Pen.Style: NYIAD Personal Style Course Review

Dear Pennies & Pens, 

A few years ago, I started taking the complete course in Personal Style with the New York Institute of Art & Design. In this course, you learn about styling, the history of fashion, dressing different body types and much more. Check out the original post where I introduce the course and collaboration here.Ā 

This was a really exciting collaboration and project. Working with NYIAD allowed me to expand my skill set and knowledge of styling. I am and will be forever grateful to the NYIAD team for sponsoring me. Thank you so much for agreeing to work with me! 

My styling certification from the New York Institute of Art & Design. Image by LoudPen, CEO of The InkSpot

I am pleased to say that I completed the course in June of 2020. Receiving my certificate was definitely a highlight of 2020. It wasnā€™t until I received my certificate that I noted that the course was 270 hours!!! No wonder, it took me so long to finish it. I was managing a business, working full time plus having a personal life. 

Overall, the course was absolutely phenomenal! I learned so much about fashion styling and dressing different body types which is a key skill set as a Stylist. I also realized that there is a niche for more knowledge of dressing multicultural consumers because our body types, skin tones and hair textures vary greatly. So donā€™t worry, I will be making the study of dressing multicultural people a priority.

As far as details on the course, there are 6 total sections: 

  • Unit 1: The Educated Fashionista
  • Unit 2: The Elements of Style
  • Unit 3: Focus on Fashion 
  • Unit 4: Shapes & Colors
  • Unit 5: Complete the Look
  • Unit 6: Putting It All Together 

Each of the 6 sections is broken down into more details. Itā€™s a truly comprehensive course so youā€™ll get a full range of knowledge on fashion. All of the sections require you complete and pass a test as well a project. Since the tests are open book, theyā€™re not hard but you should refer to your notes and course info to make sure you answer correctly. 

My styling certification from the New York Institute of Art & Design

To me, the projects were the hardest part of the course. Most of the projects require you to complete multiple assignments so it can be time consuming and stressful. The projects were my least favorite part of the course for this reason. I had a lot going on while taking this course so it was hard to balance everything. 

On top of that, I did not get along with my student advisor. This person was extremely critical of my work and never had anything positive to say. It was so draining trying to complete the course and deal with them at the same time. At first, it was like maybe theyā€™re trying to give ā€œtough loveā€. But then I realized that I’m a college graduate and Iā€™ve taken many other classes and never had a professor or advisor irritate me so much. 

It got to the point where I didnā€™t even want to finish the course. I was beyond frustrated. I had originally completed the course in 2018 but the advisor made me resubmit an assignment on my final project. So for 2 years, I abandoned the course altogether. Then finally, while in quarantine, I decided to finish the course. 

My styling certification from the New York Institute of Art & Design

I resubmitted the assignment and passed the course. And I am so glad I did!!! Because it taught me a powerful lesson – people will say or do anything to stop you from achieving your goals. The fact of the matter is that LoudPen is a force to be reckoned with. I am an Author of 3 books, I have my own fashion line and Iā€™ve been styling for 13 years. I also do marketing and public relations and have worked with over 90 sponsors and clients. 

While I am not perfect by any means, I have worked extremely hard to get to where I am today. Therefore, I will not be letting anything or anyone stop me. In conclusion, I would recommend this course to anyone seeking to be a Stylist. It was an insightful course. Learn more here: NYIAD prospective students.Ā 

And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything. With us, keeping it real never goes wrong. 

PS If you’re are looking for a Stylist, shoot me an email at LoudPen@theinkspotlp.com. I am looking for new clients, I offer personal styling, editorial styling and advertorial styling.

Leave a Comment

2 Comments

  1. Aysia Ross wrote:

    Hello! Thank you for creating this blog post, I am looking to take this course as well, do you think it was extensive with teaching the business side as well?

    Posted 11.22.22 Reply
    • LoudPen wrote:

      Hi Aysia! You’re welcome, thanks for reading my blog post! I think the course was great overall but no, I don’t think it teaches the business side as extensively. It focuses more on body type, fit, and the history of fashion. But I think that’s a good base for any stylist and definitely worth taking. Hope this helps!

      Posted 11.22.22 Reply
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