There are times in life when it pays to have a second opinion.
One of those times: when you’re squinting sideways at yourself in the mirror every morning trying to decide if that tie’s too busy to wear over a gingham shirt (pro tip: it probably is).
Now, by second opinion, we don’t mean hollering across the hall at your equally tie-pattern-inept roommate. At least not when there’s a better option available. Like, say, Style Girlfriend, the menswear site curated entirely by women that just launched an on-demand advice hotline.
We texted Megan Collins, the savvy ladyperson behind SG, to get a firsthand look at the service last week.
InsideHook: Hi. What’s a Style Girlfriend?
Megan Collins: Style Girlfriend is the friendly female voice a guy might need in his life to encourage him to dress — and in return, feel — his best.
IH: I’m told you’re now offering “real-time style advice.” What does that mean and how does it work?
MC: It’s an on-demand messaging in order to offer guys real-time style suggestions and shopping recommendations via SMS. All powered by the Style Girlfriend team (as in, it’s #notabot).
IH: So I’m talking to a real girl? That’s sounds very time consuming and arduous. Is there, like, an entire army of Style Girlfriends on the line?
MC: Yes, thankfully. I’ve been building it for awhile now — What we found when we beta’d the service is that guys have questions … occasionally. No one has asked us for a complete closet overhaul yet. It’s more, “What do you think I should wear on a date where we’re going hiking, then going on a brewery tour?” And then nothing for a week or two. So it’s manageable.
IH: Nice. What’s the catch? Will this service cost me an arm and a pantleg?
MC: For now, we’re offering this service free of charge and taking payment in good karma.
IH: Usually when I get dressed I’m in a huge rush. How fast can I expect responses to be?
MC: Pretty fast. thanks to our millenial-induced co-dependency on technology, we’ll be ready, devices in hand, to answer questions 8am-8pm EST.
IH: Can I put the style girlfriend to the test with a question right now?
MC: Oh man. Let’s do it.
IH: I just bought my first tux. Midnight blue. Shawl collar. Wearing it to a fancy dinner party next weekend and I need some shoes. What are we thinking …?
MC: Well you can’t go wrong with a high-shine patent leather dress shoe. Something from Allen Edmonds or Johnston & Murphy would do the trick. But we wouldn’t kick you out of bed in a black velvet slipper — Del Toro is our favorite if you’re feeling jaunty. The nice thing about formal dress shoes is you buy them and — unless you get pregnant — your feet probably won’t change sizes, so you’ll have ’em forever.
IH: Getting the Magnannis. Actually. You = lifesaver.
MC: Hahaha. See, it’s a useful service!
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