London... in style

Aug 13 2010 By Adrian Caffery

Adrian Caffery is a new man after a weekend in the capital

With just months until my 40th birthday, I was on the look-out for a good midlife crisis to strike fear into my wife.

Should I buy a sports car? No, I haven’t the money. Should I take up an extreme sport? No, I haven’t the bottle. Should I have an affair with a much younger woman? Dream on, Adrian.

But when I was offered a professional style makeover while spending a weekend in a luxury London apartment, I knew my search was at an end.

My wife, Jayne, pulls a face if I try something ‘young’ because, I like to think, she’s worried I’d attract admiring glances from ladies.

In truth, it’s because she’s terrified I’ll look ridiculous and embarrass her - which is why a fashion fix was so fiendishly perfect for a midlife crisis.

Enter Londoner Rachel Gold, an expert styling and grooming consultant who has been turning frogs into princes for 20 years.

She has a proven record of helping busy executives look the part in the boardroom and on the beach, at an interview and on a date.

Rachel’s company, Wardrobe Junkies, has teamed up with The Cheval Group, London’s leading provider of luxury serviced apartments.

Blokes on business or pleasure in the capital are offered a variety of shopping and grooming packages ranging from two hours (£200) to a full day (£600).

First, Rachel will compile a ‘shopping list’ using a colour consultation, a personality profile and a questionnaire to discover his likes, dislikes and budget.

Then, he’ll be led around some of London’s iconic shopping streets and hidden gems, meeting tailors and shop managers to build a perfectly coordinated collection.

Or the client can allow Rachel free rein, safe in the knowledge that she has a 95 per cent ‘first hit’ success rate and that items can always be returned or exchanged.

On this occasion, Rachel brought a range of outfits to my apartment at Calico House, a Cheval Group property near St Paul’s Cathedral.

Even in my teenage years, when I had a full head of hair and a flat stomach, I was never a dedicated follower of fashion. And whenever I bought something on-trend it became ‘‘so last year’’ quicker than you could say parachute pants.