One of the beautiful things about being an independent designer brand is that we have the flexibility to take Tibi on the road. And we certainly have—over the last couple of years, we’ve traveled to be with many of you. Often hosted by our wonderful retail partners around the globe, and sometimes on our own. The bottom line is, we love meeting our clients—it reminds us why what we do here at Tibi is so important, because our mindset truly does permeate far beyond just the closet.
That being said, we definitely have our 10,000 hours of running Tibi styling events under our belt (Malcolm Gladwell, IYKYK), and we thought it would be helpful to break down what you can expect at these events, how to best prepare, and other questions that we hear frequently.
How should I prepare for a Tibi styling event?
We’re assigning you homework, and we mean it quite literally—solely for the fact that you will feel prepared, grounded, and sure of yourself when you step into the fitting room.
Catch up on a few episodes of Style Class. Many of these personal styling sessions look a lot like Style Class segments—they can help you become familiar and comfortable with our team. They’re just like they are on camera, and that’s a good thing—they’re real people, here to help you.
If you have The Creative Pragmatist, 2nd Edition, read it. It’s absolutely not required reading to attend these events, but it does outline the CP Principles in a way that will help you articulate what you’re looking for in these appointments. If Keturah asks you if you want some big with your slim, you’ll be in a better place if you know she’s talking about the clothing and nothing personal. Bonus—if you don’t have the book, this Substack is a wealth of knowledge where you can find plenty of intel on finding your Three Adjectives, dressing principles, and more.
Ask yourself a few questions:
What does my lifestyle look like right now?
Where are the gaps in my wardrobe?
What are some frustrations that I have with my current wardrobe? *Note: we love when clients come in with an older Tibi piece that they can’t quite figure out, and we can help you pair it with current season items to make it feel new again. Unfortunately, there’s simply not enough time to haul in multiple pieces from home for styling advice. Good news—our team of stylists are available for virtual appointments where they can help you hone in on your Three Adjectives, and help you find Tibi pieces that work with your current wardrobe.
What does a Tibi styling event look like?
Here’s what a Tibi styling event typically looks like. We’ve broken this out by events hosted by our retail partners, and independently by Tibi:
Hosted by a Retail Partner
Our retail partners open their doors to fellow Creative Pragmatists to pop in and view the collection. You’ll be greeted by their team and ours—and if you’ve scheduled an appointment ahead of time (we highly recommend doing this, often the schedule is jam packed and we don’t want you missing out), you’ll have around 20-30 minutes with a team member for a personal styling consultation.
*It’s key to remember that these events are held in a store with limited occupancy, so be mindful and come prepared. These events are intended to help you shop smarter, and speak to a team that can relate to and appreciate your personal style needs. Our team of experts are there to help you focus, guide you on fit, fabric, and styling hacks—and help you seal the deal on the pieces that work for you.
The great thing about attending a styling event hosted by one of our retail partners is that before or after your appointment, you can browse other curated pieces. If you’ve ever stepped foot in McMullen in San Francisco, Wok Store in Milan, or any of our other stockists, you’ll know that these stores are treasure troves of incredible pieces, and it’s always a good thing to get inspired.
Hosted by Tibi
These events are slightly more robust—often coupled with a Book Club event to dive deeper into The Creative Pragmatist, 2nd Edition, and discuss the CP ethos IRL. Although a bit more flexible in terms of time and bandwidth, it’s still important that you come with goals and objectives in mind for your appointment. There’s likely a larger product offering at these events, and more access to our team of in-house styling experts at the ready to answer your questions—and a room full of like-minded individuals that often riff off of one another, a combination of play and strategy. And that’s a good thing, too.
At any of these events, if you get there early, or if they’re running behind, sit back and watch the action unfold. We often hear that this is one of the favorite experiences people have.
How do I sign up for these events?
There’s a few ways that you can hear about these events:
We post all upcoming events on our website, on our Events page (you can find it here).
Our Instagram Story Highlight, “Events,” also houses this information—as well as sign-up links to book the appointment and contact information.
We recommend staying connected with our stylists, as well. They’re typically the first to know about these events, and if we’re coming to a city near you, they’ll give you a heads up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are appointments only 20-30 minutes? It seems like hardly enough time to try items on. Is it okay if we go over our time limit?
A: You’d be amazed at what you can accomplish in just a half hour. This is why we encourage clients to come prepared, so that you don’t spend half your appointment trying to articulate what you’re looking for. Flexibility on extended appointments is case-by-case and not guaranteed—but if we run out of time, we can connect you with our stylists for a follow-up consultation.
Q: I saw that you’re hosting an event in my city, but I’m worried that it will feel like a “What Not to Wear” episode. Am I overthinking it?
A: Yes, you’re overthinking it—but that’s okay. The goal of these appointments is not to take you from “frump to fabulous.” We’re not conducting full on makeovers here. And odds are, if you’re coming to one of these events, you don’t need a makeover. You probably share our mindset, which means we’ll be speaking the same style language—no judgment here.
Q: My husband and sister will be traveling with me, is it okay if they join me for my appointment? My sister likely won’t try anything on, but I’d love to get my husband in a Liam Blazer!
A: You’re more than welcome to share your appointment slot with a +1, but keep in mind that we aren’t always able to accommodate longer appointments for larger parties on the fly—which is why we recommend booking individual appointments. P.S. we’d love to get your husband in a Liam Blazer, too.
Q: I live in an area that has never had an event, and we don’t have any retailers that carry Tibi. What are my options? Is there a big difference between in-person and online styling appointments?
A: We do have clients that will travel to attend styling appointments, and we love that we can help meet them in the middle where we can! If we’re visiting a city near you, and you’re able to travel to an event, we encourage you to do so—we think it’s worth it. However, our stylists are trained to provide expert consultations both in-person and digitally, so while you won’t have the ability to touch and feel different fabrications, the quality of service won’t differ whether you’re in-person or over Zoom.
Q: I have so many pieces that I can’t figure out how to make work for me, is it okay if I bring them in?
A: We touched on this earlier—as much as we wish we had unlimited time to help you analyze your “problem children” pieces (and we really do, seriously), we are working with limited time slots. Help us help you by showing up with a clear, focused mind.
Q: Will there be more Tibi product than usual at my local stockist for the event?
A: Yes! We want to accommodate those who are attending, so we typically bring in additional size runs and pieces that aren’t usually in stock at your local retailer. If you have any special requests ahead of your appointment, you can reach out to one of our stylists who will be at the event, or speak to a sales associate at your local retailer to see if we can special order a few items.
Here’s a few snapshots from our recent trip to McMullen:
Please consider coming to Singapore again?
Got confirmation of my London appointment yesterday (am both excited and petrified! 😀) so this is really helpful.