1. Search the Internet and yellow pages to find personal shoppers/fashion stylists, or ask your favourite stores if they offer the service. Talk to friends, family or colleagues for recommendations, as word-of-mouth is generally the best form of advertisement.

2. Take a good look at the personal shopper’s website or blog who you are thinking of hiring. If the website or blog does not appeal to your taste, it is quite possible their style advice would not either. Websites and blogs are individual representations of fashion stylists so if it does not appeal to you, arrange a visit to confirm or look for someone else.

3. In order not to waste your time, speak to your personal shopper on the phone first and ask as many questions as it takes to make you feel confident in their ability. The good personal shopper/fashion stylist will be able to answer all your basic questions.

4. Arrange and go to a consultation. Visit their office or ask them to come to your house or office. A good personal shopper/fashion stylist should be willing to work with your schedule. At the consultation describe what you want and also ask about the fee up front. A normal fee varies from a free service to £100 an hour and above depending on what you want, so make sure you find personal shopper/fashion stylist that will fit your budget.

5. Free personal shoppers in department stores like Debenhams and House of Fraser are great if you want a nice changing room and do not want the hassle of queuing up to try clothes on. You also may get a bit of pampering with a tea / coffee and biscuits or snacks which can also make for a nice experience but if you are looking for a style advice and someone who is looking out for your best interests, you want to hire an independent expert personal shopper who is paid specifically for their expertise in finding the right brands and styles for you across any store.

6. If someone offers to take you personal shopping for a whole day or anything more than 3 hours, my assumption would be they must be new to the industry and do not have a lot of experience hence the long session. A good personal shopper does not need more than 3 hours even for an entire wardrobe update.

7. You need to do your own research. Most times new fashion stylists and personal shoppers just take a look at who they think their competition is and charge roughly around the same, when those more experienced personal shoppers may have worked for years and years to develop their expertise and therefore can command such a rate.

8. Please feel free to ask to see testimonials from previous clients or even ask to speak to the previous clients. LinkedIn is a good way to see if testimonials are genuine as some testimonials could be fabricated.

9. Do schedule a time to try on clothes or choose the final products from the choices given. Many personal shoppers prefer to pre-shop before you get there so all you have to do is make a final decision. If you trust his or her judgment, you may only need to schedule a delivery or mailing time.

10. Finally, I am a new Fashion Stylist/Image Consultant/Personal Shopper and I will LOVE to have the opportunity to help you wherever you are so please contact me ASAP for a good deal.