A useful service package answers three client questions: what will you do, what will I receive and what will it cost? It also answers a question for you: after preparation, travel and follow-up, is this fee sustainable?
The A$350 wardrobe edit, A$450 personal shopping session and A$299 monthly retainer below are illustrative package exercises, not surveyed Australian market rates. Adjust the scope and price to your experience, location, costs and client needs. They are not promises about what other stylists charge.
Calculate the work before choosing a headline price
List every hour that belongs to the service: intake review, research, travel, the session, building a lookbook and follow-up messages. Then account for operating costs, payment fees where applicable, insurance and the time spent running the business. Separate the styling fee from money the client will spend on clothes.
For example, a A$350 package requiring five total working hours produces A$70 per working hour before expenses and tax. If the same package expands to seven hours, that becomes A$50. This simple calculation reveals why scope matters more than an appealing package name.
Example 1: a A$350 wardrobe edit
A defined offer might include a pre-session brief, a two-hour wardrobe appointment and a short written action plan. Specify whether travel is included within a particular area, whether outfit photography is included and how many follow-up questions you will answer.
- Outcome: identify useful pieces, gaps and next purchases.
- Boundary: shopping and a complete new wardrobe are not included.
- Deliverable: an agreed summary or a limited set of outfit notes.
- Extra work: quote additional shopping or sessions separately.
Example 2: a A$450 personal shopping session
Define preparation time, the accompanied shop’s length, locations and the follow-up deliverable. Ask for the clothing budget before research begins. A A$450 styling service is not a A$450 clothing allowance unless that is explicitly how you structure the offer.
Agree what happens if items are unavailable or the client wants more shopping time. Explain retailer returns as separate from your service terms; do not promise a retailer’s refund policy on its behalf.
Example 3: a A$299 monthly retainer
A retainer needs measurable boundaries. It could include a scheduled check-in and an agreed small number of outfit recommendations or a seasonal edit. Define response expectations, unused-work treatment and additional-work fees. Avoid “unlimited styling” if you cannot sustain unlimited requests.
A reusable collection can support seasonal recommendations, but it is not the same as bespoke individual styling. Be clear about which parts of the service are personalised. LookLayer can help organise the work and invoices; it does not automatically charge clients a recurring retainer subscription.
Deposits and scope changes
Choose payment timing that fits the service, and explain it before booking. A deposit percentage is a business decision, not a universal industry rule. For a worked example only, 25% of a A$450 fee is A$112.50, leaving A$337.50. Record the payment against the invoice so the remaining balance is clear.
Have cancellation, rescheduling and refund terms reviewed for your situation and applicable consumer law. Do not label a payment “non-refundable” as a shortcut to avoiding legal obligations. Extra work should be agreed and priced before it starts.
GST and how the advertised total reads
Establish whether you are GST-registered before deciding invoice tax settings. If A$350 is GST-inclusive, its GST component is A$350 divided by 11, approximately A$31.82. If A$350 is an exclusive base and GST applies, the total is A$385. Those are different offers; state the client-facing total clearly.
Read the ATO’s invoice guidance and ask your accountant to confirm the right treatment. This article is general guidance, not tax or legal advice.
For broader pricing principles, read our general service-pricing guide. To put a package into practice, continue with invoices and payment terms.