If you have a keen eye for fashion, a unique sense of personal style, or a knack for using your creativity to solve problems, a career in personal style might be right for you. Personal Stylists work with clients to develop a unique look, wardrobe, or aesthetic depending on their needs and specialty. A personal Stylist may assist their client with everything from choosing an outfit for an upcoming event to planning a home décor scheme that matches their unique vision.
When most people hear the phrase “personal Stylist,” they imagine fashion Stylists choosing hair, makeup, and outfits for the stars. While celebrity styling is one of the most visible outlets of the personal styling industry, the job demands much more than shopping for the stars.
There are multiple types of personal Stylists, each of whom may have their own areas of specialization. Today, more everyday women are seeking personal styling services, leading to an increased demand for personal and fashion Stylists.
Personal Stylists are responsible for following fashion trends, versing themselves in each season’s most popular color schemes and pieces. Stylists are responsible for keeping their finger on the pulse of both the fashion industry as a whole and their clients’ personal styles and preferences. Successful personal Stylists spend their days infusing clients’ wardrobes, homes, and lives with their own self-expression. Creativity and a team-oriented attitude are must-haves, as is interest in working directly with clients on a face-to-face basis.
If you’re interested in the world of fashion, you’d like to work directly with hair Stylists and fashion designers, and you need a role with flexibility, a role as a personal Stylist can be fulfilling and compatible with a range of lifestyles. Read on to learn more about the benefits of exploring a career as a personal Stylist, what fashion Stylists can expect to earn, and how to begin your journey toward a career in fashion styling.
Financial Benefits
A career in fashion styling isn’t only creatively rewarding. It can also provide you with an opportunity to earn a steady income on a flexible schedule.
Earning potential
While some might think that exploring the idea of being a fashion Stylist is more of a hobby, there’s a great potential career in styling for hardworking people who can keep up with current fashion trends.
From full-time celebrity Stylists to makeup artists and even part-time roles like Stitch Fix Stylists, there’s a whole world of opportunities in the style industry. Just like in any field, aspiring Stylists can build their skills (and therefore, their income potential) through beginner Stylist roles, education, and broadening their sense of creativity by following new fashion trends.
It’s not likely that you’ll become the next big celebrity Stylist overnight, but landing the right jobs, honing your communication skills, and building a client base can open the door to a lucrative career in fashion styling.
Due to the nature of the work for personal Stylists, a college degree isn’t always necessary to unlock the greatest earning potential. While a degree in fashion absolutely helps get your foot in the door, being able to keep up with current trends, creating effective fashion merchandising strategies, and being a trusted expert for your clients mean a lot more than any bachelor’s degree.
Possibility of working freelance
The beauty of a career in the fashion design industry is that many roles allow you the opportunity to create your own flexible schedule and work at your own pace. For example, as a personal Stylist, you might only choose to work with one client on a short-term basis, or you can expand your role by offering additional services to that client or deciding to try to obtain new clients. In the role of a freelance Stylist, as long as you keep up with the latest trends and can adapt to the personal style and body type of multiple clients, you have the freedom to work as much or as little as you want to.
Flexibility
If you’re a student, parent, or you’re working to build a creative business endeavor, you might not be able to fit a normal nine-to-five into your schedule while maintaining outside obligations. One of the great benefits of working as a personal Stylist (especially on a freelance basis for companies like cabi) is the possibility to set your own schedule and work when and where you need to.
Variety of working hours
The excitement that style industry professionals enjoy working with an ever-changing schedule might be an appealing part of pursuing a career in the field of fashion styling. Celebrity Stylists rarely work a traditional schedule. Between fashion shows, events for designers, and their own obligations to their clients, their days are never the same. The same is true for personal Stylists, who build their scheduled meetings with clients around their day-to-day needs.
For people who are stuck in a boring job, keeping up with Hollywood celebrities and the latest makeup and wardrobe trends on their own schedule sounds very appealing. A role in personal styling offers a rewarding opportunity to help clients while also pursuing your non-career goals.
Opportunity to work remotely
In recent years, opportunities for people to work remotely have changed from being very rare to almost being the expected norm for many companies. While working remotely is a new option for many people, personal Stylists have been working remotely for a long time. As some professions are seeing a mass return to office work, Stylists’ work lends itself to being remote long term.
Because Stylists must create styles for various types of clients, most of the work is done in the field rather than in an office setting. Selecting clothing, makeup, or other accessories for clients is best done out in the real world, and being tied to a desk is the last thing a successful Stylist needs. Even if you are part of a styling team, it’s likely that remote work is still the preferred system to produce the best results for your clients. For Stylists with dreams of travel or loved ones living far away, this remote work can be a major benefit.
Lifestyle Benefits
Don’t be fooled by what you see on TV—the life of a professional Stylist isn’t all glitz and glamour. However, the job does provide a range of appealing lifestyle benefits.
Interacting with a variety of people
Having a career in the style industry is a dream come true for many people, and one of the biggest reasons is the excitement that comes from meeting and collaborating with innovative and energetic people.
Everyone dreams of meeting their favorite celebrity or famous public figures, and while those meetings are certainly possible as a Stylist, the collaboration with fellow Stylists, your clients, makeup artists, fashion designers, and trendsetters makes going to work something to look forward to. People in these groups tend to be social and likely attend the same events and have similar interests, so friendships are easily made through shared interests.
Access to exclusive products and events
When we say that there are some great perks to working as a Stylist, it goes far beyond access to new clothes. Stylists often are able to attend exclusive events and gain first knowledge of next season’s hottest outfits, hairstyles, and more. You probably watch your favorite celebrities attend black-tie events on TV, but as a Stylist, you could be right there on the red carpet in the middle of the action.
Stylists are often encouraged to use certain products as part of their personal style, and companies will give or discount certain items to Stylists to promote to their clients. As a Stylist for a high-profile client, access to shoots, music videos, and movies, one-on-one time with celebrities, or tickets to the biggest events in the area are all potential perks.
The Benefits of a Career in Personal Styling
Careers in the fashion styling field can be rewarding, flexible, and lucrative. If your form of self-expression is sharing your personal style with the world, helping others do the same can be the perfect career.
As with any other career, it takes time to rise through the ranks, but even if you start out as a part-time Stylist and work your way up from there, styling can be done on your time and, typically, without working in an office. Stylists are free to seek out the best clothing and accessories for their clients on their own time, and you won’t have to be tied down to a traditional nine-to-five work life.
If you’re considering a career change and have a passion for fashion and conveying your image through the clothing, accessories, and lifestyle choices you make, then you should consider a career in fashion styling. Entry-level jobs can be done easily on the side if you have another career or need a stepping-off point, so you have nothing to lose by giving it a shot and seeing if you can find your true passion. Exploring career opportunities as a Stylist through cabi is an excellent place to begin your fashion journey.
