How To Always Look Your Best, According To Beyoncé’s Stylist

Celebrity stylist Zerina Akers knows a thing or two about getting dressed under pressure. This woman works with Beyoncé, and sees to it that her clients (including Chloe x Halle, Dee Rees, and Niecy Nash) always look their best. Akers has a 360 approach to styling, one that doesn't just focus on clothes, but one that focuses on pushing for more inclusivity, especially when it comes to her clientele.

“I try to incorporate [diversity] into my life as a stylist by working with all different shapes and sizes,” Akers, who recently partnered with Dove to promote its Invisible Dry Spray Antiperspirant, tells Refinery29. But it's not just her list of stylish ladies that inspires her: Akers likes to pull inspiration from a variety of places, from the girls in the hood — “that’s where every designer is secretly pulling from!” — to older women. “You can tell they’ve have been at it for years,” she says. “Because their earrings match their dress which match their hat, bag, and shoes! That is fashion.”

Though Akers was tight-lipped when it came to the Secret Life of Beyoncé, she did offer up the styling tips she swears by, from keeping your clothes simple (think: blouses and a pair of button-front jeans or heels she can actually walk in) to the secret to always making your outfits look good. Reminder: We all have the same hours in our day as Beyoncé, now we can have her same approach to style, too.