Style with more than touch of substance

Kelly Lundberg whips a beautiful black dress off the hanger in the Reiss store in Dubai Mall and quickly changes for our photo shoot.
She was already wearing, and looking smashing in, a stunning black outfit, but she "may as well enjoy the perks of the job", says the native of Edinburgh.
Ms Lundberg, a shopping stylist and founder of Divine Personal Shopping, has thrown so much business to Reiss that the staff are happy for her to use their store as a playground and meeting room for clients.
Today, it is my turn to be styled, and I sit there rather sheepishly and scruffily expecting to be told that I am a lost cause and should never set foot in a mall again.
My hair is floppy and out of place, I have noticed stains on my trousers, and despite ironing my shirt, it resembles a crumpled newspaper that has been haphazardly laid flat again.
We start the process with a consultation. Usually Ms Lundberg does this at the home of a client to really understand the person's psyche and examine the wardrobe.
But I am thankful that this does not happen, because my wardrobe is a mess.
I am asked my age, a bit about my social life and how I rate my current wardrobe on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being awesome.
I choose a steady five and we eventually come up with three goals for the shopping experience: find something that is not blue, because I have a lot of blue; buy a casual and smart blazer that can be used for work; and finally, find a black shirt because "like women always have a little black dress, men need a black shirt", explains Ms Lundberg. Sounds simple enough, but as we wander around the store, I look first at some nice navy blue trousers and I am promptly told off.
Beneath the warm smile and bubbly exterior, Ms Lundberg is serious about getting the job done.
We pick up a black shirt, a very dark maroon one, and another with a crazy pattern. We also pick up a white T-shirt, a pink sweater, dark jeans, some grey shoes and a blue blazer, which Ms Lundberg concedes is too nice to pass on, despite my addiction.
What then follows is a trying-on experience that is a cross between Julia Roberts in the film Pretty Woman and shopping with your mum, as she tugs at your sleeves and makes the clothes fit properly.
Most surprising, I would not have picked either the maroon or black shirt, but they look great and are put in the buy pile. The blue blazer also comes out a winner. The rest of the haul is discarded.
At Dh350 (US$95.25) for a one-hour consultation, I am not 100 per cent sure I have received value for money, but if you are in the habit of buying clothes you never wear this is a great way to avoid wasting cash.
Most important, I am also now confident I look good in the street, so look out for a guy in a creased black shirt and a blue blazer. My blue jeans are still stained and my hair remains unruly, however.
 
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