Never Have I Ever…Used a Personal Stylist!
Since becoming a bridal wear designer I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with a ton of interesting, talented people: photographers, make-up artists, other designers, stylists, etc. I’ve even had my make-up professionally applied and been part of a professional photo shoot, but I must admit I’ve never used the services of a personal stylist. What an oversight!
If booking a session with a Personal Stylist seems a bit too “fancy” for you, or if you’ve just never had the chance, read on to learn about my experience and find out why everyone should treat themselves to a consultation with a Stylist at least once in their life. It’s good to be fancy once in a while!
Meeting the Stylist
The Croisette, the Cinema, the Film Festival…the beautiful sea-front city of Cannes is iconic for these reasons and so many more!
But one more, very important reason to visit Cannes is for it’s amazing selection of fashion boutiques.
So on one slightly grey, drizzly day earlier this month I met up with Tessa from Dressed by Tess to treat myself to a fabulous personal shopping experience.
Tess is a native Cannoises (that’s what people from Cannes are called!) and I could tell straight away that she was completely at ease as she whisked me from shop to shop.
But why did we go shopping? And, more importantly, what did I buy?!
Why Did We Go Shopping?
Firstly, as if two girls need an excuse to go on a shopping trip! 😄 But also I’m attending a friend’s wedding in Dijon next month. For those not familiar with French weather patterns let me give you a brief lesson:
February in Nice = Just about bearable.
February in Dijon = Flipping Freezing!
Since leaving England I realise I’m becoming more “South of France” and I no longer have clothes suitable for cold weather 🥶. Dijon is about 7 hours north of Cannes, so we went in search of a Winter Wedding Guest outfit!
The Brief:
- A wedding guest outfit suitable for cold weather
- Budget: 150€
If you’ve never been shopping with a personal stylist the experience starts before you’ve even left your front door.
Weeks in advance Tessa sent me a short questionnaire to complete with details about myself and my goals for our session together. This questionnaire is incredibly valuable as it allowed us to focus our time and energy on exactly what we needed.
Tessa quizzed me on my current style, what kind of things I liked to wear, what kind of things I avoided etc. But the key is: you have to be open to change!
The Experience
As I said, we met in Cannes on a slightly damp day. After fuelling up with coffee, we hit the shops!
Since it’s right in the middle of January sales in France I felt very confident that Tessa would be able to bring me in on my budget of 150€.
The great advantage of shopping with a personal stylist, particularly one familiar with the city, is of course local knowledge.
Tessa knew all the great places to go. We mixed it up between well-known high street brands, as well as mid-range brands and smaller, independent boutiques. She even introduced me to brands I’d never tried before, but who I now love and will definitely visit again.
Why do We Sometimes Hate to Go Shopping?
Friends and clients have told me on several occasions that they don’t enjoy shopping. Is that the case with you? Some reasons why this may be true:
I don’t know where to go.
I don’t know what suits me.
I don’t have the time.
I don’t like my body.
I don’t have enough confidence.
Well, I’m here to tell you that shopping with Tessa solved all of these issues.
Tessa knew which shops to take me to, she told me what my body shape is and gave me a ton of advice for how to dress to emphasise my best features (and hide the ones I wanted to minimise). We were on a schedule and she was able to be super efficient about how we used our time, we didn’t go into a single store which I felt it was a waste of time. And finally, she gave me confidence about my purchases. There’s nothing worse than going shopping alone and wondering whether a dress/skirt/pair of jeans actually suits you. Tessa stayed by my side throughout the process, while I tried on each outfit, adding accessories, shoes etc. and all the way through to handing over my card. It couldn’t have been easier!
We even had some fun, trying on this sparkly number! What do you think? Good for a winter wedding?!
We even had some fun, trying on this sparkly number!
So What Did I Choose?
I told Tessa that I love wearing shirt dresses and she really delivered for me. She delivered so well in fact that, in the end, I was torn between two dresses. Help me decide which one I should wear to my friend’s wedding. Vote in the comments below.
Verdict
Tessa made me feel so special for the morning we spent together. She opened my eyes to new stores and styles and made me feel beautiful and confident with my purchases. She did such a good job that I ended up buying 2 dresses, plus accessories, and we came in under budget!!
So if you’re searching for an outfit for a special event coming up this year, or even if you just feel like treating yourself, I highly recommend booking a Personal Shopping Experience with Dressed by Tess.
And if you want to broaden your style and fashion horizons even further, why not join Tessa and I, along with other industry professionals at our Luxury Fashion Retreat which we’ll be hosting between the 1st - 5th October 2023 on the Cote d’Azur. For more information and to book, click the button below.