The Pull Of Personal Stylists In The Online-Shopping Era

In an attempt to woo customers away from online shopping, brick-and-mortar retailers are providing an important experience that the internet can’t: hearing someone say “you actually look good in that.” Some stores, such as TopShop, Anthropologie, and Club Monaco, are making styling services more accessible, and hoping that the personal touch that stylists provide may give them an edge. The internet, for all its convenience, can make it hard for companies to have their customers feel like they’re getting any personal attention. When it comes to stylists, the conversation is often focused on the stars they dress: Why did Olivia Pope wear more bright colors on this past season of Scandal? But stylists have interesting experiences all their own. Rachel Venrick, a personal stylist at the Nordstrom in the Mall of America, spoke with me about what it’s like to dress the average American and how technology has made it easier for her clients to get the looks they want. Read more at The Atlantic.