So, you have a passion for fashion and an eye for style, and you're the go-to friend in your group whenever someone needs help figuring out what to wear. I'm sure that people often comment on how stylish you look and you've probably been told more than once that you need to work as a personal stylist. And while it's something that you'd love to do and feel you could do well, you may be wondering how actually to get started. Guess what? You're not alone!
Each week I get DMs and emails from people worldwide asking me the same question, "How do I become a personal stylist?" They know it's something they really want to do, but even when they head to Google to find the answer, they're left confused and with no clear path to take. So, to help you and all the others like you who really want to start a career as a personal stylist, I'm going to share the simple steps that you can take to finally get started.
Step 1 - Take the time to learn personal styling
There's a great deal more to being a personal stylist than simply coordinating colors and curating outfits, so before you run out and start printing business cards and trying to book clients, it's important that you take the time to learn the right skills. You don't need a fashion degree to become a personal stylist there are some core competencies that you'll need to learn either through self-study or through a specialized training school such as The Style Academy International. At a minimum you'll need to understand; body shape analysis (both horizontal and vertical), Camouflage techniques, style personality and lifestyle factors of style, fashion terminology, how-to style, color theory, color psychology, and color analysis (4 or 12-season).
Step 2 - Take time to practice personal stylist skills
Before you start working with paying clients you need to practice your skills and get comfortable working with different people and different body types. Grab your friends and family members and give them a free style or color consultation to test your skills and fine-tune the process for when you're ready to start offering your services to paying clients. It will help you build your confidence as a stylist and you can also start building your portfolio by taking before and after photographs of your work.
Step 3 - Decide who you want to style
Now, this is an important step! But it's often overlooked by many personal stylists! Before you can go out and find clients you need to figure out who they are, otherwise, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. Think carefully about who you really want to help with your styling services and where your true passion lies. Maybe your own personal experience is a driving force behind why you want to become a stylist and your ideal client is someone who shares similar experiences. Or maybe you have a specific area of interest such as working with entrepreneurs to find their personal brand. Once you identify who you want to work with finding them will become so much easier.
Step 4 - Set up your personal styling business
If you're serious about being a personal stylist then you need to look at it like a business because that's what it is. This means that you need to set up your business and take the necessary steps to make it official. Decide whether you will run things as a sole proprietor or an LLC then find out the requirements for registering your business where you live. There are many resources available online to help you and your local government website is always a good place to start.
Once it's official you can create a website (yes, you do need one), register for online payments, obtain social media profiles for your business, and create any paperwork and forms you need for business purposes.
Step 5 - Become visible as a personal stylist
All that's left to do is get the word out about your business and start finding some clients. Start posting regularly on social media, start talking about what you do to anyone who will listen, and spread the word in your local area. The more visible you are the more chances you will have to find new clients, so be proactive and let the world know you're a personal stylist who's open for business. If you want more tips on how to find your first clients then I've got another blog post that can help. Click here to read it now.
So, now you know the steps to take to become a personal stylist, all that's left to do is get started!
Louisa 💕
P.S. If you're ready to take the first step then our online personal stylist program can help you develop the skills you need to start your career as a personal stylist. Click here to find out more.
Categories: How to become a personal stylist, how to become a stylist, how to be a stylist, how do I become a stylist? Becoming a personal stylist, personal styling course, personal stylist course, personal stylist courses, Style Academy.