What I do as Stylist- Wardrobe Remix Edition

One of my utmost favorite things I love to do is wardrobe styling, I can be creative and help people at the same time. The key is to understand what your client wants and their personal style and just help them improve on that.

The greatest misconception about having a stylist come in to help is that you need to be rich or famous to get this type of service and that it is extremely expensive.

Many of my clients are regular everyday wonderful people that need help with what they already have or some help building up their wardrobe. Sometimes people shop just to shop or they grab what they need for one event and then it sits in their closet and never gets used. So hiring an experienced stylist can guide you in buying with a purpose and selecting the right pieces that will not only suit your body type but also lifestyle.

When my longtime friend and photographer extraordinaire Anna Briggs of  Anna Briggs Photography asked me to help transition her already super stylish daughter’s wardrobe into a more adult college ready version of itself, I was on it! So we decided to document the sessions through Anna’s lens and had an amazing shoot after with all of her new looks. Little did I know that this little lady had many goodies including a vintage DVF wrap dresses up her sleeve, which made my job much easier.

The first step I like to do is  to have an open conversation and find out  what your expectations and goals are, this is one of the most important parts of this process, it is about you and what you want and need, and not about someone transforming you into someone that you are not comfortable with.

For this super fun styling session, I scoured her closet using only her own pieces, without buying anything new, to create new fresh looks for this college bound beauty.

As I pieced together the looks, I consulted with her to make sure it would be something she could see her self wearing and liked. It makes it a lot easier when this is walked through so you feel as if you are part of the process and are understanding why I am putting things together the way I am so that you can take this knowledge and apply it to your everyday life. Now occasionally you will not agree 100% with everything but be open at least to try it on, clothes look so different when they are on you vs a hanger, what is the worst that can happen? You take it off and don’t wear it?  That seems like a small price to pay.

As I  go through closets as I did hers I might suggest pieces that you possibly want to work toward getting into your wardrobe, and teach you how to buy with intention. She has a great understanding of fashion and what works for her, but a good lightweight turtleneck was a piece she didn’t own at the time, and I thought would bring more versatility to pieces she already owns.

After pulling all the looks, shoot day was here! Yay!! I am happy to report that she loved everything we worked together on! It is critical to understand how important accessories are and how much more life you can get out of a particular piece of clothing when you add or change up an accessory. From textured tights to a fun shoe, it is about showing personality and individuality.

Details are everything, paying attention to them will surely pull an outfit together. From the small delicate texture on her skirt to the texture of the tights,  they play against the differences within her jacket and turtleneck. Her tights balance out the knit sweater in “weight” and her skirt with her jacket.

This Look, yes, I capitalized Look because it is actually a LEWK… Holy smokes!! My favorite outfit I styled during this session, I think because she loved it so much I loved it more, and of course, it didn’t hurt having a vintage DVF wrap dress as a starting point.

Simply a dress, cardigan, a small faux fur vest, textured tights,  some amazing boots, and necklace make perfection.

I feel the need to reiterate that ALL these clothes are hers, not borrowed or bought for this, simply her personal closet.

This oversized sweatshirt layered over a delicate blush dress made it more versatile and edgy, perfect for going to a concert or when wanting to have a rocker chic moment.

This cute little number I could tell she was on the fence with, the jacket being a souvenir piece from Greece, wasn’t necessarily on her radar for daily use. But my strong affinity for wearable souvenirs from my own motherland and I know how proud she is of her Greek roots as I am with my Portuguese, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.

And how cute does it look?

Layering is another great way to extend your wardrobe, simply adding a long sleeve tee under a dress and a jacket,  you have brought a summer dress into many others seasons.

Another example of how layering and accessories can really change and update a single piece of clothing like a dress.

Above, I layered the sweater over the dress and a shearling lined denim jacket paired with black tights and a bronzy pair of high top vans for a cozy, fun youthful look, that she can rock to class or just hanging out with friends.

Oversized sweaters look great with jeans and leggings but can really transform when worn over a dress or a skirt. Because these types of sweaters can be bulky and overwhelming by adding a belt it really can do the trick!

How beautiful is this little lady? Gosh… so stinking adorable, just to think that one of the last times I saw her she was an itty bitty little babe and now I got to help her transition her wardrobe for college and style her for this photo shoot.

I had so much fun being able to work alongside Anna for this shoot, her images are always full of artistic expression, and are quite frankly just beautiful to look at.

I hope everyone has enjoyed this documented experience and has given some insight on some of the services a stylist as myself can offer!

If you or anyone you know looking for some personal styling services  I would love to help! Please feel free to email me with any questions or requests (at) whatthej@ccbyjc.com

Photography: Anna Briggs Photography (at) annabriggsphotography@gmail.com

I have linked below some similar looks from this shoot!