Online personal stylists? They’re virtually perfect
From John Lewis to Topshop, stores are offering one-to-one shopping experiences — in your own home
I’M ALREADY familiar with Topshop’s personal shopping service and this appointment was a virtual version.
My stylists, Mark and Yas, were young, delightful and dressed in trendy Topshop finery.
They were hot on what was new in store, and had read my brief carefully: I’d set a tricky challenge by asking for a sleeveless short coat, and they’d found me a perfect trench. Bingo!
A floral, multi-print midi dress with a deep V-neckline (right) really worked for me.
I also liked some of the casual suggestions — a vintage tee and white cropped jeans.
However, the preappointment questions weren’t as in-depth or focused on my body shape as some of the other services.
When I came to try on the smart work outfit at home — a coral shorts suit — I realised it was not cut for my curves.
Please don’tdon’t ever make me wear belted shorts, Mark!
I kept the floral dress, trench and jeans, but ththe shortsht suitit wentt straight back.
Topshop is one of my alltime favourite shops, and this service is good for seeing the latest pieces and how to style them.
It’s less strong for a comprehensive wardrobe overhaul, but perfect if you want outfit ideas for a specific occasion — an event or a wedding, for example.
This service frfrom stich Fix is a rather different idead — it’s the oonly one that chacharges, although it’s jujust £10, which is redeemredeemable against any purchaspurchases. You also get a 20 per cent discount off yoyour whole order if you buy all the items.
Rather than a video chat with a stylist, this is a specialist website that uses an algorithm, with oversight from a human stylist, to select products for you.
i had to create an account online, answering detailed multiple choice questions on everything from body shape (arm length, leg length . . .) to style preferences — including showing me visuals to choose from. You select either a one-off ‘Fix’ (a box containing five items of clothing) or a subscription to get regular ‘Fixes’.
handily, you don’t pay for the clothes until after you’ve tried them on at home and decided what to keep. it comes with a pre-paid returns label.
A few days after signing up, i received my ‘Fix’. The box also contained a handy set of styling cards, showing suggested outfits for each.
The clothes themselves, however, were the least successful of the services. i received a slightly dull