Think about what you dislike about tween shopping, and well, for yourself also. Busy change rooms, searching for outfits, finding someone to help you, queuing (with tweens in tow!)… Well, I’ve found something better. And when I say better, I mean an experience that just makes it easy, even enjoyable. Imagine your dedicated stylist and a private, roomy change room. Also, a seat for mum whilst tween purchases are being rung up and bagged!
Awhile back, I mentioned how I found shopping for my tweens quite tedious. This is the best possible alternative! It still involves hanging out with the tweens though (apologies)… scurrying them out of the house in deepest darkest suburbia and onto the train, dragging them through busy London streets. It still involves negotiations and eye rolling. Sorry, it’s an alternative, not the perfect alternative!
It’s personal shopping!
Yep, personal shopping. Wait for it….FREE personal shopping and at a very popular and “in” tween high street store, River Island .(RI). Your tweens will love you forever and a day, trust me. And just to lure you into their very bright and attractive store, the personal shopping experience is called the “Style Studio”! Now, who doesn’t want to go into a “Style Studio”?! It says style, I’m in. I need all the style I can get. Oh wait, it’s not for me, it’s for those two dragging their feet behind me. Ok, in reality, there was no dragging of feet to get my two here. They were as excited as can be! I literally had this treat hanging over their head for over a month as a bribe!
The booking process for the River Island Style Studio is super easy. Just go online, select your location (there’s just the one in London) and the “experience” you’d like to book yourself into:
- Studio Fix for 30 min
- Studio Select for 60 min
- Studio Inspire for 120 min
Second time’s a charm
This visit was not our first time, we’re like old hands here. I normally select the 2-hour option, as there are two girls to sort out. I figure that’s plenty of time for both my girls to choose a few different options, to feel special and not be too rushed. Closer to the appointment date, we received an email from RI, asking us about our style, sizes and what we’re looking for. I try to give as much information as possible, then completely forget what I wrote – this time I’d asked for some summer clothes for the Miss 12 for our upcoming vacation, then when we got there, I started looking at cooler weather (transitioning to winter type) clothes for her. Our poor stylist!!
This shopping treat was really aimed at my growing Miss 12. Every single item of summer and cooler climate clothing I’d bought new last year, she’d decided to grow out of. Miss 10 seems to always be shopping, and what with hand-me-downs and a full to bursting wardrobe – using her myriad of high street gift cards saved from Christmas and birthdays – she needed nothing (Miss 12, on the other hand, only ever asks for vouchers from iTunes or Waterstones and uses all her cash to buy books and has no hand me downs). Miss 10 is just there because I can’t very well leave her at home alone, plus she would never ever forgive me.
The River Island Style Studio
The River Island Style Studio is located in their flagship Oxford Street store. It is huge, it is bright and their products are just so attractively and neatly laid out, perfect for an OCD person like me. The Style Studio itself is on Level 1, a lovely lux separate area in the store, with its own extra roomy change rooms, lounges and a bar (I kid you not!). We were greeted by our very trendy young (of course) stylist, offered a drink and immediately made to feel welcomed.
My girls were allocated their own dressing rooms, honestly, what a treat for them! Then the stylist sat down and went through the outfits she’d selected for them, how to mix and match (perfect!) and she was just THERE when we needed her to run and get another size or a different colour. When it was time to pay for our selection – trying to cull the Miss 10’s expectations is a whole different article – there was no waiting in line at the general tills, we had everything bagged and presented to us whilst we waited and sat on the lounge. Well, I sat, the girls had gone exploring – like they needed more clothes.
More than enough time
Two hours was definitely enough for us. My patience was starting to wear thin and Miss 12, who really hates shopping – though she loved this experience – started refusing to try on anything else. She plonked herself in a corner to read (yes, every trip out, no matter how long, requires at least two novels to accompany her). There was absolutely no obligation to buy anything, and our stylist put zero pressure on us. She gave so much useful, honest advice to the girls.
For me, it was great not to have to run around the store retrieving clothes for the girls, standing on aching feet whilst waiting for them to try things on, not to have to cajole them into trying different styles, and well, such a treat seeing Miss 12 wearing something other than jeans/leggings and a sweatshirt/hoody. No, she didn’t buy a pretty blouse nor a skirt nor a dress, but at least she stepped outside her comfort zone, and tried them on and had fun doing so – all part of the day.
It was such a pleasant, fun experience, a really fabulous treat out. Nobody came home grumpy, there were no arguments, we were tired but happy. I encourage people to try this, ask your favourite store if they have a similar service – I’m betting they do, honestly, why wouldn’t they? And if you’re in London for a break, book your tweens in before you come.
Park House 473
London W1C 2AU
PS. I was not paid for this endorsement, I just loved the experience with my tweens!
All images by Sabina Spiteri.