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Personal stylist services cost guide

In the past days, shop assistants knew the latest trends and could help their clients dress up to the last fashion. Today retail assistants are mostly unqualified even to find the right size for you. And this is the moment when a personal stylist can save your day. Many people, both men and women, cooperate with personal stylists to improve their visual appeal and begin loving what they wear. Due to the popularity of the service, such professionals can be found in the the most large cities of the world. Modern technologies also help cooperate with the best members of the industry. So if you’re interested in looking and feeling better, then a personal stylist is just the right expert for you.

Here you will learn about:

First and foremost, personal stylists make people both look and feel better. They are able to find the perfect outfit for everyday needs, red carpet events, sessions, and special occasions. Besides finding the right outfit, personal stylists also explain what clothes match particular body types and which stores are preferable for their client. They will evaluate the current wardrobe situation and then replace the old, shabby and wrongly-fitting clothes with new pieces.

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Average personal stylist cost

The average personal stylist cost varies tremendously from city to city and from expert to expert. Usually, people pay about $50-$70/hour of service. However, remember that you will also need to pay for the new clothing pieces that you purchase as well as additional services you might require. In the end, it is advised to begin cooperation with a personal stylist with a minimal budget of $1,500-$2,000 for a complete makeover. For a consultation or a wardrobe run through, the budget can begin from a couple of hundreds.

Cost-related questions

What services does a personal stylist provide?

There is a very wide range of services a personal stylist can offer: from the wardrobe run through to its complete replacement, from a simple consultation to the regular shopping assistance. The scope and number of them depend on your personal needs and desires. Most often, you can expect the following offers:

Closet audit: a personal stylist goes through your wardrobe, explains which items are great, which ones require improvement, and what you can forget about forever. They will also create new looks from the existing pieces to breath in new life into your wardrobe. Parallel to that, a personal stylist will also explain what styles, cuts, and types of clothing suit you best.

Creation of a style profile. This service should take at least several hours and cannot be completed in less than one. A style profile is an explanation of what kind of clothes you need to look for in the stores and what styles suit you best. Frequently, this service is coupled with the personal shopping session. During it, a stylist is able to evaluate your clothing choices and then correct them.

Shopping. This is the basic service and the one that usually comes to people’s minds. During the shopping, a personal stylist will offer you particular clothing pieces and ready outfits. It will include several hours of shopping in different stores.

Putting together the outfits. If you need a personal stylist only for work, for example, then the expert will be able to put together several outfits for you and bring them to you directly. In this case, you only try them and decide which ones you buy. The rest is returned back to the stores (by the stylist).

Conducting the fitting. Too often people don’t know their correct size and for all their life wear small bras or too big pants. In such cases, a personal stylist will be able to find items correctly fitting to you and explain how every clothing piece has to look and fit on you.

Doing returns. This is a standard service for those personal stylists who bring the ready-to-wear outfits to you. All those clothes that didn’t fit you they return to the store and record the return.

Hiring support staff. If you want to have something tailor-made, for example, your personal stylist will find the best tailor and deal with all HR work for you.

Can I hire a personal stylist for a one-time event?

Yes, personal stylists can help you prepare for a one-time occasion. Red carpet events, birthday parties, photo sessions, and any other kind of special events can be styled specifically. Remember that such services are frequently held as virtual consulting and don’t require the physical presence of a stylist.

Do personal stylists work in packages?

Yes, in fact, most personal stylists offer packaged deals as their core services. Packages include the basic services described above and their various combination. Since mostly the charges are required per hour of service, here are the options you may find:

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Basic: about $650 (up to 5 hours)

  • Personal styling (1h)
  • On-site wardrobe audit (1h)
  • Personal shopping (3h)
  • Complimentary lookbook and beauty basics (individualized for you specifically)

    • Standard: $750 (up to 6 hours)

    • Personal styling (1.5h)
    • On-site wardrobe audit (1.5h)
    • Personal shopping (3h)
    • Complimentary lookbook and beauty basics (individualized for you specifically)

    All-inclusive: $950 (up to 8 hours)

    • Personal styling (2h)
    • On-site wardrobe audit (2h)
    • Personal shopping + personalized lookbook with all new outfit references (5h)
    • Complimentary beauty basics and jewelry (individualized for you specifically)

    Another version of packages includes the following:

    • $320: closet audit, outfit planning and shopping game plan (4h)
    • $640: closet audit, outfit planning, shopping game plan, personal shopping (8h)

    Note that the combination of services may vary and always be altered based on your specific needs. Always discuss what you’re paying for prior to handing the money over.

    Is there a minimum charge?

    Since it is almost impossible to perform any service within a 15-minute frame, most personal stylists have a minimum charge for two hours. This is the basic time for wardrobe audit and personal styling. For personal shopping, stylists usually prefer having more time, but up to five hours at a time since it’s a tiresome process and one loses attention and interest to it within this time frame.

    Do personal stylists help with MUAH?

    This is a non-obligatory service and not all personal stylists will be able to handle makeup and hairstyling advice for their clients. Frequently, personal stylists know the trends, but not all of them are qualified enough to suggest any styles or amends that match your appearance. However, some experts can help you with the cosmetics selection. Usually, makeup service costs about $85/hour and includes shopping for beauty products and guidance at the cosmetics counters. Hairstyle assessment and consulting on the color, cuts, and care cost around $120/hour.

    Tips to hire a personal stylist

    1. Personal attitude

      2. Remember that you will spend a lot of time with a personal stylist. So make sure that you like the chosen expert. Otherwise, any comments or advice they make about your appearance and style might be felt like a threat to you. As a result, no cooperation will take place and you will waste money.

    2. Pricing model

      3. When choosing your experts, very carefully look at the offers they make. Some may offer the time frames that don’t fit you. For instance, while the package includes 3 hours for the closet audit and 5 hours of shopping, you might need only 1.5 hours of the audit and 6.5 hours of shopping. Some personal stylists will be happy to alter those set packages while others may not. Look for an expert with a flexible pricing model to match the offer to your specific needs.

    3. Reliable source

      4. This point refers to companies who match you to a personal stylist based on the computer algorithm and without any human influence. Beware of such services! Personal styling is a very intimate process that requires that human touch. So always make sure that your expert is chosen based on the human interaction and not plain computerized process.

      Besides the algorithm, make sure that you read references and check comments about a particular expert or company. Word of mouth is the most powerful weapon of a consumer in this business so you can completely rely on it.

    4. Don't be a guinea pig

      5. Many personal stylists at the beginning of their path experiment with their clients. This means that with little to no experience they enter the competitive market. Such a service can be acceptable if it comes with a significantly lower or no rate at all. Should you be paying the premium price, make sure that you get the premium service in return.

    5. Be open

      6. A personal stylist is an expert who knows better and can advise you better. So yes, be ready for some major changes and try to accept them, don’t negate any new idea however weird and unacceptable it may seem to you. If it doesn’t work, an expert will alter the outfit and work harder to get it perfect. But try to experiment, all in all, this is what you’re paying for.

    6. Know your goals

      7. The more precisely you will explain your personal goals and expectations from the cooperation, the easier it will be for a personal stylist to help you. So think if you want to redefine and refine your image and wardrobe or maybe you just need someone to refresh your wardrobe with the latest trends. These objectives are completely different and presuppose different services.

    7. Look for the appearance

      8. When you hire a personal stylist, ensure that they look great as well. If you don’t like the appearance of an expert, there are great chances that you won’t be able to achieve your goals together.

      Other frequently asked questions

      Do personal stylists work remotely?

      Yes, most personal stylists offer remote services. They require their clients to send pictures of their clothes, pictures of themselves and then explain what they would like to achieve. Based on this information, a personal stylist creates a so-called lookbook with the possible outfits and send to the client. During a call or a Skype conversation, the received results are discussed and improved.

      How often do I need a personal stylist?

      Most often, people hire personal stylists for one-time occasions. However, if you would like to look stylish and up-to-date on a daily basis, then experts advise meeting twice a year somewhere around a seasonal change or in case you lost or gained significantly. Such schedule allows you always stay in trend and not waste much money on monthly shopping.

      Can I bring my friend, husband, wife, etc. along for a styling/shopping session?

      Yes and no. Some personal stylists are happy to welcome any guests during the session since they help with outfits selection and can raise the client’s spirit. Of course, this is possible only under the condition that the styling service and advice is provided to the client only!

      However, you can find such stylists who are strictly against any relatives and friends being present during such sessions. Their argument is that these people only distract the client and may stand in the way of something new and big.

      Bottom line

      Personal stylists are fashion experts who know everything about outfits and appealing clothing and help other people find their style. In average, personal stylist cost is $50-75/hour while the top rates may reach $350-400/hour as well.

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