Be Your Own Stylist

Does everyone know what a stylist is?  I'm guessing yes.  A fashion stylist coordinates the clothing and accessories of his or her client, be it for the red carpet, a photo shoot, or every day life.  There's a reason that certain celebrities always look perfectly put together in the People magazine photos: they employ stylists to help them plan out every outfit, event the ones they wear on their "days off."

Now, not that you or I have paparazzi trailing us around, but I do love the idea of looking my best at all times.  Right?!  The great thing here is that you shouldn't need to pay anyone to help you style your own wardrobe.  You can DIY!  You just need a little bit of these two things: time and inspiration.

#1: Time

I love styling, but I'll be honest with you - I'm less than on point at 7:30 am when I'm rushing to get to work and am feeling stressed about looking good for a meeting.  Plan ahead!  Pull together your outfit the night before.  You may not even need more than 10 or 15 minutes, but the fact that you are doing this while your head is clear without the feeling of being hurried will make a huge difference.

#2: Inspiration

In general, there are a whole bunch of places you can look for inspiration: magazines, photo blogs, in-store mannequins, sales associates, friends, etc!  Other SohoShopGirl posts should also come in handy here!

So... Why should I care?

There is quite a bit of literature and documentation of the fact that better-looking people make more money.  Unfair, but true.  I would be willing to bet that the same logic applies to better-dressed people.  Think about it.  A well-dressed person means, well, business!  By taking the time and making the effort to present your best self at the office, you show your colleagues and your boss that you care.  By investing in your look, you are no doubt investing in your career and your future.

The SohoShopGirl Wardrobe

Being me, I of course take this one step further.  Every week, when I have an hour or so of time to myself, and am in a creative mood, I'll plan several outfits at once. My secret is these wonderful "outfit" hangers from Bed Bath and Beyond.  The bottom has a bar for pants or hooks for a skirt, while your top hangs as normal. I also drape belts and jewelry on the hook so each full outfit is ready to go.  A set of four is only $6.99!  The advantage of having several looks to choose from is that you can decide in the morning whichever is appropriate for the day's activities... or your mood!

  
More Closet Solutions

Living in New York City, closet space is tight to say the least, so I also use these Chrome Slack and Skirt Hangers that allow me to store five- and four- on each hanger.  I also recommend these Real Simple Slimline Hangers which make you wonder why you ever used anything else!  They are thinner than normal hangers, to maximize closet space, and their unique texture keeps garments in place while protecting delicate fabrics.  Genius!

One Final Tip!

Usually before I start the process I'll identify a few pieces that I haven't worn recently and make sure that I focus on working them in.  These days, we all have so many clothes, shoes and accessories but often the same favorites get worn over and over.  Make the most of what you've got by focusing on these  near-forgotten items at the back of your closet!

You're already on your way to a better-styled self!  Look out for paparazzi...