Would YOU let your man give you a makeover? These women did - with very mixed results



Men often complain their wives let themselves go - so how would women dress if their husbands chose clothes for them? DIANA APPLEYARD asked four men to give their other halves a style makeover. . .

CAROL AND MIKE

Carol Williams, 64, is a retired secretary who lives in North London with husband Mike, 66, a retired sales manager. They have been married for ten years and have three children from previous marriages.



CAROL SAYS: Mike thinks I should show off my figure more, but I’m conscious of being overweight so go out of my way to hide my stomach, bottom and thighs. And, like most women of my age, I despair of my wobbly arms.



Delighted: Carol is pleased with husband Mike's choice of clothing for her, right. Carol wears: John Rocha dress, £53, and bolero, £49, Debenhams. Necklace, £18, Marks & Spencer. Shoes, £75, Jones Bootmaker



I was thinner when I met Mike and I do worry he thinks I’ve let myself go — although he would never say so. I usually dress in trousers and baggy jumpers, and tend to stick to black as I think it shaves the pounds off my size-14 figure. My fear is Mike will dress me in something short, tight and sexy that is inappropriate for a woman of my age.



MIKE SAYS: Carol says she’s plump, but I think her figure is a knockout. I wish I could burn those drab clothes she dresses herself in and make her wear something that shows off her curves. I hardly ever see her in a dress — which is a shame as she has lovely legs.



The night before the experiment she pleaded with me: ‘Please don’t dress me like a barmaid.’ But I wouldn’t dream of making her look cheap.



I chose a lovely dress that shows off her figure and is sexy. It’s low-cut, but not too revealing, and I made sure the jacket covers her arms because I know she hates them. I think she looks gorgeous and 15 years younger.



CAROL'S VERDICT: I am speechless — especially as I felt certain he would put me in a miniskirt. I would never pick this outfit, thinking it far too young for me. But the shape really flatters my body and I think it makes me look much younger. I’m delighted that Mike has such good taste and really touched that he took so much care in choosing this.



VANESSA AND MIKE

Vanessa Bradley, 45, and Mike, 55, run TV production company Brilliamstv. They live in Knutsford, Cheshire, and have been married for four years. Mike has a 17-year-old daughter from his first marriage.



VANESSA SAYS: Mike hates the way I dress sometimes. He jokes that my jeans are less feminine than his. I suppose he’s right.



I live in jeans, leggings and T-shirts. I am a size 16-18 and spend my life looking for clothes that will hide my lumps and bumps. I know Mike loves my curves and wants me to show them off, so I imagine he is going to pick something too feminine and not ‘me’.



Surprised: Vanessa now plans to dress in more feminine clothes following husband Mike's makeover, right. Vanessa wears: Dress, £110, Phase Eight. Jacket, £135, John Lewis. Shoes, £55, Debenhams



MIKE SAYS: Vanessa is a beautiful woman and should be more confident in the way that she dresses. I think she has a similar figure to Christina Hendricks from Mad Men, and I’d love to see her in dresses that really show off her amazing figure.



When women look in the mirror they see different things to men — they are always criticising themselves and thinking they need to diet, whereas we love women with shape.



Vanessa’s current uniform is jeans and a polo shirt — far too tomboyish. The first thing I did was put her in stilettos. I also chose a dress that looked old-fashioned, but sexy. I teamed it with a jacket that emphasised her waist. I think she looks stunning.



VANESSA'S VERDICT: When I saw this, I thought it was hideous, but when I put it on I was really surprised. I hate to say it, but wearing a dress made me feel very feminine and sexy. I wouldn’t dress like this every day, but I have now decided to make more effort with my clothes.



KIARAN AND FAROOK



Kiaran Malik, 32, is an HR Manager and married to Farook, 33, a management consultant, for five years. They live in West London and have a three-year-old daughter, Imaan.



KIARAN SAYS: Since becoming a mother I’ve dressed for comfort. Everything ends up filthy by the end of the day so there’s no point in wearing anything special. At home I tend to wear tracksuit bottoms.



When I first meet Farook I was a very funky dresser and he said he loved my style. He is far too kind to ever say anything but I suspect he longs for me to make more effort. I feel less confident since I had Imaan and don’t wear the sort of sexy, revealing outfits I used to. Farook says he can’t remember what my legs look like, so I’m expecting him to put me in hotpants. I’m dreading it.



Unconvinced: Kiaran isn't sure the outfit her husband Farook has chosen, right, suits her. Kiaran wears: Jumpsuit, £45, A-wear. Bracelet, £12, Warehouse



FAROOK SAYS: My wife is beautiful — I’m a very lucky man. She gets admiring looks, but I hate seeing her slob around in her trackie bottoms. They remind me of Vicky Pollard.



She’s tall and slim and can get away with most styles. I chose this jumpsuit because it’s fashionable but not too try-hard. It’s smart and shows off her toned arms and slim waist. I’d love to see her legs, but she would feel awkward, so there’s no point in dressing her in something that makes her unhappy.



KIARAN'S VERDICT: I’m relieved he hasn’t got me in some clingy dress but I’m not sure about this either. It feels a bit too much like pyjamas. I would wear a jumpsuit that was a bit more fitted and in a plainer colour — I don’t think anybody over the age of 12 looks good in polka dots.



BETH AND CHRISTIAN



Beth Colmar, 25, works as a fashion assistant and lives with her partner Christian Thompson, 31, a data analyst. They have been together three years and live in Surrey.



BETH SAYS: Christian says I dress like his grandmother. I tend to go for vintage dresses, chunky cardigans, tunics and brogues. He would like me to wear dresses — fitted, short and cleavage skimming — everything I hate.



My style is very individual. I know Christian would love to see me in a pair of heels, but I think that WAG-style fashion is so cheap. I have a horror of looking like Katie Price.

Horrified: Beth thinks the clothes partner Christian has chosen for her, right, are garish. Beth wears: Dress, £199, Littlewoods. Sandals, £40, from Dorothy Perkins



CHRISTIAN SAYS: Beth’s dress sense drives me mad. She is a beautiful young woman but dresses like somebody three times her age.



I chose a really glitzy minidress and teamed it with a pair of killer heels. I think she looks incredible: sexy, feminine and a little aloof.



Fashion is really important to Beth and hopefully I’ve proved that you can look stylish, sexy and adventurous all at the same time. If she ditches the cardis and flat shoes after this I’ll be a happy man.



BETH'S VERDICT: I want to cry. I look like one of those women who trawl nightclubs picking up footballers. The dress is far too short and revealing. I wouldn’t be caught dead dressed like this. To me ‘sexy’ is leaving a little to the imagination — not putting everything on display like this. The colours are garish and the cut is wrong.



If Christian hopes this will change my dress-sense, he’s wrong. It has had the opposite effect — I can’t get ba ck into my old clothes quick enough.

