Looking the Business by John Penman
Would you let a complete stranger come into your home and poke through your wardrobe? More to the point, would you be happy to pay someone to do just that? And would you believe her if she said your ties were rubbish and by getting some new ones she could help you run your business better?
That’s the challenge facing 23-year-old Karen Oliver, a former fashion student from Kilmarnock who is hoping to build a new business as an image stylist. Karen trained in London and Glasgow before working in the fashion world. Now she wants to persuade business people that she can help their business perform better and make them look smarter along the way. The idea of a fashion stylist isn’t new but it’s seen as the preserve of the rich and famous. Karen said “ I don’t agree because you can look great on a budget. Charity shops are brilliant sources of clothes. “ It’s not really important what the person’s budget is. I believe I can help them find clothes that suit them.” Karen believes that many people in businesses are too busy to spend time choosing outfits and could well be wasting money. She added “ It may be that guys are happy just buying a fairly neutral suit or shirt and stick with that but I think with a little effort that I can make a difference. And it may be that they are paying over the odds because they buy one of the first things they see. The difference is that I can save that money and help that business person achieve better results. “If you are in sales, for example, the first impression is really important and if you turn up looking smart in something that really suits you then you can make a big difference “ Many people pick things they’re comfortable in. They don’t realise comfort doesn’t have to be sacrificed for style.” Karen doesn’t style herself as either Trinny or Susannah, the barracking duo who trash people’s wardrobes on their TV show. Which is just as well because to demonstrate her service, she needed a guinea pig in need of a makeover. That’s where I came in. Karen sussed that I am not the type who enjoys shopping. I buy my clothes rather quickly and as long as they don’t screm “Hawaiian shirt” at me, are likely to make it into my rather confused wardrobe. So we set Karen the almost impossible task of giving me a makeover to see if her own business plans might come to anything. The first step was a consultation where Karen notes details like sizes but also talks through the person’s style and the kinds of clothes they like. Karen said: “It’s not being nosy but ideally I’ll snoop through someone’s wardrobe and have a look at what they like.” After the consultation Karen can either go shopping with you, do the shopping for you and give recommendations of what to buy. In my case she did the shopping. Karen added: “It could be the customer is going to an event or just trying to smarten up for a big meeting but I’ll listen to what they say and then advise them on what will suit them best. “It’s not just expensive designer gear - I can go through the excellent High Street shops or dig in to charity shops to find the right thing. Whatever the budget is, I’ll find something that’s going to work.” For the purpose of our experiment, Karen chose one designer suit, a couple of High Street suits, and a suit from a charity shop. Shirt ties and shoes came from the same variety. The underwear and hair styling was my own. But what happens if the customer sticks to their guns and doesn’t like her recommendations? She said “ I always listen to what the customer wants but if they want to use my services they obviously are looking for the advice and expertise I can give them. “if something doesn’t look right on someone then I am not going to recommend it. Some of the advice can be straightforward like wearing something black because it looks slimming. “I was at an event recently and there was one guy who was very enthusiastic about his business, which was going well, and had spent a fair bit of money on some expensive clothes. “But they were all wrong and I just wanted to go up and say “I could sort that out in a minute”. She has her own website www.koliver.co.uk and a growing list of people who have used her services and come back for more. Karen said: “This isn’t common in Scotland and I will take orders from anywhere in the country. “I love what I do and I am determined to make this work.” So did she succeed with me? You can be the judge of that but I was so taken with a couple of things she chose, that I bought them that day.
