Finding Yourself.
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These days, we all know that mental health is incredibly important, but the work to destigmatise the subject has only just begun and for some generations it's still a taboo to talk about it. At Regent, we try to do our bit to encourage good mental health, not just among our colleagues but our customers too. We believe that fashion and how we feel about our appearance can have a huge impact on our self-confidence and mental health in general.
We try to support our customers to understand their body shape, their style and how they can wear their clothes better. Our philosophy in this sense is that it is our job to try and put customers at ease with themselves. How we dress is part of our own personal 'brand'. It's something we should be proud of. We treat our customers with respect, so that they can learn to respect themselves also.
Regent's founder, Jason, said: "As we go through life, our bodies change. Clothes might not fit us anymore or just look wrong. Our style needs to evolve and adapt with that change. There's no point in hanging on to that shirt or those trousers you wore 10, 20 or 30 years ago when you know it doesn't look right or you're probably not going to fit in it again”.
People often joke that when men hit a certain age they spiral into a midlife crisis, buy a motorcycle and start wearing flamboyant shirts - and, in our experience, there's some truth to it. We offer honest advice and our professional opinion to all our customers about their clothing (sometimes even talking ourselves out of a sale!) if we think it's appropriate. We encourage people to book a no-obligation styling session to provide guidance on what to wear to suit your shape and style.
Fashion isn't always the answer - good mental health can supported by a decent diet, exercise and open, honest conversation as well as seeking help when it's needed - but being able to look in the mirror and being happy with what you see has a big influence on us day-to-day. Over the years we've been trading we've noticed that maybe one in 10 of our customers find it hard even to look at themselves in the mirror, and this seems particularly true of the older generation of men that come into our store.
Jason, said: "we try to get to know all of our customers on a personal level and encourage people to just pop by for a chat if they're ever passing."
Getting to know our customers isn't just good business, it's essential in helping people through their own daily struggles. In that sense, we're more than just a store. Conversations with our clients naturally move on to the subject of mental health, whether it's explicit or implicit. Sometimes, during a styling session, or just a regular visit, people will tell us about how their job is going or how family life is. Sometimes it's good, sometimes they're struggling with it. In any case, it's good to talk and offload, and we are always happy to lend a sympathetic ear.
Times are tough at the moment, and we recognise that. While we ask everyone to support their high street, particularly independent businesses, we think it's important that people support themselves too. Treat yourself every now and again. We want people to look after themselves and we will do all we can to help people with that. Whether it's fashion advice or just a simple conversation. We're here for you.