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A one-hour shopping session with a personal stylist, at about $175. I desperately wanted to break out of my t-shirt/blue jeans habit, but parsing clothes sizes,

A one-hour shopping session with a personal stylist, at about $175. I desperately wanted to break out of my t-shirt/blue jeans habit, but parsing clothes sizes, trying things on, and getting opinions is equal parts sorcery and torture for me. (I'd tried Stitch Fix and felt like it wanted to reinforce my habits rather than break me out of them.) After sending her details about my problems and the kinds of styles I admired, the stylist experience was very old-school retail — a department store — but she was unexpectedly pragmatic, giving great advice about picking durable clothes and materials that specifically fit well on me, with lots of wink-and-nudge budget advice (like "This would look great on you for $50 less" followed by flashing me a Nordstrom Rack or Poshmark listing of it). Also, finding out that the department store has a complimentary tailoring service for hemming and adjusting the waistline on pants you buy from there permanently changed my clothes shopping process.

adnanaga 4y ago
What was the service ?
- rebuild143 4y ago
  +1, I'd also love to learn more about your experience, especially about how you found your stylist.
  - damey 4y ago
    +1 would also love to know how you found your stylist
    - trynewideas 4y ago
      Lots of Googling, then a little calling around. I started with one in my neighborhood who also runs a hair salon, who was also the only one I found who specifically advertised a masculine-specific wardrobe assessment service. When I described my problem, she gave me a shortlist of several other stylists who were outside of what I thought I was looking for, like FernDate, Duchess, and some local vintage-specific pickers who just aren't online.
- trynewideas 4y ago
  I used FernDate,[1] which is pitched as a dating profile consult but lets you select services a-la-carte. You can find local stylists and negotiate with them if all you need is a consult — the prices they list on their websites are often expecting to do a full wardrobe assessment, outfit curation, and co-shopping for a femme client, but (in my limited experience) will mark prices down a bit if you're masculine. 1: https://ferndate.com/services/ https://ferndate.com/services/ (As an aside, if you're in Portland or the PNW, I also highly recommend Duchess Clothier as a custom tailor: https://www.duchessclothier.com/ https://www.duchessclothier.com/)
  - beardbound 4y ago
    Thanks for that. I'm in the PNW and I've been looking around for a good tailor. I was ordering some of my stuff pseudo-custom from sonofatilor but it's a bit hamstrung by how bad I am at taking my own measurements. Other than that the shirts are really nice, but the wool is a bit fragile (no afilliation). I also have a bit of an odd shirt size so this is helpful
  - Arrath 4y ago
    I'll also suggest John Helmer Haberdashery in Portland. https://www.johnhelmer.com/ https://www.johnhelmer.com/ I'm very happy with the service and the suit I got there.
MisterPea 4y ago
I don't want to belittle your experience as stylists can be helpful for achieving a certain look, but often department stores (especially Nordstrom) have sales associates trained as stylists. They will spend a lot of time helping you with your style for free, albeit you'll probably want to buy from that particular store. Nordstrom clothes are a bit on the pricier end, but ~most~ are often good quality.
- pesfandiar 4y ago
  Would an associate on commission give you good advice on budget though?
  - TheFreim 4y ago
    I have no experience here, but I'd guess they would. It would be better to guarantee a sale than alienate a customer who would consider returning of the experience went well.
    - nixgeek 4y ago
      A lot of current season clothing will have MAP (minimum advertised pricing) agreements in play meaning you’re probably paying list almost anywhere which is an authorized retailer. Now, what you can do is figure out what brands suit you and fit well, what sizes are good, then shop past seasons in Nordstrom Rack or elsewhere. Popular sizes and colorways may sell out quickly so it’s a more frustrating experience, but you can see items marked down 55-75% too!
- trynewideas 4y ago
  We went to a Nordstrom, actually, and worked with their designated stylist who did quite a bit of the picking. The value for the hired stylist was not working for Nordstrom, which meant being able to say "that looks good, here's something that will look as good and cost half as much, and also here's why that looks good on you and where you can find it elsewhere". EDIT: I really also want to stress that the stylist was just... nice. Completely non-judgmental about me waffling over things, offering lots of advice beyond just the clothing — how different postures affect fits, being able to explain to me why layering was sometimes uncomfortable and how to alleviate it, how to better adjust my fit when my body's size changes, even a gym recommendation. The in-shop stylist was also very nice, but the hired stylist got me through the door to the shop, and for me at least, that was worth the $175.
kevmo314 4y ago
> I'd tried Stitch Fix and felt like it wanted to reinforce my habits rather than break me out of them. Wow, same! Who/what service did you use? This was my biggest gripe with Stitch Fix, my friends are all surprised I complain about it. I wanted an opinionated new style and all I got was the same stuff I usually wear, just more expensive.
- trynewideas 4y ago
  The "stylist" part of Stitch Fix disappointed me the most. I had a different stylist each time even when I didn't request a change and none of them seemed to take feedback into account in the selections. It made me doubt that the "stylist" was anything but a vague algorithm with a boilerplate letter generator.
robotnikman 4y ago
Just looked up stitch fix to see what that was since I never heard of it. First results include news stories of the CEO stepping down and laying off 20% of its workforce in the last 24 hours. Ouch.
- schneems 4y ago
  It’s not personalized at all when I tried it about a year or so back. I signed on and in my intake explicitly said I wanted new shorts and I live in Texas so don’t need jackets. They sent me a jacket and some shoes and shirts and no shorts. If you’re looking to build out a whole new closet it might be okay if you just want whatever the current style is but if you want something specific it didn’t look like a good product.
  - ptmcc 4y ago
    Same experience. I put two notes in my profile, 1) that I have very fair skin so whites and off-whites are not a good look on me. 2) no polos, ever. My first box arrived with a white polo and a cream beanie. Could not cancel faster.
  - sylens 4y ago
    It was much better before they laid off the bulk of their stylists in 2020
  - PheonixPharts 4y ago
    Which is hilarious since they were well known for having an insanely huge data science team supposedly working on really tough problems in personalization. They had a constant stream of (interesting) blog posts but I was always curious how much of that work really touched the product. AI/ML was supposed to be their big market edge. Not too surprised that didn't work out given my experience with every other company that had built out massive teams of largely inexperienced DS people.
- sngz 4y ago
  its not personalized. Funny story. My wife tried it out one time, and we went to meet up with a friend who we haven't seen in 5 years who just came back from working in Japan. The friend and my wife have vastly different body types, hair colors, height and style. Guess who ended up matching exactly in clothing for the night?
satvikpendem 4y ago
I did the same thing several years ago, only in my case I was able to follow the guides at /r/malefashionadvice for free, highly recommended if you don't want to or can't afford a personal stylist right now. Look at the guides on their sidebar (on old reddit at least) and they have everything you need, such as a basic guide, what to buy for $X, and so on. Take particular notice at their What Are You Wearing Today (WAYWT) threads, while they are sometimes ludicrous, they often show the current fashion zeitgeist. https://old.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/ https://old.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/
kepler1 4y ago
Is there not a simple "look book" that exists and gives you examples of where you can find / buy the kinds of clothes that you see and like? (hopefully for less than premium prices) I find it odd / annoying that all the clothing is made in low cost countries, but we need funnelers of information or access or recommendations who tack on a surcharge at every step until you're paying $50 for a simple t-shirt. I equally find it very strange that, for companies making and selling clothing, I can only imagine it costs very little much more to make good-looking clothing and copy the latest styles. Why does cheap clothing always seem to be so unstylish? Example: someone manufacturing a tie (if people wear those any more even), the material and labor scarcely costs more if it's ugly versus nice. Why are ugly ties still made? Puzzled.
Insanity 4y ago
Never considered that. But now I am curious, how did you pick the stylist? Not even sure how I would find one lol
- throwntoday 4y ago
  I went to Nordstrom looking for a nice blazer to up my wardrobe with a hard limit of $400. I had a couple guys who kept bringing me pricey items that didn't match what I asked for and half heartedly saying "looks good bro trust me". It was annoying, I know they're on commission but at least make an effort to sell. Finally another of the sales guys started chatting with me. I explained what I wanted and he went and grabbed exactly that. The item was less than my limit and on sale. With the savings in mind I asked if he could suggest a couple more items, told him the colors I like and general style. He brought a few more told me what he honestly thought (if it looked good or not) and I knew this was now my personal stylist. Now whenever I walk in if he's not working I just come back another day. This guy is good at his job, and has learned what I like. He makes recommendations, I give my feedback when I don't like something, and he rolls with it. So all I can say is create a litmus test, and don't be afraid to tell them they have totally missed the mark and you're gonna look around on your own. Soon enough someone else will walk up and you try again.
theNJR 4y ago
How did you find your stylist?
jhatemyjob 4y ago
Could have just gone on a date with a woman lol.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
simonhamp 4y ago
My wife is a stylist and does an online-only version of this (and other related services) over at https://estilistas.co.uk/ https://estilistas.co.uk/ (hope no one minds the plug!) I'm always surprised how often her clients come back multiple times per year. She's had quite a few from the US and Canada too. She caters for men & women

adnanaga 4y ago

What was the service ?

rebuild143 4y ago
+1, I'd also love to learn more about your experience, especially about how you found your stylist.
- damey 4y ago
  +1 would also love to know how you found your stylist
  - trynewideas 4y ago
    Lots of Googling, then a little calling around. I started with one in my neighborhood who also runs a hair salon, who was also the only one I found who specifically advertised a masculine-specific wardrobe assessment service. When I described my problem, she gave me a shortlist of several other stylists who were outside of what I thought I was looking for, like FernDate, Duchess, and some local vintage-specific pickers who just aren't online.
trynewideas 4y ago
I used FernDate,[1] which is pitched as a dating profile consult but lets you select services a-la-carte. You can find local stylists and negotiate with them if all you need is a consult — the prices they list on their websites are often expecting to do a full wardrobe assessment, outfit curation, and co-shopping for a femme client, but (in my limited experience) will mark prices down a bit if you're masculine. 1: https://ferndate.com/services/ https://ferndate.com/services/ (As an aside, if you're in Portland or the PNW, I also highly recommend Duchess Clothier as a custom tailor: https://www.duchessclothier.com/ https://www.duchessclothier.com/)
- beardbound 4y ago
  Thanks for that. I'm in the PNW and I've been looking around for a good tailor. I was ordering some of my stuff pseudo-custom from sonofatilor but it's a bit hamstrung by how bad I am at taking my own measurements. Other than that the shirts are really nice, but the wool is a bit fragile (no afilliation). I also have a bit of an odd shirt size so this is helpful
- Arrath 4y ago
  I'll also suggest John Helmer Haberdashery in Portland. https://www.johnhelmer.com/ https://www.johnhelmer.com/ I'm very happy with the service and the suit I got there.

MisterPea 4y ago

I don't want to belittle your experience as stylists can be helpful for achieving a certain look, but often department stores (especially Nordstrom) have sales associates trained as stylists. They will spend a lot of time helping you with your style for free, albeit you'll probably want to buy from that particular store. Nordstrom clothes are a bit on the pricier end, but ~most~ are often good quality.

pesfandiar 4y ago
Would an associate on commission give you good advice on budget though?
- TheFreim 4y ago
  I have no experience here, but I'd guess they would. It would be better to guarantee a sale than alienate a customer who would consider returning of the experience went well.
  - nixgeek 4y ago
    A lot of current season clothing will have MAP (minimum advertised pricing) agreements in play meaning you’re probably paying list almost anywhere which is an authorized retailer. Now, what you can do is figure out what brands suit you and fit well, what sizes are good, then shop past seasons in Nordstrom Rack or elsewhere. Popular sizes and colorways may sell out quickly so it’s a more frustrating experience, but you can see items marked down 55-75% too!
trynewideas 4y ago
We went to a Nordstrom, actually, and worked with their designated stylist who did quite a bit of the picking. The value for the hired stylist was not working for Nordstrom, which meant being able to say "that looks good, here's something that will look as good and cost half as much, and also here's why that looks good on you and where you can find it elsewhere". EDIT: I really also want to stress that the stylist was just... nice. Completely non-judgmental about me waffling over things, offering lots of advice beyond just the clothing — how different postures affect fits, being able to explain to me why layering was sometimes uncomfortable and how to alleviate it, how to better adjust my fit when my body's size changes, even a gym recommendation. The in-shop stylist was also very nice, but the hired stylist got me through the door to the shop, and for me at least, that was worth the $175.

kevmo314 4y ago

> I'd tried Stitch Fix and felt like it wanted to reinforce my habits rather than break me out of them. Wow, same! Who/what service did you use? This was my biggest gripe with Stitch Fix, my friends are all surprised I complain about it. I wanted an opinionated new style and all I got was the same stuff I usually wear, just more expensive.

trynewideas 4y ago
The "stylist" part of Stitch Fix disappointed me the most. I had a different stylist each time even when I didn't request a change and none of them seemed to take feedback into account in the selections. It made me doubt that the "stylist" was anything but a vague algorithm with a boilerplate letter generator.

robotnikman 4y ago

Just looked up stitch fix to see what that was since I never heard of it. First results include news stories of the CEO stepping down and laying off 20% of its workforce in the last 24 hours. Ouch.

schneems 4y ago
It’s not personalized at all when I tried it about a year or so back. I signed on and in my intake explicitly said I wanted new shorts and I live in Texas so don’t need jackets. They sent me a jacket and some shoes and shirts and no shorts. If you’re looking to build out a whole new closet it might be okay if you just want whatever the current style is but if you want something specific it didn’t look like a good product.
- ptmcc 4y ago
  Same experience. I put two notes in my profile, 1) that I have very fair skin so whites and off-whites are not a good look on me. 2) no polos, ever. My first box arrived with a white polo and a cream beanie. Could not cancel faster.
- sylens 4y ago
  It was much better before they laid off the bulk of their stylists in 2020
- PheonixPharts 4y ago
  Which is hilarious since they were well known for having an insanely huge data science team supposedly working on really tough problems in personalization. They had a constant stream of (interesting) blog posts but I was always curious how much of that work really touched the product. AI/ML was supposed to be their big market edge. Not too surprised that didn't work out given my experience with every other company that had built out massive teams of largely inexperienced DS people.
sngz 4y ago
its not personalized. Funny story. My wife tried it out one time, and we went to meet up with a friend who we haven't seen in 5 years who just came back from working in Japan. The friend and my wife have vastly different body types, hair colors, height and style. Guess who ended up matching exactly in clothing for the night?

satvikpendem 4y ago

I did the same thing several years ago, only in my case I was able to follow the guides at /r/malefashionadvice for free, highly recommended if you don't want to or can't afford a personal stylist right now. Look at the guides on their sidebar (on old reddit at least) and they have everything you need, such as a basic guide, what to buy for $X, and so on. Take particular notice at their What Are You Wearing Today (WAYWT) threads, while they are sometimes ludicrous, they often show the current fashion zeitgeist. https://old.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/ https://old.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/

kepler1 4y ago

Is there not a simple "look book" that exists and gives you examples of where you can find / buy the kinds of clothes that you see and like? (hopefully for less than premium prices) I find it odd / annoying that all the clothing is made in low cost countries, but we need funnelers of information or access or recommendations who tack on a surcharge at every step until you're paying $50 for a simple t-shirt. I equally find it very strange that, for companies making and selling clothing, I can only imagine it costs very little much more to make good-looking clothing and copy the latest styles. Why does cheap clothing always seem to be so unstylish? Example: someone manufacturing a tie (if people wear those any more even), the material and labor scarcely costs more if it's ugly versus nice. Why are ugly ties still made? Puzzled.

Insanity 4y ago

Never considered that. But now I am curious, how did you pick the stylist? Not even sure how I would find one lol

throwntoday 4y ago
I went to Nordstrom looking for a nice blazer to up my wardrobe with a hard limit of $400. I had a couple guys who kept bringing me pricey items that didn't match what I asked for and half heartedly saying "looks good bro trust me". It was annoying, I know they're on commission but at least make an effort to sell. Finally another of the sales guys started chatting with me. I explained what I wanted and he went and grabbed exactly that. The item was less than my limit and on sale. With the savings in mind I asked if he could suggest a couple more items, told him the colors I like and general style. He brought a few more told me what he honestly thought (if it looked good or not) and I knew this was now my personal stylist. Now whenever I walk in if he's not working I just come back another day. This guy is good at his job, and has learned what I like. He makes recommendations, I give my feedback when I don't like something, and he rolls with it. So all I can say is create a litmus test, and don't be afraid to tell them they have totally missed the mark and you're gonna look around on your own. Soon enough someone else will walk up and you try again.

theNJR 4y ago

How did you find your stylist?

jhatemyjob 4y ago

Could have just gone on a date with a woman lol.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

simonhamp 4y ago

My wife is a stylist and does an online-only version of this (and other related services) over at https://estilistas.co.uk/ https://estilistas.co.uk/ (hope no one minds the plug!) I'm always surprised how often her clients come back multiple times per year. She's had quite a few from the US and Canada too. She caters for men & women