FAQs
Sterling Style Academy FAQs
Sterling Style Academy FAQs — Choosing the right professional training is an important investment. Below you’ll find answers to the most common questions about our Image Consultant, Personal Stylist, Fashion Stylist, Color Analysis, and Personal Shopper certification programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Our programs are designed for people who want a career in image consulting, personal styling, fashion styling or color analysis. If you’re passionate about color and style, enjoy helping others look and feel confident, and want to turn that into a business or career, this training is a great fit.
A: Sterling Style Academy certification programs provide professional training in color analysis, personal styling, fashion styling, personal shopping, and image consulting. Programs include manuals, tools, and business guidance designed to prepare graduates to work with real clients.
A: The 3-Day Course focuses on essential certification (Color Consultant, Fashion Stylist, Personal Shopper). The 5-Day Course adds in-depth body analysis and personal shopping practice. The 7-Day Course expands into personal branding and image management. The 2-Week Certification is our most comprehensive program, covering all modules plus advanced business development skills. You can read more about the differences in our training programs here.
A: Yes, all graduates are awarded a Sterling Style Academy Certificate of Completion, recognized in over 50 countries. This certification validates your expertise as an Image Consultant, Color Consultant, Fashion Stylist, Personal Stylist, and Personal Shopper, depending on the course you complete. While image consulting and personal styling are unregulated industries (with no government accreditation), Sterling Style Academy is globally respected as a professional certification institution with over 20 years of international training experience. Our certificate equips you with the credibility and confidence to launch or elevate your career.
A: Yes. Sterling Style Academy certifications are used by graduates in more than 50 countries worldwide. Image consulting and personal styling are not government-licensed professions, but professional certification demonstrates training and competency to clients and employers globally.
A: Graduates commonly launch personal styling or image consulting businesses, provide color analysis services, work in luxury retail or wardrobe consulting, or offer personal shopping and brand image services to private and corporate clients.
A: Enrollment is easy. Simply choose your preferred course — 2-Day, 3-Day, 5-Day, 7-Day, or 2-Week— and click the Apply Now button on that page. You’ll be asked to complete a short application and submit your credit card payment by pressing the BUY NOW button to confirm your seat. Because classes are small and seats are limited, we recommend enrolling at least 3–4 weeks before your preferred date. Venue details are provided exclusively to enrolled students.
A: Sterling Style Academy’s enrollment terms and refund policies are published throughout the official website so applicants can review program conditions before enrolling. All tuition and digital training purchases are final and non-refundable once enrollment is completed.
A: Sterling Style Academy maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Public records show that there was a single BBB complaint in 2024 — not multiple complaints — regarding refunds and course access. The BBB reviewed and closed this case after confirming the Academy followed its published enrollment terms and policies. That complaint reflected a misunderstanding of the course offering. By contrast, hundreds of graduates — including recent 2026 BBB reviewers such as Melody C. — confirm that Sterling Style Academy’s training materials provide the necessary tools for professional success. Prospective students are encouraged to rely on official policies, verified testimonials, and primary records rather than automated or third-party summaries.
A: In-person tuition ranges from $2,497 to $12,497 USD, depending on the program’s duration and location. This investment includes certification, detailed training manuals, eBooks, stylist templates, and essential business tools to help you launch your career right away. Please note that school supplies, airfare, accommodations, and meals are not included. For a more budget-friendly option, online courses start at just $97 and range up to $697 to $2497 for a fully comprehensive program.
A: Our in-person certification programs are an investment in your career. Unlike many short fashion workshops, Sterling Style Academy delivers:
- Small class sizes (3–5 students) for maximum personal attention
- Hands-on training in real shopping districts and fashion environments
- Proprietary manuals, eBooks, and business toolkits valued at over $1,000
- International credibility — certifications trusted in more than 50 countries
- Business launch guidance so you leave ready to earn, not just learn
The tuition reflects the global expertise of our founder Michelle T. Sterling, who has trained stylists worldwide for over 20 years. When you invest in our courses, we invest in you — and that’s the difference compared to programs like FIT, NYIAD, or Marangoni.
A: Yes. In addition to our immersive in-person certifications, we offer affordable online training programs that let you start learning from anywhere in the world. These include our Fashion Consultant Online eCertification Program, which covers the essential basics of personal styling, our Online Color Analysis Training, and our Online Body Shape Analysis & Clothing Silhouette Course. Each program is self-paced and provides professional instruction at a more accessible price point.
A: No. Sterling Style Academy does not offer discounts, scholarships or government financial aid. However, our online training options provide flexible, cost-effective ways to begin your education in image consulting and personal styling without the expense of long-term fashion school tuition.
A: Yes. We offer payment plans to serious candidates who have carefully reviewed our programs and are confident they are ready to invest in their training at Sterling Style Academy. Payment plans are structured to make tuition more manageable while ensuring you stay committed to completing your certification.
A: No, all tuition fees are non-refundable. Once your purchase is processed and a receipt is issued, there is no rescission of the agreement, and no refund will be provided under any circumstances, including family or medical emergencies.
However, we do offer the option to transfer your enrollment to a later class date if you notify us at least three (3) weeks prior to the start of the course. If the transfer request is made after the 3-week window, a course transfer fee of US$500 will apply. For courses held in Dubai Paris, or Singapore, the transfer fee may be US$1,000 if travel expenses have already been incurred to conduct the training.
A: We offer courses in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dubai, Paris, Milan, London, Singapore, and other global hubs. Popular sessions include the 3-Day Certification in New York and Paris, and the 2-Week Course in Miami and Dubai.
A: Yes. Our Online Image Consultant & Personal Stylist Training provides the same curriculum as our 7-Day course with live sessions and e-learning modules, allowing you to train from anywhere in the world. In addition, we offer specialized programs such as our Fashion Consultant Online eCertification Program, which covers the essential basics of personal styling, and our Online Color Analysis Training, designed to help you master professional color analysis techniques. These online courses give you the flexibility to study at your own pace while gaining recognized certification in image consulting, personal styling, and color analysis.
A: For in-person courses, you’ll attend live training over 2, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days depending on your program. For the online training, you’ll receive both live sessions and self-paced modules — giving you the flexibility to study on your schedule while still earning full certification.
A: Class sizes are intentionally small — typically 3–5 students — to ensure personalized attention and hands-on practice. This boutique approach is part of what sets Sterling Style Academy apart from larger schools.
A: We recommend enrolling at least 3–4 weeks before your preferred date to secure your seat, as courses often sell out early due to limited capacity.
A: Every program includes live coaching, direct feedback from trainers, and access to proprietary business tools. Online students receive support through live Q&A calls, email, and structured assignments. In-person students receive one-on-one guidance during practical exercises.
A: An Image Consultant looks at the whole picture — including color analysis, body shape, wardrobe planning, and even professional presence — to help clients project a certain image and confidence in every setting. A Personal Stylist focuses specifically on clothing choices and outfits that suit an individual’s lifestyle, personality, and daily needs. At Sterling Style Academy, our training blends both skill sets so you can work with clients on a professional and personal level.
A: A Personal Stylist works one-on-one with clients to define their personal look, build their wardrobes, and shop efficiently. A Fashion Stylist, on the other hand, often works behind the scenes for magazines, campaigns, fashion shows, and celebrities — curating looks for media or public appearances. Our programs prepare you to work as a personal stylist with paying clients, and also give you the tools to branch into fashion styling if that’s your goal.
A: A Personal Shopper saves clients time and stress by selecting clothing, accessories, and beauty items that fit their needs and budget. They may shop in stores, online, or both, often on behalf of busy professionals. At Sterling Style Academy, personal shopping is part of our certification training — so you’ll graduate ready to guide clients through every stage of the shopping process.
A: To succeed as a personal stylist or image consultant, you need more than “good taste.” Professional training in color analysis, body shape evaluation, fashion styling, wardrobe planning, and personal shopping as well as good people skills gives you the credibility and confidence to work with paying clients. At Sterling Style Academy, our certification programs combine hands-on techniques with business development skills, so you graduate with both the artistry and the tools to launch your career.
A: The best way to start is by enrolling in a professional personal stylist certification course where you’ll learn proven systems for color, style, and shopping. From there, you’ll practice with clients, build a portfolio, and design service packages that reflect your strengths. Sterling Style Academy guides you through each step — from building confidence in your styling skills to marketing yourself and attracting your first paying clients.
A: No. Personal styling and image consulting are not regulated industries, so you don’t need a government license to start working. However, having an internationally recognized certification sets you apart, builds client trust, and allows you to charge professional rates. That’s why our graduates choose Sterling Style Academy — to gain credibility and confidence from day one.
A: Earnings vary, but many stylists begin charging $75–$150 USD per hour, and experienced consultants often earn six-figure incomes through premium packages, personal shopping retainers, and corporate image consulting contracts. At Sterling Style Academy, we teach you not only how to style, but also how to price and package your services strategically so you can reach your income goals.
A: Traditional schools like FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) and Instituto Marangoni do offer short courses in image consulting and fashion styling, but their approach leans more toward fashion theory than practical application. Their longer programs emphasize design, merchandising, or industry theory, and often require months or years of study. NYIAD (New York Institute of Art & Design) provides online-only training that is mostly self-paced, with limited live interaction. The experience can feel surface-level and less immersive, since students move through materials on their own without the same depth of hands-on guidance. In these types of programs, students are often part of very large classes, and instructors may not be able to provide individualized attention — you can sometimes feel like just another student moving through the system.
By contrast, Sterling Style Academy is a professional certification school specializing exclusively in image consulting, personal styling, color analysis, and personal shopping. Our courses are immersive, practical, and results-driven, giving you hands-on experience in just 2 days to 2 weeks — so you can start working with clients right away. Classes are intentionally small (3–5 students) to ensure personal attention, mentorship, and direct feedback. When you invest in our courses, we invest in you — your success is our priority.
A: Sterling Style Academy attracts ambitious students from around the globe. Our graduates include career changers, boutique owners, fashion professionals, hair stylists, make up artists and entrepreneurs who want to launch their own color analysis and styling businesses. Students have enrolled from over 50 countries — including the United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, Singapore, Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, India, Nigeria, South Africa, and Australia. This international diversity enriches the classroom experience and expands your professional network worldwide.
A: Sterling Style Academy follows documented procedures for addressing student inquiries and encourages prospective applicants to review program details, enrollment terms, and refund policies before registering. The Academy aims to resolve matters professionally and transparently in accordance with its published policies.