Central Park, as seen from the Four Seasons.

Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel New York

Traditional concierge services are so last season. In its latest gambit to stand out in Manhattan’s competitive ultra-luxury hotel market, the recently reopened Four Seasons on Billionaire’s Row is offering new experiences that take you out of the hotel and into the best of everything.

As part of the Four Seasons “My NYC Moment” program, you can “discover your signature scent” at the Amaffi perfume house, book a private collection whiskey tasting at the Great Jones Distilling Co. downtown, or step out with one of three top New York stylists: Jordanna Sharp, Amy Guzzi, or Molly West. Each can be booked for a one-on-one shopping excursion, a closet organization session, or a personal styling lesson from the comfort of your hotel suite. (Of course, all these services can be booked independently, but your chances of getting time on their calendars are greatly improved if booked via the hotel).

“The personal shopper series was conceived to meet today’s growing demand amongst high net-worth and ultra high net-worth travelers for exclusive, curated, and authentic luxury offerings which aren’t available elsewhere. The decision also made sense from a strategic perspective, given the property’s proximity to some of Manhattan’s premier luxury shopping destinations such as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and more,” says Chris Shiel, Commercial Director of Four Seasons Hotels.

It’s the latest salvo in luxury hospitality’s mission to serve the desires of the ultra-wealthy, which is happening in top hotels around the world. In New York, we can expect to see evermore elaborate ‘V.I.P. experiences’ from midtown’s other grand dames, like the Mandarin Oriental (with its elegant Central Park picnics), the Peninsula (with its rooftop soirées), Aman New York (with its couples spa suite and executive life coach), and the Waldorf Astoria, with who-knows-what when it finally reopens later this year.

Which begs the question: Who are these services for? And what can a personal shopper really do for you? Could a stylist help you navigate a city unknown to you, acting as a kind of gateway into a fashion world you never knew existed? Or, is this really just about making a friend, in a lonely world of shopping online for items that probably won’t fit, and will eventually need to be returned? On a sunny day in New York, with the first blush of spring in the air, I meet with pro shopper Amy Guzzi to find out.

Stylist Amy Guzzi and author Jennifer Leigh Parker emerge from the Four Seasons Hotel New York

Credit: Eric Azaren

How Does Personal Shopping Work, Exactly?

First, you’ll schedule a pre-screening, ‘get to know you’ call. Stylists will chat with clients, often on Zoom, to get an idea of their style, or what they feel they’re lacking. Categorically, most clients will fall into one of two types: “Some people have good style and taste. They just don’t have the time to shop. Other people are completely clueless,” says Guzzi.

I think I have good taste. But then again, I also think I’m an excellent driver. Then she says, “The clueless people are my favorite, because it’s almost like you are changing their life in a way. It’s a beautiful thing, the transformation.”

Stylist Amy Guzzi peruses the latest collection at Veronica Beard on Madison Avenue, NYC.

Credit: Eric Azaren

Out on the Town

It takes Guzzi and I less than 10 minutes on a pre-screening video call to ‘get’ each other. We’re working-mom-New Yorkers on a mission to achieve that impossible dream: A de-cluttered closet, full of only the things that make us feel confident, stylish, and “put together” despite our hectic schedules. Beyond that, I’m not sure what to expect when hiring a pro stylist. But at this stage in our relationship, I’m very relieved that she can’t actually see my closet, my inability to let go of my 20-something sequined get-ups which were bad ideas in the first place, or the absolute disaster zone that is my sock drawer.Thankfully, there’s no time for that; we’re already down to brass tacks. She enquires about my “style needs,” which, as a travel journalist, tend to be things that pack well. So we discuss the art of packing.

The Art of Packing

“The biggest thing to always pack is three pairs of shoes: sneakers, flats and a night shoe. I think it’s important for everyone to have a comfortable, nice flat,” says Guzzi. “And then you need to choose things that go from day to night. You’re not going to pack a day outfit and a night outfit for seven days. It’s just too much. The biggest thing is to have versatile pieces that can bring you from day to night, that are comfortable, that you can dress up at night. Accessories are a big thing.”

She doesn’t know this yet, but she’s dealing with an incredibly impractical woman whose style mantra, at least up until motherhood, was fashion before comfort. But, now that I’m out of the seeking-a-mate-to-procreate stage of life, I *might* be ready to listen to reason. “Everybody wants to look glamorous when they travel, but if you’re going places and not feeling comfortable, it defeats the whole purpose,” she adds.

She’s right. I know she’s right. But it’s not until I meet her in person, in that famed Art Deco lobby of the Four Seasons designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei— that I decide to trust her, and share what I’m really after with this whole experience. After all, it’s “My NYC Moment.” So, here goes:

How to Dress Like a New Yorker

“I want to look like Linda Kozlowski. Because at one point in my 20s, somebody told me I looked like Linda Kozlowski.” She shoots me a: Who? look, suggesting I might have misunderstood the parameters of today’s assignment.

Linda Kozlowski was Paul Hogan’s co-star in the 80s movie Crocodile Dundee. She played a newspaper reporter, a traveling journalist, and something about her go-there adventurism made me what I am today. To me, as a child of the 80s, the Shoulder Padded She Womenof the era like Melanie Griffith in Working Girl, and Diane Keaton in Baby Boom defined not just what it meant to look like an empowered woman, but what it meant to look like a New Yorker entering the rat race—and thrilled to be in it. Their Lord & Taylor office suits were like kevlar spritzed with Aqua Net and perfume samples from a magazine. Their pantyhose, the uniforms of a secret sisterhood. Twenty five years later and I’m. Still. Here. Looking for that perfect uniform to unleash the true She Woman inside (shoulder pads optional).

So, this is my central question: Can Amy Guzzi make me into Paul Hogan’s fantasy girl, in a matter of an afternoon? Probably not. But we do spend a lot of time discussing the evolution of the power suit, while rifling through the racks of a designer who modernized it.

First Stop: Veronica Beard

“I definitely think the power suit has changed over time. Veronica Beard has done the modern woman very well. Before it was just Theory or Ann Taylor with very simple suits. Now, it’s the lady jacket. Celine introduced it at the high end, and ba&sh carried it forward. It’s no longer just a boxy blazer that used to be so big in the 80s and 90s, where women were basically wearing men’s suits. It’s more about curves and a woman’s body. I tell all my clients, if you wear jeans, a white t-shirt and a lady jacket, you look put together. It’s a very simple uniform.”

I try one on; a stiffly tailored cotton and polyester number in ecru that hugs tight to my ribs. I look like I’m auditioning to play a background waiter on a streaming series. This won’t work. We need a real department store, with a lot more options. So, at Guzzi’s suggestion, it’s off to Bergdorf Goodman. Which is a rubicon I’ve never before crossed. I mean, Bergdorf’s!? The grand Beaux-Arts building that has held court on Fifth Avenue since 1928. I’d always considered it the institution reserved for women who wear real fur and hire dog walkers.

Today, all that is about to change. Buzzing with the bravado of a professional stylist (wearing faux fur, for the record), we march into the shop like we own the place.

Stylist Amy Guzzi and Jennifer Leigh Parker outside Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.

Credit: Eric Azaren

The Bergdorf Cherry

From the moment we step onto the fifth floor, we’ve entered a prêt-a-porter piazza. The racks are well spaced, well lit, and not overwhelming. Many of the designers fit into the ‘affordable luxury’ French category, with pieces in the hundreds—not thousands—of dollars, all made to be worn off-the-rack. Immediately, I’m magnetically drawn to two brands: L’Agence (specifically for this “Tapestry Jungle” dress), and Cinq à Sept for its “Office Hours” collection. I step into Cinq a Sept’s sleek black palazzo pants, matching camisole and drapey crepe white jacket, with a popped collar redolent of my 80s-era dreams, and suddenly get that ‘jackpot!’ feeling. The clothes fit, the fabrics are high quality, and their bold je ne sais quoi statement pieces can be reliably counted on to turn heads and last for years.

The Idy Button-Front Dress by L’Agence.

Credit: Eric Azaren

Sales associate Jenny Lee is at-the-ready, helping Guzzi pull the right sizes and remove discards as we go, while offering bottled waters and words of encouragement, as if we were prepping for a runway. This is notable, given that post-Covid brick and mortar shopping has generally become so unpleasant, it’s given rise to the need for a personal shopper. Though that might change. Clearly, Bergdorf is upping its game this Spring as the stunning new Printemps department store opening on Wall Street gives everyone a run for their money.

Before we know it, it’s lunchtime. I’ve stuck to Guzzi’s buy less, but high quality advice—having purchased only three items. Spontaneously, we decide to lunch at Café Ginori, a very stylish spot inside Bergdorf’s, serving classic Italian fare on colorful, shoppable china. Two salads and an apérol spritz later, my question had been answered. We had come together as strangers and left as friends. My personal shopping experience had been more about camaraderie than commerce. No, I did not transform into an 80s era movie star, and Crocodile Dundee was nowhere in sight. But I did feel a rekindling of the ‘Shoulder Padded She Woman’ within. It wasn’t the clothes I was really after. Or even the dopamine hit that comes with buying a new dress.

It was a shift in self-perception, a self recast in the soft gold light of a dressing room mirror. And, for the first time in a very long time, I liked what I saw.

A lady jacket by Cinq à Sept at Bergdorf Goodman, NYC.

Credit: Eric Azaren

More From Forbes

ForbesLVMH Stake Helps Boutique Hotel Group Triple Its Growth OutlookBy Jennifer Leigh ParkerForbesAndermatt Enters Top 5 Most Expensive Alpine Destinations, Per New ReportBy Jennifer Leigh ParkerForbesPuerto Rico Tourism Hits Record-Breaking HighBy Jennifer Leigh Parker