[taj76]

Hi Bette,

Thank you for the advice, it was extremely helpful. I am an employee at the magazine, who is currently building the fashion section, so the contacts I have made are definitely new, is this still their property or am I able to provide them limited contact info since these are the contacts I have brought to the magazine?

[BetteT]

It depends on your employment contract, if you signed one. And if you did sign one, there could also be the issue that you might not be able to use those contacts later when your are out freelancing, since you obtained them as a result of your employment with them. Really, really hard for them to stop you, but you need to know what you signed. So I'd look that over really carefully.

If there is no employment contract that you signed, you might see if they have an employee handbook that covers the issue. If nothing is stated specifically about intelectual properties or contacts etc. you are probably OK keeping that info for use elsewhere at a later date.

But ... I would think that you do have an obligation to povide your employer with anything that she asks for as part of your job. So ... yeah ... you probably do have to give her copies of your communications. You are her employee ... she gets to call the shots or she can fire you for non compliance with her instructions. It's a real job ... not a freelance contract ... which is totally different.

[maganda_x3]

What do you think of the FIT Styling Certificate?

[shirleebee]

or Parsons AAS programs? (as a backup?)

You can't really teach styling, though. Argh.

[taj76]

Thank you for the advice Bette T

[BetteT]

A certificate means nothing, actually. A prospective client will never ask about your education if you are a styist. If you show your certifiate, it will signal that you are really inexperienced ... so hide it, if you have one. They will ask to see your portfolio, maybe a resume and if that impresses them, they will probably talk to you about the project at hand to see if they like you, your knowlege and ideas and your work ethic. They also will look for stylists who are recommended to them ...probably more than anything ... so reputation is the number one factor in getting gigs.

But ... it's a beginning ... but only that. You are not even close to being prepared to work as a stylist. It takes a couple years minimum, out there testing and building your network and portfolio, before you will probably ever see a dime profit. You should assist for a while and really learn the business from a working pro. Within 6 months after the course, you will understand that they did not really get you started ... only gave you a tiny smattering of information and sent you off in the direction of starting to actually learn the business ... the rest is up to you. You must find a way to begin to build a client list.

And no ... you can't teach styling ... a person has to have the eye for it (for proportion, fit, texture, color, etc.). But they can teach you a bit about how to build your business ... but infortumately most courses only spend a few hours on that. And without that information, and the guts and fortitude to do what it takes, you are probably not going to make it. The business end of it is as or even more important that the "creative" part of it if you expect to actully get paid, eventually.

[merry anne]

if you're working on a styling shoot, what happens if an item gets lost?

[BetteT]

Sombody has to pay for it ... usually the stylist, unless it's an editorial where the magazine has agreed to pay in the pull letter.

[delerith]

Are there any difficulty in styling dresses with prints? Once I did it and the girl on photo looked fat What's the trick? I see a lot of models in print dresses and they look ok...

[BetteT]

We can't say "fat" ... because of the "no weight talk" rule, but I'll let it go this time ... not such a big deal since you are actually talking about garments.

Prints can work either way.. flatter a figure or not so much. It's really hard to explain, but that is where you have to use your practiced stylist's eye.

But, here are some things I've learned, working with prints:

1. To get a good idea how she will look in the print in a photo, I like to look at her in a mirror ... stand behind her. This gives me a 2 dimensional look at it ... which is how the photo will look ... and that helps me visualize it better.

2. If a print is big, and it has big round patterns on it ... like swirls, or big flowers, etc. ... and one of them falls right on a bust, a hip or a tummy, it can make that area look larger and rounder, so watch out for those types of prints. If you have a choice of several different garments with tha same print on it, try several of them on untill you find one where the print falls on the right areas.

3. Small prints can look dowdy and boring ... and sometimes like what an old lady would wear ... so I usually prefer a bolder print.

4. I find that prints that tend to have more of a vertical allignment, taller patterns than they are wide, seem to be more flattering in many cases.

5. You must have a fitting and look it over carefully ... you cannot guess. A print can look great on one model, and not so good on another.

[glamorousenvy]

There is nothing I would love more than to be a stylist. Unfortunately, I tend to be a tad pessimistic when it comes to these sorts of things, especially considering the fact that the chances of being successful are about 50%, if that. How much effort, do you think, should I actually put into styling? My backup plan is going into fashion journalism, but I don't know which one I should truly focus on?

[Fabulyss]

I feel the same way, only I've just graduated college and have no job to show for it

I've been assisting one of the greatest stylist's in the city but only for a handful of jobs. I've yet to do work on my own but even he is telling me 'there's nothing in this city'. It's so frustrating. In addition, my boyfriend just graduated with his masters and will most likely score a job elsewhere (possibly in Europe) so I will have to move in a few months anyway.

Is it a nearly impossible transition for a stylist to move to a new city - since most of the job is about contacts with stores/photographers/etc??

[BetteT]

It is all about contacts ... so you will start from square one in a new city. But maybe some of your contacts here, can help you with introductions there ... if they like you. Something you should work on ... trying to make connections before you get there.

Styling takes years of struggling to make it. Once in a rare while, a person with the right connections get's lucky ... like Rachel Zoe who was well monied and very well connected because of that money, when she started celebrity styling. But she's one in probably a thousand. The rest of us build a business slowly ... one thing leads to another and we must always network with everyone we have ever worked with.

[Fabulyss]

^Thank you for the advice, as disheartening as it may be I wish it wasn't all about connections as that filters out a lot of great talent (myself, of course)!

[SnejanaIsMyMuse]

Just a question ,how hard is it to be a stylist and a photographer at the same time? As in you are your own stylist, and can do both proficiently?

I sort of narrowed my career goals into one of those two categories, with fashion journalism as another possibility.I'm going into college in the fall and I'm going to be taking courses that can easily transfer, hence I am going in undeclared so my choices will be more open.Once I get specific courses done I'm going to get into working for the school newspaper and getting more into journalism and art.Then once I can transfer, I really want to either go to Chicago or NYC depending on what ends up becoming a better option for me.Interning is the probable next step after that.