Fashion
Sponsor Post

This post is sponsored by Wantable, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board. We only recommend brands we genuinely love.

 I Tried a Personal Styling Service For the First Time—Here’s How it Went 

written by STEPH ALLEVA CORNELL
wantable personal stylist"
wantable personal stylist
Graphics: Aryana Johnson
Graphics: Aryana Johnson

I’m a die-hard Pinterest girly. I’ve been making boards since the site’s inception way back in 2010 (god, that felt depressing to write) and filling them with inspiration for every aspect of my life, especially fashion. My “Style” board has been there for me through each phase—from chevron prints to bubble necklaces, she’s seen it all. Like many fellow Millennial/cusp Gen-Z gals, I’ve followed fashion trends on Pinterest when picking new outfits since my teen years. But then my quarter-life crisis hit me, and it dawned on me… do I even have a personal style?

I feel it’s imperative to disclose that I had two kids before turning 26, which only added to my identity crisis. Nothing will make you sob on your closet floor quite like realizing none of your pre-pregnancy clothes fit you physically or emotionally anymore. But truthfully, I think I would’ve felt that shift regardless of motherhood. Whether you have kids or not, our bodies naturally change over time—sprinkle in a little prefrontal cortex development (and life trauma), and we’re basically a whole new woman by 30. All that to say, I woke up one morning and wanted to trash everything I owned. So last year, I did the emotional equivalent of that and deleted my nearly 14-year-old Pinterest “Style” board. It was time to start anew.

As a woman on a mission to rediscover herself, I knew that building a new inspo board wouldn’t be enough. I wanted help from professional fashion girlies who understood styling better than I could. I needed a stylist to help me narrow down what I actually like. But alas, I don’t have a “personal stylist” type of budget—until one of my team members recommended a more affordable option that’s just as effective: Wantable.

What is Wantable?

Wantable is a personal styling service that delivers a box of clothes to your door each month based on your clothing preferences and allows you to try pieces before actually purchasing them. I loved the idea of trying on clothes in the comfort of my own home without the pressure of being in-store and was even more excited that a stylist would hand-pick each item based on my taste. Turns out you don’t have to be a full-blown celeb to use a stylist á la Zendaya and Law Roach. Wantable makes that dream much more accessible for the everyday gal; therefore, I was immediately convinced and started the process:

How it works

First, I selected my box type (I picked Cozytober) and took an in-depth quiz to hone in on my style. There was a $20 styling fee, and then my stylist chose seven items she thought would work best for me. They shipped to my house so I could try them all on and decide which to keep and return. Wantable gives you 20 percent off when you keep five or more items and gives you your $20 styling fee back as a credit when you keep even one piece. Plus, if your first batch of items wasn’t quite what you expected, you can always send them back and request a restyle, completely free of charge. And the cherry on top is that shipping is always free, so you can easily keep what you love and return the rest without hassle.

Wantable
Personal Styling Service

Try outfits before you buy and pause or update your subscription any time.

Shop now
wantable personal stylist

Taking the quiz

Wantable’s styling quiz was the most thorough fashion questionnaire I’ve ever taken—and trust me, I’ve fallen victim to many ineffective fashion quizzes in my lifetime. Wantable asked me for my sizing information and body proportions, the type of items I’d like to receive based on my scale of interest, how much I typically spend on certain pieces, and to share examples of aesthetics I am drawn to.

The quiz is formatted in a way that focuses on what type of clothing you feel best in rather than what’s currently trending. I thought this was a genius way to help someone pinpoint more timeless fashion choices. I stressed the importance of receiving clothes that fit my frame since I’m a very petite person at 5’0″ tall with a short torso and a pear-shaped figure. I prefer semi-cropped tops because they hit right at my hips and short-lengthed pants that I won’t step on. The quiz also asked what parts of my body I am most comfortable with, which I appreciated, and I said I felt confident accentuating my arms, shoulders, hips, and legs.

The style section asked me to rate specific articles of clothing based on whether I “Love,” “Like,” or “Dislike” an item—i.e., I “Love” straight-leg pants and “Dislike” bootcut jeans. In the preferences section, they provided prompts so I could write more specific details about my taste and even asked me to link my Pinterest board (I linked my new and improved one, of course). Their prompts gave me helpful direction and made the process even easier to complete. It was incredibly individualized, so I knew my stylist would pick items I’d genuinely like.

wantable personal stylist
“Wantable’s styling quiz was the most thorough fashion questionnaire I’ve ever taken.”
wantable personal stylist

Styling my items

I received my stylist-chosen pieces a few days after completing the quiz and literally bounced like a little girl as I pulled each one out of the box. My stylist sent a pair of straight-leg jeans, cargo joggers, a sweater vest, a cardigan, a sweater, a mock-neck long-sleeve, and a sherpa jacket. I could make endless outfit combinations with the pieces, and they all fit like a dream. Seriously, there was not one item that didn’t feel tailored to me. She even chose items similar to the inspo on my Pinterest board—loved that attention to detail. I immediately grabbed accessories from my closet and started a mini fashion show.

wantable personal stylist
wantable personal stylist
wantable personal stylist
wantable personal stylist
wantable personal stylist
wantable personal stylist
wantable personal stylist
wantable personal stylist

The only difficult aspect of my Wantable experience was deciding which of the seven items to return because my stylist nailed her picks. I felt confident enough in my base clothes to play around with my shoes, bags, and jewelry to make each outfit feel personalized. While I’ll always enjoy following fashion trends and finding styling inspiration on Pinterest, Wantable helped me recenter my personal style by going back to the basics. Because ultimately, the most important aspect of fashion is how good your clothes make you feel inside and out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steph Alleva Cornell, Branded Content Editor

Steph was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Texas at a young age, where she quickly discovered a love for writing as she learned English. She has leveraged her passion for written and visual artistry throughout her marketing career by creating content for brands both big and small. As Branded Content Editor at The Everygirl Media Group, she produces authentic content for our sponsors while ensuring that our brand values and reader’s interests are prioritized.

This post is sponsored by Wantable, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everygirl editorial board. We only recommend brands we genuinely love.