Have you ever wished you could shop like a celebrity? You know, with ...

Tag : corduroy shirt
Now, he's got the look Valley Press reporter gets haircut, tips in makeover This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press
Saturday, August 16, 2008.
By LIANE M. ROTH
Valley Press Staff Writer
Have you ever wished you could shop like a celebrity? You know,with a personal stylist to help you pick out the perfect outfit forthat special event or put together a sharper look for business.
Perhaps it's time to update your wardrobe because you have a newcareer or you still have spandex pants in the closet - just in casethat 1980s look comes back.
Or perhaps you need some new styles for a business conference, ajob interview or even a vacation like a cruise, and you just don'thave time to sort through racks of clothing to find something towear.
Valley residents have a unique opportunity to shop like the starsby calling on Colleen Forsyth-Pearcy, a personal shoppingconsultant at Palmdale's Dillard's.
Forsyth-Pearcy joined the team at Dillard's about four months agoand has been providing the free service to customers looking foradvice about the latest styles ever since.
According to store manager Baerbel Glasscock, this Dillard's istesting the concept before it goes company-wide, but the responsehas already been "fantastic."
"We are really catering to people who are looking for this type ofservice," Glasscock said. "This is the right time for people whostill want to look their best during these tough economic times butdon't have time to spend hunting for what they need."
Glasscock said Forsyth-Pearcy is familiar with every department inthe store and can cater to whatever a client is looking for,whether it is an entire wardrobe for a season or a key piece suchas a topcoat or sports jacket.
"We carry the same brands as our competitors and we are happy tooffer this service so people don't have to go out of town for whatthey want," Glasscock said. "All they have to do is call the storeand make an appointment with me to see Colleen. They can callanytime. If I'm not there, my assistant store manager, SuzanneSuter, can help."
So how does one go about using a personal shopping consultant?Valley Press staff writer James Rufus Koren was a willing subjectin a trial run conducted earlier this week to see what it was likefor someone to undergo a makeover using Forsyth-Pearcy's services,among others.
Koren, who graduated from college just a few years ago, favors therumpled reporter look: button-down shirt, khaki twill pants,generic brown shoes with matching belt and some kind of a tie. Oh,and a green corduroy satchel to hold his notebooks, pens, pencilsand other writing accoutrements completes his idea of aprofessional look.
Koren's dishwater blond hair with a natural finger-wave was longishand rather unruly at times as he often rakes his fingers through itwhen he is writing on deadline.
Koren said he was quite happy with his post-college, businesscasual look, but he agreed to participate in the experiment.
Koren embarked on his mini-metrosexual makeover with a visit toPalmdale's Catwalk Hair Studio, where owner Olivia Salazar gave hima more modern and professional hair cut that began with aconsultation.
"We ask the customer what's the look they are looking for," Salazarsaid. "We talk about their styling routine and what they want froma new style. You don't want to do something too drastic and notevery style works with every type of hair, so we discuss what theywant and what they can get."
Koren was hesitant to undergo too drastic a change in hishairstyle. He said he didn't want to complicate his already hecticmorning routine, so Salazar offered to update his look to somethingmore stylish and up-to-date while keeping it simple and easy tocare for.
She "chiseled" much of the bulk out of his hair and left it longishbut neat and tidy.
"This is a good style for your hair," Salazar said. "You can washit in the morning and put some styling product in to keep it inplace. You aren't adding any time to what you already do."
Koren was pleased with the final results as Salazar explained tohim how to maintain the look, which she said would grow out nicelysince "finished cuts last longer than clipper cuts that need to bemaintained every two to three weeks."
"It's important to have the client happy with the look and stillable to do it on their own," Salazar continued. "He looks much moreprofessional but also modern and trendy."
After the new hairstyle was sprayed down to keep it in place, Korenheaded to Dillard's to keep his appointment with destiny -Forsyth-Pearcy.
"I'm perfectly happy with my look," Koren said repeatedly on thedrive to the mall.
"No, really, I'm happy with my look."
Forsyth-Pearcy has years of fashion expertise including working asa model in Paris for French designers such as Christian Dior, LorisAzzaro and others.
"I love clothes and I love shopping," Forsyth-Pearcy said. "I alsoenjoy helping others make the best of their looks."
When a customer makes initial contact with the personal consultant,Forsyth-Pearcy asks for sizes, estimated height and weight, hairand eye color, and style preferences so she has time to scour theracks before the actual appointment.
"I also want to know what they are looking for," she said. "Is itfor a vacation or a business meeting? I had a man ask me to findhim outfits for a business conference in Beverly Hills. He had avery tight budget, as well. I was able to pull together a wonderfulgrouping of looks within his budget and he looked fabulous."
Koren met Forsyth-Pearcy in the better menswear department, whereshe had several outfits hanging on a clothing rack for Koren tochoose from, including casual wear, business casual wear, businessprofessional wear and formal evening wear, "for going to thetheater," she said.
He immediately rejected the checkered Ralph Lauren button-down witha white sweater and a slightly "mature-looking" jacket he said hewould only wear if he ever owned a boat.
Koren was unsure about the shades of some of the articles ofclothing, such as black pants, which he said he rarely, if ever,wears, and a moleskin-colored Perry Ellis safari jacket he said hewould prefer in khaki.
"We don't want to shove you in something you are uncomfortable in,"Forsyth-Pearcy told Koren. "If you're uncomfortable it doesn'tmatter how fantastic the outfit is; you will not have confidence."
After they agreed on a brown linen suit from the Daniel CremieuxSignature Collection and a striped button-down shirt, Koren walkedinto the dressing room to change.
"Once I see what they like, I work with that. We don't want anyoneto look odd or feel uncomfortable. We work together until we're allcomfortable with what they are wearing," Forsyth-Pearcy said.
When Koren exited the dressing room, he appeared unsettled by theoutfit but as soon as he saw himself in the three-quarter,full-length mirror, an enormous smile lit up his face.
Koren totally got into the process from that point on, including aseries of "model" poses as he stood before the mirror.
He tried on dark pants and a dark shirt combined with the PerryEllis safari jacket, which he fell in love with once he saw howwell the look complemented his coloring.
The formal wear inspired Koren to perform his best James Bondimpersonation, although he said he has no need for such fashions atthis point in his life.
Forsyth-Pearcy brought him several leather satchels to consider asa replacement for the college-styled, worn one he carriesconstantly, and they debated the merits of each one.
All in all, Forsyth-Pearcy's efforts were productive, as Korenended up purchasing two pairs of Daniel Cremieux slacks, a PerryEllis button-down shirt and the safari jacket.
The cost was significantly less than it could have been, becauseForsyth-Pearcy not only looked for clothing she thought would suithim, she spent time looking for the best prices in his modestbudget and all the pieces were on sale.
"You don't have to spend lots of money to look good,"Forsyth-Pearcy said. "What you want is for people to say, 'You lookfantastic,' every time you wear an outfit. Once you have that, youwill feel fabulous and have plenty of confidence. It's all aboutconfidence."
To book a free consultation with Forsyth-Pearcy, call (661)267-0670.
lroth@avpress.com