I don’t like to play favorites but this might be one of my favorite makeovers of the year. I met this client last year at a holiday party for entrepreneurs. We became fast friends that evening and before I knew it I was telling him that he needed a makeover (from me – of course). He said “sure!” and I went to work.
What was great about this client was his total willingness to let me do my thing. I got zero push-back, which is rare with my male clients. Most of my dude clients put up a bit of a fight before even trying on a garment but in the end, they always love what I chose for them.
Like I said, when I first met this particular client I straight up told him he needed my services. I usually don’t get that forward with people but his sense of humor and general fun attitude made it feel okay. He was totally down for the makeover and actually got quite excited about it.
His personal style had some good qualities but they needed a professional eye to reel them in. I liked his youthful vibe, the sporty look he infused in there, and the sort of kookiness that his style exuded. Wearing some sort of hat was kind of his signature style, so I wanted to keep that going as well.
Here we are at the holiday party. Pre-style intervention
The style direction I was going for was sporty, hipster, with a wilderness man twist. If that makes any sense. My client is a marketing entrepreneur (so he doesn’t have to dress up) and loves going on adventures – I wanted his new style to reflect that.
I also thought it was really important to keep his signature style elements intact, so the hats and wild sneakers were sticking around (with an upgrade of course).
When it comes to shopping for men, I try not to go overboard. Men typically have less patience than women when it comes to trying on clothes, so I pull much less.
For this job I went to Barneys, Nordstrom, J Crew men, Topman, American Rag, and Nordstrom Rack. I wanted to stop into Steven Alan but I ran out of time.
This fitting was hilarious! The day was filled with jokes, food, and wine. I was shocked by his stamina – he tried on every single outfit I put together!
We kept about 75% of the pull with a mix of outfits within his comfort zone and some a bit outside of his comfort zone. I was 100% happy with everything he decided to buy.
After the fitting I received the following text which totally made my day. This is why I do what I do. Love my job!