4 Fantastic Reasons To Hire A Stylist

Next month is going to be a busy month for me. I’m presenting at Virginia Women’s Business Conference with Karen Bate, founder of Awesome Women Entrepreneurs over my birthday weekend. There are also a ton of holiday and winter events all over the city and of course, Hanukkah and Christmas celebrations to attend.

Market Common Clarendon was the obvious choice to go shopping and to have my first style session with personal stylist Patty Chism of Style by Patty to create a few new looks for my upcoming events. Patty understood my needs and ideas perfectly. She was able to easily, yet carefully curate a collection of clothes for me to suit every upcoming occasion. She did a little online browsing before visiting the stores, just so she could map out her vision prior to pulling the looks. She asked for my sizes and pulled together everything I needed from tops, pants, dresses, skirts, jackets, shoes, boots right down to the accessories needed to complete every look. She was a dream to work with and I highly recommend hiring Patty for an upcoming styling session! Check out Patty’s feature on our styling session here.

Before becoming a social media influencer and working with stylists for campaigns, I was one of those people who thought that only celebrities with huge budgets work with professional stylists. I didn’t think the “average person” could afford to hire a stylist. I would see stylish fellow moms and incredibly put together business women whose fashion I admired and I would ask them “How do you always look so put together?” Their secret? They hired a stylist. Some hired them to curate their entire wardrobe, from their everyday mom on the go looks, to their weekend playdates and kids birthday party events, to date nights and even to purchase their workout gear.

So, when Patty reached out to me and invited me to collaborate, I knew that we had to shop at Loft and South Moon Under at Market Common Clarendon. Every time I walk into Loft, I feel confident that their clothes are going to fit me just right and flatter my curvy figure. South Moon Under offers literally everything for a complete wardrobe, but it’s the accessories that always pulls me into their inviting space.

Here are 4 Fantastic Reasons to Hire a Stylist

• Stylists help you to create the image that you want to present to the world
  You only have one chance to make a first impression, especially in the age of digital communication. Hello Instagram! In an instant, your image can convey so many things, such as success, status, character, personality, and of course style. People often formulate an opinion about you before they even know you, solely based on your social media account, what you’re wearing and how you carry yourself.  A stylist can help to create a positive brand and a strong professional image.
• You will never look at your closet again and  think “I have nothing to wear.”
  Most people have lots of clothes, but their clothes are outdated, don’t fit properly, need to be cleaned or altered, or are items that just don’t go with anything else in our closets. My entire closet is a hodge podge of different brands, patterns and trends that don’t go together. A Stylist will edit your closet in a way that makes sense.  They will go through your wardrobe and determine what needs to be donated and what can be altered and saved.  They will then create a list of “fill in the gap” items that will complete your wardrobe, so you won’t have random items that you just don’t have anything to wear them with.   A Stylist will assess your body, your personal and professional image, and your lifestyle, and will work with you to curate a wardrobe that fits all of your needs in a very organized way.
• You will have a curated closet full of clothes that were hand picked specifically for you, and fit you absolutely perfectly. A good stylist will shop from several different stores and designers to bring you a wardrobe that suits your needs and budget and seamlessly integrates into your existing wardrobe.  They will know which designers will work for your style and body type. Your Stylist will show you how to pair everything together and will give you a style guide of outfit suggestions so you are always know what to wear.
• Hiring a Stylist will save you time and money, and is way more affordable than you might think. Every Stylist works differently.  Some work hourly, while some work on day or “project/package” rates.  They are also usually more than happy to negotiate rates on a retainer or on-going basis for clients that need their services more than a couple times a month. The time and money they will save you will be invaluable, and their fees can usually be written off come tax time.

Be sure to visit www.stylebypatty.com and follow here on social: Instagram, Facebook &Twitter.

{Thank-you to Market Common Clarendon for partnering on this post. Photography by Birch.}