Many fashionistas and work-from-home moms want to find a way to marry their passion with an opportunity to make money from home.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to become a personal stylist online.
There are a range of reasons why customers turn to online stylists for fashion expertise.
Some people may not have the confidence to choose the right clothes to fit their body and their style.
Others may just want a personal stylist for up-to-date recommendations on the current fashion trends.
On top of that, buying clothing online is a difficult process and customers can often end up with clothes that don’t fit right or don’t match their style.
That’s where you come in.
Today we’re going to show you how you can alleviate these customer pain points and marry your expert fashion sense with your career.
We’ll go over work from home stylist jobs and how you can break into the fashion industry.
What Is a Virtual Stylist?
A virtual stylist can work from the comfort of their own home and guide the personal style choices of their clients.
They consult with clients and help them determine which clothing and accessories to wear.
Being an online personal stylist involves much more than just picking out clothing that you think looks nice.
Stylists match their recommendations with clients’ personal taste, budget, and current trends.
The goal of a personal stylist is to fully understand their client and his or her fashion needs.
This includes matching style recommendations to their body type and the goals of their wardrobe.
For example, some clients may need professional outfits they can wear to work while others will need an outfit for a special occasion, like a wedding.
How Does Virtual Styling Work?
Virtual stylists don’t meet face-to-face with clients.
They provide all of their recommendations remotely.
This means there needs to be an organized consultation process in place in order for your styling to work.
Stylists will typically have their clients fill out a questionnaire to understand their needs, tastes, and personal preferences.
This reveals what style the client is looking for, their current style choices, and which styles they tend to avoid.
The questionnaire may also include pictures of clothing and accessories for clients to choose from to paint a clearer picture of what they want.
The stylist then puts together a “look book,” or a collection of clothing and accessories the client can choose from.
These recommendations could be full outfits or mix and match pieces of clothing.
The client chooses which clothing, shoes, makeup, and accessories they prefer.
The stylist or the company they work for then mails the client’s choices directly to their home.
In some cases, clients will receive full outfits to try on before they determine if they want to buy.
Benefits of Being a Personal Stylist Online
Virtual stylists enjoy the opportunity to set their own flexible schedules and work from wherever they want.
You’ll also be able to have a career in something you’re passionate about and can help people along the way.
Many virtual stylist opportunities are part-time gigs.
It’s rare that you’ll be able to find something that offers a full-time work schedule.
This makes it the perfect opportunity to start a side hustle that you can do from wherever you want.
Online stylist jobs allow you to work in an industry you’re passionate about: fashion.
You’ll never have to work a day in your life if you’re doing something you love.
It’s also rewarding as you’ll be working with a variety of clients and helping them feel confident and comfortable with their style choices.
Requirements of a Virtual Stylist
You don’t need a college degree or extensive fashion experience to become a virtual stylist.
But, you’ll need to have excellent fashion taste, an awareness of current trends, and effective listening and communication skills.
One of the main requirements of a virtual stylist is having a keen eye for fashion.
This includes staying up to date on the current fashion trends and seasonal styles.
This also includes understanding different body types and fabrics.
Not all clothing styles work with every body type — this is the type of expertise you can provide.
Personal stylists also consult regularly with clients.
You’ll need to be an active listener who can interpret what a client wants, even if they aren’t completely sure of their preferences.
You’ll need to effectively communicate why you chose certain items so you can build a sense of trust with your clients.
Providing helpful service will ensure you lock in repeat clients who want to keep working with you.
How To Become an Online Fashion Stylist
There are a few different ways you can become a personal stylist online.
One way is to find your own clients by creating a portfolio or Instagram.
The other is to work directly with a company like Stitch Fix or Neiman Marcus.
1. Build an Online Portfolio
You can build an online portfolio that showcases your style and tastes if you want to strike it out on your own and find your own clients.
There are website builders like Squarespace or Wix that you can use to create a personal online fashion portfolio.
Finding new clients may be difficult at first, but it can pay dividends once you establish a consistent clientele.
If you’re just starting out, you can create your own “look book” that consists of you trying on clothing and accessories.
Your look book will show off your taste in style and lure in potential clients.
You’ll need to do some networking to secure your first clients.
You can do so by reaching out on your social media accounts like Facebook or Instagram.
2. Create an Instagram Account
Instagram is the perfect social network to grow your personal styling service.
The highly visual platform allows you to showcase all things fashion and tap into potential customers from all around the world.
Your Instagram account can act as a lead generator once you’ve grown your following.
You can advertise your services in your posts and encourage people to reach out if they want your services.
3. Find a Job With Stitch Fix
Customers can set their budgets and choose different sizes and styles.
Stitch Fix stylists will then make customized recommendations and send clothing directly to customer’s homes.
The customer then decides what they want to keep, and they don’t need to pay for the items they send back.
Working with Stitch Fix means you’ll be given clients without having to find them on your own.
You’ll also receive training, have a flexible work schedule, and will receive an employee discount on clothing.
The one limitation with being a Stitch Fix stylist is that you’ll need to be living in one of their select regions.
You’ll be able to work remotely, although you’ll need to live in one of the following cities:
- Austin
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Minneapolis
- Pittsburgh
You can head to the Stitch Fix job board if you live in one of these regions and would like to become a virtual personal stylist.
4. Search Traditional Job Boards
Another easy way to find a personal stylist job is to search job boards for terms like “online personal stylist” or “virtual stylist.”
You can also check out our guide to the best virtual job boards.
There are many different companies that are looking for remote stylists to serve their clients.
For example, one company that always seems to be hiring virtual stylists is Neiman Marcus.
Working for another company means you won’t have to track down your own clients.
It also means you’ll be choosing clothing and accessories that fall under their brand’s offering.
Some of these companies will require you to have some styling experience under your belt if you want to work with them.
There are also various types of stylist roles, some of which are more entry level where you’ll simply be supporting other stylists.
Sell Your Style
Online personal stylists are given the chance to work from home while doing something they love.
You can set your own flexible schedule and work with people who really value your opinion.
Determine whether or not you’d like to start your own business and work for yourself, or work with another company who will send clients your way.
Then create a portfolio or social media account where you can show off your superb taste in style.
The only thing left to do is start consulting with clients and leaving a lasting impact on their everyday lives.
For other work-from-home opportunities in the fashion industry, check out our guides on Glamsquad, StyleSeat, and selling clothes online.
