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Fashion
Don’t Know What to Wear Anymore? Let These Stylists Help.
21
Sep
Sep
Scott Astrada had spent years wearing suits every day to versatile public-policy jobs on Capitol Hill. then in 2019, he took a job at a fiscal technical school ship’s company, where a preppy, more business-casual look became his norm—until the pandemic stumble and, he says, he took “ a hard turn ” to athleisure .
By last summer, now working full-time remotely, Astrada was fix to shed the hoodies—but wanted steering. So he hired personal hairdresser Ting Lin of Ting Lin Fashion, who spent two hours shopping with him in stores and another five hours offering virtual advice. ( total pill for Lin ’ sulfur expertness : about $ 600. ) now, Astrada says, he ’ s got a fresh new wardrobe and some cognition he can use to shop on his own .
A batch of personal stylists are identical interfering these days—one we spoke to has a waitlist. Some are being hired by clients who aggressively purged their closets during their many months at home and have nothing to wear. Others need help nowadays that they ’ ve headed binding to the agency. “ I find there ’ s a lot of confusion over what constitutes ‘ business casual ’ or ‘ work-appropriate ’ post-Covid, ” says Rachel Edwards of Style by Rachel.
By last summer, now working full-time remotely, Astrada was fix to shed the hoodies—but wanted steering. So he hired personal hairdresser Ting Lin of Ting Lin Fashion, who spent two hours shopping with him in stores and another five hours offering virtual advice. ( total pill for Lin ’ sulfur expertness : about $ 600. ) now, Astrada says, he ’ s got a fresh new wardrobe and some cognition he can use to shop on his own .
A batch of personal stylists are identical interfering these days—one we spoke to has a waitlist. Some are being hired by clients who aggressively purged their closets during their many months at home and have nothing to wear. Others need help nowadays that they ’ ve headed binding to the agency. “ I find there ’ s a lot of confusion over what constitutes ‘ business casual ’ or ‘ work-appropriate ’ post-Covid, ” says Rachel Edwards of Style by Rachel.
Some people, Lin notes, require modern clothes because they ’ ve experienced body changes or are entering fresh chapters of their lives. Others, says Lindsey Evans of Lindsey Evans Studio, having not updated their wardrobes in more than two years, are plainly tired of them. ( Plus, styles have indeed changed—so long, tight-fitting jeans. )
It ’ randomness something of a “ conversion ” for clients, says Dejeuné Harris of Your Style Is Forever. Kelley Kirchberg of Divine Style says people want an upgrade of not just their wardrobes but besides how they feel. “ not being around others has forced people to sit with themselves, to actually ‘ watch ’ themselves, and a set precisely haven ’ thyroxine been liking what they see and want an update count for a expansive reintroduction to the worldly concern, ” says Thai Barker of the Phresh Code. Bored with the monotony of loungewear, she explains, people “ see this reopen of the world as an opportunity to live life out forte through their invest and personal presentation. ”
Evans reports that a new wardrobe frequently inspires new behaviors in clients : “ They ’ re like, ‘ Okay, where do I wear this ? ’ And I say, ‘ You ’ re going to wear this to live your best life : a concert, girls ’ brunch, date night. ’ Time and again, I see them living more—getting out and doing more things because they want to feel fabulous in their raw look. ”
What Does a Personal Stylist Do?
The first step, after an initial reference, is typically a “ wardrobe appraisal, ” in which a stylist helps sort through your cupboard to get rid of what doesn ’ thymine exercise and find “ gaps ” that need filling—often based on a checklist of staples—all while getting a sense of your style. then it ’ randomness clock time to shop .
As we ’ ve originate accustomed to doing things in the comfort of our homes, it ’ second deserving noting that most of the professionals we talked to shop on behalf of their clients and then bring dress to the person ’ s dwelling to try on. Some, including Meredith Liberty and Lin, will besides accompany clients on storehouse trips. In fact, Lin prefers the efficiency of shopping in-store together, but either direction, she says, “ people enjoy the one-on-one human experience. ”
It ’ s not all about new workwear. People may want styling for a particular juncture or, says Evans, a “ key signature weekend look. ” As share of their services, some stylists, like Evans, aid clients refine a color pallette and develop a “ space capsule ” wardrobe. It ’ south fun, like “ playing dress-up and forgetting about everything else in the populace ” —something she feels everyone craves properly nowadays .
According to Sarah Bland of SWB Style, many clients are looking for avail creating a capsule wardrobe that can “ transition from work to drinks to dinner at Cafe Milano. ” And with people traveling more these days, “ travel style and packing material has been a popular request. ”
What It Costs
Some stylists charge by the hour, and their fourth dimension can include not just what ’ second spend with a node but besides denounce and delivery of clothe to a home, plus returns, so be certain to discuss budget and price in boost. Liberty, for exemplar, bills her services hourly to include shopping and pulling clothe, plus in-home try-ons, then has a flat rate for returns and exchanges. Lin besides charges hourly— $ 80 an hour—and estimates that most clients spend $ 500 to $ 1,000 on her services .
Some stylists put together packages. Naina Singla, who offers virtual style, has a one-hour “ FaceTime Style Therapy Session ” for a compressed rate of $ 200, or $ 300 if you want a follow-up e-mail with shoppable links. Harris, of Your Style Is Forever, besides offers a one-hour virtual session, for $ 197 ; her priciest software is a $ 1,997 “ style rehab, ” which includes an in-person closet edit, personal shop, match, and 30 days of “ style support. ” Edwards, excessively, has a rate of services, from a $ 550 closet edit to a $ 6,500 package of four seasonal style sessions .
Another hint to how much you ’ ll spend : the brands of clothing a hairdresser tends to pull. Lin ’ s clients budget $ 500 to $ 2,000 for clothing, and she shops with them at such stores as Nordstrom, Bloomingdale ’ south, Zara, H & M, Banana Republic, and parsimony stores including Current Boutique, Reddz Trading, and Ella Rue. Harris tends to frequent Nordstrom, Saks, and Shopbop, adenine well as Burberry and Alice + Olivia, and her clients may spend $ 2,000 to $ 5,000 on a seasonal worker capsule wardrobe. For her part, Edwards frequently shops such brands as Burberry, Saint Laurent, and Brunello Cucinelli, a well as Vince, Veronica Beard, and Rebecca Taylor ; her clients typically spend $ 5,000 to $ 15,000 on clothe. Most stylists will do a rid consultation to figure out if they ’ re a adept match for you, but their websites and Instagram feeds can offer a hint to their approach deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as brands they like .
There are some savings benefits, excessively. Having a well-organized and specify wardrobe can reduce momentum buy, and, Bland points out, a personal stylist can create new combinations for outfits from pieces you already own .
Local Stylist in a Box
Clothing subscription boxes such as Stitch Fix and Trunk Club —which regularly embark you pieces you can keep or return—have gotten popular, though you don ’ thyroxine get the lapp one-on-one attention as with a personal hairdresser. A newfangled subscription service, launched in DC and designed for men, combines the two concepts. Hyde Closet connects customers with stylists they can communicate with via textbook and who will send curated clothe boxes for specific occasions. Customers have the option to lease and wear the invest or buy it outright. Prices start at $ 49 a box .
Illustrations by Connie Zheng.
This article appears in the June 2022 issue of Washingtonian.
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editor, washingtonian Weddings Amy leads washingtonian Weddings and writes Style Setters for Washingtonian. Prior to joining washingtonian in March 2016, she was the editor program of Capitol File magazine in DC and before that, editor program of What ’ s Up ? Weddings in Annapolis .
