cincinnati personal shopper Archives | A Style Breeze

Our Cincinnati personal shopper services are completely Covid safe. Continue reading to find out what this process will look like in the middle of our pandemic.

Local Cincinnati Personal Shopper

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered just about every aspect of our routines, including clothing shopping and maintaining our wardrobes. In the early months, many stores closed their doors. Now, most shops are open with reduced hours, reduced capacities, and require safety precautions such as wearing masks and using hand sanitizer upon entry.

Ever-changing store regulations combined with a work from home lifestyle have discouraged many of us from putting forth our typical effort into our appearance each morning. This is a shame, considering how starting the day with confidence can impact all domains of our lives!

Curating your image through clothing can help create a sense of identity, fuel your creative fire, and break the monotony of the long days at home. Personally, I find that the creativity and confidence that comes from effortful dressing makes me feel more present in other tasks throughout the day.

Instead of putting our wardrobe and styling on hold, let’s instead find ways to adapt to the circumstances. It’s the perfect time for those living in Cincinnati to consider hiring us as your personal shopper. There has never been a better time to experiment with your style—you can refine your look from the comfort of your home, judgment-free, before showing it off to friends and coworkers when life resumes.

It’s essential to invest in yourself, even if you don’t have your typical holiday events to find outfits for. There are options to make this investment safely in the midst of COVID, thanks to easily accessible online shopping and our low-contact services for residents seeking a Cincinnati personal shopper. And, with the extra time spent at home, it’s the ideal time to edit any chaotic closets so our favorite new items don’t get lost in the mess.

Online Shopping

The boom of online retail has been a lifesaver for staying current on style while stuck at home. Every brand and item you could ever want, all at your fingertips. In many ways, it’s the perfect solution to COVID-friendly shopping.

You have eliminated the risks presented by leaving the house, entering a dressing room, and talking to sales associates in your go-to stores. Online shopping may minimize the risk of exposure, but it does present some practical challenges.

For example, having virtually unlimited options for purchases can be difficult to navigate and time-consuming. If you already hate shopping due to option-overload or inconsistent sizing, this could be particularly daunting. Our tip for both issues is to stick to brands you know and trust. This will limit the number of items you have to sort through when searching for a particular product type.

Also, sizing and quality will be more predictable within a single brand than it is between different brands. Do you love the way your pair of jeans feels when you put them on? Stick to that brand for future denim purchases! You will minimize returns and buyer’s remorse this way. After all, we’re all guilty of keeping imperfect items to avoid the hassle of returning them.

Because fit is often the biggest challenge of online shopping, we recommend doing a bit of research on an item before purchasing. Read reviews to see what other customers have to say about the fit. If the retailer you’re shopping with lists product measurements, this is also a huge help to make sure you get sizing right!

Online shopping is particularly appealing right now with holiday sales ramping up. With many sites offering 15, 20, even 30% off site wide, there’s no reason to put off purchases until Black Friday. Watch out for coupons from your favorite retailers. Black Friday historically generates a lot of foot traffic in stores, so online shopping is especially important this time of year to stay mindful of COVID concerns.

Interested in filling out your wardrobe but not interested in scrolling through page after page of products? Hire us as your Cincinnati personal shopper to comb through the best online retailers and local shops.

We’re Responding

While online shopping may be a convenient and responsible choice during this pandemic, it does come with its frustrations. Again, a great option for those looking to eliminate the stress and decision fatigue of this process is to hire us as your local Cincinnati personal shopper. We source the best options for your wardrobe, style, and price point so you’re not doing any guesswork and don’t have to leave the house.

In addition, we offer a range of other, all-virtual services such as a virtual closet clean-out for those wanting to take extra precautions. These options are great for those who may be part of a vulnerable population or are living with someone who is.

Of course, we take safety very seriously in every styling service. Communication will be over the phone or email whenever possible, and masks and social distancing will be utilized during in-person appointments to keep everyone safe. We want you to be comfortable!

If you have any additional requests regarding safety, please bring these to our attention so they may be accommodated. We are here to give you the best experience possible.

Home Organization

With all the extra time you are spending at home, it’s more important than ever to live in a well-organized space. Beyond the simple reason that it makes items easier to find, it can also help to reduce some of the baseline stress you feel day-to-day and elevate your mood. It feels great to see everything in its place instead of opening your closet door to a “to-do list.”

Plus, if you’re revamping your wardrobe during quarantine, it’s crucial to display your great new finds in a way that’s easy to see. This prevents all your hard work shopping (or our work in shopping for you!) from going to waste in a disorganized closet.

For those hiring us as your Cincinnati personal shopper, we highly recommend adding this closet clean-out service to complement the total experience. We would love to help you filter out old pieces you no longer wear, add in the new, and display the contents of your wardrobe in a way that makes getting dressed in the morning as streamlined as possible.

This may mean adding in clear drawers for accessories or investing in a set of slim, matching hangers to keep the area looking tidy. Closet clean-outs and organizational solutions are all done on a case-by-case basis to give you the best results!

Wrap-Up

While life during the pandemic may be stripped of our sense of normalcy, it should not be stripped of the joy and confidence that comes from living in style.

In fact, now is the perfect time to make this investment in yourself: let us help you eliminate the old from your wardrobe, fill in the gaps with pieces that work for your lifestyle and light you up, and organize your closet for an incredible total experience.

There are so many benefits to making these improvements to your life, from confidence to nailing down your style identity to simply making your morning routine a little easier. Best of all, we can accomplish this together in a way that is safe and socially distant. We will wear masks for all appointments and keep contact to a minimum, and we additionally offer fully virtual services. We love nothing more than helping you to feel your best—prioritize this in a time when so much else must be put on hold.

It’s important to know how to layer clothes for cold weather. It can feel like a bit of a balancing act to keep things flattering and practical. If done well, it’s the perfect way to assemble a nuanced and interesting look while staying cozy.

Old pieces that you’re tired of or the simplest basics can be reworked into a multifaceted outfit time and time again. It’s a great way to avoid the feeling that you have “nothing to wear” and must constantly buy new. Instead, find new ways to build a look with what’s in your closet now. This is especially important for those looking to pare down to a capsule wardrobe!

We all layer our clothes as the weather gets chilly: we throw on our everyday t-shirt and jeans, add a jacket, top it with a scarf and a beanie if the temperatures are really dropping…But, we don’t always select our layering pieces with intention.

It’s often done for function rather than for fashion. While layering is certainly functional—especially when the weather is this unpredictable–it is also a great opportunity to showcase your style.

So, how do you layer your favorite pieces in a functional AND fashionable way? Make sure to keep your eye on the impact of the finished look and how the outfit will look if you need to peel a layer or two off throughout the day.

Building Blocks: Start with a solid, simple base

If you feel lost with how to layer clothes for cold weather, the best place to start is with simple, versatile building blocks. Look for solid colors, neutrals, and clean silhouettes to start. In summer, this might be a white tee and distressed light wash denim on the bottom.

In the winter, you might translate this concept into a cream thermal and darker wash jean. They’re similar pieces, but with weather-appropriate adjustments in fabric type and silhouette. Always keep the season in mind! In the summer, it’s especially important to keep your fabric light so that you have the option to layer without overheating. In the winter, you can do multiple mid-weight layers if you plan to keep them on altogether all day, or just a few heavier layers if you don’t like to keep your outerwear on all the time.

Regardless of which layers you add on top, it’s best to start with clean basics that will pair seamlessly with subsequent pieces. Make it easy on yourself. Keep details minimal—a little goes a long way! Think a turtleneck neckline, a slight sheen in the fabric, a raw hem, or a slight crop to add visual interest.

If you start with a more detailed and elaborate base layer, choosing a second and third layer gets increasingly difficult. Busy patterns, multiple colors, voluminous ruffles, and unusual cuts are harder to work with and less versatile. Skip these for now while you learn how to layer clothes for cold weather.

Keep length in mind: Increase length as you move outward

After you have your base layer down, it’s time to add a mid-layer (or skip straight to outerwear!). You’ve already made it easy on yourself in terms of the color palate with your neutrals and/or solid base layer, so you can top the first layer with either more neutrals or a bright color without having to worry about clashing.

Instead, the main consideration as you build outward should be a silhouette. In particular, pay attention to length. A general rule of thumb is to go longer as you move outward. This could mean giving your tee or thermal a quick front tuck to define your waist, then adding a long cardigan or duster coat on top. This draws attention inward and toward your face for a balanced overall look!

Maybe it’s really cold outside and one piece of outerwear is not enough. Keep the same rule of length in mind. You can try adding a hip-length denim jacket under your long chunky cardigan or an unbuttoned flannel under your wool coat. Your outer layer doesn’t necessarily have to be the heaviest fabric for it to look proportionate, but length does tend to be more important.

For example, a lightweight trench coat can look great over a heavy knit sweater. For those overwhelmed by finding a base, mid, and outer layer whose silhouettes work well together, a hoodie makes an incredibly comfy and easy-to-style mid-layer that covers the base layer to simplify things. A gray hoodie looks so edgy under a leather jacket or a tailored wool coat!

Layering shorter pieces on top of longer pieces can work on occasion too, especially if you want to highlight the design of your inner layers. One way to do this is a cropped moto jacket over a patterned tunic top and leggings. However, shorter outer layers might limit the number of pieces you’re realistically able to add in a single look. For winter layering especially, I recommend sticking to shorter inner layers.

Finishing touches: Select your third pieces

Now that you know how to layer clothes for cold weather, the last step is to add accessories and finishing touches. If you haven’t already added an overcoat or third layer to tie everything together, now is the time to get that last piece in. The outermost layer is the perfect place to showcase a statement piece like a teddy coat.

Generally, this will be your warmest layer. Consider rounding out the look by adding a scarf to keep your neck warm and make the outfit pop, a stack of bracelets for some fun texture and color, or a belt to define your waist under all the bulky layers. A great way to do the belt is to wrap it around one of your thicker inner layers, like a knitted vest, to create structure. Wide belts will work best here. Don’t be afraid to belt even a jacket or coat!

If you’re feeling like you’re getting lost in all the layers of fabric, bring attention upward with a headband, beanie, or pair of earrings. Often, we stick to neutrals and darker tones for winter layering. A neutral monochromatic look can be a great strategy for creating a unified ensemble.

One of the most impactful finishing touches to complement these looks is a pop of bright color, such as a statement red lip. A vibrant finishing touch, whether a statement lip or a neon purse, is a fun and unexpected way to make your look stand out in the sea of dull winter colors we so often see. Because you are already wearing so many layers, too many accessories may sometimes become overwhelming. Stick to just a couple of pieces if in doubt.

Wrap Up

Don’t be fooled into thinking that winter means function now takes precedence over fashion. Once you understand how to layer clothes for cold weather, you can begin to create beautiful, harmonized looks with infinitely more depth and interest than a single-layer look.

By building with the basics, being mindful of layer lengths, and experimenting with finishing touches, layering will become an effortless and exciting way to showcase your unique style. If you’re ready to start layering but don’t have the outerwear to pull your looks together yet, get inspired by some of Alli’s favorite winter coats of the season, styled in a recent video before you go shopping.

Already have a full wardrobe but still looking for a little extra help pulling it all together? Set up a consultation to get styling.

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Cincinnati Personal Shopper: Covid-19 Info