I've Been a Stylist for 10 Years, and I Wish I Had Known This When I Started

When she’s not working with big names like Lupita Nyong’o, Jennifer Hudson, and Hilary Swank, celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger also divulges her fashion expertise in our Ask a Stylist column and fulfills her duties as the official Armi Captain at luxury rental and styling platform Armarium. From the best places to source vintage to the secret to finding your most flattering jeans, come back each week for a professional’s perspective.

Whether you work in fashion or not, when you hear that I work as a stylist, your first thought is most likely that my job is extremely glamorous. Although many parts of my job are glamorous, many things that I do on a daily basis are far from what you see on Instagram. Today, I’m sharing what I wish I’d known when I started as a stylist and some important things to learn in order to be successful.

Something that I’d like to share right away is I am extremely thankful and love the career I’ve created for myself very much. That said, today I’m highlighting the aspects that aren’t typically unveiled on social media. For example, I spend 80% of my time at FedEx preparing packages to send to my clients. What no one really talks about are the dull parts of being a stylist like packing and unpacking boxes and scheduling messengers. In my line of work, it’s all about learning to be organized because so much of your success is based on organization and client satisfaction.

However, as most would come to expect, my job also has amazing perks, and it’s a job where I get to be creative and work around beautiful clothing. Although my job is not what many people expect (and each day can be completely different than the next), I love my work and thrive on being creative and pleasing my clients every day.

Now that you know a little bit more of how I made it in the fashion industry, shop some of the items I’m eyeing right now.