This is the third and final part of the three part series Why you need a stylist.
In Part One, I discussed the sense of personal empowerment that you will gain, and in Part Two I looked at how a stylist will channel your style into items you will actually wear.
This week, I'm going to talk about money.
Yes, a stylist will save you A LOT of money. It’s both a short term and long term investment.
I can't tell you the number of women's wardrobes that I see stuffed with clothes that are unworn, or worn only a handful of times. Hundreds, or more often, thousands of dollars of clothing is just sitting there. And it's doing two things:
1. It's acting as a constant reminder of money ill-spent
2. It's taking up valuable space
Mostly, items aren’t worn because they’re either unflattering in terms of colour or shape or they don’t suit the wearer’s personality. Often, they also don’t work within the overall wardrobe and with other items.
Shopping with intention eradicates this problem. By first laying the groundwork for your signature style and how you want to present yourself, and then identifying what’s missing in your current wardrobe, gives you a strategic shopping list.
Items to be added have been carefully considered, and when you do reach the shops, you’ll know exactly what criteria to assess each item on. It’s easy to be sidelined by discounts, fashion trends and sales assistants when you don’t have a clear plan and understanding of what you want or what looks good on you. Unfortunately most sales assistants are more focused on making budget for the day, not whether that dress actually flatters you.
I always recommend to buy fewer, better quality, items, which over the long run also saves you money. Instead of just considering the upfront price, we need to consider cost per wear (or the cost over a garments lifetime).
A perfectly fitting $300 pair of jeans will last you years and can be worn time and time again. Each time, the cost per wear gets even lower. Contrast that with a $50 top bought because it was on discount and worn just twice - at a cost of $25 per wear.
Paying more for a good quality piece will give you far greater value. We are also far more likely to care and value higher priced items, rather than discarding them like cheap, mass produced fast fashion. And while there may be room for those items from time to time, you'll get far greater wear and enjoyment from a wardrobe filled with pieces that you truly treasure.
Investing in clothes and our wardrobes may not be akin to traditional investments, but it is something you will spend money on, so why not make it money well spent?