7 Reasons to Start Using a Wardrobe Stylist Right Now

Photography courtesy of Styled by MG.

While sometimes regarded as a luxury, having the name of a good wardrobe stylist in your back pocket is something everyone can benefit from. After all, these sartorial pros can help with everything from a closet refresh to curating the perfect look for a big event to selecting items that will enable you to get dressed every day with confidence. Recently, we asked four fashion experts across the country to discuss the ways their services can make people’s everyday lives easier. From assisting with the daunting task of a wardrobe edit to creating inspired outfit combinations out of a few key pieces, read on for seven reasons you should enlist a stylist right now.


Chances are, you need to edit your closet.
All of the experts we spoke to agree that an organized and edited closet is a crucial first step to ultimately having a wardrobe full of pieces you want to wear. “So many clients are overwhelmed by a closet that’s so stuffed they can’t find anything and forget what they have,” says Barbara Palmer Baynes, personal shopper at Bustle Personal Shopping in Greensboro, North Carolina. “The average person only wears 20% of her closet on a regular basis, so I encourage my clients to go through each and every piece, purge what you are not wearing, and organize the rest by category and color. An edited closet makes all the difference!” As we all know, a closet cleanout is easier said than done, and can quickly become overwhelming, so having an expert on hand to manage the process can be a game-changer.

 

You can streamline your shopping. During the process of editing your closet, a stylist can help you identify the holes in your wardrobe, allowing you to shop more strategically, explains Mary Glenn McElveen, founder of Styled by MG in Birmingham, Alabama. Having a professionally guided shopping game plan will result in a closet stocked with key pieces—plus, you’ll likely end up spending less on items you don’t really need. A less cluttered closet that’s well balanced with wardrobe essentials and new trends? Yes, please.

 

It’s an opportunity to define and create your own personal style. One of the key benefits of working with a stylist is to determine your look, notes Kristen Robertiello, owner and lead stylist of KR Wardrobe Design in Park Ridge, New Jersey. “Many people aren’t confident in their style choices and therefore they follow the masses or keep their wardrobe basic,” she explains. A stylist can help clients discover the styles that are most flattering on their body type, which colors work best on them, and help them to step outside of their comfort zone, resulting in a wardrobe of coordinated, stylized outfits that they feel confident wearing.

 

You can break out of your fashion rut. So often, we shop the same styles simply because it’s easy, Baynes says. Having someone pull something off the rack that you might not select yourself and suggest you try it can be all you need to reinvigorate your closet. A wardrobe stylist can help you build your wardrobe by introducing new designers and silhouettes that you might not have considered on your own, and this will allow you to evolve, develop, and refine your personal style.

 

It’ll help you optimize your pieces. Trained in both fashion and styling, Robertiello explains one of wardrobe stylists’ unique skills is their ability to show multiple ways to wear your pieces. For instance, pairing the floral blouse in your closest with a blazer, pants, and heels rather than just your favorite pair of jeans helps create a new outfit and extends the wearability of the item in question. Recognizing it can be difficult to remember these types of combinations, Robertiello takes photos of the various looks together so her clients can easily put together ensembles at home.

 

You can enlist an expert for specific services. There are many different ways to utilize a wardrobe stylist that goes beyond traditional styling. Marua Conine, owner of Capsule in Cincinnati, Ohio, which offers complimentary styling services, explains. As outlined above, stylists can assist clients with editing down their wardrobe; help create a plan to make shopping easier; do the actual shopping for a client, during which they will curate options tailored to their needs; and/or accompany a client while shopping in order to empower and teach them to be a better shopper on their own. Consider what your unique needs are before booking a stylist, and feel free to be specific about what you’d like help with.

 

It can take the stress out of event dressing. While you may be comfortable with your wardrobe for the most part, contracting a stylist for special occasions can be very beneficial. “You are usually investing more in the pieces with a specific event in mind, so having a wardrobe stylist help to select and style looks will get the most out of them,” McElveen says. In addition to helping to ensure you select an outfit that will have you looking and feeling your best, utilizing a stylist with a keen eye can help you come up with ways to repurpose the pieces in the future.

 

TSG Tip 400 from Barbara Palmer Baynes, personal shopper at Bustle Personal Shopping in Greensboro, North Carolina; Mary Glenn McElveen, founder of Styled by MG in Birmingham, Alabama; Kristen Robertiello, owner and lead stylist of KR Wardrobe Design in Park Ridge, New Jersey; and Marua Conine, owner of Capsule in Cincinnati, Ohio. Bustle Personal Shopping appears in The Scout Guide Triad. Styled by MG appears in The Scout Guide Birmingham. KR Wardrobe Design appears in The Scout Guide Bergen County. Capsule appears in The Scout Guide Cincinnati. Find a local expert near you by visiting our locations page and selecting your city.