Personal Shopping - the fastest way to your favorite look?

The old problem: The cupboard is full & you have nothing to wear

If you do not belong to the kind of person who sort clothes according to color and put out their carefully composed outfits in the evening, you know that: One stands in the morning in front of the packed cupboard, rummaging through skirts, dresses and tops ("I actually have five different Ringelshirts? ") and takes again to the favorite jeans and the cozy cardigan. And at the next shopping tour? If you are determined to risk something, try lots of clothes - and end up in the same parts as always (keyword: ring shirts).

The solution: a style consultation for personal shopping?

No matter if you do not have the time and desire to look for new clothes yourself, or if you want ideas for your style, personal shopping consultations on the net, also known as Curated or Personal Shopping, are becoming increasingly popular. But does such a style advice really work remotely? Fashion editor Julia Müller has tried it.

In the test: the style consultation of Zalon by Zalando

How does it work? First of all, I register online at www.zalon.de. Then I click through a questionnaire, judge photos ("Would you wear this look?"), For example, ask about favorite colors, my body measurements and brands that I would never wear. There is also the possibility to upload a photo. The whole thing is nicely structured and filled quickly.

And then? In the next step, I arrange a phone call with a stylist. In my case that is Saskia Hilgenberg - and she is immediately likeable to me. We talk for about half an hour, she lets me describe my style and asks exactly what I'm looking for. Should it be for the office or for leisure? Do I also wear high shoes? Do I like skirts? What about colorful patterns? Based on my answers she puts together a personal package for me, with two complete outfits from the shoe to the coat. She also adds another part as a "Stylist Choice," which she thinks I might like.

What does this cost? The advice is free, you only pay the price of the clothes that lands in the package. And if I do not like something, I can send it back as usual for free.

And what does the result look like?

I'm really looking forward to what Saskia chose for me. Also, if we only talked on the phone, their choice also says something about what she sees in me. The first impression when opening the package: beautiful colors, pleasant materials - I would presumably also take this in the shop with in the locker room. The second finding when trying on: Saskia had an incredibly good hand for the right sizes. The trousers by Hugo Boss (on the right in the picture) sits like a glove, the platform shoes I find great. The sweater fits too - but it does scratch pretty much. The coat for this office outfit (not in the picture) is quite large, cut and color, but I think top.

For outfit number 2 (left) I had wanted a skirt from Saskia. She decided on a model with wrinkles in bright orange. Surely I would have made a bow to that in the shop, but I like the skirt really well, especially in combination with the camel-colored knit sweater and the white blouse. These black opaque tights and ankle boots - and I have my "Christmas with the family" outfit.

However, I especially liked the dark blue pencil skirt by Kilian Kerner, which Saskia additionally selected as "Stylist Choice". In the meantime he has become a real alternative to jeans, which I always grab in the morning.

Three questions to the Zalon stylist Saskia Hilgenberg

Saskia Hilgenberg works as a freelance stylist for Zalon. In addition, the Berliner is one of the heads behind the wonderful blog Mummy Mag.

For whom is personal shopping interesting?

Most of my clients are interested in fashion and also like buying online. Many seek new inspiration from us. Or they have a very specific part and do not know how to combine it. I'll help you then.

What tips do you have for customers who are trying out Personal Shopping for the first time?

The nuts and bolts of course is to be open to new proposals. A full body photo makes it easier for the stylist to estimate the size correctly. And if you know what you want, what you call style-idols, and explain well what you do not like, that helps a lot.

Nevertheless, it is certainly difficult to pick out clothes for someone you do not know.

Sometimes it's a challenge, but it's a lot of fun. One notices on the phone relatively quickly how picky someone is. Over time you get a sense of who might like it. I always ask for the motivation that helps. And we have a huge offer at Zalando, which of course is good too.