How You Can Hire Top Celebrity Stylists For Your Wardrobe Makeover

A version of this story first appeared on Forbes.com

What if you had access to the same stylists that celebrities use to look their best? Well, with the app Glamhive, Hollywood's top stylists are now just a click away, and they can help you refresh your wardrobe and dress for success.

Especially in the professional world, how you present yourself is so important, and that includes the clothes you wear. While it may seem superficial, we all naturally judge based on appearances, so let your style reflect the person you are and put your best foot forward—in fashionable shoes, of course!

To get more background on how Glamhive came about and how you can book Taylor Swift's stylist (yes, that Taylor Swift) we chatted with Glamhive's founder, Stephanie Sprangers:

SIMPLY: How did the concept for Glamhive come about?

STEPHANIE SPRANGERS: I launched Glamhive to give women and men everywhere access to something that’s really only been for the rich and famous - the opportunity to work with a personal stylist one-on-one. I’ve always believed that with the right guidance and expert help, everyone can look like a million bucks, and, most importantly, feel like the best version of themselves.

The goal of improving your style is to look amazing by your own standards of what that is (whether it’s cool and relaxed, or sharp and a force-to-be-reckoned with; like a Fortune 500 CEO or like a French It-girl who just “woke up that way”), without feeling like you stepped into a costume of someone else and are playing pretend. Good style, whatever your goals, feels confident, natural, and effortless (although as the French are the first to admit, nothing that looks effortless is ever actually sans effort).

There’s a reason people go to school and train for years to hone their eye on how to achieve just these things; but for most non-celebrities, the notion of hiring a personal stylist has seemed prohibitively expensive and grandiose.

With the democratization of fashion in recent years and the unparalleled access that normal, every-day people have to both experts in the fashion industry as well as fellow “everyday women,” (who may not be renowned stylists but still have impeccable style), I started seeing people on Instagram reaching out to stylists and others with inquiries about personal styling and personal fashion questions, in the comments. But I realized that’s not something everyone would do because they don’t have the courage or the gumption to contact complete strangers without knowing they’re already game to help. I decided to create a service that would connect real women with celebrity and everyday stylists in an affordable, attainable way. It gives regular people the relationships they may not put themselves out there to seek otherwise, and gives stylists the tools and affiliate rewards to manage their clients with ease.

I’ve loved hearing how incredibly empowering the results of working with a stylist has been for so many women who once thought such possibilities were totally out of their reach. The confidence and morale boost they experience is fantastic.

SIMPLY: What sets Glamhive apart from other online styling services?

SS: The talent we have on board, varying tiers, and range of services. We’ve worked hard to secure some of the best celebrity stylists—and everyday up-and-comers—working in the fashion industry today, and their expertise is available at the fingertips of anyone in the world through our online platform. Many online styling services, like gyms, annoyingly require a monthly subscription/commitment, or take the “style in a box” model. We’ve got fee-for-service options that range from closet overhauls to “don’t-know-where-to-start makeovers,” as well as on-call retainers, special event options, and travel services. You can peruse some of the possibilities here!

SIMPLY: How can customers go about booking a service?

SS: All someone has to do is scroll to find a stylist who matches their vibe and book them through the app or online. It’s so easy to use. You and the stylist agree on a set time, and then connect virtually via video chat. Prices vary depending on the stylist and service chosen, but they generally start at $25 for a consultation, range in the $400s to $600s for a “Closet Detox” (in which the stylist takes stock of your wardrobe and helps you pick what to keep, what to donate and what to buy to refresh the selection) and can total in the $1000s for executive styling.

Want more scoop on Glamhive and why dressing for the life you want is so important? Here's what some of Glamhive's stylists had to say!

JEN RADE

Stylist to Angelina Jolie, Costume Designer

On the importance of dressing the part: We live in an image-driven society. From real-life encounters to those that happen on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, you get one chance to make a good first impression. We all know that cliche, yet, many don’t present themselves in a way that reflects the reality of that statement.

In the business world, that impression has very long lasting effects. It affects getting your dream job or not, getting that sought after promotion or not, winning that account/client/deal or not. Even if it’s unfair, it’s that reality that we live with.

In every area of your life, you hire an expert. Why not in the area that impacts your opportunities the most? Your style!

For a lot of people, figuring out what to wear each day is a hassle. It’s often time-consuming, and most people stand in front of their closet every day, or before every important function, and wonder what to wear. They often feel like they have nothing to wear and are in a rut. Or worse, they tell themselves that how they dress “doesn’t matter.”

There is a fix for all of this, and this is where Glamhive comes in.

A professional stylist changes all of this by assessing your personality, your lifestyle, and your goals, and then building a wardrobe that works for you; one that makes your life easier, saves you time and, most importantly, communicates powerfully who you are to the outside world.

Put another way: this can be achieved by editing your closet, putting together new looks from pieces you already own by pairing things together that you wouldn’t think would work together, and creating a mood board full of shopping suggestions, all personalized for each client. Then you have a road map for what to wear, both professionally and personally.

You never have to waste time or anxiety about whether you are dressed appropriately and putting out the right image. You’ll have confidence in how you look and how others perceive you. Gone are the days of wondering if your clothing choices take away from your image and how you want to be perceived.

Great style is possible for everyone; every age, body shape, and at every price point.

This is a world where we are judged by our image. If you're hiring a doctor or a lawyer, we often look at how they dress and form opinions about their qualifications. They may have the best qualifications, but if they look sloppy, dated, or even generic, we instinctively second guess their abilities.

Most people need help to ensure they are presenting themselves powerfully to the outside world.

Your style is not superficial. We are not just superficially looking at your clothes. Rather we look at who you are, what you do, your lifestyle, and goals, and help create a closet and style that truly reflects who you are.

Most importantly, we are giving you precious time back for things you’d rather be doing. The one thing in the world that you can’t get back is time. We are taking that stress off your shoulders and replacing it with a great blazer.

Dress for the life you want, not the life you have.

TANYA GILL

Stylist for Jane Fonda

On the importance of finding the right suit: For executives, it’s about finding the perfect suit—and it’s challenging for everyone, even the most image-driven executives in Hollywood. I recently worked with a very well known, successful producer who asked, “Can you help me?” because she had a ton of functions to attend for the premiere of one of her movies. She needed the perfect suit, and so I pulled many choices of amazing suits. You would think that all would work, but, really, only one did. It had the perfect cut, color, and with tailoring, had the perfect fit for her body and shape.

I see a lot of oversized, bad-fitting suits on men and women. Where I come in is that I fine tune, I edit everything out there down to choices that are perfect for my clients. I know all of the designers and how they cut for different body shapes. I save executives a tremendous amount of time, and their time is worth money.

On her best pieces of style advice: Color is something that people are afraid of, so you see a lot of navy and black, which is great, but lately, I’ve been steering executive women to beautiful to prince of wales check and plaid, it gives the perfect touch a color. It’s chic, modern, and fashion-forward than the same old navy and black.

Dress like the person you want to be.

Accessories need to be on-point.

For women: have great shoes. People always notice the shoes, and they notice your handbag too.

For men watches and ties give a lot of personality.

On noticing the details: The details matter and stylist fine-tune the best pieces for your personality and lifestyle, both professionally and personally. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Maybe it’s reading glasses.

This is where GH is an asset: stylists help with the details. Spending money on the Gucci loafer is excellent, but it’s the smaller details that can make the difference between standout style or not.

NAINA SINGLA

Glamhive Stylist

On dressing for the spotlight: Women who are in the public spotlight or who are in leadership positions want to look professional and they want well tailored clothing. They need wardrobes that reflect their personality and the brand or the industry they work in.

I recently worked with a high ranking government official who had multiple media events, conferences, and other important daily meetings to attend. She had tried clothing subscriptions but she ended up with lots of pieces in her wardrobe she didn’t know how to style. She wasn’t maximizing what was already in her wardrobe, and she didn’t have time to figure it out with her typical 12 hour workday schedule. I helped her create fresh new looks from her wardrobe, identified gaps, and shopped for those new pieces. I also took photos of her outfits so that she could easily reference the styled looks for all her events.

After this initial meeting, we worked together to find her additional outfits for upcoming events on her calendar. For many professional women, working with a stylist can be an ongoing process, especially if they need multiple outfits for various appearances and events. And women in high level positions don’t have the time , and in many cases the interest to shop, but they want to look and feel amazing, and more importantly they want to have confidence with every outfit they wear.

Find out more about Glamhive and how you can hire a top level stylist to refresh your wardrobe here!

Homepage image via Haute Off The Rack