Menswear is a hotly contested segment of fashion. It’s expected to generate more than $40 billion in global revenue by 2019. Everywhere you look, a new style blogger is popping up. Men as a whole seem to be more style conscious and adventurous as ever. But this is just one side of the coin. The sheer abundance of men’s fashion and so-called experts doesn’t mean shopping has gotten any easier for guys.
When it comes to shopping, guys are at a disadvantage. The average male is fashion-averse. He’s more interested in Monday Night Football and Call of Duty than runway shows and ready-to-wear collections. And even if he has some mild interest in looking good, he’s clueless on where to start. What fit looks best on his body type? What colors complement each other well? How should the perfect suit fit? We men are stubborn and don’t like to ask for help. But fashion is one area where we truly need it.
If your life was in shambles and you needed help moving forward, you’d enlist the services of a life coach. If you felt chronically depressed, you’d seek out a therapist. If you wanted to get healthy and make some huge lifestyle changes, you’d hire a trainer. Fashion shouldn’t be treated any differently. For the guy who wants to overhaul his style and figure out how to navigate department store racks once and for all, a clothing consultant is an absolute necessity.
What Is a Clothing Consultant?
You might know clothing consultants by a different name. You’ve probably heard of personal stylists, fashion consultants or image consultants. A clothing consultant has the primary mission of enhancing your style game and equipping you with the necessary skills to make great fashion choices on your own. Consultants, like Mack Deezoe, will give you a solid foundation and walk you through all you need to know. When you’re finally turned loose, you won’t just look good for today. You’ll have great style for the foreseeable future.
It’s important to note that clothing consultants are more advanced than the type of personal shopper you’d encounter in your local department store. Those shoppers are trained by their employer, so their knowledge doesn’t expand much further than that of a sales associate. They’re well versed in what the store has to offer but not necessarily what’s happening in the fashion world outside of those four walls. A store-specific personal shopper wants to help you but their ultimate goal is to make money for the business. Their session with you isn’t so much about making you look good as it is about upselling and increasing the total of your transaction.
A clothing consultant offers a more personal touch. Since they’re not tied to any particular store or brand, the objective isn’t to max out your credit card. Clothing consultants offer you a life-enhancing service that’s skills-based. The objective is for you to walk away informed and educated. Your clothing consultant has his finger on the pulse of what’s happening in fashion. But he’s also well-informed about classic style and men’s wardrobe tips that will stand the test of time.
A clothing consultant doesn’t treat you like a cash cow. You become their student, and you stand to gain a ton of knowledge.
Why You Need a Clothing Consultant
Fit
The biggest style complication that trips up most guys is fit and rightfully so. The industry is heavily centered around slim and tailored fits, but these cuts don’t work for every guy. Fit problems are all over the place. There are guys who remain loyal to classic and regular fits and, consequently, their clothes are too baggy. There are other guys who worship at the skinny fit altar, but they’re either too big or muscular to pull it off. Or skinny fits make guys look even skinnier. There’s a time, place and body type for every fit on the market. Instead of navigating store shelves on your own, your clothing consultant teaches you about what’s out there. Then, he helps you figure out which ones work best for your body and aesthetic. This is crucial, foundational info that will change the way you look.
Trend
Streetwear is huge right now. But the key phrase in that sentence is ‘right now’. Fashion is built on trends, and those trends come and go in the blink of an eye. Until the last few years, menswear had been immune to trend. Mad Men ushered in a new generation of guys who wanted to rock classic haberdashery. But as streetwear increased in popularity, traditional styles took a back seat to ripped jeans and logo tees. Now, there’s nothing wrong with this style per se, but it’s very specific to a certain age group and lifestyle. For professional guys who spend the bulk of their weeks in boardrooms, it’s not a viable style move. And with all the varieties of fits and distressing, you could end up building a new wardrobe without ever understanding the basics. This is where a clothing consultant comes to the rescue.
He’ll teach you everything you need to know about the different aesthetics. And based on your day-to-day life, he’ll help you identify key looks and pieces that are appropriate for your everyday activity.
Color
Color is a really complicated fashion concept for guys. Should you match your tie to your pocket square? Should your belt match your shoes? Which colors complement each other? There are a lot of basic color rules that every guy should know. Plus, you need to understand how to match your outfit colors to your skin tone and how to take color risks without disastrous results. Your clothing consultant knows all these rules and then some. He can help you focus on the best colors to enrich your wardrobe, and he’ll walk you through various scenarios so you’re prepared to tackle this territory on your own.
Suiting
Every guy needs a suit. Whether you work in a traditional setting or you’re going to a wedding or you just bought tickets for a black tie fundraiser, suiting is extremely important. But despite its importance, finding the perfect one is hard work. Buying off the rack is never sufficient. It’s likely that you’ll have to work with a tailor to master the perfect measurements. However, if you aren’t well versed in what to expect, there’s no guarantee that your tailor will get it right. Clothing consultants can teach you about everything from the suit jacket vents and sleeve length to the break in your pants to the size of your lapels. They’ll leave no stone unturned so you understand how the perfect suit should fit and how to have a productive conversation with your tailor.
Image
In any field or career, looking the part is essential. When you walk into a meeting in an amazing look, you feel confident in your abilities, and you’re more likely to succeed. And it’s likely that other people in the room will pick up on your confidence. Looking good isn’t just an added benefit for your self-esteem. It’s a way to communicate your image to other people without ever having to open your mouth.
In conclusion, a clothing consultant is more than a stylist that can buy clothes for you because you’re just too busy. His primary goal is to educate you and give you the ability to do this on your own with great results. Just like a physical therapist, the goal isn’t for you to come crawling back every few months with a new problem. The ultimate objective is to arm you with invaluable knowledge so you feel comfortable, confident and capable. If you’re on the fence about whether you need a clothing consultant or not, trust your instincts. This is an opportunity no guy can afford to miss.