Seasonal Style Subscription Box vs Personal Stylist - Which Way To Go?

Seasonal style subscription box vs personal stylist…..which way to go? An in-store “stylist” vs an independent personal stylist, which is the right fit for me? Stitch Fix… Nordstrom Trunk Club… Evereve’s Trendsend Box… local boutique in-store “stylist”… Evereve in-store “stylist”…. Nordstrom personal shopper… There are so many options out there right now for one to choose from. In fact, there are two questions that we get a lot when prospective clients are interviewing us:

“I have noticed that many retailers offer styling services for free in their stores…. Can you help me understand the value I get as a client by paying for your services rather than using one of these free styling services?”

“For the most part, I’ve enjoyed my seasonal subscription box, but I feel like a more personalized approach might be more beneficial in the long run!?”

Luckily, we have some very compelling answers to these questions. Let’s look at how Effortless Style adds more value than an in-store stylist or a mail order styling service.

Seasonal Style Subscription Box vs Personal Stylist – A More Personal Approach

With a seasonal style subscription box service, you will fill out an online form and receive a box of items in the mail based on your responses, more than likely never seeing or speaking to your stylist.

When working with a “stylist” in a retail store, you may have never met that her/him previously. And it’s possible she may not remember you when shopping at that store in the future. Not to mention, she may or may not have a certain monthly commission number she needs to hit. When a stylist/sales associate is pressed to make commission numbers, you may often wonder if she’s selling you that $250 pair of jeans because they truly are the best fit for your body, or because they’ll help make her sales goal.

In both of these cases, the stylist you are working with more than likely doesn’t really know YOU. Nor do they know what you currently have in your closet, what your lifestyle is, what your preferences and needs are….

When working with Effortless Style, you will get a much more personalized approach. The focus – and true joy of what we do every day – derives from the relationship with the client… Our team really takes the time to get to know our clients to better address their wardrobe needs. We understand our clients’ lifestyles. We know what our clients already have in their closets. And we know their body type, things they are confident about, their insecurities plus other detailed things about them and their everyday lifestyle and needs. We shop ALL brands and ALL stores to best meet our clients specific needs. Essentially, we get to know our clients so that we can be intentional when shopping for and styling them.

How Do We Achieve This Personal Approach?

You might wonder HOW we deliver on this personalized approach with our clients. For our in person clients, we hop on a phone call, meet for coffee, visit their home, and shop in person with them. For our virtual clients, we oftentimes schedule Zoom or Facetime calls to interact “live” and face-to-face. We also utilize pictures, texting and our online closet portal to work together to meet our clients’ goals.

In these meetings, both in person and virtual, we ask questions to really understand our clients. We LISTEN to them. We can SEE the clothes on them and give honest feedback about what works for their age, height, body type, coloring and personality.

A note on our virtual subscription here… With this subscription, we pull items for our clients and upload them into their online portal with not only explanations for why we are recommending the item, but also complete looks with that item. This enables our client to see a clear and intentional vision for that particular piece. The client can then choose which items they want to purchase on their own. With a seasonal style subscription box, the client receives a set number of items to try and is left with the hassle of returning any items not wanted. Often we see those pieces hanging in clients’ closets with the tags still on them because it wasn’t worth the hassle, or it was a better value to keep all of the pieces in the box. Clients are also left with no real direction on how to wear the items they’ve kept.

Specialized Knowledge Catered to Each Specific Client

So many of our client relationships are ongoing…. Our stylists have clients they have worked with for 5-10 years! It is truly one of our greatest joys in this job to develop long term relationships with our clients. We walk with them through exciting life events such as children graduating, special trips, weddings, pregnancies and dressing postpartum bodies… But just as important, we love helping our clients to feel confident in their own skin in day to day life!

When you work one-on-one with Effortless Style, we customize your closet to optimize your features and body type. We work with you to create a wardrobe that meets the needs of your lifestyle. And, we help you to develop and express your own personal style.

For more information on Effortless Style, our stylists, and our services, please visit our website and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. You can also check out our recent blog post for more information on the benefits of working with a personal stylist.