What you need to know before hiring a personal stylist
Congratulations! You’ve decided to honor yourself and your desire to create a style you love and get professional help for your wardrobe. That’s huge, my friend! Now all you need to do is find the right stylist for you!
When it comes to getting help with your personal style, there are a lot of factors to consider from the type of service you use, to who you work with, to where it all happens along with the exact approach and philosophy of the personal stylist you hire.
With so many decisions going into what type of experience you’ll have and the results you’ll get, you might be wondering, “how can I possibly decide?!”
To make the best decision for you, first take stock of your current style situation, then figure out what your desires are for the style you want to have, and finally, decide what you expect the end result to be after working with a personal stylist.
I’m a big fan of asking yourself questions to get a better understanding of what you want, why you want it and how you want it to happen.
So bust out that paper and pen (that is, if you appreciate the old school feel of a good ol’ ballpoint ink pen scratching across a smooth, high-quality paper - ahh I can hear that sweet, sweet sound now) or simply pull up your go-to notes app. Whatever medium you decide to use, be sure and write down your thoughts in response to the following questions so you can refer back to them throughout your wardrobe help search.
When you know where you’re starting from, you’ll know how far you have to go and that will determine how much style help you’re going to need. Use these questions to assess your current personal style situation.
How many clothes do you have for what you need and how many of those clothes still work for you?
This ties directly to helping you understand how much support you need. You might have a ton of clothes and the majority still work well for you (meaning they fit, they’re in good shape, you love wearing them, etc.) so you don’t need a whole wardrobe overhaul, just a little refresh now that you’re going back into the office again. On the other hand, if you’ve just been promoted to a higher level role but have hardly any clothes that you can wear to work right now, you might need multiple sessions to build up your work wardrobe over time.
What is your current level of style?
Are you a fashionista who is excited for a new perspective? Or has style never been your thing and you have no idea what you’re doing? Maybe you’re somewhere in between! If you’re a fashionista, you might want a super fashion-forward personal stylist to push you outside your comfort zone and take you to the next level. If you feel like you have no style at all, look for a personal stylist who shares easy, doable style tips that resonate with you. You can feel confident they’ll meet you at your current comfort level and be a great teacher along the way!
How much style knowledge do you have?
If you’re generally confident in your style knowledge and skills, there’s just one area that has you feeling stuck or you’re wanting help with a specific situation that you haven’t encountered before, a light style service (such as a mini session or online course) may be all you need to gain traction before taking the reins to continue on your own. However, if you feel totally lost when it comes to your personal style, a step-by-step process with 1:1 support all along the way is going to be how you get the results you want and need.
Now that you know where you’re at currently, you need to know where you want to go from here. Ask yourself these questions to understand what you really want when it comes to your personal style.
What aren’t you loving about your current style?
Maybe you feel like you always wear the same thing and are bored with your style but can’t seem to break out of the rut on your own. Or your body has changed and nothing fits well anymore so you have a limited amount of clothes you can actually wear. Maybe you just got promoted and need more professional attire for your new role and don’t know where to start. Knowing what’s causing you enough stress to seek expert help in the first place is key to finding the best personal stylist for you.
Do you need help in a specific area of your wardrobe?
If you’re all good on professional wear but really struggle to put an outfit together for social outings, that’s a specific style need: You want to have cute options for a busy social life! If you’re casual wear is just fine and daily work attire is no prob but you never know what to wear for important client meetings and work trips, that is your specific area of focus.
Personal stylists have different areas of expertise and you want one who will be the most relevant to your unique style needs.
You could choose an amazing personal stylist who helps CEOs save time while looking fabulous but if you’re a mom who doesn’t work outside of the house, finding your best power suit look will not help you get any closer to a low maintenance easy style that makes it super easy to get dressed every morning.
What do you want a new style to do for you?
This usually goes beyond tangible needs (ie, new clothes that fit) and often it’s actually about how you’ll feel, what you’ll think and what you’ll do with an updated style. You may find yourself really wanting help because you’re tired of feeling frumpy wearing sweatpants all day. This isn’t just about getting out of sweatpants, it might be that what you really want is help reclaiming your polished, put-together self!
Is there a specific event/circumstance that you want help with?
Different personal stylists offer different personal styling services. If you have a specific event and want a personal stylist to help you find a killer look, that may only require a one-time shopping trip. If you’re ready for a whole new look that’s not related to any specific event, you’ll want a comprehensive style package rather than a one time styling service. You want a personal stylist with services that match your needs so when you need a total style overhaul, they offer a package that can get you all the way there!
What style ‘skill’ are you lacking the most? Ie, what part of style frustrates you the most?
Is it not being able to keep an organized closet because you can’t get rid of anything? Is it hard for you to find new pieces to buy because you don’t know what works for you? Or do you find fun, new pieces just fine on your own but then when you get them home, you can’t figure out how to wear them? Maybe it’s all of the above! Once you know this, then you’ll know what you most hope to learn from a personal stylist and can communicate that from the beginning to make sure it’s their area of expertise.
By knowing what you want from a style change, you can now determine what results you want to see. The following questions will help you get clear on what you want your end result to be after working with a personal stylist.
What is the style problem that you most need help solving?
Review your answers above and summarize them to answer this question. For example: I need a whole new wardrobe (how much support) of professional clothes (specific area) that fit and help me feel confident (what you want your style to do) in my new role (specific event) as the director of marketing. I also need to learn how to mix and match my clothes (style knowledge) into cute outfits so I know how to wear everything I own (style knowledge).
Having a digital lookbook hosting outfits your personal stylist created for your can be a helpful tool for knowing how to wear everything you own!
What is your desired outcome? ie., in a dream scenario where you got everything you wanted out of working with a personal stylist, what would that look like to you?
Maybe you’d be 100% satisfied if all the shopping was done for you and you saved a bunch of time while still looking fabulous. Maybe you’d have gotten a specific outfit for a specific event that you feel incredibly confident in. Or you learned how to be more confident shopping because you know what works for you and why. Maybe you’re jazzed because everything in your wardrobe finally works together and you know exactly how to wear it all.
Fast forwarding to that dream scenario end result in your mind and knowing what it looks like, helps you find your best service because there’s a big difference in what you’ll find when searching for a personal shopper for busy women vs. event styling services. It also lets you be crystal clear with the stylist from the beginning about what you expect your end result to be when working together.
How much time and money are you willing to invest? And what is your max limit?
It’s worth answering both of these questions. Think back to the dream scenario end result - what would you be willing to spend for being able to go in your closet and know exactly what to wear every morning?
Now that you have what you’re willing to spend, it’s a good idea to also know what your max limit* is. You might be willing to spend $5,000 to have your style problem solved but you physically only have $2,000 saved up and are committed to not building up credit card debt. That limit is important to know and when seeking out a personal stylist, they should be respectful of that as well.
*The cost of new clothes, shoes and accessories are typically not included in the service so remember to account for that!
Bonus check in - updating your style can be fun and exciting but it does require investing time, energy, and effort to make it happen, just like any important change you make. These check-in questions will help you know if you’re truly ready to unleash yourself and take your style to a whole new-level!
How ready are you (really) to change what you wear?
A good litmus test for how ready you are is going to a store and having a sales associate pick an outfit for you. What is that experience like? If you feel extreme resistance/fear or you take the outfit home but end up returning everything, you may not be quite ready for this level of change. (And that’s okay! Click here to see a list of style services and what might be a better option for you to start with.) If you feel a little nervous or anxious to start and then end up loving the new look, that’s a good sign that you’ll get a lot of value out of working with a stylist and are ready to go for it!
How comfortable are you being open-minded and stepping outside of your style comfort zone?
Picture your personal stylist walking into a fitting room with two pieces of clothing that are never something you would pick out on your own and, at an initial glance, you’re not loving them…what would your reaction be? If you’d be curious to know why the stylist pulled them for you and want to try them on to see what they look like, that shows you’re comfortable trying new things and open to a new perspective. In other words, full steam ahead - you are primed and ready to work with a personal stylist!
How willing are you to look at yourself and your body differently? Ie, how deeply ingrained are your limiting beliefs about yourself, your body, and your style?
Are you convinced that only certain things look good on you? Do you constantly brush off compliments about your looks and disregard their validity? Are there certain cuts, colors and silhouettes that you simply refuse to wear because you don’t think you look good in them?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may not be ready to work with a personal stylist. Again, that is absolutely okay. It’s important that you’re ready to see yourself differently in order to get the true benefit from your investment of time, money and energy. If that’s not where you are, I suggest talking with a therapist to resolve any underlying body image issues. A new style can do amazing things for you but if all you see are flaws when you look at your body, I promise you that you will still see those flaws even in new clothes.
If you answered no to the majority of questions above, and you have a generally healthy acceptance of your body, you’ll love exploring new styles with the help of an expert eye!
How much risk are you willing to take to have a personal style you love?
This ‘risk’ could mean feeling uncomfortable. It could mean feeling anxious about investing so much time and money in yourself. You’re taking a leap of faith without being guaranteed any results. Does that feel exciting and a little bit scary? Or just a lot scary? The former means you are ready to go forth and conquer your personal style!
After going through the bonus questions, did you discover that maybe you’re not quite ready to work with a personal stylist? Check out my free Unleash Yourself guide that takes you through my exclusive 5-step method to letting go and wearing what you love. It has journaling prompts, tangible actions and even a confidence boosting playlist to help you set a solid foundation to being exploring a new style.
When you’re clear on these things, you will be able to look at all the different options available and understand which one is the right fit for you.
Once you’ve gotten clear on these questions, it’s time to figure out where to find a personal stylist near you! Look back over your notes at your key words and use those to search. Ex: “personal stylist for weight gain”or “personal stylist for busy executives” or “personal stylist for new moms.”
And, of course, before you leave, go ahead and take a peek at my services - the best personal stylist for you might have been right here all along! ☺️
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ABOUT:
I'm a Minneapolis personal stylist on a mission to eradicate outdated style 'rules' so women can unleash themselves in all their beautiful, authentic glory!
I offer personal styling services that empower women to wear what they love by helping them ditch any outdated style rules keeping them stuck, showing them how to dress in a way that embraces their beautiful body and, the key to it all, having fun! I believe in a liberated style approach so there are no style rules, body shapes, seasonal colors or dos and don’ts given out here. Rather, I help my clients tap into what lights them up and dress with the purpose of expressing their authentic selves rather than impressing others.
This is all done through a combination of styling services (including wardrobe edits, shopping trips and styling sessions) available in thoughtfully curated styling packages designed to help clients unleash their true self through the power of style.
When I'm not helping women take back their power style, you can find me reading (about a gazillion books at once), traveling to new and old favorite destinations, binging a random circa 2000's TV show with my hubby, Aaron, playing with my adorable rescue pup or, of course, shopping! :-)