How much does it cost to hire a personal stylist / personal shopper for men?
I thought I'd write this blog post, as I understand for some people it's a bit of an investment to spend money on having someone take them on a personal shopping trip. But most of my clients who've done it wonder why they didn't do it sooner, and they come back time and time again!
They understand that it's worth outsourcing the things they don't like doing or aren't very good at, so why not do that with clothes shopping too?! They can get far more done in the time spent with me, rather than doing it on their own, so feel it's a worthwhile investment, saving them loads of time, because:
- You won't make do with the first thing you try on, that you don't particularly like but can't be bothered to find something else.
- You won't get bored, give up and go for a coffee and go home empty handed like you've probably done before.
- And you won't just go back to the same old shops that you always do, but feel you've moved on from, because you don't know where else to go.
Instead you'll have me there to help you and we'll get all the things you need, so you won't have to think about it again for awhile - you'd be amazed at the clients who even tell me it was fun!
So here's the information you'll need about the pricing of my personal shopping sessions for men, and what that includes.
How much does it cost for a personal shopping trip for men?
I charge a flat fee of £660 for my personal shopping trips for men. This includes:
- A questionnaire that you fill in ahead of the session to help me get to know you and what you need.
- A day’s preparation that I go and do on my own before our shopping session – I go to the shops and either put things by in your sizes if we’re using a personal shopping room in one of the department stores, or I look around each store and take notes on what we can find where. This saves a massive amount of time on the day, as I’ve already done the research for you so you just need to come and try on the items I’ve selected and will suggest. There’s no pressure to buy but you get an edited selection so we’re not aimlessly walking around and browsing the shops which is most men’s idea of hell!!
- A list of outfits you can create with the things you’ve bought so you know exactly how to wear everything and it doesn't sit unworn in your wardrobe. Clients tell me they refer to these for years afterwards!
- Links to any items we couldn’t find sizes for in-store, or anything else we couldn’t get on the day.
Why don't I go to a free menswear personal shopper in a department store?
You can of course go to a free stylist as lots of the stores have them. They’re limited to the one store though and if you can’t find or don’t like the selection there then you don’t have the option to go elsewhere.
Also you don’t know which stylist you’ll be allocated to so may not like their taste. With me, you have the option to browse through all my blogs and posts on Instagram and see if you like the sort of items and brands I’m talking about and how I explain how to wear it and if you think we’ll get on – after all, we’ll be spending most of the day together!
They may not be trained in colours and shapes etc where as I am. And they may not have much experience either, whereas I have 15 years and I’m passionate about menswear!
If you’d like to find out more about the differences between a freelance personal shopper like myself and a personal shopper who works in a store – have a look at this blog post.
What else is included in the price of a personal shopping trip?
As mentioned above, all the preparation I do ahead of us meeting is included in your personal shopping trip. After the trip I put together outfits for you from the items you bought so you know exactly how to wear everything.
If there are any items we didn’t manage to get on the day (because of stock or sizing or we ran out of time) then I can send you links to the items or other suggestions afterwards.
I’ll contact you a few months after our shopping trip to see how you’re getting on. This is an opportunity for me to check in to make sure you’ve worn everything, and you can ask me any questions you may have.
If you need to do a follow up session – either to integrate what you have in with the other items in your wardrobe or to pick a few more pieces to add to what you have, we can do it via an online personal shopping session, a Styling Power Hour or we can book in a couple of extra hours in person.
What's not included?
The cost of the clothes is your responsibility, and you can set a budget you feel comfortable with. We can spend more on some things and less on others, it’s entirely up to you. I’ll make suggestions of items that fit within your price range, and we can discuss which to splurge on and which to save on.
Lunch/snacks or taxis aren't included, though often drinks are provided if we’re in a personal shopping space.
Most of the time we'll have some alterations to do and if we're in the private shopping suite at Harvey Nichols they offer a certain amount of alterations for free. Or I can recommend a tailor that I use........if we have time we can go there together but the cost of alterations isn’t included in the shopping day.
How much do most personal stylists for men charge?
The cost of a personal stylist varies a great deal – from a few hundred pounds per day to around a thousand.
I suggest you look at a variety of personal stylists for men before deciding on who to work with, and pick which one you relate to most, and who you’ll feel comfortable with on the day. Feel free to give me a call on 07739 469088 if you're feeling nervous about booking in and would like a chat first.
There are lots more men who are menswear stylists (perhaps unsurprisingly) and very few women like myself who specialise in menswear, so if you’d rather have the opinion of a female, then I’m your woman!
Lots of female stylists who work mainly with women, do sometimes work with men, but they’re unlikely to have such a depth of knowledge about it, and where to find things. It's also unlikely they'll write many blog posts on menswear, so it might be hard to tell what they’re like and the type of brands etc they use. I'd advise you give them a call first to talk things through.
Why don't you do shopping trips for a couple of hours?
I can only fit in one person per day as I like to give them my full attention. You may think you only want to shop for a couple of hours as you hate shopping but believe me, when you shop with a professional personal stylist it’s completely different and you won’t want to finish because you’ve only booked 2 hours.
Most men would prefer to do it all in one day and have lots of outfits for all different occasions, than split it up and have to do more shopping days than they’d like.
If you really can’t face a whole day or don’t have the time and would like to split up the day then we can do 2 or more half days for different sections of your wardrobe. This will cost slightly more as it involves more prep and travel time.
How do I pay for my personal shopping session?
In order to confirm the dates we’ve booked in, I ask all my clients to pay in full before the session. I'll send you an invoice ahead of the session(s) and you can pay by bank transfer, or via my website.
I have a cancellation policy in place which I’ll send details of when I send the invoice.
What sort of budget do I need to do a men's personal shopping session with you?
To make it worthwhile, I’d say the minimum amount would be £2,500. Most clients will tend to spend up to around £5,000 - £6,000 on the initial shopping trip, as once we’re out shopping and they’re finding things they love, they're happy to buy things there and then, to save them shopping again in the near future!
I find a lot of clients do tend to do a couple of major shops in quick succession though - one for Summer and one for Winter. That usually sorts their wardrobes out for a couple of years, so the sessions in between that are for top up items or outfits for special events like weddings, holidays, parties etc
That's the average, but I've worked with plenty of people who spend a lot less and a lot more, so it depends on your goals, taste and needs as well.
Is it worth hiring a personal stylist for men?
It's so difficult to get the distance you need when you look at your own wardrobe, that you're likely to get stuck and not be able to see the bigger picture.
I'm in the shops all the time, so see what's available, how fashion is changing (even if you have a classic style, the overall silhouette changes, albeit slowly in menswear!), and I get to see clothes on loads of different body shapes week in and week out, so know how they fit.
If you're looking for a fresh pair of eyes on your wardrobe, and don't know where you're going with it, especially if your situation has changed, then it's absolutely 100% worth it.
You may have got a new job, a promotion, or be required to be more visible at work. Perhaps you're going out on dates, doing a book tour, pitching for new business or going to a wedding and want to make a great impression. Or maybe it's just getting that you're getting a bit older, or your lifestyle has changed and you want to review what you wear - these are all reasons men have booked in for their personal shopping trips, and have been delighted with the results.
I hope that's answered many of the questions you might have had about how much it costs to hire a personal shopper and what's included. Please feel free to get in touch, if you have other questions and I'll happily answer them! Or you can check out some more FAQs about personal shopping trips for men over here.
Head over here to read my Google reviews (all 35 of them - all 5 star!) or if you're ready to book in your personal shopping trip for men, then click the button below to book.
I'll be in touch within 24 hours to arrange a convenient date with you for your shopping trip.....I look forward to working with you!
If you'd like to read more about other services, then have a look at these posts:
What can I expect from a personal shopping day
