Shop like a celebrity and book a personal shopper.

(Debenhams.com)

Personal shopping services have been around for quite a while now. They’re available in the department stores and big flag ship stores like Debenhams, Selfidges, Peter Jones and Top Shop.

Whenever I’ve been shopping I don’t think I have ever seen anyone really using a personal shopping service. Why is that?

I’ve asked around and it seams that most of us think it is just a service for the rich and famous and if you haven’t got a few grand to spend it’s not for you! Well… that’s not true!! You can’t be more wrong!

I decided to go and speak to a personal shopper at Debenhams to find out what it’s all about and who it is for.

At Debenhams, the personal shopping service is offered as a complimentary free service and you don’t even have to buy anything.

What is personal shopping about?

For me, it’s about saving time and that’s one good reason to book an appointment, even if all you need is a good fitted pair of jeans. It’s also about  making people look good, feel great and comfortable in what they are wearing. It’s not always about the latest looks and trends.

It is about people seeing you with a different eye.

If you decide to go ahead and book your personal shopping appointment you will be told at the beginning TO EXPECT clothes that you would never consider to buy or pick yourself.

Most of the time customers don’t even want to try some of them on because they are too bright, too flowery or too fitted. However, when they see themselves in the mirror, they often change their mind very quickly.

I love the fact that you will also be told how to shop for yourself in the future, so you may want to take a little notebook with you to write down all the tips and tricks you get.

I also found out that the biggest crime is buying clothes a size too big. Mainly jumpers and cardigans where you think your fat but really you just have a little bit of a belly, which is normal. The result of buying something that’s too big and doesn’t fit you correctly is often negative making you look worse, not better.

While chatting to Slavena (a personal shopper at Debhenams)  and her manager, they both agreed that most woman think they are obliged to buy after having a personal shopping session, but in reality this couldn’t be more opposite. Your not obliged to purchase anything after a shopping session, of course they would probably hope you do, but you don’t have to, so why not give it a go? Make yourself feel special.

Personal shoppers at Debhenams are also trained to be able to help people with disabilities shop. In the case of people with sight impediments, they go through training to enable them to describe fabrics and textures. I thought this is absolutely amazing and should definitely be advertised on Debenhams web site, however I only found out about it while chatting to the girls.

I feel now like booking a personal shopper at Top Shop. Often I find there are the odd items I like there but they are few and far between, really most of it isn’t my style. I know that it’s very popular and stylish and I would like to see what their personal shoppers would dress me in and whether I would actually like it. If I do it I’ll certainly let you all know.

 Happy personal shopping! Give it a go!

Debenhams

Selfridges 

John Lewis 

TOPSHOP