#INSPO 7 - Fall

JEAN GENIE
WORDS: Kerryn Grady
PHOTOGRAPHY: Kerryn Grady and Al Man
It’s the age-old denim drama for virtually every
female on the planet - finding that perfect pair
of jeans that fit like a second skin and make you
feel fabulous. For some reason, whatever the
body shape, we all struggle. Fortunately, thanks
to London’s premium denim specialists at Trilogy,
there are a talented few who have the covetable
skills to help you find that perfect pair in just three
tries. I know, it all sounds a bit too good to be
true, and what use is a denim specialist in London when you live elsewhere in the
country? Fortunately for us, Liverpool and Birmingham’s John Lewis Love&Found
departments have their very own Trilogy denim maestros!
The process
Liz Forster, 50, is the resident Denim Specialist in the Liverpool
One store. With 30 years of retail experience, Liz knows her
stuff, and was instantly able to tell our pear-shaped volunteer
(and fellow sceptic), Lingaile, and apple-shaped Ali that they
were both at least one jeans size smaller than they thought.
As she explains, “most girls think they are bigger than they
are,” which is part of the struggle when finding the right fit.
Her job involves ‘finding out what the customer is looking for
in terms of cut, colour, style, and advising them on the correct
size, and what style is right for them.’
But how does she do this? Thousands of us can’t do it
ourselves, so how does Liz have this ability? “Reading about
and working with the brands themselves, working out what
the positives and negatives are of each, and understanding
what the fits are” is a good starting point. Liz tries out every
style and brand that comes into the store, and gets to know
what works for different body shapes.
With Trilogy exclusively stocking premium American denim
brands, the customer is guaranteed a higher calibre of jeans.
This obviously also means a higher price point. Is this a deterrent
for her customers? Seemingly not, with Liz estimating eight
out of every 10 customers making a purchase, many of whom
become repeat customers. She explains that premium denim
is designed to keep it’s shape (so no sagging at the bum or
the knees!), the waistbands are pre-shrunken so maintain a
perfect fit, and are overall more durable and longer lasting.
By calculating the cost per wear, the £200-plus price tags
begin to feel more justifiable. A pair can last you years, the
repeat customers return for new washes and to experiment
with different styles.
Liz herself is very much a people person, and has a passion for
selling, and this shows when you watch her work. She is warm,
observant and positive, she is able to read her customers
which makes her so good at working out what they want.
She also credits her age as being a factor in making her older
customers feel more at ease. And despite looking absolutely
fabulous herself, she is very honest about having her own
body issues and insecurities, demonstrating an understanding
of these womens’ body concerns. The denim consultations
are free, but you definitely feel you’re paying for premium
customer service as well as premium denim.
52 #INSPO Issue 7 | Fall 2016