Nordstrom calls them personal stylists, and you can book an appointment for her. Most big department stores have a concierge service like this, and most smaller boutiques will arrange to have someone dedicated to her if you call ahead (though make sure to ask if there is a minimum purchase requirement).


Lovely of you to listen to what she wants! To make it a present and reduce some of the reticence she might have regarding spending a ton on a wardrobe overhaul, you might get her a couple big gift certificates, too, or see if she wants a friend to go along for support and encouragement.


Cheers!

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Nordstrom all the way. Also contact a consignment shop to see if the same service is provided without fee.

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DISH is how we do it.

Thanks for the help! Good tip on the consignment store.

Now I just have to figure out one nearby that she likes a lot...

Ditto to you for the help, greatly appreciated.

There is also Stitch Fix (http://www.stitchfix.com) - completely online - you fill out a (very detailed) profile and they assign you a stylist who sends you 5 pieces at a time. There is a $20 fee for each box or "fix" that they send you, but the $20 is applied to anything you decide to purchase. They provide free shipping to return the pieces you don't keep. I've done it 3 times and have had pretty good luck - loved at least 2 pieces each time.

You do risk the $20 - but for me, its worth the convenience of having the items shipped to me. They also incorporate your comments about each piece when picking your next items.

I second Stitchfix. In the profile they even ask if you are a mom, so they must have some experience. I've had mostly good experiences w/ them. They changed my stylist and the replacement wasn't good so I requested to go back to the first and she's been great since.

X3 on Nordstrom. I checked out Stichfix, but since they didn't show anything until after paying them $20, I dropped out and did not spend the money today.

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Thanks for the suggestion, I'll have to check it out. My wife might like the convenience of that, it can be hard to find time for her to go do "fun" stuff with a 9 month old she has to feed constantly.

Good to know about the mom quetion/s, that's my wife for sure.


How often do you use the service? I was viewing this as more of a one-time thing, but do you use it in a more ongoing way? (had to avoid the pun of using "fashion" there)

Is the Nordstrom "personal stylist" options really free as the site says? I guess they make money on it by selling you stuff?

Yes, it's free until the check-out counter. Their web site is really good too. I've found items on line and then tried them on to buy them in the store.

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DFL > DNF > DNS

You can schedule it for every 2-3 weeks, every month or how ever often you like. Or you can set it up to get something for an event, like a wedding or a vacation. They send style cards with the clothes. Usually 5 pieces of clothes/jewelry/purses/shoes but you can tell them nothing but clothes etc.

You pay the $20 for the styling fee, they find the clothes for you, taking into consideration what you asked for. If you buy at least one item, the style fee is deducted from the cost. Then if you buy all 5 items you get 25% off, which means you end up getting one item free. Twice I've kept everything, but one item didn't amaze me or didn't fit right, but it was cheaper and I gave it to my sister. You can ask for a certain price range for things. I've also had a 'fix' shipped to me, liked all the items, but thought almost all were too expensive. I kept one item, sent the rest back, but then found almost the exact same things in stores from the style cards I kept.

I know of two people who tried it twice and didn't like anything and got their styling fees back.

You also get referral credit if someone signs up and buys an item after you referred them. Here is my link, so feel free to use it if you decide to go that route :-)

I'd post some photos of things I've received, but I'm in the middle of a move and all my clothes are packed.

Go for the candle light dinner and dance on beautiful songs

One nice thing about the Nordstrom service is that it can help her see what styles look good or don't work on her body (sometimes what you think might not work actually is stunning - and vice versa) and then that makes online shopping or an online styling service like the others are talking about really helpful.

Also, if she's concerned about money, if she knows what works/what doesn't work, she can slowly re-do her wardrobe with basic pieces over time and she doesn't have to gut the wardrobe all at once. I'm finally learning that good clothes that are well made are worth the money as they'll last and you can't go wrong buying basic pieces that then you add something 'trendier' to (black pants, top, and a fun chunky necklace as an example) to keep it fresh and updated.

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The Nordstrom service is great. They can work with your price range and there isn't an obligation to buy. One of the best perks to purchasing, if you have a Nordstrom card, is $100 in free alterations. Sometimes just a tweek here and there in jeans or a top can make the difference between liking it and loving it.

I used the service for the first time last fall and loved it. It took the pain and time out of shopping.

(Wheee! This is my first post with my new user name. Woo-woo!)