How Working with a Personal Stylist Can Support Your Career
Just because business casual and the home office has made most formal business attire unnecessary, how you present yourself is still incredibly important. In fact, I would say it’s more important now than ever. Whether you’re in casual clothes or a business suit, you are still projecting a personal brand. Like it or not, people make assumptions about you based on how you look. And they do it quickly.
WITHIN THE FIRST 7 SECONDS OF MEETING YOU, A PERSON WILL FORM A SOLID IMPRESSION OF WHO YOU ARE.
That’s not a lot of time to communicate your communicate the image you want to portray.
Most professional women have any number of people surrounding them to help with many aspects of their personal and professional lives: hair stylists and nail technicians, fitness trainers, nannies, therapists, cleaning services, professional coaches, executive assistants. The list goes on and on.
A personal stylist can be an integral part of that team. It’s about more than just personal shopping or style advice. It’s about developing a trusted relationship with someone who knows you and works on your behalf. And just like any coach or trainer, they guide, teach and challenge you.
Just how can a personal stylist support you professionally?
Help you craft the professional image you want to present
Curate your wardrobe with hand-picked pieces
Save you a huge amount of time
Teach you how to dress your body shape
Dress you for major events like speaking engagements
HELP YOU CRAFT THE IMAGE YOU WANT TO PRESENT
In an instant, your image can convey so many things, such as success, status, character, personality, and of course style. Many personal stylists are image consultants with experience in the business world so they’ve been where you are and understand the dynamics of a workplace.
They begin by assessing your lifestyle, occupation, likes/dislikes and budget, among other things. They’ll work with you to pinpoint your style personality and how you want to be perceived. It’s often called “identity-based style” and it’ll match your inner desire with how you present yourself on the outside.
CURATE YOUR WARDROBE WITH HAND-PICKED PIECES
Personal stylists have extensive knowledge of styles, cuts, trends, stores and brands so it’s easy for them to pick out the strongest pieces for you. Most likely they can do it better and more quickly than you could!
They gain a deep understanding of your personality and style. Then they strategically shop on your behalf, hand-picking the optimal and most versatile pieces for you.
You’ll also benefit from their relationships with brands, stores and tailors. They know how to get the most for your money. And bonus: They know where all the deals are!
SAVE YOU A HUGE AMOUNT OF TIME
Have you had frazzled mornings when you tried on three pairs of pants, two blouses and a couple pairs of shoes before landing on an outfit?
Personal stylists make your mornings easier and quicker by taking the guesswork out of dressing. They develop wardrobe plans for you, even creating personal digital outfit boards you can refer to in your own personal portal on your computer or phone.
During the process, you’ll also edit your closet, getting rid of the items in your wardrobe that don’t serve you. After they’ve shopped for you, the gaps in your wardrobe are filled and you have a closet full of nothing but the strongest clothes, shoes and accessories.
TEACH YOU HOW TO DRESS YOUR BODY
One of the most (if not THE most) important elements of good style is the right fit and correct colors. Your personal stylist will nail down your body type, and knows the styles, cuts, fabrics and colors that will flatter you. They’ll give you tips and teach you tricks to take advantage of your strongest points and play down trouble areas.
DRESS YOU FOR MAJOR EVENTS
Personal stylists put together outfits for important presentations, speaking engagements, media interviews, and business travel. They can exclusively use what's in your closet or suggest additional items to enhance your outfits.
Talk about a stress-reliever! They can create the right looks for the audience you are presenting to, and the environment you are speaking in. They’ll craft outfits and make packing lists for your business trip. That way, you can focus on the more important things...like doing a great job!
Working with a personal stylist ultimately comes down to building this: CONFIDENCE. They help you become the most authentic and confident version of yourself.
Learn more about the benefits of personal styling:
