Full Capsule Wardrobe Redesign
For clients based in or visiting New York City
As seen in
Hi, I’m Peter (and that’s Asti)
We’ve spent the last 11 years helping men in New York City look really good.
We run The Essential Man, a Private Personal Styling service for men based in NYC.
Our clients range everywhere from journalists and first time authors, computer engineers, founders, and the occasional former cowboy/bar owner turn beer aficionado traveling the world with his dog. (I know, we’re envious too.)
What we do
We specialize in crafting capsule wardrobes and helping men develop and discover their personal style.
We focus on wardrobes that actually make sense for our clients lives. Something that doesn’t need to be updated every few months.
Our clients, on average, reach back out to us for a refresh after 3 years.
We believe that if you need to work with us every season, we aren’t doing our jobs right.
Who our services are for
Our clients tend to be men who are at a genuine turning point: a new role, a new city, a new family.
Our clients tend to be established in their careers and clear on what they want. The one common thread is that hiring experts to solve their problems gives them massive peace of mind.
If you've tried to sort this out on your own and it felt overwhelming, or if you have a tricky body to fit off the rack, let’s talk and see if we’re a good fit…
How does our full wardrobe service work?
Phase 1: The Style Analysis & Closet Audit
We start with a full conversation about your life. Your work, your lifestyle, your hobbies, what you've always wanted to try but never quite pulled off. Our goal is to build a wardrobe that makes sense for how you actually live.
We’ll drop by for a proper closet audit to see where we’re starting.
Keeping what works, letting go of what doesn't, identifying the gaps.
My team and I review our notes and photos and create your “Style Direction” A clear picture of where we're headed: moodboard, inspiration images, breakdown of your Style Archetype, colors for your skin type, outfit examples, and fit notes specific to you.
We’ll adjust based on your feedback and start designing the wardrobe and shopping trip.
Phase 2: Wardrobe Design & Shopping
Clients are often surprised how much different the shopping experience is with us. Our team pre-scouts stores and makes all the appropriate appointments before our scheduled shopping days.
All you have to do is show up and try on the clothes.
All of our clients capsule wardrobes are intentionally structured to give you the right amount of clothes for your lifestyle, while giving you the room to experiment if you want to.
We’re happy to guide you in adding more interesting pieces we find during our shopping trips.
Phase 3: Outfits & Finishing Touches
We’ll put the finishing touches on your wardrobe with our network of specialists. Fine tuning your wardrobe with our tailor, finding the perfect tint for your sunglasses, or simply finding a new cologne.
Our team will help you incorporate your new wardrobe into your closet. We’ll assist in a closet purge, making sure we keep anything that will work with your new looks.
You’ll also receive a personalized guide filled with outfit ideas, clothing care recommendations, and more.
We got someone for that…
We’ve built a lot of relationships over the last 21 years working in fashion.
Whether you’re a recreational runner, just getting into vintage watches, or thought could never pull off a hat because of your big head. Our goal is to make sure all parts of your life match your new vibe.
Ask us. Let us know.
We most likely got someone for that.
(And if we don’t, we can find them.)
Here are a few examples of what we’ve helped clients with in the past:
Mini capsule of bespoke birthday suits for a 70s themed 40th birthday party in Italy
Custom leather jacket for 5’1” client who powerlifts
Complete refresh of work bags, wallet, and gym gear so they match aesthetically.
New travel luggage with pre-packed capsule wardrobe that lives in the luggage so the client never has to pack
Collaborated with a clients interior designer so her work and our work aligned for our client
Custom handmade hats for New York and Austin weather
Styled and shot new dating profile photos We’ve had a few of our clients go on to marry. Just saying!
Consultation with my personal barber on hairstyles that would fit you, products to use, and a cut
Sourced handful of vintage New wave/80s band tees The Cure, Depeche Mode, New Order
Custom stationery by a family run engravers who are the go-to for fashion show invites
Need our eye on something beyond your wardrobe? Just ask.
We (probably) got someone for that.
Cost of Service
Price for our in-person styling service is $10,000
We currently only work with 3 clients a month, and typically book months in advanced.
We recommend reaching out earlier than sooner to secure your spot.
Some of our client transformations
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t live in NYC but open to traveling. Can I apply?
Yes! We regularly work with out of town clients. Just make a note when you apply and we can discuss the logistics.
Can I gift your services to my partner/son/friend?
We only offer gifting for our Personal Shopping Day, Event Styling, and Wedding Styling services.
Because of how far we book in advanced, we do not offer gifting our full wardrobe service.
How much does your services costs?
Our full wardrobe makeover service is $10,000.
If you’re looking for something smaller, we recommend our personal shopping service or event styling.
How much should I budget for clothes?
We recommend our clients budget at least $5,000 for a tightly edited versatile capsule wardrobe.
The final clothing budget will vary depending on your needs.
If you need a few suits for work, especially if it needs to be custom for your body type, that will change the budget.
We’ve been shopping professionally for 11 years, with Peter spending a decade before that designing menswear. We always give you proper guidance on when it makes sense to spend more (and why), and when it makes sense to go more entry level.
I’m (short/tall/have a stomach/covered in tattoos) can you work with me?
Yes, we can help.
Our past clients have included:
• A 5’1″ powerlifter
• A 6’5″ journalist that needed custom sized 16 dress shoes
• A young Professor at Harvard
• A retired former cowboy/bar owner traveling the world with his dog
We’ve had clients that were asian, white, black. Single. Married. Cis. Transgender.
Our clients' styles and wardrobes are tailored to them. There's no one size fits all.
Who’s your service for?
We’ve found that the majority of our clients come to us after a big life change. They just got promoted to a senior position, lost a ton of weight, or are dating again after divorce.
They finally have the time and means to take care of themselves. They’re not sure where to start when it comes to their closet.
Having worked with “regular” clients over the last 11 years, we’ve developed an ability to help guys verbalize what they’re looking for, even if they don’t know the difference between a jeans and chinos.
If you’re looking to finally figure out what your style is, and want expert guidance to avoid wasting time and money, we recommend reaching out.
Who’s not a good fit for your full wardrobe services?
Ironically, we often find clients that have solid style not be a great fit for our full services. For these clients, we often recommend a more targeted personal shopping day package.
We also sometimes get inquiries from assistants reaching out on behalf of their bosses. These are usually not a fit for us, as we prefer a more personal, warmer relationship with our clients.
Why do I need to apply first?
Our service is quite an investment, both in money and time. We’re going to be spending some time together. We’ll be at your place, going through your clothes, hearing about your work, hobbies, life.
It’s quite personal.
We want to make sure we’re a good fit before anyone spends money or calendar days are reserved.
Our initial call is not a sales call. It’s a conversation to see if it makes sense for us to work together. If there are other better options for you, we’ll be happy to point you in the right direction, even if its to another stylist.
Why are you booked so far in advanced?
We’re a team of 2, and don’t have any plans on getting any bigger. That limits us to how many days we’re available to shop with our clients and have our own family time.
Pre-booking and staggering our clients during the season ensures every client gets our full attention.
Most clients book between 1-3 months ahead. Our busiest application months are March and September, when the new seasons are about to start.
We recommending applying as early as possible.
I’m in the process of getting in shape and still have some weight to lose. When should I reach out?
In our experience, every 10-15lbs = 1 size in clothing.
We usually don’t recommend tailoring your clothes down more than one size. Any more will throw off the design or require a lot of work.
That means we recommend reaching out to us
If you have quite a way to go but need some transitional clothes, we recommend our smaller personal shopping day service.
How long does this process take?
If a client is fully available, we can take a client through the process in two weeks. From onboarding, closet audit, shopping, and outfits.
For our clients with 9-5s, families, and full lives, we’ll adjust the process. On average, clients build out their new wardrobe in a month.
Why should we go with you?
After 11 years running our agency, we’re aware you have other options out there.
We recommend reaching out to other stylists in NYC, look over their process, their client before & afters, jump on a call with them.
You’ll know better than us whether we’re what you’re looking for. Our goal is to give you the most information for you to make a decision.
What’s your refund policy?
A non-refundable deposit is required to hold your spot. We give you 7 days from the deposit to cancel for a full refund, no questions asked.
After 7 days, the deposit is non-refundable. Each spot is held exclusively for one client, so a late cancellation often means a spot was lost to another applicant.
This is why we require an application and a call before anything is booked. We really want to make sure it's the right fit before either of us commits.
If an issue arises during the process, we're always open to a conversation.
Ready to transform your style?
Here’s what you need to do next
Price for our in-person styling service is $10,000.
We currently only work with 3 clients a month. We typically book 1-3 months in advanced, and recommend reaching out earlier than sooner to secure your spot.