Loading cart contents...
Personal Stylists on TV
Hello! Today I thought it would be interesting to do a deep dive of how Personal Stylists, or just fashion styling in general, are portrayed in mainstream media.
As a child born in the 90s, growing up in the 00s, I think we experienced an age of reality TV in which people were shamed and ridiculed for the sake of the viewer’s amusement. You know, shows like ‘Big Brother’ or ‘How Clean Is Your House’ where we were encouraged to scoff and scorn at fellow human beings.
One show in particular that was very much on my horizon (for all the wrong reasons) is ‘Trinny and Suzanna’, a makeover show where regular women would be bullied in their underwear and forcefully dressed with no compassion or constructive intent. This was what the public saw of Personal Stylists (myself included) and it no doubt created a stigma around the industry that I feel has stuck in many people’s minds.
Another show called ‘Plain Jane’ would take shy teenagers and impose makeovers with the sole purpose of impressing a crush. I remember being so annoyed to see the stylist force their own style and short-lived trends of the time on the poor girls without acknowledging their own tastes or personalities. I saw many ‘tomboys’ dressed in neon mini skirts looking uncomfortable which surely couldn’t have given the confidence she needed for a first date!
Making a client feel heard is crucial, and it’s my job to make you feel happy and confident in your own style
Watching these programs, I always felt like it would be a dream if I could step in and do it right. I’ve shopped with friends and family my whole life and find that nothing is more important or effective than helping them to understand and believe in the choices of clothing we make together, rather than pressuring them into outfits that simply aren’t their style.
Of course, in order to do that, a stylist needs to know what to look out for in their client, which is why I take the time to understand each individual’s hopes, needs, taste, character, body shape, skin type and all kinds of factors that make us all unique. Making a client feel heard is crucial, and it’s my job to make you feel happy and confident in your own style by perhaps nudging you towards new ideas or opening your eyes to unexpected combinations, for example.
In recent years, with people taking more notice than ever before of looking after their mental health, practising self-care, being more body-positive and making an effort to be kind to those around them, the narrative of TV shows has certainly improved. Today, I think we see a more supportive and inclusive era of television and better representation of a good stylist.
‘Queer Eye’ on Netflix (formally ‘Queer Eye For The Straight Guy’) is a totally feel-good makeover show where the Fab Five, each bringing their own specialities, help a ‘hero’ to turn their life around. Tan France, the fashion expert of the gang, really styles people how I’ve wished to see it be done on TV for years. He clearly listens to the client and gives them a wardrobe that works for their lifestyle, taking them to local shops within their budget. I resonate with his gentler way of speaking too, always making sure to uplift and comfort whoever he works with.
Every stylist is different, just as our clients are, but after years of being sceptical of what I see on TV and all the disagreeing and cringing at makeover shows, I’m really happy to see someone like Tan represent our profession to the masses!
For me, Personal Styling is for everyone! We all deserve to feel good about ourselves, whatever our lifestyle, budget, appearance or age. It’s not just for the rich and famous. If you’re open to finding your best style, let me share my knowledge and skills with—and I promise it won’t be shown on TV! Find out more about each of my services here, or get in touch to ask me any questions or to just say hi.