Seller is style mentor

PROVO — When Shaun Humphries worked as an actress in New York City, she was struck with the appearance of the women in the city.

Everyone looked pulled-together and well-dressed, something her mother had always achieved, as well.

So when she discovered she could sell Doncaster Designs out of her home, she was intrigued.

"I asked myself, 'Why do they look so good?' Then I realized, it's the fabric, the classic style, the accessories."

Now, a decade later, she's the top agent in a seven-state region, selling top quality designer clothes to a select group of clients that includes neighbors, friends, broadcast personalities, politician's wives and VIPs. She recently dressed an English countess.

"I'm a style mentor, a wardrobe consultant. It's like I'm a director. I'm dressing the personality. I love it," Humphries said. "It's fun because clothes can do everything for you. I like to think of it as investment dressing."

Humphries has racks of samples in her home she can pull out, mix and match, and put together again with scarves, belts and jewelry to create a unique look for each customer.

To start, she studies the customer's body type and shape and then works to create a look that is classic and personally appealing.

One of her longtime customers, Heidi Swinton, said Humphries has the ability to assess her client's fashion personality with ease.

"She'll look at you and say, 'No, that looks awful,' or 'Yes, that's good,' " Swinton said. "I love the clothes and I get comments on them. I'm not lavish. I'm not trendy, but I love classy clothes," she said.

"What I love about Shaun is just having the feedback," said Emily Mitton, a neighbor and a customer. "It's helped me make shopping decisions. Shaun makes me look better, and my husband likes that, even if he doesn't like the price. I can't find the things in a department store that I find here."

Doncaster Designs cost more than off-the-rack department store clothes (a wool or silk jacket averages $375) but less than high-end fashions because there isn't an advertising budget to consider or overhead costs to include.

And if the wearability factor is added in, the clothes are a bargain, Humphries said. They're expertly made of fine, wrinkle-free fabrics in colors that go with a variety of others — browns, blacks, blues, pinks, coral and plum and more.

They drape on the frame nicely.

The styles are classic, nothing faddish, sheer or revealing.

One customer often asks, "Would Jackie (Kennedy Onassis) wear this?"

"My favorite part is just to find what works best for someone," Humphries said. "I want my clients to look in their closets and say 'I love Shaun Humphries.' "

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E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com