9 x reasons why men need personal stylists more than women do
Traditionally shopping and pretty much anything to do with clothes is still thought of as a woman's domain....."real" men don't think much about style do they? When I tell people what I do, they automatically think it's for women.
A few comments underneath an article in The Telegraph, giving tips on how a middle aged man should dress to enhance his body shape, prove that some guys do still think like this:
"If a man needs an expert for this, then he actually needs a psychiatrist"
"I don't know any bloke in the target age range that would be bothered by this"
"What a complete load of nonsense. Wear what you like lads"
And yet, after some conversations I've had in the past couple of weeks, I know that lots of men ARE very bothered by what they wear. When they're dressed well it gives them confidence, makes them feel the part, and as if they've got everything under control, when they're able to tick the "get wardrobe sorted' box and not think about it too much anymore.
So, here's why men need a personal stylist even more than women do.........
1. Because you don’t have many people you can discuss how you look with & how to wear the clothes you have in your wardrobe
There’s so much set up for women, and they talk about what they've bought, and how they're going to wear it, but as a guy you're a lot less likely to do that. It's not something you regularly discuss with friends, and you’re probably busy with your home life, and don’t get much of a chance to talk about it with your other half.....who might not have a clue anyway!
Obviously as a personal stylist for men, this is something I love to discuss, and if you book in for any of my services, we can talk in detail about your style and I can teach you how to wear what you have, or the things we buy if we go shopping.
2. Because you think you should be able to sort out how you dress yourself & it's silly to think about your image too much
You might feel like it’s frivolous to spend time thinking about what to wear and discussing it. Even though it massively affects your confidence and how you feel about yourself when you're dressed badly, society dictates that it's not really the done thing for men to spend much time talking about clothes.
And so it gets ignored, and yet another year goes by, where you continue to dress okay but not as well as you'd like to, which eventually chips away at your confidence. Add to that, the ageing process and before you know it, you're dressing like your dad....not the look you wanted to go for yet.
So is it silly to pay attention to something that makes you feel much more confident and in control, and makes you a nice human to be around? Or is it better to outsource the problem to someone like me who can help you sort it out, not to mention save you time doing so?
3. Because you dislike shopping for clothes & have a smash & grab approach
Are you like a lot of my clients, who've had a tendency in the past to keep putting off going shopping until they're in desperate need of clothes and can't avoid it anymore?
Like they used to, you find shopping an unpleasant experience and a lack of inspiration, knowledge and time, not to mention patience, leads to a smash and grab approach. You start the day out all enthusiastic, but quickly get disheartened and go and have a coffee instead.
You don't want to go home empty handed, so you just buy the first thing you see in the shop that feels okay on you. Once you get home though, you realise you don't really like it, but by then you can't be bothered to take it back.
And so the cycle continues.....you make do, leave it to the last minute, don't leave enough time and continue to hate shopping for clothes, and not liking the things you have in your wardrobe.
There is another way though, come shopping with me. I'll have done all the prep work for you, and have a clear plan right from the start, so we can achieve everything we've set out to.
And loads of my clients say it's FUN......and even though they never thought they'd use the words shopping and fun together in the same sentence, all of a sudden that's exactly what they're doing!
4. Because you end up arguing with your wife / partner when you go clothes shopping
Picture the scene - you've got a couple of hours to shop before you need to pick the kids up and are out shopping with your wife / partner trying to find something great to wear.
S/he isn’t necessarily style savvy and doesn't really know what you should wear, or maybe they're inflicting their own tastes on you and then getting offended when you don’t like the suggestions.
You really want to look and feel great but you’re not getting very far with finding the right thing. You just get irritated and angry and so the arguments start.
I’ve heard this hundreds of times from clients......and I like to think I’ve saved many a marriage by taking people shopping so they avoid the arguments!
Let's face it, I've probably spent a lot more time than your wife or partner has, on thinking about how to dress different men's body shapes, how to hook into someone's style, and which brands work for who, than they have....which makes if far easier for me to suggest the right things for you.
5. Because your wife / partner / kids tell you what they don’t like & how 'embarrassing' you look but don’t tell you what to wear instead
Have you ever come downstairs all ready to go out, only to be sent straight back up again to change? Your partner or kids are doing an excellent job of telling you what NOT to wear, and how embarrassing the way you dress is, but do they have any suggestions of what you could wear instead? Nope.
In fairness, they may not have a clue what’s in the shops, or don't know where to suggest you look. So the only thing they can tell you is what they don't like, without having any options for you on what they do like.
Luckily I’m in the shops all the time, so though I may think your partner / kids are right (!) I also know what the alternatives are, and where to find things to improve your outfits, and show you exactly how you can look better.
6. Because even if you know being a well dressed guy makes you feel more confident, you don’t bother spending the time on it
You know you feel better / more confident / in the zone / it gives a sense of occasion when you look good and have exactly the right thing to wear, and yet you still just don't spend the time on it.
You may think it's not the done thing, or not “manly” to spend time thinking about clothes and what you wear or convince yourself that it doesn't really matter anyway..
But you know exactly how much of a back foot you feel on when you're not happy with what you're wearing, and how you might not push yourself forward for certain opportunities when you don't feel right in your outfit.
So why don't you do something about it? Are you secretly afraid of being judged by friends or family if you book in for a session with a men's personal stylist? Do you think they'll tell you it's a waste of money and offer to take you shopping themselves instead? (Read this blog post to find out how different it'll be to that!) Or do you just think you should be able to do it yourself and it's ridiculous that you can't?
Would you feel the same about other training you do to enhance your career or paying an electrician or plumber to do something you can't do yourself? It's exactly the same with me.....and I won't be offended if you keep me a secret from your friends and family either, so you don't have to explain yourself to them!
7. Because you’re worried about looking OTT or like you’re trying too hard but don’t know how to achieve a modern & stylish look
You want to be a bit bolder and more daring with your clothes but when you’ve tried to do it in the past you’ve ended up going too far and buying things you weren’t brave enough to wear in the real world.
You might have got swayed by the sales staff or got excited in the shop but when you home, you didn't know what to put it with or whether it really did look good or the shop assistant just wanted to make their commission.
So the items just sit unworn in the cupboard and eventually make their way to the charity shop, and you feel guilty about spending the money on them.
Well guess what? My favourite thing to do when I'm working with clients is to find clothes for you that are different to what you have, and you wouldn't have thought of trying but actually love when they're on. It’s not always a big change that's needed but just paying attention to the details and subtleties that define menswear.
Oh, and I'll tell you exactly how to wear it too when I put your outfit combinations together after our shopping trip. Plus, I'm a rubbish lier, so you know I'll be telling the truth when I say it looks good!
8. Because you feel intimidated to go into high end or independent shops even though you’d like to buy from better quality or smaller brands
Are there shops you'd like to go into but there never seems to be anyone else in the store and you feel like you'll be pressurised into buying something if you go in? You're not alone.....I've even heard stories of people making a purchase they didn't want, just because they felt obliged or embarrassed to walk out without anything.
And if you have been brave enough to go in and tried something on, are you then never quite sure whether the person serving you was really sincere when they told you it looked good, or just wanted to make the sale?
There's been loads of occasions where I've taken clients into shops they've walked past before - either because they didn't think it was for them, thought it was much more expensive than it was, or were intimidated to go in, but once we're in there they've bought loads.
Equally, I'm not afraid to go in, try loads on and if it's not 100% right for you, walk out empty handed.....no matter how persuasive the staff are trying to be!
9. Because information on how to dress for men is much less readily available than it is for women
You might look at GQ and follow a few people on Instagram but not really come across anyone whose style you like. Or maybe you do like their style, but they look nothing like you, so you don't know whether the things they wear would suit you or not.
It's unlikely you'll WhatsApp a friend to ask what they think of your latest acquisition, and if your family aren't interested or don't know much about clothes either then where do you go for help?
Though it's getting a bit better and you can find videos and blogs about how to wear things, and how to dress for your body shape, there's just not as much information available to you as a man, than there is for a woman.
Which is why I set up my personal shopping & styling services specifically for men. And as you can probably see if you've got to the end of this blog..... men need the services of a personal stylist a lot more than women do!
If you've been thinking you could do with some help for a long time but just haven't got round to it, then message me and we'll arrange a time for a chat.
Or ready to book in right now? You can do so by clicking the button below and selecting whichever service you'd like, and once I've received the order, I'll be in touch within 24 hours to book a date for your session.
"I did a day's personal shopping with Sarah and was very pleased with the results. I came away with some things that I knew in advance I would get, some things that are very "me" but I wouldn't have found on my own and some things that I wouldn't have chosen for myself, but I'm nevertheless very pleased with. I've worn the outfits we chose on several occasions since and always feel confident with them.
Sarah has a good eye for what works and her enthusiasm really helped keep the momentum up. She's also very good company, which helps when you're spending the day working together.
Her advance scouting really helped save time on the day, it was worth it just for that, we started the day with a plan and a list of places to go so no time was wasted, as I don't get to London very often that was invaluable.
I would definitely use her services again."
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How much does it cost to hire a personal shopper / stylist for men?
