The best pre-shopping form produces a brief you can act on—not a long file you never read. A digital form lets clients consider their answers before the session and gives you one place to refer back to. Keep it proportionate: ask only what helps you prepare and explain why you need personal information.
Use the ten questions below as a practical template. They are prompts to adapt, not a claim that LookLayer’s questionnaire contains these exact labels or automatically generates a shopping plan. You can follow up on incomplete answers during the consultation.
1. What would make this session feel successful?
Ask for a concrete outcome: clothes for a new job, two event options or easier everyday dressing. “Improve my style” is a starting point; “three work outfits that feel comfortable on camera” is a brief you can use.
2. What situations must the clothes work for?
Cover work, travel, caring responsibilities, climate and upcoming events. Ask about dress codes rather than assuming that every workplace or event uses the same rules. This prevents a beautiful edit that never leaves the wardrobe.
3. What is your clothing budget, separate from my fee?
Clarify the total purchase budget and whether there are priority items worth more investment. Include existing pieces in the plan where possible. A client’s overall session budget may include your fee, so confirm rather than infer.
4. What sizes do you usually buy, and in which brands?
Ask about tops, bottoms, dresses and shoes as relevant. Brand examples provide context because sizing varies. Measurements can help if useful and the client is comfortable supplying them, but they do not guarantee a particular retailer’s fit.
5. Which fit issues or clothing adjustments come up repeatedly?
Ask neutrally about sleeve lengths, rises, waist gaps, shoulder fit and comfort when sitting or moving. Avoid judging body shape. Focus on what clothing needs to do, and confirm concerns in person rather than treating a form as a diagnosis.
6. Which colours, patterns and textures do you enjoy or avoid?
Separate personal preference from any previous colour analysis. A client may like a colour even if they were advised against it. Ask about fabric sensitivities and sensory comfort only to the extent needed for clothing choices; do not request unnecessary medical details.
7. What already works in your wardrobe?
Identify favourite pieces to build around. If photos would help, explain how they will be used and stored and obtain the appropriate permission. A reference photograph is not automatically consent for marketing or AI processing.
8. Which retailers or shopping approaches suit you?
Ask about preferred stores, online versus in-person shopping, second-hand options and practical values such as durability or repairability. Do not make sustainability or size-inclusivity claims about a product unless you can support them.
9. What should I know about the appointment logistics?
Confirm location, transport, available time, accessibility needs and whether breaks would help. For remote consultations, state the city or time zone. Sydney, Brisbane and Perth are not always on the same clock.
10. How should we communicate and follow up?
Confirm the email or phone to use, the preferred contact method and the agreed follow-up scope. Keep operational communication separate from consent to receive future marketing. Tell clients where they can correct their information.
Turn the answers into a short shopping brief
Summarise the desired outcome, priority pieces, clothing budget, fit considerations, preferred shops and appointment details. Flag anything unresolved. Review that summary with the client before shopping so mistaken assumptions do not turn into purchases.
LookLayer supports digital intake and client profiles, allowing you to keep relevant information alongside consultation work. Review responses before the session; the software does not replace the stylist’s judgement. See the broader first-call question bank for optional follow-up prompts and client management workflows for keeping the resulting record organised.