3 Money-Saving Reasons Why You Should Work with a Personal Stylist
Via Unsplash
What if I told you that working with a personal stylist could not only save you money but increase the amount of money you earn?
Believe it or not, advancing your style is one of the most immediate and impactful ways to boost your earning potential, save money, and build confidence.
Working with a men’s personal stylist might seem frivolous and expensive, but in reality, it’s a high-yielding investment that’s critical to all facets of your life.
Think of a personal stylist as you would a financial advisor, but for your closet. A good personal stylist will help you understand what you have and how to use it to your advantage; ensuring your time and money are used wisely on the right pieces that actually look great, fit well, and get better with each wear.
Even better, you’ll acquire a complete understanding of how to manage your personal style by gaining a holistic understanding of how clothing should fit your unique body and style: pertinent information that won’t just help you now, but years down the road.
If skepticism is still looming overhead, here are three indisputable ways a personal stylist can help you save money without sacrificing time or quality.
The Right Pieces, The First Time
Establishing an aesthetic direction is the most important element in personal style. Via Unsplash
Without a solid sense of direction, developing personal style can be an endless game of trial and error.
One of the most common barriers men face when trying to upgrade their appearance is lack of direction.
Without a firm point of reference, it’s almost impossible to achieve a desired sartorial objective.
Navigating style without a point of view is like traveling cross country without a roadmap. You may be traveling in a comfortable vehicle with ample fuel and determination, but without a clear destination, you’re more likely to veer off track.
Even worse, each time you encounter yet another unforeseen detour, it costs you more and more money.
These small, seemingly harmless expenses build and build until you come to realize that you’ve spent a considerable amount of money on things you could have avoided, had a clear endpoint been determined before beginning your journey.
Does this sound familiar to you?
By working with an expert the first time, you can avoid these unexpected and unnecessary pitfalls and save yourself a lot of time and, most importantly, a lot of money.
For busy men working in high-pressure work environments, efficiency is hugely important.
A personal stylist will introduce you to brands that are best for your body type, style objective, and budget. Via Unsplash
By partnering with an experienced stylist who caters to your specific needs, you can gain a holistic understanding of:
1. How clothes should fit your unique body type and lifestyle.
2. Which brands align with your aesthetic direction, body type, and budget.
3. How to assemble compelling outfits while never feeling like you have nothing to wear.
Without a thorough understanding of these fundamentals and the careful guidance of an experienced expert, leveling up your look will almost certainly remain an unbeatable battle.
Quality Over Quantity
Most men—most people for that matter—assume that more clothes equate to more outfits and, therefore, a better sense of style.
If you’re a seasoned style pro, this could be true under a specific set of circumstances, but for the average guy looking to dress better, this way of thinking is a guarantee of further confusion and dissatisfaction.
The majority of my personal styling clients leave their service with fewer clothes than they originally started with.
Why? Psychologist Barry Schwartz describes this phenomenon as “Paradox of Choice.” He explains why many options objectively lead to better results; yet, too many choices (and their potential outcomes) will inevitably lead to frustration and indecision.
The more choices, the more indecision. Via Style Turner
Instead of providing men with easy and unlimited outfit options, a stuffed closet will lead to the fear of making the wrong decisions; this fear will snowball into an inescapable cycle of analysis paralysis.
This is exactly why adopting a streamlined wardrobe is the best approach when it comes to revamping your personal style. It’s not about having a ton of pieces; it’s about having the right pieces.
What do I mean by the “right pieces”? I mean, clothing that fits like a dream, feels great when worn, is versatile enough to mix and match, and imbues a sense of confidence when worn.
Instead of impulsive buying four shirts that you kind of like from a megalith fast-fashion retailer, consider buying one well-fitted, high-quality shirt from a brand with a demonstrated history of exceptional craftsmanship and longevity.
Fast Fashion vs. Slow Fashion. Via Style Turner
In the long run, those four $50 fast-fashion shirts will have a lifespan of around 35 days on average versus the one $150 shirt that will last for years and get better with each wear.
To break it down even further, imagine spending $500 on 12 fast-fashion pieces and $500 on four high-quality pieces. The fast-fashion duds would have a total lifespan of around 1 year, whereas the higher-quality pieces would easily last 5-10 years (or more) if taken care of correctly. (For starters: cold wash, gentle detergent, low/medium dry.)
If you wear each item twice a week, the fast-fashion clothes would have a total weekly cost per wear of ~$1.74, while the high-quality garments, if worn for 5 years, would have a total weekly cost per wear of ~$1.00.
There’s an undisputed high cost to buying cheap clothes.
By working with a men’s personal stylist who can procure the best pieces from the best brands, in the long run, you’ll save money while wearing clothes that you actually enjoy putting on every day. Win-win.
Dressing Better Makes You More Money
We’ve all heard the adage, “dress for success.”
It’s no secret that our physical appearance can propel us in the direction of imminent hopes and dreams, but did you know that how you dress can be a deciding factor in how much money you earn?
This can be true in many ways, especially in the negotiation room.
Dressing better will make you more money. Via Unsplash
One Yale study tested this theory by way of a speculative buying and selling experiment. Of the men who took part in the experiment, those who wore casual or “sloppy” clothes such as sweatpants and sandals made an average hypothetic profit of $680,000. Their well-dressed counterparts—think suits, ties, and oxford shoes—made an average hypothetical profit of $2.1 million; that’s 3x as much money!
This isn’t to say that you need to sport a 3-piece suit every day in order to be taken seriously.
Simple adjustments such as wearing a button-down shirt instead of a t-shirt or throwing on chinos instead of jeans can significantly impact how you’re perceived. This is especially important in a work environment.
New research shows that a whopping 80% of managers and 86% of employees said that what you wear to work directly impacts your ability to get promoted. This means that simply by looking decent, your chances of getting promoted and, in turn, making more money is exponentially higher than the dude who looks like he slept an hour past his alarm. Easy money!
Even though work attire has become increasingly casual, it’s still in your best interest to look professional every day you step into the office.
If not, you could be leaving money on the table.
To Sum It Up:
Stop wasting time. If your plumbing needs repair, do you attempt to tackle it yourself? No, you call a plumber, an expert in their field. The same goes for your style. If you’re tired of aimless shopping and mindless spending on stuff you don’t even like, it’s time to partner with a stylist to get your personal brand in proper working order.
Buy better, less often. Adding a personal stylist to your Rolodex doesn’t mean acquiring copious amounts of new clothes—quite the opposite. Investing in high-quality, well-built garments means you’ll get years of wear and enjoyment without the urge to accumulate more. Why? Because when every piece of clothing you own is hand-selected for you, based on your unique specifications, you’ll want to make full use of everything in your closet.
Your clothes determine your success. How you show up and take up space plays a decisive role in your professional life. This visual communication can determine your trustworthiness, accountability, and growth potential. Perception is in your control; you’re the only thing standing in between you and your abundance.