An eye for style
Having honesty as the best policy is something Kathi Hursh is tasked with every day.
It’s not just a quote in the back of her mind; it’s a responsibility she puts on her own shoulders when someone takes a leap of faith to step into her office at Macy’s in South Hills Village.
Hursh, a personal stylist at the department store, welcomes every customer into her personal office – outfitted with private dressing room – where she takes the reigns of wardrobe woes.
Sending those brave souls home happy comes down to clearing hurdles of trust and honesty.
“It’s all about asking the right questions and being able to listen,” Hursh says. “Some people are hesitant because there is an individual office and they think you have to spend a certain amount of dollars, when really you don’t have to spend anything. It’s about winning people’s trust. I refuse to sell something to somebody if I don’t feel they look great in it.”
Relying on networking and referrals to develop a wide client base, the reflection of Hurst’s responsibilities don’t end at her tinted office door.
From grandmothers trying to find a dress for their grandsons’ wedding, someone finding a variety of outfits to wear on their dream vacation, busy mothers that realize alone time after having kids is a limited commodity or men that want advice on matching pieces of clothing for an ideal look, it’s always about expected the unexpected for Hursh.
“You have to understand what they are shopping for, what kind of environment they are in, where they might work and what is the intention of their visit,” Hursh says. “Some people say to me that it must be nice shopping with other people’s money, but I don’t look at it that way. I look at it as if I’m helping them. I’m helping the people that might not simply have the time or the know-how.”
Having that know-how is something Hursh takes pride in, after a her modeling career during her early 20s was followed by a sales manager position at Saks Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, where she learned about trunk shows and different types of fabric, fashion and designers.
“I guess it’s something you are born with,” she says, smiling after remembering putting together outfits as a child. “The hardest part is finding exactly what you want for a particular person, most I have never met or even seen before.”
Even when a client isn’t in her office, Hursh makes sure to have a watchful eye of new things coming into the store for future use, including the summer months fast approaching.
Some of that free, helpful advice she admitted might go a long way is not being afraid of color and embracing some of the trends – but not all of them at once.
“A lot of people get stuck in those grey, black or navy tones,” Hursh says. “Adding color to your wardrobe not only lifts your skin tone, but I believe it makes you have just a brighter outlook on things.”
Hursh also loves being a resource for that much-needed confirmation before taking the new look out in public.
“I’m not on commission,” she says. “My job is to make relationships and sell things. I could spend hours with somebody and find 25 things they want buy. I could also spend hours with somebody and only find a pair of pants. The best compliment is when people say, ‘You know I would have never tried this on but it’s my absolute favorite.’ People also send me pictures from an event or just in general of clothes that I might have picked out for them. It’s an awesome feeling. It’s that human connection that I really love.”