Welcome to The Quality Makers, an interview series highlighting pioneers in the direct-to-consumer space. Join us as we get an inside look at the world of digital shopping through the eyes of the individuals shaping it…
I am a perpetually indecisive person. Dinner menus are my Everest and online shopping – as much as I love it – usually goes like this: spend hours scrolling on site, add an unnecessary number of pieces to cart, let cart sit while I decide what I want, never purchase. After a year of pretty exclusively wearing sweats, workout outfits, and pajamas, my online-shopping decision fatigue has reached an all time high: What to wear on a first date? Or to a concert? Dinner party?
With a normal person's budget, I never thought a personal stylist was in the cards. Apparently I was wrong. Wishi, an affordable personal styling service, was created for people exactly like me. Intrigued (and desperate), I signed up to get styled. Here’s how it went…
What Is Wishi?
Credit: WIshi
Wishi is an online service making premium personal styling accessible to the masses. The service was founded by celebrity stylist Karla Welch (who counts Justin Bieber, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Olivia Wilde as clients) and fashion industry veteran Clea O’Hana. With the advent of online shopping, making decisions on what to buy, what will look good on you, and what will look good with the rest of your wardrobe has been made all the more confusing.
That’s where Wishi steps in. Whether you love fashion but don’t have time to shop or loathe shopping but desperately need a new outfit, Wishi is for you. The premium styling service is personalized to help you with your fashion woes. Services include building a wardrobe from scratch, styling for special events, and even helping maximize your current closet and find fresh, new ways to wear pieces you already own.
You’re probably thinking that a wardrobe revamp would run you at least a few hundred dollars, if not more. Surprisingly, Wishi’s styling fee is less than $100. Wishi offers two pricing packages: Wishi Mini ($40) and Wishi Major ($90).
Both packages give you 1:1 chats with your professional stylist, a personalized mood board, styling and lifestyle tips (ex: what hairdo would look good with this outfit?), ability to incorporate clothes you already own, and the chance to switch to a new stylist for free if you’re not happy with how things are going.
Here’s where the packages differ. The Wishi Mini includes 2 style boards with pieces curated just for you, plus 2 revisions to make sure your boards are just right. The Wishi Major includes 5 style boards and 5 revisions. On top of that, with the Major package you can chat with your stylist on the phone and have access to chat with them all month for style advice, whenever you need it. If you’re looking to spruce up your wardrobe with a few new outfits, the Wishi Mini is a perfect fit. If you’re looking for a closet overhaul or to try out a whole new wardrobe, the Major is for you.
How Wishi Works
I started my Wishi Mini experience by taking an intake questionnaire. The style quiz asks about your favorite brands, what sort of clothing you usually gravitate towards, and how you’d categorize your style before matching you with a stylist that fits your preferences. You’ll get a few compatible matches before picking which stylist to work with. You even get to see some outfits they’ve styled before, which ensures you like their style before choosing your stylist.
Once paired with your stylist, you’ll be able to communicate directly through Wishi’s chat feature – which you can access online or on the Wishi app (available on iOS). The next step is getting your mood board ready. The mood board functions as a starting point and inspiration for the rest of the session. Before my fashion stylist, Mika, got my mood board ready, we chatted back and forth about what sort of outfits I needed. We started with a few looks for dating.
When I got my mood board, I loved the vibe, but I wasn’t sure if the green color featured was the right shade of green for my skin tone. My stylist took that into account and made sure to incorporate darker greens in my next batch of outfit ideas. The shoppable looks not only have all of the pieces beautifully laid out for you, but each features links to easily buy a piece you love right on the spot. Or, add to cart, mull it over, and maybe buy it later.
I was obsessed with the first look I got. It felt very me, especially coming from someone who has never even met me before. But, some of the prices were a bit expensive. I let my stylist know that I’d love to see a more affordable blazer option and she curated not one, but two great options that were more in my budget. I didn’t end up buying much from my styling session, but it gave me plenty of inspiration for my future outfit-curating and shopping. I did pick up the Zara heels Mika picked out for me, and they’ve become a mainstay in my wardrobe for dressing up my classic uniform of jeans and a t-shirt.
I loved how easy it was to communicate with my stylist and let her know what I liked and didn’t like. It also just felt great to have access to someone who is an expert in all things fashion. Sometimes it’s hard to put your own style and preferences into words, but when you actually look at a style board that’s been made just for you, it’s a lot easier to say things like, “This isn’t a color I love, I prefer a more feminine silhouette.”
While I only bought one product from my styling session, I consider it a huge success. I’d recommend the service and use it again myself. I was able to take Mika’s recommendations as more than just links to shop, but as inspiration on how to mix and match certain pieces I already own. Plus, the added cost of your session may pay itself off in the long run: buying versatile, quality pieces with the help of a professional means investing now on a wardrobe you’ll love for years to come.
I don’t think this is a service I need every month, but if I’m ever feeling a bit uninspired before a big event, trip, or lifestyle change, Wishi is a fun and affordable way to unlock stylish, unique looks with ease. And that’s a major confidence booster.
5 More Reasons To Love Wishi:
1. 100% happiness guaranteed: If you don’t love your experience, get your money back.
2. Get gifting: Wishi’s stylists have curated a gift list full of amazing pieces for all sorts of recipients, budgets, and styles.
3. Shop the feed: Wishi’s feed is full of all sorts of looks created by the Wishi stylists. Get some inspiration and find your dream stylist here.
4. Monthly memberships: If you choose a Wishi monthly membership, you’ll save money and have unlimited style advice all the time.
5. At your own pace: You have 45 days to complete your Mini session and 90 days to complete your Major session. If you don’t complete your session in the timeframe, your unused boards can roll over to another session. But, due to COVID-19, Wishi is not following these time restrictions.
