School of Style

As an assistant stylist it isn’t necessary for you to lug around a gigantic kit with you on all of the jobs you assist on — your key stylist will bring his or her kit. However, we do advise that you bring a mini-kit along with you on jobs. Bringing along this kit mini-kit will ensure you are prepared for anything and it will probably score you a bonus point or two with your key stylist.

1.) Lint roller-Nothing is more irritating than lint. Keep a mini lint roller in your bag for emergency lint and other dirty flecks that may crop up on set. Another way to carry around your lint roller is on a string around your neck. Makes for a functional necklace and it will always be handy when you need it.

2.) Mini-sewing kit (with mini-scissors)- When a button pops off, you’d better believe that your key stylist isn’t going to jump at the chance to sew it back on. Don’t even wait for the key to ask, you whip out your sewing kit and start sewing! Try and get a kit with small scissors too, will be helpful is cutting off stray threads.

3.) Safety pins & clips- Safety pins and clips are the savior of any photos shoot. If you think clothes really fit perfectly when they are put on the actors or models, then you are sadly mistaken. Clothing needs to be taken it on the fly all the time. Be prepared with pins and safety pins for these occasions.

4.) Top stick/ double sided tape- Almost equally as important as safety pins and clips … top stick! As stylists’ best friend. You will need this sticky stuff more than you will ever know, so have it handy in your assistant kit.

5.) Pen and paper- Having a pen and paper is crucial. Not only is it vital for taking credits on set but who doesn’t like to be the one who can step up to the plate when someone says “anyone have a pen?”

Fashion stylist, wardrobe stylist, or whatever you want to call it … It is one of the most sought after careers of the moment. And why shouldn’t it be? It’s a pretty sweet job. I mean you get to shop and hang out with beautiful people all day.

Of course, those aren’t the only reasons to consider wardrobe styling as a career. We have created a Top 10 List of Reasons Why Being a Stylist is the Best Job EVER! Check it out …

1.) Shopping, shopping, and more shopping! If you love to shop, then wardrobe styling is definitely the job for you. Your job is to shop. Shopping in department stores, showrooms, boutiques, costume houses … you get paid to be a shopping machine.

2.)  Beautiful clothes are your new best friends: As an aspiring wardrobe stylist you probably have spent most of your life drooling over fashion magazines and clothes that cost more than your rent. As as working stylist you will get to see and touch these beauties on a regular basis. Its a dream come true.

3.) Being your own boss (sorta): Gone are the days of having one big scary boss. When you are a stylist you are working for yourself. Sure you will have clients that act as your boss, but those are on a job by job basis. Being your own boss is a beautiful thing.

4.) Your workday is always different: No Groundhog Day here! When you are a stylist everyday is different. One day you may be working on a music video, another day you might be dressing models for a music video. Everyday is a surprise in this profession.

5.) Working with the beautiful, the talented, and the famous: Who needs stylists anyway? Celebrities, musicians, and models mostly. If you are a stylist guess who you will be interacting with at work … Exactly!

6.) Traveling: This all depends on your client, of course, but stylists tend to do a bit of traveling. New York, Japan, Los Angeles, Paris … you never know where you’ll end up for a job.

7.) Wave bye, bye to your boring desk job! If being chained to a desk is your biggest nightmare, then you will be happy to find out that you don’t have to spend too much time there. A lot of your job will involve being on set or in your car.

8.) Free clothes: We won’t lie, just because you are a stylist doesn’t means its going to be raining clothes 24/7 but occasionally the fashion fairy will drop a few treats in your closet.

9.) Backstage access to cool events: When you are dressing celebs and musicians you go where they go, which means backstage access to TV shows, concerts, and other cool events.

10.) Meeting new people: Like we mentioned earlier, your workday will always be different and that means meeting different people. Every job opens up the door for meeting new directors, photographers, makeup artists, hair people, models, celebrities, other stylists, and the list goes on …

So you’ve finally landed a job as an assistant stylist or as an intern for a stylist, congratulations! You might go in thinking that being an assistant or an intern is a walk in the park. We are here to tell you that isn’t the case. One misstep can lead into one of three things: 1.) getting yelled and screamed at 2.) getting fired on the spot or 3.) never getting called by that stylist ever again.

It’s a harsh truth, but it’s the truth all the same. Another truth is  your job is very important. It is important to the key stylist and it is important to building your career as a stylist.

With that being said, here are the Top 10 Ways to Get Fired as an assistant stylist/ intern. If you do the opposite of this list, you should be alright.

1.) Be late: It’s definitely a pet peeve of ours! Even if your key stylist is 20 minutes late (they usually will be) you should be on time. In fact, you should probably be a few minutes early.

2.) Dress like a tramp: Nothing says rookie like a girl in 6 inch heels. Nothing says disrespectful like a girl showing a ton of cleavage. Dressing like a skankity ho is not only uncomfortable (being a stylist is a very physical job), it is a real turn off to your key stylist … especially if she is older and less hot than you are.

3.) Network above your level: Bad move here!! It’s great to network on set, its how you build contacts to grow your career. However, networking with people that your key stylist should be networking with is grounds for immediate dismissal. Network with the other assistants, let your key handle schmoozing with the big dogs.

4.) Don’t answer your cell phone: When your phone rings, you best be answering it. We don’t care if you are in the bathroom or on the other line. If your key is calling, you answer!!

5.) Have a cell phone without email capabilities: Have a phone without the ability to receive email? Bye. It’s that simple. As as stylist you will be doing the majority of your work away from your desk. It is important that you bring the desk to you via a phone with email capabilities. Blackberry or iPhone? Whatever. Just get one that works.

6.) Flirt with everyone: Sure some of the best romances blossom on set but that doesn’t give you a free pass to flirtatiousville.  You are at work to work. End of story.

7.) Be loud on set: So important. As as assistant/intern you need to be like a little ghost … a very helpful ghost that only appears and makes sounds when asked to. On set there is no time for loudness and excessive talking. Don’t do it.

8.) Have a car without GPS: Key stylist: “Do you have GPS?” Assistant stylist: “Yes, on my phone.” WRONG ANSWER!! You’ve got to have GPS in your car. It’s one of the most handy tools for a stylist and yes, key stylists will ask if you have one before hiring you.

9.) Try and take credit for your key stylists work: Its common for the assistant to style a killer look that brings on a brigade of accolades. Wouldn’t it be great if you take the credit for it? It would be great but you can’t. Its a tough pill to swallow but get used to it and NEVER ever take credit … the credit always goes to the key.

10.) Lose your receipts, paperwork, or clothing: As an assistant you need to be an organization machine. Losing things will be a one-way ticket to getting screamed at like a child. Make copies of things, staple things to your body … whatever it takes, just don’t lose things.

If you want to avoid getting a one-way ticket to the fashion police then always remember this: Take off your studio service tag after you leave the department store!!

Some readers will laugh and know exactly what we mean. Others are sitting at their computers scratching their heads saying “WTF?” If you identify with the “WTF” category then let us explain.

When pulling clothing from a department store you can’t just roll in there like a regular schmo. You have to go through Studio Services. Studio Services is a special land devoted to working with stylists. Part of the Studio Services process includes wearing a gigantic name while you shop for your job. That tag explains to world and the department store employees that you are not a regular person … you are a stylist!

That tag is all fine and good in the store but once you leave — not the best look in the world. Just sayin’.

If you are an assistant stylist or an intern, at some point in your career you are going to be asked to tape shoes. I know I have been asked time or two (in fact you can see me in that picture taping up a pair of shoes)! The question is, will you know what do when your key stylist asks you tape up shoes? Do you even know why you are being asked to tape shoes? If you don’t, this blog post is my little gift to you.

Taping shoes is super important. If you are borrowing shoes from a store, designer, or showroom you don’t want to mess them up. Shoes are really easy to mess up and if you mess them up, that means you (or your key stylist) just bought them. Not good. So adding some tape to the soles of the shoes keeps them protected, it also keeps your bank account full.

Now you see why you need to do it but the question remains … how? Well, here is how I do it, enjoy:

1.) If there is a price tag on the bottom of the shoe I cover that with one layer scotch tape. That ensures that the price does doesn’t get ripped off or damaged.

2.) Apply layers of masking tape to the soles of the shoes. About 5 layers will do it. Use long stripes of tape to cover the bottoms and don’t worry if tapes hangs off the edge because it will.

3.) After you have applied the layers of tape, you will need to trim off the excess. Just grab a pair of scissors and start cutting. Don’t trip out if you can still see a little bit of tape because that can be worked out in photoshop later.

4.) The last thing I like to do is the heel. Just take a tiny piece (or two) of black tape to cover that part of the shoe.

That’s it. It’s not rocket science. It’s not the most fun thing in the world but it is a necessary task. Happy taping!!!

Over and out,

SOS Assistant

Yesterday during our Day 1 class, we learned a very valuable lesson for assistant stylists regarding on set etiquette. Keep your sexy back! In fact, keep your sexy as far back as possible. Let me explain …

A common misconception when it come to working as a wardrobe stylist, is that since you work in fashion you have to look unbelievably fashionable 24 hour a day. Not true. Everyone already knows/assumes that you are into fashion. I mean, duh you work in the industry. So it’s really not necessary to come to work decked out in heels, mini skirts, furs, excessive amounts of jewelry, etc. There are two reasons for this:

Reason #1- Chances are you will be working 10-18 hour days. Let me tell you something, those hours won’t be spent sitting around. You will be WORKING. You will be running around, picking things up, putting things down, schlepping things around … you will be gross by the end of the day. This is a very physical job.

Reason #2- Dressing like a fashionable little tart will piss people off. Even if you can handle carrying around 50lb loads in 6inch heels, chances are people won’t really like you for it. No they won’t be jealous of your brute strength, they will be jealous because you look freaking hot – sexy hot, not sweaty hot. Point is, a lot of the time you will be working with a female key stylist and she doesn’t want her piddly little assistant looking like a walking sex machine. It’s unprofessional and it will bring you the wrong kind of attention, which will ultimately result in you never getting hired again.

With that being said, you are probably wondering “Well, what the heck do I wear to work?” I will put it how my key stylist put it “dress chill”. I translated that into this: take off your six inch heels and put on your patent leather Converse or your Marc Jacobs ballet flats. The outfit I typically wear on set is a pair of flats, skinny jeans, a tee shirt, and a cardigan or leather jacket (if the shoot is outside). I try not to wear too much jewelry. I also avoid excessive makeup- no want wants to stare in the eyes of prostitute-in-training all day.

Over and out …

SOS Assistant

When you work a job as an assistant stylist (even as a stylist) it’s like you are getting paid to be on an 10+ hour job interview. You’ve gotta work to impress the key stylist if you ever want he/she to hire you again. If you are terror of an assistant, then you can guarantee that you won’t work with that stylist again. Heck, you may even ruin your rep with other stylist too. No BS.

So here are a couple of rules to live by when you are working as an assistant stylist:

Rule #1- Shut the f%&* up! For real. BE QUIET on set. No one really cares about your opinion, unless of course they ask you for it. Stay quiet and do what you are told. Remember, you are the assistant here.

Rule #2- Stay off your phone. Nothing says “lazy ass” like an assistant who is constantly texting and yacking on their phone. Stay off of it. Whatever your boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend or whoever has to say can wait … you are at work, dang-it!

Rule #3- Be professional. Working a stylist job isn’t like working an office job. You don’t have to dress up all dorky, and unlike an office, the environment is often chaotic and noisy. BUT you can’t let that stuff trick you into thinking its cool to be slack. Its not cool. You are at work, so act like it. Be professional at all times. There is no room for silly flirty, horsing around, and all that other crap.

So there are the rules/SOS Assistant’s heavy dose of tough love! There aren’t many rules but they are all super important if you want to work in this town ;) Learn em, live em, and learn em some more.

Peaces,

SOS Assistant

Luke showing SOS Assistant how it’s done!

When your job involves working with clothing, you are going to run into wrinkles every now and again. What’s a stylist/ assistant stylist/ intern to do? Well you certainly aren’t going to break out the ironing board (do people still use those?) you are going to break out your steamer, that’s what!

Using a steamer isn’t brain surgery or anything but there are a few little tips that SOS Assistant can hook you up with to make your life behind the steamer a little bit easier:

Tip #1- Make sure the steamer is the first thing you unpack and set up when you get on set. Fill that thing up with water, plug it in, and get it heated up. Your key stylist will give you the stink eye if he or she needs something steamed and the steamer isn’t ready.

Tip #2- Be mindful of what you are steaming. If you are steaming a garment that is made of silk or satin and a water mark would show and f things up, then you are going to need to do one of two things: steam very carefully (that never works) or put a sock over the steamer to catch any excess water.

Tip #3- Make sure you pack up the steamer properly. When you are through with the steamer, pour out the water in the bottle (duh) and turn the whole thing upside down and shake it until its dry. No one wants a leaky steamer in their car.

That’s all for now. Three simple steamer related tips that will help keep your key stylist nice and happy!