I had the awesome opportunity and experience to get “styled” at Banana Republic today at their Flagship store on Grant in SF..GINORMOUS!! I was set up with a personal shopper, and after I gave them my two cents ahead of time of the types of things I like, what styles I’m looking for and what I’m trying to do fashion-wise, they created a beautiful set-up in a fitting room for me so I could try to a bunch of new “looks!!”
My “stylists” Sayareh and Nanci did a great job of selecting items in-line with what I had told them I wanted, and there were several combinations and options to mix and match all the pieces.
One of my “issues” is that since I’ve been living in Miami the past 5 years, my wardrobe is reflective of that….and now being in the Bay Area, it’s different – like sometimes my sister Ade says I’m looking a little “bootylicious,” because of how fitted my clothing can be, and then learning to layer is a must since the temps can range 30 degrees, depending where you are in the Bay. I mean, in South Florida anything goes when it comes to dress, but I also felt the need to update myself to a more ‘mature’ look!! And — the GREAT thing I learned in the stylin’ session is that you can still look good, feel sexy and show off your shape, with chic sophistication!
There were crop pants and long pants, scarves, shoes, blouses, jackets, vests, cardigans, dresses, hats, bags and belts…. After more than an hour of trying stuff on and figuring out what worked and what didn’t, I was able to narrow down my choices (that fit in the budget) of what I wanted to purchase and bring home! Typically my fashion sense is to keep it simple and safe, so having a personal shopper/stylist to show you different ways to wear things or try on clothes you would’ve never looked twice at was a very cool experience. I had done something like this once before at Neiman Marcus Bal Harbour for more formal upscale wear, but it’s always great to have an “expert” around to have an honest, second opinion and allow them to inject their fashion sense into you!!
So, yeah…I highly recommend the experience… Just beware, unless you are prepared to BUY EVERYTHING you fall in love with…stay focused! I may be seeing some of the items I left in the store in my dreams! ha
