Perhaps your wardrobe is outdated and needs a refresh, or you are re-entering the workspace? Maybe you just really hate shopping, but still want to look your best?
Are you unhappy with the way you look? You are not alone!
Celebrity stylist, Amanda Sanders, is your go-to-girl! With her sophisticated style, Amanda has been helping celebrities, as well as New York's most fashionable women and men, for almost 2 decades. Let Amanda revamp your closet, get rid of all of the old items that you shouldn’t be wearing anymore and start the New Year with a fresh, new-and-improved you.
Amanda will completely upgrade your look and teach you how to look your best, no matter the occasion.
"Amanda ROCKS! I have been working with Amanda since 1997 when we began filming “The Chris Rock Show.” From there she became my longtime friend and personal stylist. She dressed me for every big event including the MTV Video Music Awards, and our biggest moment together is when she dressed me to host the Academy Awards. With her guidance I feel at my best and stood out while still being comfortable and true to myself." - Chris Rock
Samantha Brown is a world-renowned professional personal stylist and celebrity stylist in NYC. She has been working with men and women to refine their personal style for over a decade. She will help you to curate your style for a special event, rebuild your work wardrobe to ensure you have a seat at the boardroom table, or guide you on how to put together a uniform of staple pieces that will last for seasons to come. Whether it’s classic tailoring, current trends, or discovering which colors, shapes and styles suit your body type, Samantha will help you discover your signature look.
Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.
Seamstresses provide tailoring, alteration and custom sewing for clothing or costumes. Seamstresses can reshape clothing that is too big or too small so that it fits properly — for example, hemming pants that are too long or bringing in the waistband of pants or a skirt that is too large. Seamstresses can also provide more complex alterations such as adding tucks to shape a dress or bringing in the body of a shirt. More time and expertise will be required for challenging fabric such as silk or clothing with lining, like a blazer or lined slacks. Seamstresses are also skilled in altering wedding dresses and other formal wear. The time and skill required for these types of alterations is greater than for basic tasks like hemming, so be sure to find an experienced seamstress to handle your special items.
Many seamstresses can also custom-make clothing for you. To come up with the design, you can bring in a pattern you like or an item of clothing you want the seamstress to replicate, or ask the seamstress to create a pattern for you. You can bring your own unique design to life with the help of a seamstress. There is no formal job training required to be a seamstress; many learn to sew and design from practical experience. For larger projects, like tailoring a suit, always be sure to review portfolios of work and read about the seamstress’s experience before committing.
A fashion consultant is a paid professional who will advise you on what to wear and how to wear it to fit your desired lifestyle or career goals. A fashion consultant can provide many services including personal shopping, closet audits, beauty consultations, style consultations and ongoing seasonal services. A fashion consultant often has a design or fashion background (although this is not required) and an innate sense of style. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut with the colors, cuts and designs we think suit us. A fashion consultant comes in with fresh eyes and provides constructive feedback to guide your style choices.
During your initial meeting, your fashion consultant will take stock of your current clothing selection and learn what you hope to achieve. They’ll identify core wardrobe pieces you need, as well as advise you how to wear items together. Many consultants create style lookbooks for their clients explaining things like exactly which shoes to wear with what pants and how to accessorize each look. Fashion consultants are a great option for people who are updating their style due to age, career changes or body changes, or who are just ready for a new look and feel. Most fashion consultants charge by the hour, with some offering packages and others working from a retainer.
Image consultants help people look and feel their best by coaching them on their clothing and beauty choices. An image consultant can be hired for a one-time occasion, such as an awards ceremony, big birthday party or photo shoot. The consultant will recommend clothing, hair and makeup to suit the occasion either using either what the client owns or taking a targeted shopping trip. For a complete fashion consultation, the image consultant will assess your wardrobe, your lifestyle, and what you hope to present to the world, and will then determine the best colors, styles and cuts for you. You can get help streamlining your professional appearance, adjusting your style after a change in body size, solidifying a new look, or finding clothing to fit one area of your life like work or weekends. Image consultants also provide closet edits, going through your clothing and paring out what isn’t right for the look you’re trying to achieve. Personal shopping is another service that image consultants provide. After an image assessment, they can either shop with you or shop on your behalf to find you key pieces you need.
To find a fashion consultant, start by browsing portfolios online. Styling is a visual art, so finding a fashion consultant who fits the style you desire is key. Great personal stylists aren’t confined to one style, but if you’re seeking a hipper, fashion-forward vibe, you’d do well to find someone with a modern portfolio, while a fashion consultant with a consistently refined style could be a better fit if you’d prefer a more conservative look. Reading reviews is also helpful for learning more about the fashion consultant. Research their training, background and years of experience. After reviewing websites and Instagram accounts, meet with the stylist in person to learn how well they fit your personality; some fashion consultants offer a free phone consultation prior to hiring. Before hiring, make sure you clearly understand their terms of service and payment.
Personal shoppers take the pain out of having good fashion. Personal shoppers are paid professionals who work with women, men or children who need style assistance. If you are stuck in a fashion rut, are unsure how to dress in a way that flatters your body, need to revamp your image, or want a more professional career look, personal shoppers can help. Personal shoppers identify the look their client wants to achieve and purchase the necessary clothing and accessories to achieve it. The process often begins with an initial consultation with the client to understand their style goals. This consultation may include a closet “audit,” an assessment of the client’s current wardrobe to see what items can be eliminated and what must be purchased to achieve the desired style.
The client and the personal shopper can shop together, selecting items as a team. The personal shopper may also shop on behalf of the client, then bring all items to the client for a final decision. A third option is pre-shopping, where the personal shopper reaches the store(s) ahead of the client and sets aside clothing for the client to try on, expediting the whole process — a win for anyone who hates spending time in the mall. Personal shoppers can also be hired for one-time events such as weddings, vacations or birthdays. You can also enlist a personal shopper to do your gift shopping for you. Overall, a personal shopper is an investment in making good style choices.
First, pull up a list of nearby hairstylists on Thumbtack, and read their profiles to get an understanding of what they specialize in — hair coloring, cutting, extensions, wedding hairstyles, etc. Then, start searching for stylists who have high ratings and customer reviews. You should also spend some time looking at photos that showcase their work. That way, you can determine if a stylist has the experience and skills needed to achieve the look you want.
When you’ve identified at least three hairstylists you like, ask them for a cost estimate and make sure they have the proper credentials.
Tipping seamstresses is not standard protocol. That said, anytime a talented seamstress goes above and beyond, offering a gratuity is a thoughtful gesture. A gratuity might be appropriate if the seamstress accepted a large project for you at the last minute — for example, hemming new suit pants the night before your work trip or taking in your party dress the day before your birthday. A gratuity may also be appropriate as recognition for the long hours of skilled stitching that your seamstress has put in altering your wedding dress, which often requires multiple fittings and precise fixes to make your dress perfect. If you do decide to offer a gratuity, first ask if the seamstress accepts gratuities; if they do, offer them an additional 15 percent to 20 percent of the total bill.
The price for seamstress services will vary depending on the type of work you have done. The national average rate for a seamstress or tailor is $150-$280. Simple projects like repairing holes and hemming jeans usually have flat rates; larger projects, such as sewing custom creations, altering suits or altering wedding dresses, are typically priced based on the specifics of the fabric and pattern and the amount of work time needed. Here are a few examples of tailor and seamstress average costs:
- Shorten sleeves of a dress shirt: $19.
- Shorten jacket sleeves: $23 (without buttons) to $28 (with buttons).
- Take in the body of a jacket: $40 (two seams) to $52 (three seams).
- Take in a dress shirt: $20.
- Adjust the shoulders of a jacket: $35.
- Hem a skirt or dress: $10-$14.
- Take in or let out a skirt or pair of pants: $15 (unlined) to $20 (lined) or $25 (with a zipper).
- Shorten top-stitched pants: $10.
- Shorten cuffed pants: $14.
- Shorten lined pants: $14.
- Shorten lined and cuffed pants: $18.
- Take in a sheath dress: $45.
- Restitch a fraying seam: $5.
- Replace buttons: 50 cents each.
- Move a button: $2.
- Add a hook and eye: 50 cents per set.
Image consultants help people look and feel their best by coaching them on their clothing and beauty choices. Image consultants help clients in a number of ways. An image consultant can be hired for a one-time occasion such as an awards ceremony, big birthday party or photo shoot. The consultant will recommend clothing, hair and makeup to suit the occasion, using what the client already owns or making a targeted shopping trip. For a complete fashion consultation, the image consultant will assess your wardrobe, lifestyle and image you hope to present to the world, and determine the best colors, styles and cuts for you. You can get help streamlining your professional appearance, adjusting your style after a change in body size, solidifying a new look, or finding clothing to fit a specific area of your life like work or weekends. Image consultants also provide closet edits, going through your clothing and paring out what isn’t right for the look you’re trying to achieve. Personal shopping is another service that image consultants provide. After an image assessment, they can either shop with you or shop on your behalf to find you key pieces you need.
After you find a few hairstylists you’re interested in, you need to decide who to hire. To figure this out, ask yourself these questions when evaluating each candidate:
- Does the hairstylist have mostly positive customer reviews and high ratings?
- Is the hairstylist charging prices that are reasonable and within my budget?
- Does this person specialize in my hair type and texture?
- Can the hairstylist achieve the look I want?
- Does the hairstylist have the proper training?
- Can the hairstylist come to me (i.e., are they a mobile hairstylist?), or do I need to go to their place of business?
Reviews for New York fashion stylists
Catherine D.
Callie was amazing to work with. She understand what my needs were and definitely delivered. I had a great time working with her and look forward to continuing our fashion journey. She understands the value of both your time and money which is important when working with someone. This was my first time using a stylist and I feel grateful to have connected with Callie.
Thumbtack Customer
I received the session (Style + Color Consultation & Closet Edit) with Dina as a gift and I have to admit I was a little apprehensive going into it, I don't really subscribe to current fashion trends and didn't know if a stylist would be helpful. But Dina put me at ease as soon as we met. She is a professional and very understanding, during the image consultation she focused on what works for me in particular, based on my color analysis, facial features and body type, we talked about clothing fit and intention. I came out of the initial session incredibly informed. For our second meeting we did a closet edit. And once again, Dina was very understanding of my current lack of budget for new clothes so we focused on making the items I had work together and we created quite a few new looks! The next day everyone at work complimented my outfit. What better feedback could you ask for?
Niles S.
I'm a guy who doesn't care too much about labels and brand names, my preference is to wear clothing that fits my body well, has a level of utilitarianism, without logos showing (hard to do with most athletic-wear, so there are exceptions) and I like clean lines, simple silhouettes, and not a lot of patterned clothing. Callie gets it right EVERY TIME. At one point in my life, my ENTIRE CLOSET was procured by Callie -- including underwear and socks. I thought I had lost contact with her forever when I moved to the west coast -- new job, new number, new circle of acquaintances -- ya know, the usual when you move across the country. After a little over a year or so of moving, I now find myself back in a position where I have to change my wardrobe up a bit -- the fact that I hate shopping in stores doesn't help very much. I signed up for Thumbtack knowing that the best fashion stylists are probably either in NYC or LA and after traveling around the country, and between the US and Europe for work; becasue of Callie, I have experienced first-hand what a good stylist can do with online retail shopping on the internet. She would send me links to online shopping carts that she suggested I purchase -- most of the time, she would just tell me to buy whatever was in the cart, without me really criticising the merchandise too much. She'd say, 'Just trust me, it'll fit!' Much to my surprise, and sometimes dismay, the clothing that came in the mail would be ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR ME! It's unbelievable what she can do with online retail. It's remarkable how well she knows clothing brands (it seems like she knows EVERY BRAND of clothing), she even told me which brand had the best cotton at that time, because not all of the clothing brands have access to the same cotton year after year. She knows everything about the cuts of fabric, whether it was made in Japan, Italy, France, Great Britain or even Turkey -- how they all cut their clothing with a different style and why some items from a fashion house worked for me and others from the same place didn't. I very rarely had to send anything back, if I did, there were mostly always free shipping and returns and it always gave me insight to my correct sizing for the particular brand we were dealing with. I'm also astounded by her abilities with using video calls; she could tell if my weight fluctuated within the first few minutes of being on a Skype call with her! She was always honest and direct -- straight to the point without a lot of bs; doesn't waste time or money. She'd always stay within my budget and always found me good deals -- I truly believe she does more than she gets paid for. So, I typed in my old zip code from NY, with high hopes of finding a wardrobe consultant in the NYC area who would be anything like Callie. To my utter surprise and complete elation, Callie was in one of the groups who contacted me with quotes. I never thought in a million years that her caliber of fashion styling would be on an app like this. I am ecstatic to virtually reconnect with her after being gone from NYC for so long. We've already placed an order and I cannot wait for my new clothes to come in the mail! She also helped me with my image -- she suggested a style of haircut and beard shape that I had the barber do for me a couple days ago, and I LOOK and FEEL GREAT! She even had suggestions for my beard color, eyebrows, and fingernail length/shape! Top all that off with my new fashion and I'll be unstoppable! THANK YOU CALLIE for all of your hard work and dedication to your craft; for empowering me to look and feel my best. Also, thanks for always staying on budget; after all these years... you're still affordable for me.
Sara T.
Melanie changed my life!!! I had no sense of style and zero interest in shopping or fashion, I thought I was hopeless(!!), but I decided enough was enough dressing like a slob every day. Melanie helped me build a whole new wardrobe and showed me the most flattering clothing types, colors and patterns for my body and skin tone. She is one of the kindest people who is truly great at what she does. She's patient and challenged me to step outside my comfort zone without ever being pushy. She really understood me, my age, the time in my life I was going through and what I was trying to achieve; She never pushed a style on me that wasn't me or that I wasn't comfortable with. Melanie made the entire process so comfortable and judgment-free and was the easiest person in the world to talk to and confide in - I felt like I could trust her and talk to her like a close friend. Not only do I feel more confident and put together in my outfits, but I look at clothing completely differently now - I can go into a store and recognize what could look good on my body and I actually enjoy shopping and finding pieces that I can feel good about wearing. I love getting dressed now and thinking about how to put together outfits. Everything I've gained is far beyond any outcome I could have ever thought possible when I first went into the process. Hiring Melanie was one of the best decisions I've EVER made and has completely transformed my life - if you are even thinking about hiring a stylist don't hesitate another moment to see what she can do for you. I have recommended her to all my friends and family, and cannot wait to hire her again for my next season's wardrobe!!!!
Ready to find a pro?
See more reviews, compare prices, and hire your favorite pros all with Thumbtack.