Why Spend $279 on a Style Analysis?

Almost a decade ago, just before the beginning of the new school year (I teach, as many of you know),  I went to the mall with my credit card and spent several hundred dollars on new clothes.

This was a carefully considered decision. It had been years since I'd bought myself actual new clothes. And I had calculated  that I would be able to pay off the balance plus interest over the next 12 months. 

In the years prior to that shopping trip, I had bought and thrown away a lot of thrift-store clothes.  I felt unable to make myself look beautiful, and I knew I was wasting money. I thought if I spent some serious money on really nice clothes, I'd feel and look different.  

I'm a grown-up and a professional, I told myself. It's not unreasonable for me to make a financial investment in my wardrobe.

I was right about that last idea, I think; it makes sense to spend money on clothes you know you'll be wearing for years.

Yet I don't own any of those clothes anymore.

The reason for that, as you may have guessed, is that I had a style analysis not long after that shopping trip, and discovered that most of the expensive shopping-trip clothes were wrong for me.

I had chosen mostly Classic and/or Dramatic pieces -- very stiff, structured, sharp-edged items. I think on some level I  believed that the dignity of the clothes would automatically elevate the impression I made.   

Yet my style analysis revealed that Ethereal and Natural garments, which are completely unstructured, were actually more dignified for me. They made my somewhat otherworldly and somewhat rough-hewn features read as noble and magical. In Dramatic and Classic lines, by contrast, my face looked a bit coarse and a bit weird... like, out of place.  (You don't put Mother Earth in a suit, right?) 

I was able to return, resell, repurpose, or gift most of the brand-new clothes, thank goodness. 

My style analysis cost $350. That's a fraction of what I spent on the wardrobe that was all wrong for me.  And that's more than I've spent on any shopping trip for myself in the years since then. 

In fact, I rarely shop for clothes these days. Many of the items in my current wardrobe are several years old; when I find an Ethereal Natural garment, I keep it until it wears out, because it works for me every time I put it on. 

​For example, I'm on my third pair of these sandals:

They last about two years. (Thin soles!) I wear them all summer. When they wear out, I order another pair. 

I've had this skirt, in off-white,  for about six years.  (I used scissors to cut off the highest ruffles, the ones at the hip -- I needed a narrower silhouette.)

Most of the clothes currently in my wardrobe are thrift store finds. Knowing my style ID means I zoom in on the items that will work for me, and ignore everything else, so shopping is a fast and easy process. It also means that I look better, now,  in a shirt I paid seven dollars for, than I looked in anything I bought before I knew my style ID.
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I spend so little time and money on clothes now. And I feel really confident when I leave the house, every day.
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My hair is a similar story. I've had the same basic hair for years now. I spend zero time agonizing about what hair style looks best on me, or worrying about whether I should change my style, because I know that what looks good in my clothing also looks good around my face:  layers, sinuous lines, rough edges, and a lot of length. Basic Ethereal Natural. 

Some people really enjoy changing their look every season.  And some people really enjoy spending hours trying on clothes. For those people, a style analysis would be a waste of money. 

But if you're like me, you don't have the time or patience for all of that. You want to know, once and for all, and have it settled, so you can get on with the more important parts of your life.  (I work crazy hours, and I have two jobs and two kids, for goodness' sake. I'm guessing you're as busy as I am.)

And this is my point: if you love feeling beautiful, but you hate wasting time and money, a style analysis is a good investment for you.

Your virtual style analysis comes with a report that describes the process by which I arrived at your result. It also includes specific percentage recommendations for lines lengths, shape sizes, construction/draping, and your masculine-feminine balance.  You'll receive your Visual Style Guide and your What Not to Wear as well. 

At $279, it's kind of a lot of money. I get that. But it's an investment in your future and your peace of mind. And I expect you'll recoup that investment, as I have recouped mine.