The Price Is Right
It was fall. It was Paris. It was love at first sight. Yes, that jacket with my name on it, in that little shop on Rue Dragon, was going to transform me from the woman I see in the mirror every day to one of those women the city is known for, those who have that je ne sais quoi that makes you turn around for a second look and wonder how did they ever figure out how to wrap that thing around their heads/arms/shoulders/hips and pair it with that/those pants/skirt/leggings.
I didn't succumb immediately. I visited the jacket every other day, until it became too painful for us to part. And so I made it mine, telling myself (in chorus with various saleswomen) that it was a miracle how it was the exact same color and fabric as the pants I was wearing, and so I would instantly acquire a suit for the price of a very reasonable jacket, not too mention how fabulous it looked on me.
But, alas, as it goes with foreign romances, things looked different once I got home. The color, in fact, wasn't exactly the same (black is tricky that way) as the pants and the way I looked in the 6th Arrondisment was never the way I would again. And so the jacket joined the other jacket and the coat and the skirt and the lingerie I'd brought home time and time again, providing a daily reminder each time I opened my closet, of how, once again, I'd lost my head in Paris. This had to stop. I was running out of space and mistake money.
Enter Heather Price, personal shopper, the one Parisian accessory no woman should be without. Whether you’re short on time, don’t speak French, find yourself intimidated by the Parisien shopping experience (i.e. saleswomen), are clueless about your style or what looks good on you, are getting married or divorced or just plain hate to shop, Heather’s for you as she’s been for gals (and yes, guys too) from six to eighty.
How does she do it?
Her attractive, well-organized website (http://www.priceparis.com) provides the questionnaires that get things rolling. First, she wants to know about your travel plans, when you’ll be coming, how long you’ll stay and what your time frame is for shopping. She also inquires about “physical challenges” so that she can make any necessary special arrangements prior to your visit, a hint to the oodles of thoughtfulness to come. In a Services section she describes the variety of shopping options available with their costs and exactly what will be included, so there can be no uncomfortable surprises. In the next questionnaire you get to list color, designer and style preferences and again, leaving nothing to chance, she gives you lots and lots of choices. You then have to provide your sizes in everything from hat to gloves and finally, she wants your measurements, sixteen in all, which she helps you take with very exacting step-by-step instructions. “Be honest with yourself... And me! Your measurements may not be what you think — or like — but accuracy is essential to a good fit”, she advises. She suggests you have a friend help take them, and in my case, along with some sparkling wine, it made for a very fun evening. She uses all of this info to get a very complete picture of you so that she can form an impression and get started. Next she calls and reviews your material, clarifying your goals and most importantly, your budget. Armed with all of the above, she does a pre-shop, visiting all stores (and she knows them all) that might have something interesting, and collects pieces she thinks could work.
Enter Heather Price. At a prearranged time, she picks you up at your hotel. And how she manages to be exactly on time given Paris traffic gives the first clue as to what a pro she is. And yes, she’s young and beautiful, but in the most delightful way as if she doesn’t know it. And her warmth and interest put you immediately at ease. (And so, although dieting the week before our meeting was all to the good, I needn’t have.) She’s planned the whole day, complete with lists and maps, and begins by giving you a brief rundown of the day’s itinerary. Then you’re off, and with the work she’s already done, you just get to breeze in and out of stores (often ones you’ve never heard of or couldn’t get into) and try on what’s been reserved for you. All the while there’s a running commentary on what to wear, and what not to (alone worth the price of her fee) all done in the gentlest way so that even getting almost naked in front of this gorgeous creature feels perfectly normal. Should there be purchases (and guaranteed there will be) she insists on carrying them and she even takes you to lunch.
She knows her stuff and finds you yours. You end up spending less money than you would have (generally 50% under budget), finding things you’d never have and looking better than you ever have.
