(Courtesy of Cosmopolitan Wigs) Mazel tov, you’re becoming a kallah. The beautiful simcha will be a treasured memory, captured in lovely photos. But one purchase will stay with you long after the last sheva brachot meal: your sheitel. And you need to know how to choose the right one. Most expensive doesn’t mean best.
When Bassy Schwartz became a kallah three years ago, she spent $5,000 for a set of sheitels and didn’t understand what she was paying for. Topics such as sourcing, longevity, quality and warranty were presented in vague terms. She discovered after purchasing the sheitels that they would still need additional expensive customization to achieve the look she thought she was getting. In the past three years, she has heard from hundreds of women who said they were woefully clueless about sheitels before making their first purchase and unhappy afterwards.
Schwartz set out to correct the wig buying experience by first educating herself and then others. She started Cosmopolitan Wigs, a direct-to-consumer internet-based company, with a Long Island showroom, that has education and transparency at the heart of its business model. “I lay out all the cards on the table, for everyone’s sake,” she said. “A transparent and open dialogue between the buyer and seller prevents a large percentage of the damage which can occur when expectations and reality don’t meet.”
The Cosmopolitan Wigs website, www.cosmowigs.com, and Instagram page, @cosmopolitanwigs, give viewers advice on how to avoid some of the most common pitfalls women experience when purchasing and customizing wigs, like buying the wrong color or size, not knowing the practical aspects of maintaining a wig and what expenses will be needed to keep the wig looking the way you want long-term.
This is the road map to purchasing a sheitel Schwartz suggests all women follow:
Research the seller. Of course you will ask for the price. But what does the price include? Know what services come with the wig, and if it has a warranty. That will help you evaluate what you’re getting for your money.
Don’t shop under pressure. Time constraints, fear of losing the wig or aggressive sales pitches can drive you into a purchase you’ll regret. Be confident about your decision.
Comfort counts. There is no “best wig on the market,” only the one best for you. You have to be comfortable with the fit, style, hairline and how it frames your face. And know what you are willing to spend to achieve your goals.
Wig prices vary widely according to hair quality, style and source. Schwartz sources top quality processed human hair and works with manufacturers who adhere to her specifications. The customer pays only for the wig, which substantially lowers the cost, and then can take it to the stylist of her choice for adjustments to the cut, color, cap or lace front. As an internet company, Schwartz sells to customers throughout the country. She has lists of experts in servicing wigs she can share with kallahs, or any first-time wig buyer, and offers guidance on what questions to ask when vetting them.
While Schwartz is hopeful that visitors to the Cosmopolitan Wigs website, Instagram page and showroom will purchase from her, educating women before they buy a sheitel anywhere is a primary goal. “There needs to be a place where people can go to hear the straight facts, a place that is not the consultation chair,” she said. “We are that place.”
