7 August, 2012
Style

The Changing Room girls – your makeover mavens!

7 August, 2012

Are you stuck in a style rut? It can happen so easily (even to the most dedicated wannabe fashionistas!) and sometimes it feels as though the contents of your wardrobe don’t reflect your personality, that you’ve fallen into the trap of buying the same old things, and that every time you head out for a night out, you’ve got the same old “nothing to wear”!

Well, it’s Hong Konger Jess (above left) and native New Yorker Pier (above right) from The Changing Room to the rescue! These Hong Kong gals are a dream team when it comes to all kind of services related to your wardrobe – they’ll go through your current clothes, help you re-work old pieces, rediscover long-forgotten accessories and show you how to put whole “looks” together. I wondered if having two strangers in my bedroom rooting through my closets would feel uncomfortable but within just a few minutes of chatting, Jess and Pier had put me at my ease, and I felt like part of their gang — although it was hard to stop myself apologising for the dust bunnies and occasional fairly disgusting garments (or massive errors of judgment!) that they came across.

I had also been a bit worried that they would tell me to chuck out everything and start again, Trinny and Susannah-style, but in fact they were at pains to explain that is NOT at all what they do. In fact, it was incredibly helpful to be able to ask them honest questions like, “Do you think these shoes have had their day?” and get a straight answer. As we pulled out all my clothes and went through them, I was amazed how many stained or ill-fitting items I had that could easily be fixed by a trip to the dry-cleaner or tailor… all just sitting in my wardrobe taking up valuable real estate and never getting worn!

The partnership between Jess and Pier works very naturally and is a lively dynamic. They also offer shopping trips for picking out new pieces to fill those gaps in your wardrobe (mine were identified as a pair of smart-casual pants that aren’t jeans and a tube skirt) and also help you hit up the sales to bag a bargain. I’d imagine as well as being helpful, this would be lots of fun! When I asked if they run trips to Shenzhen, they said that they don’t recommend shopping there at all; in fact, most of the items they end up clearing out of clients’ wardrobes are so-called “Shenzhen Specials”! They know all the best addresses in Hong Kong for picking up great finds, and in their opinion there is an absolute wealth of options out there, it’s just all about knowing how to shop.

Once we’d created an absolute whirlwind in my bedroom and established my personal style (feminine and romantic), we went through photographing the different looks they had put together. Clients then receive their own personal look-book, which they can then use to save time in the mornings — priceless! I was amazed at how many combinations they suggested that I would have never even considered, but by encouraging me to not be so “matchy-matchy”, they gave me a sense of freedom about my options. Since their visit, I’ve found myself trying out different combinations and making an effort to accessorize more. For the first time (and without buying ANYTHING new), I feel like I have lots of clothes rather than the classic ‘nothing to wear’… And that is why getting The Changing Room girls round for a visit is worth its weight in gold!

Contact Jess and Pier by emailing [email protected] or by calling Jess on 6094 6533 or Pier on 9175 9756. They will soon be launching their new website on www.thechangingroomhk.com.

 

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