Understanding your body shape is important when shopping
Understanding your body shape and knowing the clothes that flatter your body is the only way to shop, it’s time we shun the trends and start wearing pieces that complement our bodies.
If you struggle to understand the clothes that suit you and your body it’s time to book yourself in for a personal styling session.
The Debenhams Personal Stylist Service has been re-launched and rebranded and the staff have been given rigorous training to ensure they know the clothes that fit and flatter you.
The most important thing to note is they’re not working on commission so there’s no obligation to buy, so if you just need some help understanding your body and shape they’re on hand to help with their appointments.
The appointments go by in a flash, so we suggest booking in for two hours. In this time your body shape will be identified and by trying on clothes that have been picked out fo you, you'll find yourself trying and loving pieces you would have otherwise walked past.
This service is ideal if you're going to a wedding this summer, off on holiday or just want a hand updating your wardrobe with key pieces.
A new survey, conducted by Debenhams, has revealed that half of people said that they soud identifying styles that suited them ‘extremely difficult’ and 43% admitted to being in a ‘fashion-rut’.
With that in mind, the fashion retailer has identified the new body shapes, comparing our bodies to fruits.
New fruit entrants for women’s body shapes include the double cherry depicting curvy bust and hips with a small waist, like reality star Kim Kardashian and domestic goddess Nigella Lawson and boyish rhubarbs with slim hips and small busts like the Duchess of Cambridge and model Cara Delevingne. These of course join the well-known Pear and Apple.
Gaynor Davey, Personal Stylist Manager at Debenhams Oxford Street, said: “Since Trinny & Susannah brought dressing for your shape to the nation 13 years ago, we’ve based our wardrobes on a set of rules designed around what we believed our shapes to be.
“For many this has created confusion about anything outside those few shapes – and it has never been extended to men.
“Our new free Personal Stylist service and body-shape guide is about giving shoppers simple tools to help them look and feel fabulous.”
The most common personal style myths identified by Debenhams’ stylists include: ‘trendy clothes don’t suit me’, ‘I can’t wear that colour’, ‘if you’re curvy, you’re plus-size’, ‘I’m not the ideal body-shape’ and ‘I can’t wear prints’.
Gaynor added: “We launched size 16 mannequins in our Oxford Street store at the end of last year and we’re continuing our commitment to promoting body confidence with more shapes and sizes for both men and women in our body-shape guide.
“Our service is not about being too prescriptive, but instead helping to inspire people to try new things and identify when something isn’t quite right.”
The move builds on other industry firsts from Debenhams including the use of a disabled model when it launched Principles, the banning of airbrushing on swimwear imagery and lingerie campaigns featuring a 50+ model.
The free service in its flagship Oxford Street store has been rebranded from ‘Personal Shopper’ to ‘Personal Stylist’ following retraining of staff by NHJ Style Consultancy, founded by celebrity stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones.
The new Personal Stylist service can be found on the third floor of Debenhams on Oxford Street. Debenhams also has Personal Shopper services in 115 stores nationwide. Shoppers can book appointments online at www.debenhams.com.
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