What does stylist mean?
A stylist is someone whose special skill lies in style. In everyday usage, the term most often refers to a hairdresser, fashion consultant, or adviser who helps people manage their appearance and present themselves effectively. It can also refer more broadly to a designer or image consultant. In literature and criticism, a stylist is a writer or speaker whose command of language is especially elegant, vivid, or distinctive. The word suggests not merely a preference for fashionable decoration but skill in creating an effect through careful choices. It is therefore useful when describing either the practical work of personal presentation or the distinctive verbal identity of an author. The related adjective stylistic is also commonly used in discussions of writing, art, and performance.
nounA person who works with or specializes in style, especially in fashion, design, or writing. A stylist may advise others on appearance or be admired for an elegant, distinctive literary style.
- A person who advises or works in fashion, appearance, or design, especially a hairdresser or image consultant.
- A writer or speaker whose use of language is notably elegant, skilful, or distinctive.
"The designer and stylist worked together to create an understated collection for the new season."
"She visited a stylist before the interview and chose a simple, carefully tailored outfit."
"The novel's reputation as a modern classic owes much to its gift for rhythm and its stylist's unusual command of language."
The plural is used for multiple people who work as stylists.
"Several leading stylists attended the fashion event."
A stylist does more than decorate appearance: in literature, the word celebrates someone whose choice of words gives writing a distinctive and memorable character.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stylist come from?
Stylist is formed from style together with the suffix -ist, which indicates a person who practices or specializes in something. Style itself comes through Old French from Latin stylus, meaning a writing instrument or column, ultimately from Greek stylos, meaning a pillar or pointed writing tool. In its modern sense, stylist developed by the early 17th century and originally referred to a person concerned with style, especially in writing; its later association with fashion and personal appearance followed from the broader sense of a person who advises on style.
Related word forms
How stylist is actually used
The word is common in fashion and personal styling, while in literary criticism it can describe a writer with a distinctive approach to language. In the literary sense, it is usually complimentary but can also suggest an emphasis on style that overshadows substance.