A personal shopping experience
 In the autumn, a charity auction provided the opportunity of bidding for a shopping trip with a Fashion Stylist. With 2 children under the age of 4, this seemed to be a good investment for the spring welcoming a 1st birthday and the return of my figure! I hadn’t been shopping for anything other than maternity clothes, stretchy tops and jeans for 5 years and understandably have a very different lifestyle!
As an Image Consultant I was fully aware of the treat value in hiring a professional to help me make the most of a rare day shopping however, the investment was also in keeping me focused; it’s so easy to lose the will to live when doing it on my own! It’s also much easier to be objective with a client than on myself and I needed to become the client!
Within a few weeks of this shopping trip the opportunity arose to go on a shopping trip with some (Image Consultant) colleagues. Due to family commitments my available time was reduced to 3 hours rather than a whole day.
Both days were fun, both days included a break for lunch and both days resulted in me purchasing some great pieces for my wardrobe and looking outside my normal comfort zone for inspiration. However, on returning home, I realised the real and hidden value was in the amount of time spent in the changing room as much as it was the clothes purchased!
Fashion Stylist:
- Investment: 1 day @ £300/day + travel
- Tried on approximately 60 items
- Purchased 11, returned 3: Total 8 new items
Image Consultant:
- Investment: ½ day @£50/hr + travel
- Tried on precisely 11 items
- Purchased 6, returned 0; Total 6 new items
You can do the maths!
Jackie Perkins |
Shopping Testimonial
...was heard from someone who knew a little about what he was up to as he chose the boxer shorts in his best colours! Ensuring your underwear and pyjama's are in your right colours and styles is not such a silly concept: Be confident rather than self-conscious in the changing rooms knowing that you'll look better than most people! Have a pyjama day confident in the knowledge that the mirror will show you in your best possible light and you won't look like a total disaster if the door bell rings unexpectedly! 
We all get to the point where we 'can't be bothered' and throw on the comfort clothes, Rumour has it, once called the 'Hangover Jumper' because it looked like you had a hangover whether you did or not! What would it feel like if you could go blindfold to your wardrobe and not worry about what you take out because you know it's going to suit you, make you look well, healthy, younger, slimmer, fitter, alert .... Learning what suits you will pay dividends through your lifetime if your wardrobe works for you, your budget and your lifestyle, giving you more time to do the things you love! 
Imagine a time when you go out knowing you are dressed appropriately, not concerned by what people think or whether your clothes will stand up to the rigors of the days activities? Imagine knowing every day that what you are wearing suits you, flatters you, makes the most of what you have got, who you are and most importantly reflects an authentic picture of you to the world. Imagine knowing the magic of never feeling frumpy, boring, scruffy, under or over dressed again AND with the confidence and knowledge to shop and create a wardrobe which you love. Imagine having the clothes to function in all your many roles in life completely within your budget and never hitting that moment of receiving an invitation and your first reaction being 'I've got nothing to wear'. 
