How To Become A Personal Stylist Topic 8: Clothing Personalities

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1 How To Become A Personal Stylist Topic 8: Clothing Personalities Virtual Course With Wendy Mak

2 Objective At the end of this topic, you will be able to 1. Identify and describe the 5 most common clothing personalities 2. Identify which stores cater to these clothing personalities The 5 Most Common Clothing Personalities In styling and image consulting we have found that there are many different clothing personalities. While each person brings their own unique sense of style to how they dress, we can broadly identify 5 common clothing personality styles that we see all the time. These are: 1. Sporty natural 2. Classic/ elegant 3. Feminine 4. Dramatic 5. Creative Traditional consultants may suggest that each client is predominantly either 1 or 2 of these personalities, and will teach their clients not to buy anything that is not within their clothing personality. In today s world however, where fashion is so much more accessible and people have access to more variety and products for example with online 2

3 shopping - we find that women tend to have different personalities to suit different aspects / occasions of their lives. For example, you might find that many women on the weekend tend to be sporty naturals, classic/elegant for office wear and more dramatic for their evenings out. As with everything in styling, it all comes back to knowing your product. You see, understanding what personality (or occasion - whichever way is easiest for you to view it) your client is shopping for is only half the battle. The other half is knowing WHERE to take her ie. which shops cater for that occasion / personality you are shopping for. So take a look at the main clothing personalities / styles AND the stores that generally cater to that personality. *** Note: While I have given you some examples below of stores that may suit each personality, please note these stores are Australian based and correct at time of printing stores can change their styles and designers and outlook at any time, so make sure you are checking in with these stores regularly to assess their current style. *** 3

4 1. Sporty natural This style is casual, easy going, relaxed and minimalist. She loves clothes that are comfortable, practical, and usually in natural fibers such as cotton and denim. Her accessories are minimal, natural and earthy. While she can wear bigger accessories, she won t wear too many at once and it won t be too bling. Eg. She may wear a big watch, a large pendant or big hoop earrings but it s unlikely that she ll wear it all at once or have it encrusted in diamonds! Her hair is normally loose, natural and not overly styled. Celebrity examples: Jennifer Aniston, Elle MacPherson, Cameron Diaz. Witchery, Country Road, Esprit, Calvin Klein, Seed, Trenery, Kookai, Ben Sherman, Marcs. 4

5 2. Classic / Elegant This personality loves classic clothes that are tailored, timeless, structured, and takes business-like inspirations that look expensive. Her accessories are (or emulate) genuine precious metals and are simple and classic. Nothing too fashion forward or trendy for this personality. She loves blazers, tailored trousers, collared shirts, structured handbags (instead of slouchy or boho style) and generally prefers more solid colours than crazy prints or patterns. Her hairstyle is usually neat and tidy. Celebrity examples: Kate Middleton, Princess Mary of Denmark, Hilary Clinton, Coco Chanel, Jackie Kennedy. Saba, Veronika Maine, Cue, Carla Zampatti, Armani, Sportscraft, David Lawrence, Perri Cutten, Anthea Crawford. 5

6 3. Feminine / Romantic This is more youthful, fun look that is soft and romantic. She loves clothes made of soft fabrics, ruffles, frills a girly girl. She doesn t mind florals and prints, and her accessories are often very curved and warm (eg pearls) and may feature flounces, frills or bows. This can sometimes include very retro styles such as 50 s style tea dresses. Hairstyles are often fluid and bouncy. Celebrity examples: Kylie Minogue, Eva Longoria, Emmy Rossum, Taylor Swift. Review, Allanah Hill, Forever New. 6

7 4. Dramatic This is a confident and commanding style. While striking and strong, there is also an air of seduction. She loves highly structured clothes that show off the body with sharp, bold lines and colours. Dramatic fabrics such as leather, animal print, sequins, bling and metal embellishments may feature. Accessories are often oversized, bold and exotic. She is not afraid to show off some skin and can sometimes (not always) also have a rocker edge to her. She does not mind being the centre of attention. Hairstyles are usually neat and slicked. She is a confident dresser and is usually happy styling herself. Celebrity examples: Gwen Stefani, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez. Charlie Brown, Queenspark, Sass & Bide, Guess. 7

8 5. Creative This is a creative personality! She is quite unconventional and innovative in how she dresses. This style loves the unusual, unique and anything goes when it comes to her outfits. From accessories to hair and clothes, they are eclectic, imaginative and mix colours, textures, shapes and sizes and it always seems to just work! She is not afraid to source her clothes from anywhere and everywhere vintage to high end. She enjoys creating her own style. For this reason you ll find this personality does not generally use a stylist but is often found working in fields like fashion, arts, styling etc. Celebrity examples: Diane Keaton, Olsen twins, Rachel Zoe, Nicole Ritchie. Any store this personality will hunt the right piece from anywhere. 8

9 Remember that while we have described each common style personality above it does not mean that that is the ONLY thing your client will wear. Use the above as a guide to help direct you towards appropriate stores and styles but remember that we can sometimes be a mix of different styles depending on the occasion. Activity To really cement your understanding of the different styles, create a mood board for each of these clothing personalities. Go through old fashion magazines and cut out pictures of people, clothes that represent each personality. Create a separate board for each style. If you re really enjoying this task, you can even add home wares and home interiors that evoke each of these personalities. You can also use Pinterest or Polyvore to help you create these boards if you prefer to do this task online. **** END DOC **** 9