes with what? And what if you pair a set of unthinkables together and step out in the most disastrous ensemble? Gasp! The horror!
Let’s face it, shopping and dressing up may be escapism but to some it’s a nightmare. That’s where personal shoppers step in like a dream, but at a price. If they can help you with the desired look and effect, it may just be worth it.
At Zara, as shoppers enthusiastically pick out what catches their fancy, Rashida A.R. stands by a section looking uncertainly at a pair of palazzos. “I have always wanted to try one. But wasn’t sure,” she mumbles. Vishwa Dave, personal shopper, stylist and fashion blogger, picks out one and hands it over to Rashida. After a brief conversation Rashida pops into the changing room and steps out in the palazzos, looking a little pleased. Vero Moda, Kenneth Cole, Steve Madden, Only… after quick trips to a flurry of stores and with more new outfits that were so far restricted to her coveted list now part of her wardrobe, Rashida finally looks a lot more cheerful. She’s changed into a vibrant printed jumpsuit. After a final stop at MAC with the make-up on, she’s now transformed — and it’s not just how she looks, it’s also about how she feels. She poses confidently in her new clothes asking the store assistants to click her pictures. “ Kurtis, leggings, black pants and white tops were what I always wore. Now here’s more variety for me,” she says. An employee of a German MNC and in her late 20s, Rashida loves colours but never had the courage to wear bright clothes. Until the day she approached Vishwa for help.
“Personal shopping is a challenge because the idea is to dress clients according to their style sense and not mine. I need to keep in mind the silhouettes and colours that suit them,” says 29-year-old Vishwa who recently moved jobs from the retailing industry to styling. Every sitting with clients begins with a consultation that lasts between 45 minutes to many sessions. “This is when I understand them, their requirements, their fears and analyse three things — personality, preference and lifestyle — based on which I decide their wardrobe,” she adds.
Sulakshana Badani, image consultant, who offers personal shopping service as part of her package says she goes through her clients’ wardrobe, to help them maximise what they have. Colour consultation, figure and style analysis, wardrobe planning and two hours of shopping, with a personal colour palette is what her services include. It’s also very technical. “I familiarise them with the rules to match colours, match them with shoes and accessories, and put together a capsule. For the next one month I ask them to send me pictures of what they are wearing,” she says. While she’s in tune with what’s in vogue there’s one question she tells her clients to ask themselves before buying something: “It looks nice but does it suit me?”
It’s not just about being well-turned-out in a set of curated clothes but it’s also about practicality. Most personal shoppers encourage their clients to utilise their garments to the fullest. ‘Would you wear it again? Why are you buying this?’ These are important questions to ask,” says Vishwa.
People often think this job is all about strolling through the malls shopping. But what it also entails, other than all the walking around, is convincing people and at times putting up with difficult, impractical clients. “I once had this young man from Singapore who expected to see a drastic change as soon as he walked out after the first session. Transition takes at least a week,” says Sulakshana.
Often there are those that turn up with pictures of celebrities in magazines and are adamant on getting that particular look. “What looks good in a glossy is never going to look good on you,” are Mumbai-based Chetna Mehrotra’s words of wisdom for them. “It’s important not to get carried away. Budget, occasion and need are the things I chalk out,” she adds.
Twenty-five to 45 is the average age group that avails the services of a personal shopper. And it’s not just the women, men are equally conscious about their image. Chetna is convinced that men are more finicky, or atleast that’s what’s she discovered in her six years in this field. “They want to look appropriately dressed,” she says and adds. “Interestingly, Ranvir Singh’s hat-sporting style is what a lot of them are influenced by. As for women, Kangana Ranaut is the new poster girl for their sartorial choices.”
When Chetna started out, she drew a lot of attention. “People go shopping with their moms. But finding someone to shop for you was a weird concept back then,” she says. But not anymore. A steady flow of customers also ensures that Chetna flies with a couple of them to other cities to shop for and with them. Once a client ran up a bill of Rs. 23 lakhs in just one day. “I don’t restrict the shopping to big labels. I also include street boutiques and sometimes they add the most amazing piece of work to the clothes we’ve bought,” she adds. Casual, cocktail and holiday clothes are what are popularly shopped for.
While personal shopping has been thriving in Mumbai and Delhi, it is gradually picking up in Chennai. “There are people who require the help of personal shoppers but are hesitant. They probably think why they need to spend money on somebody else to shop for them when they can buy more with that money,” laughs Sulakshana and adds, “It’s also often a misconception that only people with lots of money can get a personal shopper." Different personal shoppers have different methods of charging. Sometimes it’s a certain percentage on the bill. Or according to the number of hours spent. Or it could be a fixed amount based on the occasion. The amount starts at Rs. 500 and goes up to Rs. 15,000.
Says Chetna, “Some clients don’t want to follow a trend, but lead it. We show them how to.”
