One of the most interesting professions in fashion is stylist-image consultant.
You make fashion, dress people, inspire and help them feel more beautiful. You also get good money for it.
And most importantly, you can come to this profession at any age, start absolutely from scratch, living in any country.
The only thing you will need to start a career as a stylist is studying.
Today we will tell you about all the options where and how you can study to become a stylist and personal shopper.
How long does it take to study to be a stylist?
Almost always the first question new students ask us is the question about the length of studying.
And there is no definite answer here.
Studying can be divided into 2 stages:
Stage 1 – Teaching theory and skills of creating a wardrobe, the principles of color, figure analysis, stylistic tools.
For all this, 4-6 months of medium speed is enough (when you devote 2-3 hours for studying 2 times a week).
The fastest student in the Italian school completed the course “Certified Image Consultant “in 3 weeks. But she studied every day all day long.
Stage 2 – Working out good taste and understanding of trends (1-3 months)
If you previously had nothing to do with fashion (e.g. worked in a clothing store, were a designer, etc.), then this stage will take you some time.
It is necessary to develop your fashion observance, i.e. when you see a certain style or a person, you’d feel good or bad taste simply by your intuition.
Such ability comes quickly enough if you surround yourself with style and fashion.
For example, you can subscribe to fashion bloggers and fashion designers on Instagram and watch photos and videos every day.
The photo source: https://www.pinterest.ru/pin/173951604345658483/
Studying options for a stylist-image consultant:
Second higher education for stylists
There is no second higher education for stylist-image consultants. It is not necessary, because the profession does not require a lot of theory. Practice is more important here.
In Europe, there are Master’s programs at private universities in the profession “Fashion stylist”. Within this profession, there are modules dedicated to personal styling.
The cost of such programs is about 15,000-25,000 euros for 1 year. Programs last from 1 to 3 years.
Is it worth or not worth studying for a master’s degree?
We believe that this is just a waste of time, and 3 years of studying stylistics is a very long time.
Stylist courses
This option is ideal for those looking to become a stylist.
Typically, the duration of the courses takes from 4 to 6 months.
Which is better: face-to-face or online courses?
In fact, there is practically no difference.
Consider it according to how it is more convenient for you to study.
However, it is important to choose the right teachers as they will teach you what is stylish and what is not.
It is better to choose European teachers, because in Europe fashion-trends are created for the whole world. For example, in the Italian e-learning fashion school our main teachers are Italian stylists and designers from Italy.
It is very important to look at the education program.
In a stylist education program, everything should be about fashion and clothing.
If you are offered to study walking, hairdressing, etiquette or public speaking, most likely courses are not for professional stylists, but a little about everything.
The photo source: https://www.pinterest.ru/pin/699676492093970091/
Does the stylist need a certificate or license?
You don’t need a license to work as a stylist anywhere in the world. Besides, no official certificates are necessary at all.
However, we highly recommend that you get certified in the courses in which you will be studying.
In our experience, clients are always interested in whether you have a certificate or not.
It is better to have the name of serious schools in your certificate, this greatly affects your expertise in the eyes of clients.
Agree that the client will see the difference if the stylist writes, for example:
– Certificate of stylist from the Italian E-Learning Fashion School
– Certificate of stylist from Sam black from Ohio
Stylist studying on your own on the Internet
Some people choose the most accessible way – self-study.
It would seem that now Youtube has a huge number of free lessons in style and color. You can find a huge number of articles about fashion. Why then would someone pay and study somewhere?
We answer:
Once you start reading about style, you will find that the information contradicts itself.
Here they write that pink does not suit blondes. And there they say that, on the contrary, pink is the best option for fair-haired women. Where is the truth?
You will never be able to figure out on your own which information is true and which is not.
Moreover, fashion and style are constantly moving forward, and what was trendy 2 years ago now can be completely opposite.
You can look for additional information on the Internet when you already have a clear understanding of how fashion works and how a person’s image is created.
