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lifestyles | personal shoppers
That Personal Touch by Anne Kim-Dannibale | Photo by Joseph Allen
Online shopping may be convenient for busy Washingtonians, but Katie Jaggers, assistant general merchandising manager for Saks Fifth Avenue Chevy Chase, has been helping generations of politicians, philanthropists, socialites and everyone in between build wardrobes through Saks’ Fifth Avenue Club personal shopping service since 1984, proving that one-on-one service has its place in today’s retail landscape. Do personal shoppers have a role in this online-shopping age?
Absolutely! The digital era has opened up a world of deeper inventory and visibility for our consultants to access and “virtually pull” for. Some appointments take place entirely through an iPad with a followup fit appointment when the merchandise arrives in the store. It has been an incredibly valuable tool in presenting options beyond our four walls. Another amazing phenomenon has been the “virtual trunk show.” If a client is traveling and cannot physically come to the store when we are hosting a designer trunk show, we use iPads to host face time viewings of the collections. What are the misperceptions about your job and how do you overcome them?
Sometimes there is a misguided sense that personal shoppers are an expensive, elitist luxury that requires a minimum spend level
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or a fee to access a shopper. Another is that personal shoppers only service clients who shop designer collections. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are here to help inspire confidence and style for every client across all wardrobe needs from special occasion dressing to a complete wardrobe. Describe a particularly inspiring assignment.
What inspires me most is when we work with a client for a special event such as a wedding. These typically involve more than just the wedding day itself, with all of the excitement leading up to it: engagement parties, showers, bridal luncheons. We have even hosted a few of those in the store. Because these include the entire family you become an integral part of the experience and are able to see the happiness, confidence and joy of the occasion and that’s a wonderful moment.
Tell us about a time when you went above and beyond for a client.
We have packed up a full two weeks of wardrobe options for a client who had a last-minute trip abroad and could not get to the store. We presented everything in their home, had all garments fit, altered, pressed and packed and were off to the airport inside of 48 hours. How has style evolved in Washington?
Washington has gone from a very conservative, neutral and one-dimensional look to a much more adventurous, fun and risk-taking point of view. The mixing of designer brands is much more prevalent. Clients are also much more knowledgeable and savvy about the world of fashion. She attends shows, she watches and purchases online, she reads magazines and knows all of the latest trends, styles and pieces. And that is a lot of fun.
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Outside of flagship department stores, Washington is full of stylists making over the District one skirt and suit at a time. Here, a snapshot of a few favorites.
TO N I G L I C K M A N , F I L E . L A U R E N R OT H M A N B Y R A S H M I PA P P U . A L L OT H E R S C O U R T E S Y.
TONI GLICKMAN Burberry Private Clients, By appt., 347-404-4073, toni.glickman@burberry.com
MELISSA BROWN Lockstitch Style, Lockstitchstyle.com, mbrown@lockstitchstyle.com
ALISON BESHAI Alison Beshai Styling, 571-225-1288, info@alisonbeshai.com
LAUREN ROTHMAN Styleauteur.com, 202-631-8878, info@styleauteur.com
Tony Glickman grew up styling and shopping for friends and family. At the tender age of 14, “I specifically remember putting outfits together for my friends in my boarding school dorm and reading fashion magazines instead of studying,” she says. Since then, she has gone on to work with a wide range of clients from royal figures, celebrities and diplomats to stay-at-home moms handling virtually any kind of fashion emergency. As a consultant for Burberry’s complimentary Private Clients service, Glickman continues to work with Washington heavyweights looking for unique pieces from the legendary fashion house.
After earning her styling chops as a top personal stylist for Nordstrom’s Designer Apparel, Melissa Brown went on to open Lockstitch Style in 2011 where she caters to a wide range of clients from journalists to athletes and CEOs. Brown views fashion as art and works with each client to enhance his or her own personal style. “My favorite part of being a personal stylist is that moment when my clients look in the mirror and finally recognize that this stylish confident person looking back at them was always there,” she says.
This Northern Virginia native started styling professionally four years ago and has since been named to several local “best” lists. Two years ago, she opened her eponymous styling shop where she helps men and women update their seasonal wardrobes or find that perfect piece for special events, whether it be at department stores, local boutiques or showrooms around the world. “There aren’t specific designers I work with for all of my clients,” she notes. “I base the places I shop and the designers I work with on the client’s personal style, lifestyle, budget, etc.”
As a familiar expert on television, radio and in print, Lauren Rothman is well known in style circles. Though her clients run the gamut, most tend to be attorneys and politicians who look to her keen eye to dress them for the office. “First impressions are important for everyone and I work one-on-one with men and women to help them identify the right clothes and accessories for their lifestyle,” she says. Oftentimes, this has Rothman mining department stores or working directly with designers to find that right piece.
BEST PRACTICES MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME WITH THESE TIPS LAUREN ROTHMAN Block out time on your calendar and put your phone on vibrate. It may sound fun to bring friends or family but too many opinions can make the “personal” part of the experience challenging.
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
MELISSA BROWN Separate your wardrobe into piles: love, might need alterations, doesn’t fit anymore, and “I’m not strong enough to part with it so I hired a stylist to help me ditch it!”
| N O V E M B E R | washingtonlife.com
ALISON BESHAI Don’t lose yourself. Your stylist should be refining your style. Your stylist should be refining your style not completing changing it. Make sure you still feel like yourself in the end.
TONI GLICKMAN Find out what sort of clients the shopper caters to. There’s nothing worse than being styled like Ozzy Osbourne when you want to look like Queen Elizabeth.
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