Glam Slam: Wardrobe Wingman

Everyone needs a “wingman” when it comes to our wardrobes. You know, your shopping buddy that you rely on to be totally honest with you about clothing purchases… sort of like your own personal Stacy and Clinton from “What Not To Wear.”

Who is your go-to person? The one who will be brutal with you, whether it’s talking you out of something unflattering or impractical, or making sure you don’t let a good buy get away.

I thought about this the other day when my former shopping partner in crime was here in town. After discovering that we both LOVE fashion, my co-worker Nancy and I used to go shopping together every weekend. This went on for years until Nancy moved back to New York. When she was here for the VMAs, she introduced me to her new shopping buddy, a music publicist who was on our set. We all laughed and immediately started talking about… what else… clothes and recent purchases.

Jeneine in our New York office, tells me that she also shops with Nancy and considers her a “Financial Fashion Advisor.” Jeneine says that when she’s deciding if she should make a substantial purchase, she will drag Nancy with her to get a second opinion and see if something is a smart buy and worth the money.

After Nancy moved away, I did plenty of damage to my wallet with another co-worker, Becky. Becky is gorgeous and 5’10” and when we would shop for jeans together at Barneys New York, we would both need the seamstress. Me, because I needed to get the jeans hemmed… a lot. Becky, because she needed any little bit of fabric let down, to make the jeans long enough for her. Gee, life is rough, huh?

Once I became pregnant, shopping changed entirely, of course. After a lifetime of buying, buying, buying for myself… it became all about baby stuff, and my pregnant friend Melissa and I had fun bonding over bibs and bottles and booties.

Now with a child and a busy job, it’s harder than ever to find the time to shop. I squeeze in little trips whenever I can. After the gym the other day, I ran into BCBG for a few minutes, then ran out of time and had to bail right in the middle of my trying on session. Funny- the staff there has even realized my shopping habits have changed, because the guy helping me said that he noticed I am never in the store for more than 10 minutes. LOL!

Most of the time, I have a pretty clear idea of what I like. But if something is a bigger purchase, I have found other ways to get input. I have emailed photos of myself in outfits to Nancy and to my stylist friend Sara, who has amazing taste. I just sent photos to Sara of an expensive metallic sweater and a black furry vest that I bought.

There are entire websites dedicated to this type of thing… but I would never do that. I want someone who KNOWS me and my style, not just some random, anonymous person to “rate my outfit or purchase.” Sometimes I bring something in to work and ask people in the unofficial Access Fashion team what they think.

The one person who may not be the greatest shopping wingman is your boyfriend or husband. Sometimes they are honest, but I find that often they don’t want to hurt your feelings and may not be 100 percent truthful with you. And for me, that’s OK. I love that my husband cares more about me than what my butt looks like in a pair of jeans.