What Is Personal Styling?

As a seasoned personal stylist of over 4 years (styling on average at least one person every day), I have continuously been learning more about my role and the impact of the work that I do. 

Personal styling has a reputation of being unattainable for the majority (whether that’s down to budget of physical appearance) and personal stylists are misunderstood as being up tight and set in their own ways- or will even try to dress you as replicas of themselves. 

I have learnt that this could be no further from the truth. Personal styling falls into the same self help category as personal training, life coaching, therapy and more. Investing time and a bit of money into yourself. My styling sessions are often a mixture of therapy, body-shape confidence boosting and just the chance for my clients to refocus themselves, aligning their physical identity to reflect who they truly are. 

So, is it worth the money?

A personal stylist is not a monthly necessity, and of course, your budgets should be prioritising basic needs and holidays first! However, seeing a stylist once or twice a year can in the long run save you money, time and provide a much needed confidence boost. It really is a form of therapy but with instant, tangible results. 

Much like finding the perfect therapist, personal trainer or life coach- every personal stylist may conduct their services differently depending on their own experiences, materials and reasons for becoming a stylist in the first place, what truly makes them excited to be in the industry. For me, nothing brings me more joy than watching my clients fall in love with themselves. The opportunity of showing people how amazing they truly are using the art of fashion (an industry that I have invested my entire adult life into, not counting the years as a young girl styling Barbies, of course!)

The clothes are only props and actually the answer to most identity crises lies within yourself, as well as the wardrobe you already own. Think of yourself as a building, style is your interior. You need to figure out the purpose of yourself, what matters to you, what lifestyle do you have and what brings you the most joy. Using the answers, you can create a visual mood-board or strategy to allow you to enhance your personality, lifestyle and best physical features while helping you to embrace those you may be less secure about.  

The services I provide:

Due to my full time role, I offer free personal shopping appointments at John Lewis, Reading. The services I provide at Gemma Hicks Personal Styling are based more around the person rather than the clothes. Delving into who you are and how fashion can be used as a tool to assist you throughout life, in all aspects of it. Whether you have a hobby, job, lifestyle or holidays that make you, you- you (probably) wear clothes wherever you go. Getting the outfit wrong can hugely hinder your experiences in life, research has shown that those who feel like they look the part perform better, are more productive, more social, less stressed and feel more confident. 

Think of your wardrobe as a vast pantry, I am the private chef helping you to make sense of the ingredients you already have, figuring out what food you most enjoy and then sourcing the rest of the ingredients to make your vision a self reflecting, attainable and simpler reality. 

You don’t need to be a celebrity, big time CEO or millionaire to have a personal stylist. You just need to be a person who is curious and wants to make the most of life wearing clothes that empower and help you. Fashion may seem like such a shallow and superficial industry- and yes, sometimes it is! But everyone invests in this industry whether they intend to or not, and whether we like it or not, identity matters and the outfit you decide to wear is the biggest piece in the puzzle that portrays who you are, who you want to be and how you wish others to perceive you. 

The services at GHPS will help you to use style as a tool to benefit all aspects of your life and provide a sanctuary that you can fall back on throughout all life's hurdles and celebrations. Style is your identity and is deeply personal, hence the name, personal styling!