Skirting the stores:
Women execs embrace home-based clothes shop
November 19, 2004
By SOFIA KOSMETATOS,
Daily Record Business Writer
Wardrobe consultant operates out of her basement.
Shopping with personal wardrobe consultant Salli J. Ward is an intimate affair.
Salli Ward sells clothes out of her Owings Mills home for North Carolina-based Tanner Cos., which makes two private label lines of clothing for women: Doncaster, and élana, a collection for full-figured women. Photo by Max Franz
There are no crowds, no lines at the register and
no parking hassles. Instead, there is light music, a cozy
basement and one-on-one attention.
Many of Ward’s clients, including time-crunched
professional women, prefer it that way.
“It’s certainly convenient,” said Cynthia A. Berman, a commercial real estate attorney and principal with Kramon & Graham P.A., a Baltimore City law firm. Berman met Ward through a fundraiser last year for the Baltimore chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women, of which Berman is president.
“I don’t have time to shop on a regular basis,” and shopping on her own is “hit or miss,” said Berman, who bought clothes during the fundraiser and has since returned to Ward for more items.
Tanner is one of a few companies that offer high-end, private-label clothes through home-based wardrobe consultants. Others include the Carlisle Collection and the Worth Collection Ltd., both based in New York City.
Booming Business
Ward, a former elementary school teacher in Illinois, said she started selling Doncaster clothes in 1990 because she loved the clothes, not because she needed the extra money. At the time, her husband Bill was a senior vice president with a large insurance company.
Nearly 15 years later, Ward’s second career is booming.
She sells about $200,000 in clothes annually, making her the No. 1 Doncaster representative in the Baltimore area and among the top 40 in the nation. Tanner has about 1,200 reps nationwide. Ward declined to reveal her income, but said it is commission-based.
She has about 200 active clients who vary in age from 20-something to 90-something. Their occupations are diverse, but about 40 percent are executives like Berman. Ward is actively pursuing this demographic through referrals and presentations in corporate offices.
How much Ward’s clients spend also varies. It could be as little as $65 for a scarf or other accessory or as much as $6,000 to $7,000 per visit. On average, though, clients spend about $1,000 each, she said.
Ward’s busiest days revolve around four trunk shows — fashion shows that let clients check out the clothes firsthand — per year for the fall, fall/holiday, spring and spring/summer lines, before which she calls clients to schedule personal appointments.
The appointments usually run an hour or less, during which Ward encourages customers to touch and try on samples.
She studies new clients meticulously, quizzing them about the types of clothes they find most comfortable and the fabrics and styles they prefer.
For returning clients, a file with swatches of fabric from previous purchases helps ensure that new purchases complement previous ones.
Because the clothes are an investment (blazers can be several hundred dollars, for example), Ward aims to provide customers with clothes they will wear over and over.
“I try to educate them on cost per wear,” she said.
Ward might compare prices of less expensive Doncaster designs with similar ones by Chanel, Valentino and other designers to show value.
Worth the Price
For Baltimore County-based interior designer Lindsay Flower, the price is worth it.
“My budget doesn’t go quite as far [as in department stores] when I spend it on Salli’s clothing but those are the pieces that I feel more comfortable in, more powerful in,” she said.
Style is important, too. The clothes “are different and unique and show quality without being ostentatious,” Flower said, an impression that is important in both her business and for other women executives.
Personal attention and convenience have kept Flower a loyal customer of Ward’s since 1997.
Flower recalled a dry cleaning disaster that ruined a pair of her Doncaster pants. Ward called Tanner to see if they could help salvage the pants, and when the company could not, Ward gave Flower a generous discount on another pair.
“She took care of that so I didn’t have to,” Flower said.
While Ward has no formal schooling in fashion or design, she has gone through training with Tanner Cos.
Seasonal meetings and avid fashion magazine reading as well as trips to New York City keep her informed about the latest trends and tips, which she will often pass on to customers in a bi-monthly e-mail newsletter.
She networks through word-of-mouth and membership in about 10 organizations, including Business Networking International, Baltimore Symphony Associates, Executive Women’s Network/Women’s Leadership Alliance and the National Association of Women Business Owners.
Mark Your Calendars!
NEXT TRUNK SHOW:
2012 Doncaster Fabulous Spring Fashions -
Jan. 30 - Feb. 17
Contact me for YOUR APPOINTMENT to be in the drawing for the $100 Doncaster Gift Certificate. To schedule your one-on-one appointment to see the latest Doncaster Collections, please contact me at
410-654-2459 or via email at sallijward@aol.com.
Copyright 2008 - Salli J. Ward
For a personal stylist call: 410-654-2459 or Order Online
Wonderful Wardrobes
Sizes 2 -24 & Petites
Next Show: Jan. 30-Feb. 17, 2012 - Call for an appointment today
Organize Your Closet NOW!
4 "R's" to a new YOU
Closet consulting helps women rid themselves of old baggage... and old images of who they are.
REDUCE
It's difficult to get rid of your possessions... but downsizing WILL make a difference. Don't fall victim to the black hole of an overstuffed closet - after all how can you wear what you can't see? If you're having trouble trying to figure out what's in and what's out, start by emptying everything onto the floor. Then you create the "yes" or "no" piles. Put the "yes" pieces back into your closet first, then gather the "no" items together to give to charity.
What's left is the maybe pile, which will now seem less overwhelming. It will also be easier to tackle now that you know how much space is left in your closet after putting back the "yes" pile. Be sure to ask yourself, "How often will I wear this, and is it worth the space it will take up in my closet or dresser?" If the answer is "no," then move on and make room for something better (see below for suggestions of where to donated your clothes).
It's important to take inventory, and know what you have to work with. Take the time to try on your clothes, and if something doesn't fit or flatter, say bye-bye - unless it can be tailored. Comfort equals confidence and if you don't feel good in your fashion, people will notice. Though it may feel at first that you are eliminating your options, by limiting yourself in this way you're actually ensuring that every day will be a great fashion day. After all, if you only keep your best in your closet, you'll always look your best!
Once you have "Reduced" your closet, remember that for every new purchase something old must go. Out with the old and in with the new!
REVISE
Organize workout wardrobes you love, rather than digging through tattered clothes in the bottom drawer. If you look good, you'll want to work out, and in turn you'll feel great.
And don't forget the lingerie drawer ladies!
Foundation comes first, no matter how fabulous your fashion may be. Be sure you own the right under garments to reshape and to flatter your assets.
You should also keep a kit of pins, double stick tape, spot remover sponges, a shoe sponge, and other tools in your closet that will be beneficial in a bind.
REINVENT
Your style makes a strong statement about who you are, so take time at the start of the year to figure out what you want to say. Style icons, fashion designers and artwork can serve as great sources of revitalization, and can help inspire you to find your own signature style.
Collect healthy images that represent your world, and create a "style scrapbook" to help take you from inspiration to expression. From there, expand your wardrobe, but start by shopping in your closet. Set time for a personal fashion show, do your hair and makeup and take time to have some fun with what's already in your wardrobe. With a fresh outlook, the combinations you come up with may surprise you. Then prepare a grocery list, you may not have thought to maintain a "most wanted list" or a "must have list" for fashion. Remember: what you are missing can limit you; those are the items you should be looking out for. Take your clothes with you when you go shopping, and use them to help you complete a look, or match a hard-to-wear
piece.
REWARD
Emotional shopping is as unsatisfying as emotional eating, so resist the urge to impulse buy and binge shop. Plan first and then budget time and money for seasonal needs and wants. While some splurges may be a luxury, think of new clothes as a necessity, and count on making a few strategic purchases that you covet each season. Avoid a trend trap by building on basics and classics in your wardrobe. Then you can purchase a few funky pieces that will spice up your style.
piece.
REWARD
Emotional shopping is as unsatisfying as emotional eating, so resist the urge to impulse buy and binge shop. Plan first and then budget time and money for seasonal needs and wants. While some splurges may be a luxury, think of new clothes as a necessity, and count on making a few strategic purchases that you covet each season. Avoid a trend trap by building on basics and classics in your wardrobe. Then you can purchase a few funky pieces that will spice up your style.
And now, with these tips in mind, you are ready to come OUT of the closet! Keep in mind it's all about attitude. A bright smile can make you look more youthful and energetic; while good posture can even help you look leaner. Having confidence and being comfortable in your own skin can make the difference between being quirky and unique, and being a fashion victim.
Like it or leave it, you need to know how to strut your style. Two words to remember - own it! Be sure to check in with yourself. How does it look? Does it represent your own unique sense of style? Is it exactly what you were looking for? If you listen to your instincts, chances are, they'll steer you down the style path you've been looking for all along. Now get the party started! Be your own style guide and enjoy the process. Getting ready can be more fun than the party, so turn up the music and prepare for a year of style and owning it!
*Do you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear?
*Do you want to update your look but don't know where to start?
I can help!
*Do you want to update your look but don't know where to start?
I can help!
Complete Closet Assessment Package
Services include:
* Surveying and sorting each item in your closet
* Cleaning and organizing your closet
* Teaching you to shop in your own closet mixing, matching and accessorizing what you already own Contact me for my hourly rate.
Services include:
* Surveying and sorting each item in your closet
* Cleaning and organizing your closet
* Teaching you to shop in your own closet mixing, matching and accessorizing what you already own Contact me for my hourly rate.
Private Shopping in My Studio
Individual, one-on-one shopping for fine clothing from the exclusive Doncaster Designer Fashions in my studio. Each season's collection is designed to build and work together.
No obligation to buy, all services included in price of clothing.
Individual, one-on-one shopping for fine clothing from the exclusive Doncaster Designer Fashions in my studio. Each season's collection is designed to build and work together.
No obligation to buy, all services included in price of clothing.
Let me help you look your best!
Contact me for a consultation or appointment at 410-654-2459 or sallijward@aol.com
.NEED A PLACE TO DONATE CLOTHES?
Suited to Succeed for gently used professional clothing for women. 410- 528- 1799
The Junior League Wise Penny welcomes gently used men's, women's, children's clothing, household items. 410- 435- 5521
