Hiring a wardrobe stylist for your brand photo session

Meet Erin Woods. She is a Florida native, avid reader and lover of the arts, mom, wife and entrepreneur. She lives in Longwood with her husband of 20+ years, Justin. Their two boys and their doodle Scout. She was a high school English and Theatre teacher for 12 years prior to staying home when her second son was born. She has had a Fair Trade accessory business for almost a decade and personal styling and fashion has always been a passion of hers.

I photographed Erin last year and have gotten to work with her for some brand photo shoots. She is the absolute sweetest, incredibly organized and has a huge passion for working with women! I asked Erin a few questions about her business and some of the why’s behind hiring a wardrobe stylist for your brand photo shoot.

How did you get started in personal styling and why do you love being a stylist?

When I left teaching to stay home with my young children, suddenly my entire wardrobe no longer served my lifestyle and I felt lost. I hired a personal stylist and had a life-changing experience. It was a lot about the clothes, but also about the compassion that she approached my huge life transition and rebuilding the confidence I needed to step into a new life. 

I carried that experience with me and knew I wanted to help other women in the same way–women facing life transitions, closet woes, body image struggles—all the things that I had felt and navigated. 

During the pandemic getting dressed became part of my mental health strategy. I realized even more deeply the connection between style and the confidence. We need to do the things we need and want to do in our lives.

I started my business, Style + Confidence, to help women discover and embrace their personal style and body shape to create a wardrobe that feels functional and joyful every single day. 

Why is it beneficial for people to work with a stylist for their branding photo shoot?

The best part about working with a stylist for a photo shoot is having an objective eye. You have a vision, but sometimes bringing it to life for a branding shoot can feel overwhelming. A stylist can help you interpret your vision, vibe and brand through clothing to create images you love. I can translate your vision to full looks and help identify items in your wardrobe. Or I can hunt for just the right piece to save you time and energy. 

How do you get to know someone’s personal style? 

I use a questionnaire to get to know you: your body shape, style personality and your product or service. I ask about your vision for the shoot, color palette, and acquire links to all of your social and website. And, dive into these resources to help me understand your full story. Then we meet on Zoom for a 1-hour consultation to discuss outfit needs and plan the looks for the shoot. After our meeting, I use a virtual closet platform called Hue&Stripe. Here I am able to provide Look-books that incorporate items from your own closet. You can just snap pictures on your phone and I upload them with Finds that you can shop directly for if needed. 

Prior to your shoot, we’ll do one more check in to make sure you have the outfits you need. And we will wrap up any additional questions! 

How do you select pieces for your clients photo shoot? 

Once we determine a vision and palette, I ask clients to take photos of anything they might want to use for the shoot. On our Zoom, clients can show me potential outfits and I am able to make suggestions and revisions. I also get to know the clients body shape through the Zoom and am able to shop for appropriate items if needed. 

Do you have any tips for creating a cohesive wardrobe for your clients’ brand session?

Have a plan! Sticking with a 3 word vision and color palette is very helpful.

What are some of your favorite places to shop or to source wardrobe from for Brand Sessions?

I’m a big fan of Nordstrom because of the variety of brands, price points and the free shipping/free returns policy. Amazon can be a great resource for the same reason.

Amazing tips Erin!! You can find Erin on Instagram here or her website here: https://erinlwoods.com/