Weitz Haute!
I am going to take you out of your comfort zone; I will do it in baby steps and I guarantee you that if you invest in this and you love this and you are happy with it—you will be in a different place six months from now …
This what Los Angeles-based style consultant Andrew Weitz tells all his prospective clients when they first meet. And if you’re all in, he’ll take you under his wing—and more importantly, share his savvy when it comes to proper wardrobe planning.
Weitz has certainly got talent—in every sense of the word. Before he made his leap to stylist extraordinaire five years ago, the 45-year-old Angeleno had a lucrative career as talent agent for 11 years at William Morris Endeavor (WME)—just about the most powerful talent agency in the world.
But his innate knack for dressing impeccably well had co-workers and other folks in the Hollywood circuit seeking him out for style advice, which eventually lead to him leaving his “day job” to start The Weitz Effect—the consulting business he runs along with a small team of style-minded individuals. His list of clients includes some of Hollywood’s top studio execs, directors, Silicon Valley CEOs and more recently, quarterbacks with six Super Bowl wins under their belts.
And while some gentlemen may not see the need to avail of the kind of services Weitz provides, that mentality is slowly dissipating. Even a few of Weitz’s own clients who initially weren’t open to the idea of “being styled,” have changed their tune. When Weitz delves into what he really does for people, for their careers and overall lifestyle, it all makes perfect sense—he instills confidence, which drives success in every other aspect of one’s life.
“Look in the mirror,” he says. “You’re giving yourself a subconscious business card. We are all our own visual business cards, so think, if you’re going somewhere, businesswise, and walk into a room and don’t know too many people, you better put on something that says who you are—that’s your business card when people look at you. You can be great at what you do, but if you look like a slob, the other guy is likely thinking [subconsciously or otherwise] ‘if he looks sloppy, he might conduct his business in the same manner.’”
This “business card” is what Weitz is known for finessing. He now has more than 100 clients who consult with him, from those he works with continuously, to others who see him two to three times a year, to clients who call on him just for event styling, creating a vacation wardrobe or other specific occasion. And while Weitz’s own clients are men, his assistant Neda Rouhani, holds her own, lending style advice to her own roster of girl bosses. Rouhani also heads The Weitz Effect’s red carpet division.
“Imagine, you’re the CEO of a company and you’re successful,” Weitz adds. “You have business relationships and you have your confidence in that area. But when you look the part—the way you really should look, and everyone looks at you like wow!, there’s just this whole feeling like you’re on top of the world.”