Apple is training its store staff to offer fashion advice

Now that the Apple Watch is close to launch, Apple is getting its stores ready to sell the wearable — and apparently, that involves turning its T-shirt-wearing staffers into fashion gurus. A 9to5Mac leak has revealed that the company is asking retail employees to suggest different watches based on how you dress and your lifestyle, much like you’d expect when buying a pair of designer glasses. Yes, that specialist may suggest a colorful watch because you have a “fun style” (ack), not just because it’s the best your budget allows. Apple is reportedly aware that you might want to skip the spiel and will have areas for people who already know what they want, but you’ll want to be prepared for some beauty banter if you’re undecided.

The notion that a plainly dressed, modestly paid worker could become a fashion expert is a bit silly, and Apple’s example customers don’t always make sense. What kind of waiter makes enough money to drop $1,000 on a steel smartwatch without flinching? However, this shows just how far Apple is willing to go to get its new device on your wrist. It’s willing to hire sales execs from non-technical fields and have them replace the conventional electronics store sales tactics with ones you’d expect from a boutique. Will they work? Not necessarily (this is still an expensive and strictly optional piece of silicon), but it’ll be interesting to see how the experiment shakes out.