What Every Woman Should Know Before Seeing a Stylist

“First of all, it is important to understand that a stylist works not only with appearance, but also with psychology. A good stylist cannot “simply dress someone beautifully”. They must clearly understand the goal and motivation, and only then develop and offer a wardrobe,” believes Anúsh (Anna Bagdasarjana), a fashion stylist from Riga and head of the unique project “Practical School of Style”.

For the past nine years, Anúsh has worked as a professional shopper and image consultant, runs her own style studio, and also writes about upcoming trends in the magazine “Fashion”.

First, you should determine what you want: to find a new husband or “climb” the career ladder?

“If the task is to “improve” your personal life or find a new husband, that is one direction. If we are talking about improving your career position or advancing your career, then that is an entirely different task for a stylist. Be prepared for the fact that, at first, you will have to talk to the stylist and tell them about your personal life; only then will it be possible to determine the scope of your cooperation.”

I would like to say a few words about choosing a personal stylist, because there are a great many stylists nowadays. Almost every other person in the country is a stylist! However, in most cases these are people who have completed online courses or read a few articles on the internet. Be vigilant! Modern stylists are not always specialists who know their way around shops and trends, who take a competent approach to clients, and who are capable of keeping your personal life confidential. Before meeting your next personal stylist, do not be lazy: research their website, read the available reviews, and pay close attention to their qualifications.

You do not have to be a millionaire to have a personal stylist

Your very first meeting with a stylist determines what you will work on and how much it will cost. The stylist must clearly understand what you need to “prepare for” and which shops you will visit. For your part, you must honestly say how much you are prepared to spend on a “makeover” if shopping is involved.

It is perfectly normal that some people can afford to buy a dress for two thousand euros, while others have a budget of two thousand euros for three shopping seasons. Both situations are acceptable to stylists. Incidentally, nowadays you do not have to be a millionaire to have a personal stylist.

At the beginning of your acquaintance, the stylist should inform you about the costs and establish a plan for your future cooperation. If you fail to establish a comfortable and constructive dialogue during the introductory meeting, it is not a disaster. Most likely, this is not the specialist “for you”. Do not be lazy—go for a consultation with another stylist! 

Run from “clairvoyant” stylists!

If, upon seeing you, a stylist immediately says, “Oh my God! I can see you! You will be a wild red-haired beauty in a charming dress with little blue stars and 27-centimetre-high heels,” and this happens before you have even explained the purpose of your “makeover”, it is better to refuse such cooperation immediately.

It is very important that, when dressing you, the stylist analyse how well your real life corresponds to your new image. If the “wild red-haired beauty” is a mother of five and a housewife, she simply will have nowhere to go in a dress with little blue stars and 27-centimetre-high heels.

The clothing offered by a stylist must fully correspond to your inner sense of self and precisely defined life goals. Perhaps the only exception is taking part in the television show “Fashion Verdict”. And even then, only because you are going there just once.

Sometimes minor adjustments are enough

There are cases when a person does not need a transformation. If everything is fine in the current period of your life, there are no changes, and you have no particular motivation for radical transformations, then everything is fine! It will be enough to wrap a “beautiful and delicious little sweet” in “beautiful and delicious wrapping paper”. It will be enough to make basic adjustments to your figure with the help of clothing, choosing the right colours and optimal silhouettes. No drastic changes are needed. If you only want to “complete” your image and bring it to a delicious, stylish and interesting conclusion, I usually dissuade my clients from unnecessary and suboptimal changes.

After working with people for nine years, I realised that 50% of the stylist’s profession is psychology. The most important thing is to know how to listen to the client and speak to them in a language they understand. In my opinion, this is the most interesting and, at the same time, the most difficult aspect of my profession. Yet all the difficulties disappear at the moment when, a few weeks after the makeover, a client sends a photograph from an event together with a list of compliments they received. That is my greatest satisfaction!

I wish you success in finding “your” stylist! May style be with you!” Anúsh concludes.

Information prepared by Advanced Learning & Communications agency www.alc.lv in cooperation with www.stilist.lv