How To Be A Stylist- Catalog clothing photos are not always what they seem

It’s All About The Tzuj With Behind the Scenes Stylist Tricks on a Photo Shoot
Honesty is not completely the only policy when it comes to photographing clothing

I don’t know if it’s just me but there have been so many times that I saw a picture of something that I thought I loved online or in a clothing catalog and then when the item finally arrived, I was terribly disappointed.

The garment didn’t fit me as well as it did on the model in the picture. It doesn’t hang the same way as in the photo let alone look like descent on me.

What I thought looked beautiful in the catalog only ends up to look cheesy in person- something that I would never consider buying let alone notice in a store.

Do I have too high expectations or am I on to something about clothing looking better in the photo than in real life? (via fashion advice)


Answer from an experts:

Guilty as charged!

Yes there are plenty of glamorous jobs and exotic location shoots, but I enjoyed styling mass clothing more than the high-priced items because there was the challenge to make something that really was not much of anything look so incredible that someone would fall in love with it and want to buy it.

Just about anyone could make a couture gown and drop-dead jewels look great on a gorgeous model. But to make dreary clothing look extraordinary... well, that was a craft! So much so that at the end of the shoot day, I would sometimes look at the model and think to myself that I wouldn’t mind having that outfit. Then, I would pull back and remember what we went through as a team to make that dreary dress look so great.

If the shoot is for a specific brand rather than an assortment of department store items there is acasting and fitting to make sure that the model has the right body to fit the clothes. If you are lucky or it is a live-action shoot, the clothes are then fitted on the model and a tailor tweaks the fit of the garment.

No time for a tailor? Well, that’s what a stylist prop kit is all about.

In the stylist kit is everything from bulldog clips or photographer clamps to fake a better fit from the rear, double-stick carpet tape to adhere those pesky fit issues, lots of straight pins to tighten up the back of a baggy sleeve, an assortment of sticky and pinchy tricks of the trade to alter a garment without leaving a trace once the shoot is complete! You only need to see something from one angle in a print shot, so the back could be completely rigged with the front looking like absolute perfection.

Once the fit is settled, there’s the look that most people think is only what a stylist job is about. There are racks and tables of additional items that it took days to pull from the right places just to find the perfect piece that works best on the set. Better quality or more interesting accessories and shoes tzuj up something simple. Like the average working girl really has a pair of $750 shoes to wear with the $65.00 dress, but it is the illusion that you are selling.

Some time spent in the hair and makeup chair and the model is made to look even more amazing—Brad Boles can tell you about some of those beauty tricks.

Around an 1/1/2 to 3 hours later it’s time for the photographer and his gorgeous and proven lightening to make sure that the product is shown in its best light and the model knows how to work it—that’s the magic that makes a purple polyester cha cha prom dress photograph to appear like it was off the runway!

What looked fantastic in the dressing room may not look that way on the set so a little more finagling is involved. If the outfit is still a total bust, you can also point a fan on the model for some movement or have her jump for an active shot. Once done, it’s next outfit, please...

If a model is not involved, well then you call the still life stylist, because she has her own bag of tricks.

A job well done is a job that doesn’t look like the crew was there; everything appears to have fallen in place naturally and simply. Is this deceptive? No, not exactly. It is having professionals do what they do to make something look as great as it can in a picture.

So the next time when you see the cheap skirt next to the better skirt in a photo it can be difficult to tell them apart. Does that mean the less expensive skirt will never look right on you? No, it means that you may need to work a bit harder to style it up.

The moral of this story is that it is NOT about the piece but about what YOU do with it. Style on and check the return policy!

_{Photo: Tinko Czetwertynski}

Keep Eyeshadow in Place for Hours?

I hate the way eyeshadow wears out by the end of the day, all of it sliding into the crease of the eye leaving you looking like you've taken to lining the middle of your lid with goop. I figured there wasn't much you could do about it until I went to the M.A.C. counter and had a makeover a couple years ago. It was there I was turned on to M.A.C.'s 'Paints' collection.

The pearlized texture stays put all day and into the night and I'm convinced it wouldn't leave your lid for weeks if you didn't take makeup remover to it. You spread it on your lid then top it with your eyeshadow and Voila! your good to go for days.

Is It Good to Rinse Hair in Cold Water?

The jury is no longer out on rinsing hair with cold water. According to much of my research, rinsing hair with cold water at the end of a shower closes the cuticle. This creates a healthy, shiny appearance, apparently. Many experts believe blasting hair with cold air also works by smoothing hair. This is why most dryers come with a cool air button.

How to Even Out Your Skin Tone

The key to a flawless face is an even skin tone. Even the most beautiful women in the world need a bit of help now and then (check out Heidi Klum sans makeup, pictured below)

Getting your skin tone right, is more important than any other part of your makeup routine. The trick is make it appear as if you aren't wearing any makeup at all. Here are a few steps to even-ing out your skin tone.

Rule #1: Exfoliate

Chances are if you don't exfoliate daily or weekly, your skin is covered in dead skin cells that are mucking up the surface of your skin and causing your skin to not only look dull, but older as well. Without proper exfoliation, foundation won't smooth over your skin cleanly and moisturizer won't properly soak in.

Exfoliate with face scrubs, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, beta alpha hydroxy pads or any Vitamin A product like Retin-A.

Rule #2: Prep the Face

Foundations and tinted moisturizers glide over a moisturized, plumped face so much better than a dry one. Plump up skin with a primer with SPF (primers have been The New Thing now for more than a oouple years). If you don't have a primer, moisturizers with SPF will do. Make sure the SPF is at least 15.

Rule #3: Even Out Skin Tone

The next step is to apply foundation or tinted moisturizer (tinted moisturizer tends to be more sheer). Make sure the foundation or TM blends perfectly into skin. If it's too light or too dark it will be noticeable. Apply only on the areas that need it most: Usually along the nose and on the cheeks and chin.

Rule #4: Cover Up Under-Eye Circles, Blemishes and Red Spots

A few dots of a creamy concealer under the eyes and on any blemishes helps remove the "veiny" or "bluish" appearance under the eyes many women have. Remember to pat, don't rub, concealer in.

Rule #5: Prep the Lids

Even if you aren't going to be applying eyeshadow, you'll want to apply a lid base to lids to even out skin there. Most people's lids have blue veins. Concealing them with a base or primer created for the lids helps even out your overall skin tone.

Rule #6: Bring Back Some Color

Once skin tone is evened out, you'll notice your skin lacks color. Bring it back in withbronzer, a creamy blush or both. Apply bronzing powder with a big fluffy brush on all the spots the sun naturally hits: Forehead, cheeks and nose. Follow with a creamy blush on the apple of your cheeks. (Cream blushes create a "dewy" complexion better than powder blushes, and help plump up skin).

Rule #7: Set the Face

Your last step to a perfect complexion is setting the face with a powder. This is a step I often avoid because I love how dewy my complexion is without powder. Plus, at this point, I'm lazy. But many makeup artists insist on this step.

Now that your face is "on" you'll notice you don't even have to apply much eye makeup to look fresh and spectacular. Even just a bit of mascara and a hint of gloss is enough for most women to look fantastic.

When Should I Throw Out Mascara?

Mascara is one makeup product in your bag that you want to keep tabs on. It's a breeding ground for bacteria. Most mascaras with a tube & a wand have an antibacterial agent in them that last about 6 weeks making you safe for at least a couple months & likely safe up to 4. You risk eye infection the longer you keep the product. If you notice the smell changes or the texture changes, throw it out. It's not worth it.

Are You Washing Your Hair Correctly?

Ever wonder why it's always recommended on shampoo bottles to "lather, rinse and repeat"? I'd always assumed shampoo companies were trying to get people to use -- and therefore have to buy more -- shampoo.

Not so, according to About's new hairstyles guide, Kendra Aarhus, (check out her site). In her article, "Lather, Rinse, Repeat: How to Wash Your Hair," she explains the first lathering is meant to cleanse the scalp, and the second is to cleanse the hair (aha!). Kendra's article is a must-read.

Is It Bad to Wash My Hair Every Day?

I get this question a lot: I have oily hair, is it bad to wash it every day?

Answer: Ahhh, the oily hair conundrum. You've probably heard that if you can make it a few days, your oily hair actually stops looking oily, but I don't really believe it. As someone with oily hair, I've never made it more than a couple days without washing or sprinkling baby powder on my crown to soak up the oils (oh how I love that trick).

Most experts agree that it's safe to wash hair daily with a mild shampoo (if you have dry hair, you can go as long as a week without washing, lucky you). Concentrate on washing the roots because it's your scalp that's oily, not your hair, according to beauty expert Mitchell Barnes in the March 2007 issue of Real Simple magazine. Contrary to popular belief, you do need to condition oily hair, just leave the conditioner to the bottom two-thirds of hair. Conditioner on roots will only help weigh hair down more.

Not shampooing daily can leave hair limp, however, so I suggest sprinkling a bit of talcum powder along the roots and crown or using a dry shampoo like Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder.

If you insist on washing daily, try this trick I got from Harper's Bazaar a few years ago: Apply conditioner first only to the bottom third of hair (if you have oily hair, don't use conditioner on the roots, it will weigh hair down). Keeping the conditioner in, apply shampoo to the roots and lather up. Rinse everything off. "Your roots will be lifted, but the rest of your hair will retain its shine," says Arsen Gurgov, a stylist at Louis Licari salon and the originator of this great tip.

How Can I Make My Eyes Look Bigger?

Ever look at those pictures of celebrities before makeup and after? My favorite celebrity isGwyneth Paltrow and I was thrilled one day to see her without makeup. Her eyes just disappeared. Yet in photos, she has luminous eyes. So what's the secret?

There are actually several. To get huge eyes try these tricks:

Always curl lashes before applying mascara. You can actually curl lashes AFTER mascara is applied, as long as your mascara is dried (a good tip to know if you want to curl your lashes later in the day without removing your mascara).

Individual false lashes are exotic, gorgeous and can look natural if applied correctly. Large cities offer "lash bars" in the hottest department stores. (Henri Bendel, Bergdorfs and more, for example) but I expect the counters at most department stores will have experts in false lashes. Ask at yours.

4For a doe-eyed, seductive look, makeup artist try lining your lower lids with a creamy white eye pencil. White liner may sound odd, but it really opens up the eye. You can also try putting it on the inside corner of both your upper and your lower lids.

Another way to open up eyes is to skip the white eyeliner and opt instead for a platinum highlighter. Dot along the browbone, then blend in. Apply highlighter at the inner corners of your eyes. Follow with eye shadow.

Make sure your brows are manicured. Until you get your brows professionally waxed, tweezed or threaded, you won't realize how much they affect the rest of your face. Cleaning up your brow line of stray hairs, adding a slight arch and filling in sparse spots are key to making eyes look much larger.

I find once you get a professional brow job, you can do it yourself for a few months using the pro job as a "map" of where to tweeze. To keep brows in place, try a clear eyebrow gel like Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara or just spritz a bit of hairspray onto an old toothbrush and brush brows in perfect place.