Personal Shopper

Find out more about some of my favourite shopping destinations!

In Australia, there are plenty of great places to shop for quality clothing and fashion. Sydney and Melbourne are Australia’s top shopping and fashion destinations that attract a range of fashion retailers such as Witchery, COS, Myer and David Jones. Not only does Sydney stock a great range of products for shoppers, but it’s also a great place to attend clothing markets, fashion festivals and new season launches.

When shopping in Sydney, the best places to visit are in the heart of the shopping district, this includes the Pitt St Mall, Castlereagh Street, the Strand Arcade and the Queen Victoria Building. Other destinations include the huge and versatile Bondi Junction Westfield which includes hundreds of stores for a range of budgets, interests and lifestyles. Paddington, Surry Hills and Newtown have great boutiques and vintage resellers while the Market and York Street part of Sydney CBD supplies luxury brands such as Chanel, Burberry, Dior and Louis Vuitton.

A personal shopper can broadly be defined as someone who either buys items on an individual’s behalf or assists people with purchasing choices. While technically they can provide help with the buying of just about any kind of product, personal shoppers are typically involved in making purchases of clothing or fashion related pieces.

Many trained Fashion Stylists work in this field helping clients to buy clothing that is optimally suited to their individual attributes, including body shape, skin and hair colour. Clients can also learn about style and how to dress correctly to project a strong public or professional image.

A Personal Shopper who is a trained fashion stylist will shop with a client for items that fit the client’s lifestyle, budget, taste, body shape and skin colouring. A personal shopper will help you discover new ways of shopping that are practical and time-saving, and not impulsive and overly expensive. It is important to keep in mind that not all are fashion stylists so it is important to make sure you are working with a qualified professional if you are after clothing that is going to best suit you and your individual needs.

A personal shopper will also create outfits for you and take the hard work out of putting looks together and pulling them off perfectly. They give you confidence that you can transform your desired outcome into a reality. Hiring a personal shopper when you need to buy multiple items of clothing, whether that be for work, play or a special event, is a lucrative and educational experience that changes your outlook on individual style, wardrobe maintenance and smart shopping.

An in-Store Personal Shopper or Stylist often works for a commission paid by the store owner. Some in-store services advise that there is no obligation to purchase, while others charge a fee for hiring them. In-store Personal Shopper services are available in Sydney at the stores of David Jones, Myer, Sportsgirl & Topshop. In many cases, these employees don’t have formal training but have excellent product knowledge.

An Online Personal Shopper / Stylist is someone who works for an online retailer, recommending products to customer from a brief. Sometimes these people refer customers to what is in season, or what is on sale. An Online stylist is not usually formally trained in and sometimes works on a commission.

A freelance or independent Personal Shopper provides the smartest and most valuable hired shopping assistance obtainable. Many professional freelancers will not work on a commission base or receive discounts for their sales. They are there to help their client meet their outcome in the most efficient way possible.

A meeting with the client to define a goal to work towards, as well as a Style Analysis.

With the client to find pieces suited to the client’s body shape, lifestyle, budget etc.

A clean out of the client’s current wardrobe to remove items they don’t wear, use or love. A Wardrobe Makeover helps clients to make new outfits out of items they already own, it also helps clients to identify their shopping habits and any gaps in their wardrobes.

Some plan outfits for clients travelling, this can include packing bags to make sure nothing is forgotten.

Styling Brides for their wedding, as well as the Bridesmaids, Mother of the Bride, Groom, Groomsmen and Father of the Bride.

Also known as Image Consulting. This includes styling professional men and women based on their career path and ambitions. A corporate stylist dresses men and women according to professional image standards.