Ask Sherry: What is it like to shop at MM Lafleur with an appointment?

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Hi! Would you consider doing a post about what an appointment to shop at MM LaFleur is like?

Of course! Your wish is my command. Within reason 😉

The place was very chic, calm, white, and pleasant. It was very comfortable, like going to someone’s apartment.

Not at all hectic and perfect for someone like me who hates digging through racks because I am just someone who wants my size to pop out in front of my face with the right price, and scream: YOU NEED TO BUY ME!

They offered us drinks (alcoholic and non), and I just took juice because I don’t drink.

The dressing rooms were big and comfortable as well.

Do they pick out clothes for you to try on, or do you get to request items you’d like to try?

Both, actually.

What happened was I had to fill in a bit of a questionnaire of what I liked – what kinds of styles, how I wanted to feel. It was a general questionnaire including body type questions, but I was already stalking the brand for a long time, so I sort of knew what I wanted.

I had put in my questionnaire my specific quirks like hating the colour black — well.. okay I don’t HATE the colour but I don’t enjoy wearing all-black without good reason, like if it is leather, I prefer the colour black for that in clothing or in details, or if the look demands black to look sharp and crisp.

I also put in styles I liked, such as really wanting to try the Casey dress because I loved the ruching and the tight, bodycon fit. I mentioned that I like having POCKETS in my dresses, etc.

When I got there, my stylist was assigned to me and she had my choices picked out, and based on what I said in my questionnaire and also what she saw I liked or hated on the racks of what she had picked, she changed her mind and ran back to find more items or different colours.

For instance, she had this rust orangey-red picked out on the rack for a top, and I immediately vetoed it. I hated the colour and she had to scrap that from her mental list.

She also had some print picked out but I did not like the green nor the print, so that went too (it was the Lenox skirt, which I actually now own in both blue and plum):

 

MM Lafleur Lenox Skirt

I also had my friend doing a twinsie appointment with me in the next cabin (they DID NOT expect that), so she would come out in outfits, I would snag items from her closet to try (we are close to the same size), and we would tell each other what we thought of each item.

This is how I ended up buying TWO Angelou shawls in dark grey and a cream, because her stylist picked it out for her, but I fell in love with it and bought both after she gave me her blessing that she did not want them (well, she wanted them but wanted the other items first), shown here with that MM Lafleur belt that I remembered I also wanted to look at when I was there..

My stylist also did a great job in picking out other pieces based on what she saw I gravitated towards — jewel tones, draping for days, nothing highlighting my shoulders, nothing too tight so I can sit & eat comfortably — and that is how I ended up with this incredible Deneuve top which my friend also bought:

Finally, I would say that she was great at picking out pieces that were ME. She totally sold me on the Fey top and Soho skirt ensemble in this gorgeous Rainforest green that I was not sure I would love on the rack and looking at the colour, but is now, one of my favourite outfits ever to wear:

I have the top untucked and over the skirt which I don’t love in the shot above, I prefer wearing it like this to show off that stunning draping on the shirt and in the skirt:

I get so many compliments on this outfit, it is bananas. From men and women. My neighbour who saw me in that dress told me confidentially: You look really.. REALLY.. REALLY good in green.

Lastly, she picked out a nice dress I liked called the Etsuko but when I tried it on, it looked incredible, but the dress was a bit awkwardly tight for my shoulders.

This is a problem with my body type — my body is a 4, but my shoulders are a 6, so when I lifted my arms in the size 4, my whole dress would ride up.

I did look really good in it though, I’m sort of regretting I didn’t pick up that dress…

I find their clothes all cater towards a RECTANGLE or a HOURGLASS shape.

I’m an inverted triangle, and at best, an apple shape, so my shoulders were always awkward with their weird cap sleeves (I get it, it is more “professional” at the office to cover up your shoulders), and I found that many of their pieces (except the ones I got and are draped), were too awkward for me.

Is there a minimum amount you have to purchase?

Nope! There was ZERO pressure to purchase, and ZERO pressure to buy anything.

Of course, I went there with the sole intention of buying as many pretty pieces that fit in person, AND to try sizes and styles on in-person to see what my style and size would be in the future so I can just buy blindly online.

And, do realize that they earn commissions on appointments. Getting $0, sucks if you spent like 2-3 hours with a client. It’s like you earned nothing at all.

So, if you go, make sure you do plan on buying at least one piece (after traveling all that way!) and/or not wasting their time if you aren’t a serious shopper, you know?

This is a little more sensitive than just going to some upscale store and buying a few pieces off the rack, they are individually spending time with you, running and fetching sizes, searching for other items in colours, sizes…. it’s work, so I like to at least give a shout out and acknowledge that.

I realized that I am mostly a Small. For tight draped items, I could go up to a Medium but then the bust is too loose which is not ideal.

My bottom half is a true US 4 (same as a designer US 4, or a Banana Republic Size 2), and if something is tighter or more draped especially in the waist like in my beloved Taylor dresses, I can easily size up to a US 6 which makes the bust and the shoulders a TEENSY bit too large and wide, but the waist fits much better.

See? This is a US 6. I could fit in a US 4 (I tried it on in-store), but the waist was TIGHT, as if it was belted. I preferred to size up ONE size, have a slightly looser waist, but a looser bust and shoulder size.

I could always take in the Taylor dresses to lift the shoulder up by a few inches to fit better, but I have left it as-is, as it isn’t a deal breaker for me.

Thanks and really enjoy reading your blog!! 🙂

You’re welcome and thank YOU for reading! I can’t believe I forgot to write all about it. It was really a nice experience.

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