Amber Richardson, my personal stylist, and I.
Have you ever dreamed of having your own personal stylist, like the celebrities have, to help you pull outfits together and ensure you look fabulous? Well dream no longer because I found out firsthand that you can get this kind of service…free!
I had heard of personal shoppers at big department stores but I had no idea how they worked or what they actually did. So when my friend Kelly told me how much she adored her own personal Nordstrom stylist, I was surprised. Kelly has a great sense of style and as a busy working mom of two she always looks great. I never dreamed she’d enlist the help of a professional stylist to help her with everything from work wear to bathing suits and underwear. She claims her Nordstrom stylist is her post-baby shopping savior.
Nordstrom put me in touch with Amber Richardson, a stylist at the Houston Galleria store, and we talked about how she works to help her clients shop. I set up an appointment with her at the store and met her on a busy Saturday morning during the Anniversary Sale.
Amber took me around to walk the entire store floor, explaining how Nordstrom is organized and what the various departments hold. We talked about what I needed to find, pieces for my upcoming beach vacation, and what kinds of things I liked. Amber listened carefully and encouraged me to just grab things that caught my eye as we walked. She was great at picking up on my style and preferences, such as my penchant for dresses, while we talked about my lifestyle.
Amber encouraged me not to worry about finding the right size since things can be ordered and altered easily. She was super friendly and easy to talk to, and steered me away from my usual “mom shorts” and towards smaller and more fitted clothing than I usually buy. She asked when I had last been bra-fitted, to which I replied never, and immediately called an expert from the lingerie department. That experience was amazing and is a whole ‘nother story.
Once I got set up in a fitting room and found the right bra, I started trying on all the clothes while she got me a drink and ran around the store pulling new pieces to complement what I had chosen. First I tried on these Paige jeans, with a cute floral top. Amber grabbed a black blazer to complete the look. These jeans were amazeballs, but I will now have to save a bit of bloggy money to buy them.
Then she showed me a great ivory blouse and scarf she found, and these funky Rosegold wedges that really work together. I saw a ton of the stylists and associates at Nordstrom wearing big scarves like this.
What I really needed for this vacation was more casual wear. After trying on a colorful pair of bermuda shorts, Amber said “I’m over them.” and brought me some awesome button-fly denim shorts by Citizens of Humanty. They just so happened to be on sale for $99. She also picked out this striped top which is so totally my style and suits my figure perfectly. It was, unfortunately, not on sale. Amber also pulled these cute leopard thongs from Sam Edleman to complete the look.
Finally we turned to dresses. First up I tried on a dress that caught my eye by Ali Ro, and Amber brought me some fantastic Jimmy Choos to pair with it. So hard to say thanks, but no thanks to those shoes.
I did come very close to buying this blue jersey dress by BCBG Max Azria for vacation or a date night. Amber correctly suggested I would need to have it altered slightly, and now that I see it in the photo I’m kind of glad I passed on it. It was so pretty and cozy though!
Amazingly, every single outfit I tried on was complemented by my favorite Kendra Scott earrings, which also happen to be available at Nordstrom.
Amber also found this super sexy and funky black maxi skirt with a slit up the side, which I will wear on vacation for sure with a little tank top.
She and the gal that fitted me for bras convinced me I needed at least two new bras of the correct size, and thankfully they were seriously on sale. I discovered that Chantelle is my go-to brand for bras.
Other pieces I tried on and loved but did not bring home (yet) were a chocolate striped top from Vince Camuto and a gray ruffled tank from Halogen.
All in all my three hours of shopping with Amber was profoundly helpful and great fun. She said she’d keep an eye on certain pieces I liked and text me if they happened to go on sale. I watched her work with a couple of other clients while I was there too, some of whom she says she sees every week.
So don’t be shy, call up your local Nordstrom store and set up an appointment with one of their skilled personal stylists. Over time you will build a relationship with them such that they can pull what you need and have a fitting room waiting before you even enter the store!
“This post is brought to you by Nordstrom. Stay connected to Nordstrom Houston Galleria.”
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