This job made me realize a very realistic thing.
After starting this business of providing on-site styling services, I gradually developed a profound feeling.
In fact, people don't gain confidence just because they dress well.
More often it's simply because...
The clothes are in the "right" state.
It is flat.
It is clean.
There are no wrinkles.
That's enough.
That feeling is very subtle. You might not be able to pinpoint exactly what has changed, but you will feel a greater sense of stability overall.
On the surface, I call myself a stylist, but in reality, the things I do are quite diverse.
When someone asks me what I do, I usually just say:
"Interior Stylist."
But if you really spent a whole day with me, you might find this statement a bit "romanticized".
Because the things I do every day are more like:
Be in a hurry
Deal with problems on the spot
Help people get their spirits back
Accidentally soothe their emotions
And - rescue the clothes
Yes, "Save the clothes".
This may sound a bit funny, but it is actually very common.
The actual scenes are basically not "pre-prepared".
Most of the clients I have dealt with are not the type who would have everything prepared the night before.
More commonly, it is like this:
Just finished a meeting and had to rush to another event immediately.
Suddenly received a notice that I needed to meet an important person.
Had an extra dinner during the business trip.
The wedding ceremony's schedule kept changing again and again.
Then they would say something typical to me:
"Could you please help me with this now?"
It's not about taking it slowly, nor is it about discussing the style.
It's "now".
The problem often gets stuck at this stage of choosing clothes.
Many people thought the problem would lie in the makeup or hairstyle.
But it's not actually like that.
What often gets people stuck is usually clothing.
A piece of clothing that was originally quite nice would lose a lot of its charm if there were obvious creases on it.
That feeling was actually quite real -
It seemed as if you were already ready, but the final step wasn't completed.
The whole person seemed stuck there.
It's not extremely serious, but it's definitely not right.
I myself was once very committed to the principle of "technology first".
When I first started in this profession, I used to think:
Technology is the core, while tools are merely auxiliary.
Later it was discovered that this idea was rather idealistic.
Once, I actually took a traditional ironing board to the client's house.
The space was very limited and couldn't be fully expanded.
In the end, we managed to find a place to set it up, but it still wasn't very stable.
While ironing, one is constantly worried about the incorrect temperature,
and at the same time, afraid of pressing out those ugly marks.
The whole body is tense.
The rhythm was completely disrupted as well.
After that incident, I began to seriously consider one thing:
Is there a way for me to be more stable, no matter what the circumstances are?
Later, they gradually started to use clothes steamer handhelds.
In fact, when I first used the clothes steamer handheld, I didn't think it would have any "life-changing" effect.
Just find it a bit more convenient.
But after using it for a while, I realized that it didn't change just a single detail.
It's the entire work rhythm.
The previous process was like this:
Find a place
Set up the ironing board
Wait for preheating
Start operating carefully
Finally, tidy up
Now it basically is:
Plug in
Wait for a few tens of seconds
Just start directly
It seems that only a few steps are missing.
But on the spot, these few steps represent the difference.
Will the client start to feel anxious?
Will you yourself become panicked?
Often, it all depends on this period of time.
In the on-site service scenario, the tools really need to be "obedient"
My current requirements for the equipment are actually quite realistic.
It's not about the parameters, nor is it about how advanced it is.
It's just three things:
Don't suddenly encounter problems.
Don't make it too complicated.
Don't slow me down.
That's enough.
The clothes steamer handheld fits perfectly.
Moreover, this steam treatment is more gentle on many fabrics.
Like what I often encounter:
Silk shirt
Wool suit
That kind of very lightweight dress
Using an iron requires constant attention to the temperature, which is quite demanding.
The steam, on the other hand, is more like allowing it to recover gradually, without the need for such intense pressure.
The usage frequency is much higher than what many people think.
Many people would think that I only use it occasionally.
But actually, it isn't.
It is used many times a day.
For example:
In the morning,
The client suddenly wanted to change a shirt.
→ So I simply tidied up the collar and the front of it for her.
Afternoon
The clothes are taken out of the suitcase.
→ They all need to be washed.
evening
The suit is a little loose.
→ It has been tightened in some areas.
Sometimes, I would also casually help handle some rather mundane matters:
The coat has a bit of an odor.
The scarf is wrinkled.
And even once, it was a sofa cushion (this actually happened)
Many people think it's not easy to use. In fact, it's just that they haven't used it correctly.
I have met many customers and I have also bought a clothes steamer handheld myself.
Then say something to me:
"Does it seem useless?"
I usually handle one piece of clothing for her on the spot.
The key point is actually quite simple:
The clothes should be straightened out.
If they are not pulled tight, the effect will be much worse.
The movements should be smooth.
From top to bottom, don't sweep back and forth.
For the thicker parts, pause for a moment
Let the steam seep in
Just these few.
But if no one utters it, it is indeed quite easy for it not to produce any effect.
Once I suddenly realized that this job was not just about "dressing clothes".
One of our clients is coming to discuss a very important cooperation.
When she took the suit out of the box, she was clearly in a bad mood.
She began to get a bit agitated and her speech also became faster.
I just asked her to have a seat for a moment and organize the things she wanted to say.
I'm handling the clothes here.
It was actually just a few minutes.
After changing, she stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself for a while.
That short period of silence was quite obvious.
Then she smiled and said:
"OK."
At that moment, I was actually quite certain of one thing -
What I was doing was not just smoothing out the clothes.
It was to help her get her condition back to a better state.
This job has taught me the concept of "a sense of bottom line".
Many people think that the design is an added advantage.
But now I feel more that it is more like a foundation.
Clothes don't have to be expensive.
And the style doesn't have to be very distinctive.
But at least it should be in the right state:
Clean
Tidy
Without wrinkles
People will seem more reliable.
Regarding the tools, there really aren't that many possibilities to imagine.
The clothes steamer handheld is not that extraordinary after all.
It won't make you stronger.
Nor will it suddenly make life more refined.
But it has a very practical function:
When you are already a little behind schedule,
help you pull things back a bit.
Sometimes, just this little difference can be very noticeable.
Why do I now almost always take it with me when going out?
It's not because it's so advanced.
It's not because it's absolutely necessary.
Just because I am very clear that -
Some scenes,
are really just a little bit short of perfection.
And this thing just happens to be able to make up for it.
