So I want to help you decide if working with a Personal Stylist is a good investment for you.

In this blog post I’ll be looking at how stylists calculate their rates, why rates vary so much, and what you”ll get for your money.

But first a bit of background…

As I’m definitely a bookworm, it was pretty much a no-brainer that I would order the book.  I was eagerly awaiting itsit’s arrival because this wasn’t the first time I’d heard about the book, other people had recommended it prior to this.

So when it arrived, I got stuck right in!

And it didn’t disappoint!

Now this isn’t a book review blog post, so I’m not going to go into the details.  

But the first thing I got from the book was this:  When somebody is considering purchasing something, what is the first thing they do?  

The answer?

They google the product or service they are interested in, to find out how much it’s going to cost!

Of course they do!  I do that as well!

So How Many Websites Answer?

In fact a lot of businesses don’t even display their prices on their website.  If you want to know how much they charge, you have to go on a bit of a fishing trip round the website to try and gain some clues as to how much said service is going to set them back.

So my book, They Ask You Answer, suggested that business not only display their prices, but also explain their prices somewhere on their website.

As I sat back and thought about this I realised that most Stylists don’t display their prices, and I haven’t come across any that explain their pricing.

So I’m going to go against the accepted norm for my industry and explain how much Stylists charge and why.

A Huge Variety

To start with, the first thing that has to be said, is that prices for Personal Styling services vary hugely!

I know Stylists who run group programmes from as little as £30 per person for a 2 hours workshop.

I also know of one Stylist who runs a year long, one to one service, for $15,000.

So basically there is no such thing as an accepted norm.

By The Hour, or Per Package?

There is also quite a lot of variety in terms of the way Stylists charge.  Some charge by the hour and will tell you roughly how long a service will take.  Whilst others charge for a set package.

And whilst we are on the subject of hourly charging, there is again a huge variety of hourly rates.

I have seen a charge of £50 for a 2 hour service, so £25 per hour.  And then I have seen a 3 hour Personal Shop for $750, which works out to roughly £215 per hour.

What Are Those Prices Based On?

Well, as in a lot of industries, people often charge less when they first start out and have very little experience.  And that explains some of the lower prices I’ve quoted above.  Those lower prices were for newly qualified Stylists, and I’m sure as they gain experience they will raise their prices.

The very expensive Stylists are those that have a lot more experience, and may have some very high profile clients in their portfolio.  This makes them much sought after and therefore they can command much higher prices.

Most Stylists sit somewhere in between these two extremes.

What Exactly Are You Paying For?

This is such a good question, and I’m really happy to have the chance to explain.

Here are the top most important factors that are taken into account when a Personal Stylist sets their prices:

1. Training

So the first thing you are paying for is the Stylists training and qualifications.

For most of us, this isn’t just our initial training, but any good Stylist is constantly updating their skills, and improving the ways they work with clients.  So all of that ongoing training and updating their skills is included in the price you would pay.

Ongoing training also includes any personal development work they do in order to be a better business owner and leader in their field, and is not just related to their Styling Skills.  Personal Development is an essential investment for anybody serious about building a successful business.

2. Time

You are obviously paying for the time they spend with you.  But it’s not just those 2, 3 or 4 hours with you, it’s all the hours that went into them having the knowledge and skills to help you with your Style and Wardrobe goals.

Then there’s the time they spend behind the scenes on top of the time with you.  I try to keep the time the client needs to invest in the process, to an absolute minimum as I know the women I work with have lots of demands on their time, and I want to ease that rather than add to it.

So I do a lot of work in between our appointments so that I can just present ideas to them that are quick and easy for them to implement.

3. Experience

Then there is the experience they’ve had as a Stylist, and some of the clients or companies they may have worked with, that give them an edge over others with less of these higher profile events in their portfolio.

4. Tools and Equipment

You’ve also got any tools or equipment they may use to do their job and give you, their valued client, a better experience.  Nearly every tool any business owner uses, cost the business and so those costs need to be factored into the service fee.

In my business I have developed a platform that I use with all of my clients called MyStyle.  This allows me to make their life even easier, by allowing me to shop online for them and save them the time of searching for garments on their own.  It also means, again I can make their lives easier, because they can purchase any garments they choose with just one click that takes them straight through to the store.

MyStyle also allows me to completely manage my clients wardrobe for them should they choose this option.  So I can put outfits together for them and search for any new items they may need, on a monthly basis.

And tools and equipment also means anything they may give you to help you understand your style and help you move forward with your new way of dressing and organising your wardrobe.

To give you an example, most Stylist who offer Colour Analysis Consultations will give you some reference tool for you to take away and use whenever you are shopping for clothing yourself.  These tools obviously have a cost to them, and so that needs to be factored in.

As one of my main aims in my business is to make my clients lives as easy as possible, I have developed online versions of the colours they can wear, so they can have this as an app on their phone and never find themselves out shopping without their colours with them.  The time and expertise that went into creating these colour apps and testing them out to ensure they are completely accurate, is yet another factor.

5. The Transformational, life-enhancing benefits of working with a Personal Stylist.

The aim of most Stylists is to empower you to feel confident in your clothing so you can go out and achieve whatever you want to in your business and life.

We want you to be able to achieve your goals, whether that be to find a new mate for life, to set up a business, to advance your career, or to build you back up and help you find yourself again after a life transition.

These are things that are bigger than just a one-off event, such as a massage.  Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love a massage.  But it’s a moment in time, and when I get home and something happens to stress me, I have lost the benefit of the massage.

The benefits of working with a Stylist could last a lot longer than that, sometimes a lifetime!  If, as a result of working with a Stylist, you end up landing your dream job, or having the confidence to stand on a stage and give a public talk that you couldn’t have considered before, well those sorts of things are worth a lot more in the long term, than just a one off service that you paid out for.

The Price of a Second-Hand Car!

I hope this helps to give you an idea of what goes into the costs that Stylists charge for their services, and gives you a greater understanding of why some Stylists charge more than the price of a second-hand car!

If you still have questions, or you would like to get in touch to find out if I would be the right person for you to work with, click the button below and book a time in my calendar when we can chat.

All of my prices are displayed on the relevant page from my Services page.  Click here to see all my services.

Until next time…