Clothiers Bring Service to Doorstep : Shopping: Experts take clothes and advice to clients at home or work.
Even though we live in the land of mega-malls hailed as the seventh wonders of the state, not everybody finds themselves drawn to them. Many people echo business owner Candi Martin, who demands to know “who has time any more to go shopping?”
Martin, as have other career women and men, has turned to home shopping.
No, the La Habra Heights resident hasn’t relegated her love for clothes to a cable station at the end of the dial.
Instead, Martin opts for the ultimate in personal shopping service via a minivan driven by Sam Smith. For almost two years, Smith, under her label Rebel Smith, has been taking her “store on wheels” to the homes and offices of clients who lack the time to shop but still want to dress fashionably.
Smith, who works out of her Huntington Beach-based townhouse, started the label by selling jackets and sweaters she embellished with faux stones, metallic novelty charms and eclectic buttons. When her customers began asking for pants, blouses and accessories to complete an outfit, Smith obliged.
She has since added jewelry, ties, suede and seasonal pieces to her constantly changing collection. Her one-of-a-kind items and matching separates sell for $70-$350; Rebel Smith wool crepe suits retail for $400.
Finding her “car getting too small and (my) customer list getting too big,” Smith jokes, “I’m at a point now where I could use a moving van.”
Of her 200-strong mailing list, she counts 60 regulars who shop from her every three to eight weeks.
To meet the demand, she is designing a motor home to satisfy her customers and make operations smoother.
Smith says her success lies in her honesty. “I don’t want to sell something they don’t look good in. My business is based on word of mouth, and if someone doesn’t look right, they are not going to get asked where they got their outfit.”
After years of being stopped by other women who asked where she bought her clothes and accessories, Carol Baier got the idea to start Carann, a personalized shopping service for plus-size women.
As a large-sized woman with a penchant for fashion, Baier developed her skills to adapt new pieces with old, and the habit of picking up unusual items in her travels. What struck her most about the requests she’d get from friends and strangers was not only where she got her clothes, but how she put them together.
As part of her service, Baier will comb through her client’s closet, discarding anything that looks unflattering, and suggest new items that will go with her existing wardrobe.
“We work together to develop (the client’s) look or looks. It’s important to have a wardrobe that caters to the individual.” She also makes suggestions about hair and makeup, but only if it’s needed. “Some of my clients already had it together,” she says.
“I try to teach that getting dressed is not about camouflaging but presenting ourselves as who we really are. A lot of women don’t know how to do that,” says Baier, who regularly holds fashion shows followed by workshops tackling the problem. “The barriers have broken down for large-sized women, and many manufacturers are making better-looking clothing . . . but with such a limited market we can get trapped into looking the same.”
To offer a variety of trends, Baier is constantly searching for new labels to fill her Tustin warehouse, going as far as Guatemala for ethnic pieces in roomier silhouettes. She finds classic Chanel-inspired suits and “youthful Melrose” looks such as long lace dresses and leopard chiffon blouses. Carann clothes start at $80 for a cotton knit outfit to $650 for a hand-woven coat. Dresses and suits retail for $150-$250. As a distributor for Danskin, Carann also carries work-out wear in plus sizes for $12-$35.
Baier plans to stay with career and sportswear, but for those customers interested in cocktail dresses, bathing suits or lingerie, she keeps a reference list of stores and catalogues specializing in those items. Because she sees many of her clients on a weekly or monthly basis in their homes or offices, Baier learns about future events so she can plan their wardrobes.
“This is really about service. The clothes are only a vehicle. Some large-sized women feel embarrassed to go into a store to shop for clothes, but it’s between me and them what their size is,” she says.
The confidential relationship that develops between the shopper and clothier is a key reason why so many customers keep coming back, says Orvey Hampton. As manager of the county branch of the Tom James Co., a national tailoring service, Hampton sees mostly professional men seeking personal attention in looking good.
The 25-year-old Tom James Co. counts 80% of its $100 million business each year from repeat customers, according to Hampton. The rest is referrals, which he says, “is really the best way to grow. That’s how we market our services.”
As do Smith and Baier, Hampton keeps a record of his clients’ size, measurements and color and style preferences. He generally starts out by visiting their home to study their wardrobe. Subsequent meetings are done in the office, unless, he says, a client prefers and has the time to meet at home.
A ready-made suit runs from $400-$500, including tailoring charges; custom suits cost between $600 and $800. The Tom James Co. also carries ties, tailor-made shirts, socks and fine accessories such as Ferragamo shoes and belts. This full wardrobe service to clients caters mainly to men, although “some professional ladies do come in who need a tailored look,” he says.
“Clients tell me that as individual shops disappear and are replaced by department stores, personal service has become more difficult to find these days,” Hampton says. “We provide this service with full convenience in mind and without pressures. This is one-stop shopping, and we come to them. That coupled with a good product equals success.”
For more information, contact Carann at (714) 832-3068, Rebel Smith at (714) 969-2654 and Thomas James Co. at (714) 539-8250.
