Finding the right stylist for you
- The International
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
With everyone suddenly becoming a “stylist” online, Ophelia Wu reflects on the difference between dressing well and understanding people.
Photographs: Various
Text: Ophelia Wu
You think styling is easy? That’s the biggest misconception. There’s a myth that styling is glamorous and that anyone can do it. No, it is a whole package of different skill sets, experience, judgement, people skills, emotional intelligence, intuition and training over years, often decades, of alchemy that creates what appears to be “easy” and “effortless”.
I’ve been in the industry for almost two decades, growing up in an era where I witnessed the decline of print media, the rise of digital and social media, influencers (they used to be called KOLs — Key Opinion Leaders — when they actually had valid opinions that could influence an audience), and now AI and tech. I was practically “raised” by a team of talented tastemakers in an environment that fascinated many. Over the years, I’ve worked with many stylists - some can make magic out of the most basic pieces, while others can still make a mess of the most luxurious brands. These days, when I open any social media platform, there is no shortage of “image consultants”, “stylists”, and “personal shoppers”. Many who worked very hard for years behind the scenes have now been pushed to the front because their legitimate creative work must be seen and deserves acknowledgement. Many others are simply self-proclaimed, with little more than a sizeable social following.
The fashion industry is a strange one. It is one of the biggest businesses in the world, and almost everyone is involved in some way. It is public and private, inclusive and exclusive, all at once. It attracts attention, and with that comes ego, projection and personality. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with celebrities, both local and Hollywood-level, high-profile individuals, models (both established and emerging), and real people featured as part of editorial stories. Even now, I don’t go around proclaiming that I am a celebrity stylist, because I am not, and because there are many more talented and skilful stylists quietly doing their job and letting their work speak for itself.
When it comes to choosing who to work with, it is a little like finding the right physiotherapist. They need to understand you and help solve a problem in a way that works for you. I cannot tell you who is “better”, because style and taste are deeply personal — as they should be. But here are some practical things worth considering.
1. Check their credentials
Were they formally educated in fashion? Have they actually worked in relevant parts of the industry? If someone has never had first-hand experience in areas such as styling, visual merchandising, fashion design, retail client service or buying, their knowledge and understanding will usually be more limited.
And no, a summer course or a short online styling course over a few weeks does not really count. At most, it gives you a very basic introduction to styling. Have they even interned at a fashion brand or a designer’s atelier?
Relevance is key. Someone with a fashion PhD or a marketing background does not automatically make a good personal stylist. Equally, someone with retail experience in a bookshop may not know how to pull looks.
2. Look at their professional background
Was their experience genuinely relevant? How long have they been in the industry? The generation in which they began their fashion journey also shapes their understanding, perspective and work ethic.
A former accountant cannot style you in the same way as someone who has spent years working in fashion styling or editorial. Someone who worked as an in-house retail client manager at a brand may offer useful insight, but is that knowledge based on one brand, or years of exposure across different houses, categories and clients?
Likewise, being successful in another creative field does not automatically translate. A former dancer is not the same as a fashion designer. They may share an understanding of movement, but a fashion designer cannot perform, and a dancer cannot create a collection. Adjacent worlds may help someone understand taste and aesthetics a little better, but they are not interchangeable or replaceable. In other words, do not expect a fashion stylist to advise you how to play the piano as a grand master would.
“A stylish wardrobe is not built on hype, followers or labels. It is built on understanding the person wearing it.”
3. Dressing yourself well is not the same as styling others
Someone who dresses nicely, has a large social following, or appears to have “good taste” does not necessarily know how, or even have the interest, to style other people. Be mindful of whether they are simply regurgitating mood boards and whatever is trendy, or genuinely have a personal point of view, taste, and visual judgement. At most, it tells you they dress well for themselves, or that they like certain things. But does that authentically express who they are? Not necessarily. We only see the image. We don’t know the full story.
They may have money, access, or receive head-to-toe looks from brands as part of marketing campaigns. That doesn't automatically mean they understand fashion or other people’s bodies and needs. And just because you enjoy shopping or know where to shop does not make you a qualified stylist. If that were the case, half the women in the world would be highly qualified.
4. Luxury does not automatically equal style
Luxury brands do not automatically equal taste, judgement or good style. This one is fairly straightforward.
5. Notice whether they push purchases
Do they immediately push shopping services or encourage you to buy?
Of course, many personal shoppers genuinely shop for clients as part of their service. But remember, many also make a living through service fees, commissions, affiliate links or brand relationships. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. Just stay aware of the recommendation and the intention behind it. Do you come first, or do they?
6. Styling & personal shopping is customer service
Many people do not see it that way.
Dressing yourself is very different from dressing someone who needs help. Some people love dressing others but are not especially interested in dressing themselves. I know many stylists with that mindset, and they are still effortlessly cool in Gap jeans, an H&M T-shirt and Converse.
It is easy to dress yourself. Dressing another human being requires a different level of skill, judgement, technical knowledge and emotional intelligence. People often forget that true styling and personal shopping are, at their core, customer service. It’s built on credibility and trust, a lot of it. The stylist is there to meet a need, solve a problem, and help someone feel more aligned with themselves. Whether dressing a celebrity or Mary, the role is to deliver the brief impeccably.
7. Consuming information is not the same as embodied skill
Reading about style, fashion, taste and trends does not create styling ability. You cannot research your way into taste, judgment, emotional intelligence or technical instinct. Those are built through training and years of hands-on work with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people. It is accumulated experience, not simply information. What you are reading now is condensed, scratch-the-surface information translated into layman’s terms. You can read every book available on fashion and still not have a clue how to style someone properly.
Now what?
A simple, logical way to think about it: if you wanted to learn the violin or refine your tap dancing, would you go to someone who has read extensively about music history but never played the violin? Or someone who watches ballet, took one tap class, and now calls themselves a professional dancer? Probably not. So why would you choose someone with no relevant training or real-world experience to guide you through your wardrobe, image or personal style?
Not everyone can solve a wardrobe crisis. Not everyone has the judgment, sensitivity or practical advice needed to refine and attune your style. And frankly, not everyone who looks good knows how to help you look like yourself and feel great about yourself.
If you go to a hotel and want the full package: early check-in, late check-out, welcome gifts, a room upgrade with a view, then do the same when you choose to work with a qualified stylist for your wardrobe and style upgrade. It is an investment you are unlikely to regret.
