BEFORE lamenting that the financial meltdown is putting a dent on your carefree shopping habits, the good news is you can still go shopping - in the comfort of your own home. No, not shopping on the Internet, but in your own closet. Going on the premise that most women (and men) do not do a regular stock take of their own things, you never know what you will find in your own closet. And now, there are professionals who will do that messy job for you.

Consultant S C Chio, for one, had her wardrobe revitalised thanks to her employer who hired image consultants Imageworks Asia to update her closet.

Having just settled in Singapore after working in North America for 16 years, Ms Chio wanted her wardrobe to be more 'Asian friendly'. 'It's the difference in cultures,' says Ms Chio. 'In North America I had to look tough but in Singapore, it is better to look more approachable,' she laughs.

Apart from giving Ms Chio an image analysis, Ms Ong - among other alterations - helped soften Ms Chio's tough business suits up by taking out the shoulder pads and restructuring the silhouette to make them look softer.

'All in, it was a fun experience and when all my updated clothing came back, it was like wow, I have a new wardrobe altogether! I couldn't believe they used to be my clothes.'

If your own wardrobe is in a deep funk and you're not inclined to spring for a new collection, check out these services that turn your cupboard into your personalised boutique.

Imageworks Asia
tel 6235-4669

YOU may think image consultants are glorified personal shoppers, but Imageworks Asia helps you to change your look without having to go out and buy new clothes.

'Women in particular, tend to forget what they have in their closets, without realising that there are neglected pieces in there that can be revitalised,' says Imageworks Asia's founder Christina Ong. Ms Ong who started her image consulting work in 1994 offers a wardrobe revitalising service as part of her services and has since helped a few hundred women in Singapore look more chic and presentable.

'Women, I believe, have an innate sense of what pieces look good or don't look good on them, but when it doesn't, they can't figure out why. That is the biggest problem they face.' Which is where she comes in.

'There will be pieces of clothing in the clients' closets that have to be binned, but there are others that can be salvaged with a bit of tweaking.

'The most common mistake that women make is buying clothing that don't fit them right. The image consultant can identify these pieces, and make suggestions like cinching in the dress at the waist or shortening the hemline to flatter the client's body shape. You'll be surprised what a difference a small alteration can make.'

She adds that the these pieces of clothing will be sent to a seasoned tailor to make the requisite changes and voila, new pieces of clothing are born. But at $450 an hour (which includes a preliminary image consultation), Ms Ong's services don't come cheap which is why she advises her clients to do the first closet clear-out themselves by picking out pieces they don't wear anymore or clothing that doesn't fit their lifestyles, especially since most wardrobe clear-out affairs last a full day at least.

'So many of these women have wardrobes that span two to three bedrooms - they have so much clothing that they take over their husband's and childrens' wardrobe spaces and sometimes even the storeroom under the stairwell,' she says with a laugh adding that as a result, she also offers a complete package wardrobe upheaval package from $2,800 to $3,500.

'One client I had owned 50 suits! She probably didn't even know she had 50 suits.'

According to Ms Ong, business executives make up the bulk of her clients. She adds that since 2004, she has noticed a growing trend of corporations sending staff for image updates.

She says: 'Half of my clientele are sent to me by big corporations who do regional work like investment banks and freight companies who have identified a rising star but whose image needs updating in order to impress potential clients while the other half are mainly entrepreneurs who want to find the best image to suit their new business.'

» Services are from S$150 to S$450 per hour

Glamour Incorporated
tel 9877-4729 or 9067-7477

AS a retail consultancy - fashion agents complete with a seasoned tailoring service - Glamour Incorporated found themselves dealing with clients who needed to fix clothes they bought in a hurry overseas, or online purchases that were not up to expectations. So many people came to them that they decided to offer it as a regular service. Called the Wardrobe Detox service, the company doesn't only help its clients update their wardrobes, they also help sell off unwanted clothing.

'Many people that come to us have clothing that are very expensive but so very outdated,' says a spokesman from Glamour Incorporated, adding that most of their clients are serious fashion collectors with exploding wardrobes.

'Being in the fashion industry (as fashion agents) and having our own tailoring service means that we are well-equipped to help our clients take these pieces of clothing and modernise them.' He adds that many of these clients also own expensive vintage suits and outfits that they do not want anymore which the company helps them sell to their private database of clients.

'We've had clients who didn't want their vintage Thierry Mugler and Yves Saint Laurent suits because they were taking up too much space and we've helped them sell it to clients who collect these outfits. For the less outstanding outfits, we'll alter the item of clothing to suit the times so it has resale value. Only if the item is very ratty would we advise the client to donate or give it away.' Glamour Inc charges between $150 to $200 an hour for the service depending on the client's requirements, adding that there would be extra cost if a cleaning service or wardrobe fixtures like hangers are required on top of the consultation.

Says the spokesman: 'These are tough times and a lot of the clothing that we are dealing with are designer and expensive. Rather than throwing them away completely, we try to help our clients to make the most out of their clothing or make a bit of their spending dollar back. 'Plus, once we are done with your wardrobe, we will also help spruce it up by adding nice scents and other appropriate fixtures. That's why it's called the Wardrobe Detox, it's a complete overhaul.'

» Services are from S$150 to S$200 per hour

Letitia Phay
tel 9822-2908

MORE prudent fashionistas who are really pulling in the reins and cannot afford to hire a consultant might want to be more DIY. And with the help of a good designer like Letitia Phay, you can do precisely that. The designer who owns a vintage reconstruction business (www.junkie3.com) makes a living out of revitalising old clothing by deconstructing them and updating them before selling them off as new pieces. Old frocks that you can't bear to throw away can be sent over to Ms Phay for a new lease of life. 'Some pieces of clothing come with limitations that I can't help, for example, vintage dresses have weak seams so deconstruction is risky, but limitations aside, if you bring in pieces of clothing that you want updated to me, I'll be able to turn them into a new item of clothing,' she says. 'I'll see the item, toss around a few ideas and between the client and me, we can decide what direction to take with the updating and in two weeks, you'll get something new!'

» Reconstruction of clothing costs between $100 to $400 and takes about two weeks

This article was first published in The Business Times on Nov 1, 2008.