If you’ve ever considered hiring a Personal Stylist to help you with your wardrobe, you may have had some questions and/or hesitations because of what you may have “heard’ or “seen” on T.V., in movies, on social media, etc. about what it’s like to work with one. I thought I’d clear up a few misconceptions about Personal Stylists, below!
#1 ONLY CELEBRITIES HIRE STYLISTS. Sure, every famous person who walks a red carpet usually has a team of people – a Makeup Artist, Hair Stylist, Manicurist, and yes, Stylist – behind their glam look but Personal Stylists aren’t just for the rich and famous and they’re not only used for highly publicized events. Some of my clients include teachers, students, stay-at-home moms, executives, lawyers, doctors, and regular 9 to 5’ers. They all have a similar goal: to look and feel confident in what they wear and in what they’re presenting to the world. A lot of my clients lead very busy lives and don’t have the time to shop for themselves or put outfits together, most of them don’t even know where to start. Some are completely overwhelmed by their closets and/or lack of style. It’s my job to make my clients lives easier by helping them streamline their wardrobe, develop their personal style and make getting dressed in the morning a breeze. Whether you’re a celebrity or not, appearance does matter, whether you like it or not. What you wear matters. What you wear can determine how you FEEL. That’s why more and more people are hiring Personal Stylists, to not only make their lives easier but to make them feel like the best version of themselves.
#2 HIRING A PERSONAL STYLIST IS FRIVOLOUS AND INDULGENT. Recently, during a phone consultation, one of my (now) clients mentioned that her husband thought spending money on someone to help her dress was “silly” and “indulgent” and did she really need someone to help her clean out her closet and shop for her? Couldn’t she do it on her own? I told her many people pay for Hair Stylists, Makeup Artists, Personal Trainers, etc. – to help them look and feel their best, which is exactly what I do when working with a client. Also, people hire Interior Designers/Decorators to decorate their home because they are not an expert in that field. Same goes for Plumbers and Electricians. Some women and men don’t have the skill set or training that Stylists do to know how to pare down their wardrobe, dress for their body type, solve their wardrobe issues and develop a style they love; they might not know how to shop with purpose (quality over quantity) or even where to shop or which brands to look for. That’s why they hire an expert. Take a look at the stats below:
There is an initial investment in hiring a stylist, yes, but I hope you consider yourself worth that investment because you are. And in the long run I save my clients precious time, stress and money which, I think, is invaluable.
#3 STYLISTS WILL DRESS YOU LIKE THEMSELVES. Let me start off by saying I have no interest in making you look like me. I want you to look like the very best version of yourself, I want to enhance you, not change you. I am a creative. It’s my job to know what’s in style, what modern women and men are wearing at every age and how to put outfits together in an interesting way. I am constantly researching fashion and style and have worked with all age ranges, female and male – from the early teens to the late 80’s. Before working with me intensively I always create a mood board with fashion inspiration on it that I pull from online magazines, social media, and Pinterest, that my clients can collaborate on so that we are both on the same “style page”. So don’t worry, if you want to dress like Reese Witherspoon, I’m not going to make you look like Miley Cyrus ; ). Or myself!
#4 STYLISTS WILL ONLY TAKE YOU TO EXPENSIVE BOUTIQUES OR HIGH-END STORES, THEY DON’T SHOP IN “REGULAR” STORES. Wrong. I shop in “regular stores” for 90% of my clients. Although I always focus on quality over quantity, I can work within anyone’s budget. That means I can make you look amazing in an outfit from H & M or an outfit from Holt Renfrew ; ).
#5 STYLISTS WILL PUSH YOU TO BUY LOTS OF CLOTHES. Nope. Well, some might, but that’s not how I work ; ). As a Personal Stylist, I always emphasize that a Capsule Wardrobe, which is a carefully curated wardrobe with a limited number of pieces that you can mix and match for a fully functional wardrobe, is what to aim for because it makes one’s life so much easier and less overwhelming when getting dressed each morning. (It also saves you money!) I am not a sales person. There is never any pressure to buy absolutely everything I pick out for them.
I hope this post has cleared up some misconceptions some of you might have had about hiring a Personal Stylist. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if you’d like to book a free consultation with me over the phone!