Where Did All the Shop Girls Go?
20 years ago when I spent my weekends in NYC buying things I could not afford, I would be greeted in nearly every boutique by a sales associate. They weren’t always friendly — but they were usually helpful. They had plenty of tips and tricks to pull looks together, whether that meant sizing up for a more casual style or convincing me to skip the bra vs. struggle with a strapless contraption. This was the kind of cheerleading that made shopping satisfying and, well, fun.
The Advent of Social Media
Then social media arrived, bringing with it never-before-seen customer tracking and targeting capabilities. Suddenly, companies had not only more information than ever about who their customers were, but also had a nearly instantaneous, direct line of communication to them. The golden age of direct-to-consumer marketing began.
By cutting out the pesky middleman (i.e. retailers), brands argued that they could provide better quality products to their clients at lower prices. From glasses to dresses to jewelry, DTC labels spent crazy amounts of money on social media to capture brain space in consumers’ minds. And it worked — for the most part.
The Rise of Mix-and-Match Style
One side effect of brands selling to clients without any human interaction was that clients had to figure out what pieces fit and how to wear them on their own. And many people aren’t experts at doing that. If someone isn’t sure an outfit works, they’re a lot less likely to buy it. And so these DTC brands made sure that pretty much everything they made worked with everything else they made. In other words, everything became very, very basic.
TikTok to the Rescue… Kinda
Soon, social media — and specifically TikTok — began to fill the void left by the removal of the “shop girl” from the purchase process. Countless influencers built huge followings filming #GRWM (get ready with me) videos and offering tips on how to create looks. It’s now easier than ever to get an avalanche of advice from strangers, none of whom know you, your shape, or your lifestyle.
Style is everywhere and style is nowhere.
Stylematch is here to change that. Get started here.
