HOW TO HIRE · PERSONAL & LIFESTYLE

How to hire an image consultant in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Image consultancy is unregulated in the UK. Here is how to judge one, what the session should include, and what to ask about commission.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an image consultant in five steps

  1. Say what you want to changeWork presence, a new role, confidence after a change — the image consultant tailors nothing to a vague brief.
  2. Ask what the session includesColour analysis, style review, wardrobe, grooming, presentation.
  3. Ask about commissionSome consultants earn from shops they send you to.
  4. Agree what you take awayA colour swatch, a written guide, a shopping list.
  5. Check training and resultsBefore-and-after examples and a reference.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence, register or required qualification applies to image consultants in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland — anyone can offer image consultancy. So ask what training they have had and from whom, look at before-and-after work, and ring a recent client.

Ask about training, see real client examples, and take a reference.

Trader status (Consumer Rights Act 2015)

Your rights — a service done with reasonable care and skill, and a repeat or a price reduction if it is not — apply when the image consultant trades as a business.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile and ask for a written quote and an invoice.

Shopping commission and your money

No law bars an image consultant from earning commission from shops, but your Consumer Rights Act 2015 right to a service done with reasonable care and skill means advice should serve you. Ask openly whether they earn from any retailer they recommend.

Ask about commission before any shopping session, and keep purchases on your own card.

Basic criminal record check (self-requested)

An image consultant is not legally required to have a criminal record check, but anyone working in your home going through your wardrobe can apply for their own basic certificate — DBS in England and Wales, a Level 1 disclosure from Disclosure Scotland, or an AccessNI basic check in Northern Ireland.

Ask for the certificate and match it to their ID. gov.uk →

VAT

Colour, style and image consulting is standard-rated at 20% from a registered image consultant. A consultancy over £90,000 of taxable turnover must register, charge VAT on sessions and shopping time, and show it as its own line on the invoice.

Ask the image consultant for a VAT number and for VAT shown on the shopping sessions as well as the consultation. gov.uk →

“What training do you have as an image consultant, and from whom?”

A good answer: A named course or body and years of practice.

“What does the image consultation include?”

A good answer: A written outline: colour, style, wardrobe, grooming, presentation.

“Does the image consultant earn commission from shops they recommend?”

A good answer: A straight answer.

“What will I take away from the image session?”

A good answer: A swatch, a style guide, a list — something to use afterwards.

“Can I see before-and-after work with an image consultant's clients?”

A good answer: Real examples, shared with consent.

“Do you offer follow-up, and at what price?”

A good answer: A clear follow-up option.

“For corporate work, who owns the materials?”

A good answer: A clear answer if you are a business commissioning training.

Getting the quote right

  • Session length and content
  • What you take away: swatch, guide, list
  • Shopping sessions as separate lines
  • Travel outside their area
  • Any commission disclosed
  • Who actually attends: the image consultant you booked, or an associate for the shopping session, and whether that associate is employed or subcontracted
  • The image consultant's VAT number, with VAT apart from the consultation and the shopping time

Walk away if

  • Vague about what the session covers
  • Hidden commission
  • Pressure to buy
  • No examples or references
  • Upfront packages with no cancellation terms
  • Advice that ignores your budget
LOW
£100
TYPICAL
£195
HIGH
£435

What an image consultant costs: £100–£435 per session

Image consultants price by the session, with colour analysis, wardrobe work and shopping priced separately or as packages. Image Consultant price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Image consultants near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. BriefGoals, budget, lifestyle.
  2. AnalysisColour, shape and style assessed.
  3. Wardrobe or presentation reviewWhat works and what does not.
  4. PlanA written guide and shopping list.
  5. Follow-upOptional shopping or review.

Colour analysis
Finding the colours that suit your skin, hair and eyes.
Swatch
A fabric or colour card to carry when shopping.
Capsule wardrobe
A small set of clothes that work together.
Body shape analysis
Advice on cuts and proportions.
Personal branding
How you present yourself professionally.
Commission
Payment a consultant receives from a shop.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the guide and swatchUse them when shopping.
Check purchases against your budgetReceipts and returns.
Book follow-up only if usefulNo obligation.
Leave feedbackWrite about the consultation and the guide honestly — punctuality, care, the result. If it was under four stars, the make-it-right step gives them a chance to fix it first.

STEP 1First, a written noteGive the image consultant the details of the consultation and a reasonable date to respond. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 implies reasonable care and skill into the contract, and sections 55 and 56 give you a repeat or a reduction.
STEP 2The make-it-right stepA review under four stars for an image consultant starts with a choice: send it to them first to fix, with us following it through, then publish the review.
STEP 3Advice and Trading StandardsIf the image consultant ignores you about the consultation, call Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland — no regulator covers this work, but they can involve Trading Standards.
STEP 4If money is still owedYou can take the image consultant to the small claims route — the county court small claims track up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure in the sheriff court up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring an image consultant: questions people ask

No. No licence, register or required qualification applies in any UK nation.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a trader must use reasonable care and skill. You can ask for a repeat or a price reduction.

Some do. Ask before a shopping session.

£100 to £435 a session, typically around £195. Content, length and the consultant's reputation make the difference. Colour analysis and full style review prices are compared in the image consultant price guide; add your town above for consultants near you.

A written guide, a colour swatch or a shopping list.

Ask for references; a consultant can request their own basic criminal record check and show it to you.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in personal & lifestyle

How to hire: Personal StylistHow to hire: Wardrobe ConsultantHow to hire: Personal ShopperHow to hire: DressmakerHow to hire: Clothing AlterationsHow to hire: Tailor / SeamstressHow to hire: CalligrapherHow to hire: House ManagerAll 701 hiring guides →

Image consultants near you

Image consultants in LondonImage consultants in ManchesterImage consultants in BirminghamImage consultants in GlasgowImage consultants in BelfastAll image consultants on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 55 — repeat performance
  3. gov.uk — request a basic DBS check
  4. mygov.scot — Level 1 (basic) disclosure
  5. nidirect — apply online for a basic check (AccessNI)
  6. gov.uk — VAT registration threshold
  7. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  8. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  9. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register