Pioneer Press - Savvy Shopper

Allison Kaplan, the ‘Savvy Shopper’ from the Twin Cities has a mini-consultation with Sarah

Part Fashion Lesson, Part Therapy Session, The Wardrobe Shrink helps her pick a style

Allison Kaplan

I dug deep. I recalled childhood aspirations unfulfilled and admitted to never feeling totally accepted by the high school in-crowd. I confessed to dissatisfaction with the lack of tone in my upper arms and confronted my tendency to take on too much.

All this to find out what style skirt suits me best.

A-line, says the Wardrobe Shrink. I'm feeling better about myself already.

In the fickle field of fashion, every stylist, personal shopper and image consultant needs a hook. Sarah Whittaker -- a Brit who recently moved to Waycross, Ga., for love -- found hers by playing phone therapist. Before dispensing wardrobe advice, she explores a client's personality, past and self-image. Through personality profiling, color analysis and about an hour of what feels a lot like therapy, she can pinpoint her subjects as one of 35 "Image Types" she developed. Then, she helps them dress according to their psychology.

She pegged me as an Eco Girl, which made me self-conscious about driving an SUV and preferring hotels to tents. But then she explained: "Eco Girls are down-to-earth and practical. Very resourceful. They tend to be explorers, anthropologists, reporters. They tend to have great figures."

Keep talking.

"Eco Girl may not be an activist, but she values what she eats. She exercises. She recycles."

That's me! That's me!

So wrapped up was I in this analysis (could there be a more interesting topic?) that it was almost jarring when Whittaker went on to say, "A stacked wooden heel would be great on you."

Whittaker's background is public relations, not psychology. But a lifelong interest in fashion and design got her thinking about why so many women don't like what they see in the mirror. She read up on personality tests, body shape and color profiling. She created 35 image types because "there are so many different combinations of personality and body shape that you can't put women into five or six categories." She started a business, Insideout Profiling, and gained quite a following across the pond.

Then, she married an American, moved to the United States and found herself constantly flying back to London to help her clients. That's when she realized her system could work even from afar. Whittaker's entire program is detailed at Insideoutprofiling.com.

Can you get valuable style advice from a person you've never met? I decided to find out.

First, I filled out an online questionnaire that required me to dredge up childhood memories and identify my best assets and worst flaws. Then, I had to e-mail pictures -- full-length shots of my front and back, a headshot and a candid. I figured if I'm to make the most of this, might as well put it all out there. So, I found a vacation photo of me in a bikini and clicked "send" before regaining my senses.

Whittaker processed my information and called to clarify some things before launching into her assessment. She wondered if I might be an Urban Warrior but realized I was too short and too loud. She sensed elements of an Earth Mother (maturity, resourcefulness) but also a bit of a Maiden (tenacity, focus). She suggested I would jump at the chance to go on an adventure in Morocco and wouldn't worry about the exotic food.

It sounded so tremendous, I didn't have the heart to tell her I'm a vegetarian, repulsed even by tofu.

Some of the discussion struck me as silly and self-indulgent. But I got the point: When you're clear on the image you want to project, dressing the part is easier to define.

Once she felt she had me pinned down, Whittaker moved into application. Angular spectacles work best on my triangular face. I can pull off just about any style trouser. As for color, I should stick with medium tints -- pastels are too soft for my personality; darker hues weigh me down. I should avoid florals. Whittaker dismissed the flower-embroidered cardigan I was wearing in one of the pictures I sent her as too "country" for my personality. I started to get defensive, then remembered my mother gave me that sweater. Misunderstood all these years.

Whittaker charges $175 for a mini-remote consult; $375 for a full session including a copy of her online style book and a profile write-up. For $135, she'll shop online for clients, according to their image type. She's confident she can compete with image consultants who work face to face in any given city because she's teaching women how to shop for themselves rather than what to buy in one given season.

"I get people thinking about who they really are," Whittaker says. "That's better than saying, 'You look great in palazzo pants.' "

I booked a follow-up to explore the significance of my discomfort with wide belts.

Allison Kaplan can be reached at akaplan@ pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5116. For more on shopping from Allison Kaplan, visit the Savvy Shopper page at www.twincities.com/savvyshopper.