There is a common misconception that personal stylists have impeccable style and always look good, after all, that's our area of expertise and no one would want to work with us if we didn't look amazing all the time. Right?!? But the truth is, personal stylists are human beings and like everyone else, we're not perfect and on some occasions, neither is our style!
Like most people, we have our good days and our bad days! We have days when getting dressed is easy and we feel amazing when we look in the mirror and then days when we struggle and feel like nothing we try on looks good and we end up with piles of clothes strewn on the bed because we just couldn't find the right thing to wear. There are also days when how we choose to style ourselves just doesn't look as good as we thought it would or we have a moment of weakness when browsing the sale rack and buy something for the discount rather than the style.
How is it possible that people who are trained to style have bad style? It's simple. We all have our own internal critic that sometimes makes us feel bad about ourselves. We have our own insecurities about our bodies and the way we look that only affect us when styling ourselves and not when we are styling others. When we style our clients we approach it from a place of objectivity not a place of emotion, which makes it so much easier to achieve the desired results. Even on my most insecure and body-conscious days, when it's taken me 20 outfit changes to leave the house I can still achieve the results my clients are looking for and get my job done.
So, why am I sharing this with you? Well, first, if you're already working as a personal stylist and you experience this for yourself, you'll hopefully feel reassured knowing that you are not alone, and you are not failing as a personal stylist. Second, if you want to become a personal stylist but feel your own style isn't perfect enough to be a stylist then you'll realize that's okay and it definitely shouldn't hold you back from pursuing a styling career. And third, having a bad style day can actually be beneficial to your personal styling business and might help you find more clients if you approach it in the right way. So, keep reading to find out how to handle a bad style day as a personal stylist and use it to boost your business.
Step One - Realize you don't have to be perfect!
It sounds simple enough, right? But sometimes we are our own worse enemies! We tell ourselves things that simply aren't true and have unrealistic expectations, such as, you have to have perfect style to be a personal stylist. It's simply not true! No personal stylist, fashion stylist, image consultant, or style coach has perfect style and looks good all the time, and if you saw what I was wearing right now as I write this, you'd realize that I'm speaking the truth ;-) By removing the notion that we always have to look perfect and that we're not allowed to get things wrong or let our body issues get in the way, we'll be able to focus on the actual things that will make us successful stylists. So, cut yourself some slack and go to step two!
Step Two - Treat yourself like a client
The great thing about being a trained personal stylist is that we have a whole arsenal of strategies that can help us camouflage those self-identified problem areas, so if you're having a day when you're feeling uncomfortable or self-critical about your body then approach it like you would a client and put those style strategies to the test. And if you're seeing clients that day, even better, as you'll be a walking advertisement for what your strategies can do!
Step Three - Dust off your dopamine outfit
Every stylist needs to have a go-to outfit that they can rely on when all else fails! It's that one outfit or item that instantly boosts your dopamine and makes you feel and look amazing. It may be a full outfit or maybe it's simply a fabulous pair of shoes or diamond earrings that make you feel like a million bucks and ready to slay the day. Whatever it is, use dopamine dressing to your advantage as and when needed. Become your own stylist and use your skills to help yourself!
Step Four - See bad style days as a teachable moment
There's nothing like a bad style day to show potential clients the amazing things that you can do! Use your own struggles or style mistakes to teach your clients and potential clients your expertise and how you can help them. Use it as part of your social media marketing by sharing the process and strategies you use in your own life to overcome your insecurities or challenges, or simply educate them on why a specific style you chose might not be the best option for someone with your body shape. Even our worst fashion and style faux pas are great teachable moments if we're willing to share.
Step Five - Use it as a way to connect with potential clients
Believe it or not, people don't want to work with someone who appears to be perfect! They want to work with someone they feel is authentic, and that they feel connected to, and there's no better way to connect with a potential client than being honest about your own experience. By sharing your bad style days you'll show people that you understand their own experiences and are better equipped to help them than someone who doesn't really understand. As long as what you are sharing is genuine and you can show them a solution and outcome they are looking for then it's the perfect way to find new clients for your personal styling business.
If you find yourself having a bad style day, don't let it hold you back! Turn those negative voices or styling mistakes into an opportunity to advance your personal styling career and grow your business!
Happy Styling!
Louisa 💕