Linhart, the president and managing partner of public relations firm Linhart McClain Finlon in Denver, had little time to rectify the situation. Her busy days might start at 7:30 a.m. with a committee meeting, followed by client meetings and then end with a business dinner. Linhart needed outfits that would carry her from one appointment to the next, without making her feel over- or underdressed.

(Illustration by Tim Bower.)

The job of actually finding these outfits now falls to hired consultant Annie Brumbaugh of AB Wardrobe Works in New York. On scheduled shopping trips, Brumbaugh orchestrates the entire event, choosing garments for consideration beforehand. "When we walk into the dressing room, the wardrobe will be hanging there," Brumbaugh says. To make the most of her clients’ time, she favors stores that sell a wide range of merchandise, such as Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue, so she can readily mix and match clothing and accessories and have a fitter on hand for alterations.

For women like Linhart, whose busy lifestyles do not afford time for shopping, investing in a personal shopper can drastically cut hours spent wandering aimlessly around in stores. "As with any investment, you have an expectation of return," Linhart says. "The return on this investment is time savings and cost savings in the long run, because you’re not making impulsive mistakes."

Tracy Hughes agrees. As a sales executive for the St. Regis Hotel in New York, Hughes has spent 15 years fine-tuning her wardrobe with the help of private shopper and image consultant Eve Michaels of Eve Michaels Enterprises in Beverly Hills. Today Hughes continues shopping with Michaels twice a year and would never dream of making a major purchase without her. "It’s pricey, but it’s worth it," Hughes says. "You spend a lot of time buying junk that sits in the back of a closet and doesn’t match anything, so you end up spending more money over time."

Revealing Choices
Professional shoppers—or image consultants as many prefer to be called—are quick to point out the differences between their services and those of a personal shopper in a department store. While customers often receive the latter free of charge, private shoppers’ rates range from several hundred dollars an hour to several thousand dollars a day. Image consultants, however, offer far more extensive services than those of a department store shopper, who is limited to the store in which he or she works. These professionals shop at a wide range of stores and often advise their clients on every aspect of their new image, including hair, makeup, fitness, deportment and even plastic surgery. They primarily work with women, though some report a few men on their client rosters.

TOP VIEW For the overworked with little spare time, personal shoppers can be invaluable aides. For a fee, these professional con- sumers—image consultants, as they prefer to be called—help their clients acquire a wardrobe. More importantly, they do all the legwork of shopping, and they know how to comprehensively build and maintain a client’s image.

Individuals who hire independent shoppers are generally not required to sign a legal contract. Instead, the relationship between shopper and client is built on trust, and ideally strengthens over time as the shopper becomes more familiar with the client’s wardrobe—and the client becomes more comfortable with her shopper’s choices. Consultants stress the importance of developing this strong, sometimes intimate, rapport with their clients. "I keep it informal," says Ginger Burr of Total Image Consultants in Boston. "Remember, I’m seeing clients in their underwear. They have to feel comfortable and relaxed with me."

When a working relationship begins, consultants often prefer to get to know their clients before they ever go shopping with them. This initial step can take the form of a casual conversation or a more in-depth consultation at the client’s home, at which time the shopper usually conducts a thorough wardrobe assessment. The purpose is to determine the client’s needs, lifestyle and personality, as well as the budget.