Personal Styling in Orange County
Personal styling at Shop Common Thread is free. No appointment, no fee, no minimum purchase, nothing to book. Walk into either store, tell someone what you need, and a stylist will build outfits with you. If you would rather look on your own, say so and we will leave you to it.
That is the whole offer. The rest of this page is what it actually looks like.
What happens when you walk in
Someone asks what brought you in. Answer with as little as you like. Most women say a wedding in October, or nothing fits since the baby, or I just need to stop wearing the same thing.
A stylist starts a fitting room while you look around. She brings sizes so you are not getting dressed twice, and tells you the truth about fit. If it is wrong on you she says so and goes to get something else.
Something goes in that you would never have pulled for yourself. It is the piece women end up buying more than anything we plan, and it is why this beats shopping alone.
If you would rather browse alone, say so. That is a normal thing to want and nobody will be strange about it. We will point you at the sizes and leave you to it, and be nearby when you want us. Nothing about the price or the welcome changes.
What you leave with
Outfits, not items. Here is the kind of thing that comes out of a fitting room here.
Why it costs nothing
Because it is not a service we sell. It is how we run a shop.
A styling fee would mean deciding in advance who deserves help, and the person who most needs it is usually the one least willing to pay for it. We would rather style a woman spending forty dollars the same way we style one spending four hundred, and have her come back for twenty years. Some of our customers have been shopping with us since we opened in 2006.
It also means our team is free to talk you out of things. Nobody is justifying a fee by sending you home with more than you need.
The Common Way
Every stylist in both stores trains to a five day standard we call The Common Way. It covers fit across body types, how to build an outfit from three pieces, how to work with what a customer already owns, and when to tell someone no. It is why the experience is the same whoever is on the floor on a Tuesday.
Who this is for
Busy women who want to look put together without it taking forty minutes. Women driving to 17th Street from Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine and Corona del Mar, and to River Street from Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, San Clemente and Ladera Ranch.
It is particularly useful if you are in one of these:
- Your body changed and nothing in your closet acknowledges it.
- You have an event and no idea what the dress code actually means.
- You wear the same four outfits and you are bored of yourself.
- You are going back to work and need clothes that are not from 2019.
- You hate shopping and would like it to take one hour, once.
Who it is not for
We carry straight sizes, XS through L depending on the brand, and we would rather tell you up front than have you make the drive. We do not do activewear as a category and we do not do menswear. If you want a full closet audit at home with a written report, that is a different service and we are not it.
Where to find us
Costa Mesa
369 E. 17th Street #20
Mon to Sat 10 to 6, Sun 10 to 4
Call or text 949-524-5837
About this store ›
San Juan Capistrano
31896 Paseo Adelanto #102
Mon to Thu 10 to 7, Fri and Sat 10 to 8, Sun 10 to 6
Call or text 949-350-0106
About this store ›
If you do not live in Orange County
Plenty of our regulars have never set foot in either store. The same stylists work with you remotely, and it is also free.
Text a stylist. Send a text to 949-524-5501. Ask what goes with what, or send a photo of something already in your closet and we will tell you what it needs.
Shop over Zoom. One of our twenty year customers moved out of California and still shops this way. Her stylist walks the floor with a phone.
Live try-ons. The girls try things on over on Instagram so you can see how a piece moves and where it hits.
Outfit edits. The looks are already built. Browse every outfit edit ›
A note in the box. Handwritten, every order. Free shipping over $99 and 30 days to change your mind.
What she says
“Stacey is absolutely incredible. She has this rare talent of knowing exactly what will look good on you before you even try it on. Somehow she always pulls the perfect pieces that make you feel confident, comfortable, and put together.”
Nikki P. · Costa Mesa
“I've been shopping at Common Thread since the early days when they were selling maternity clothes. She genuinely knows me. My size, what looks good on my body, what I already have, and what I'll actually wear. Even when I moved out of CA, Jenny would hop on Zoom and shop with me like I was still in the store.”
Kristyn C. · shopping with us since 2006
“The girls there have such a talent for helping put outfits together that make you feel confident and put-together without even trying.”
Jaqueline G.
Questions we get asked
Do I need an appointment for personal styling?
No. Walk into either store during opening hours and ask. If you want a set time with a specific stylist, call or text. Costa Mesa is 949-524-5837 and San Juan Capistrano is 949-350-0106.
How much does a personal stylist cost at Shop Common Thread?
Nothing. There is no styling fee and no minimum purchase, whether you spend forty dollars or four hundred.
How long does it take?
Most visits run thirty to sixty minutes. If you have twenty minutes, say so when you walk in and we will work to it.
Do I have to buy anything?
No. Plenty of women try things, take photos and think about it. Nobody will make that awkward.
Can I bring clothes I already own?
Yes, and it makes the whole thing work better. Bring the jeans you cannot find a top for, or photos of what is in your closet, and we will build around them.
What sizes do you carry?
Straight sizes, XS through L depending on the brand. We do not carry plus sizes, activewear or menswear.
Can I get styled if I do not live in Orange County?
Yes. Text a stylist on 949-524-5501, shop with one over Zoom, or use the outfit edits where the looks are already built. Orders over $99 ship free and returns are open for 30 days.
Is this the same as a closet cleanout?
No. In-store styling is free and happens at the shop. Closet cleanouts are a separate paid service where we come to you.
Come in whenever.
Someone will build outfits with you if you want the help, and leave you to it if you don't.
Hours and Directions
