It may well not be fair, but study after study has shown that humans judge each other in the first five seconds of meeting. Scuffed shoes, or an ill-fitting or dated suit, have sadly more impact on how others perceive us than what we actually have to say.

Make a bad first impression and regardless of how good you are at your job or witty you might be, you are already running uphill in terms of the opinion that future employers or new colleagues have of you.

Natalia Colman set up her company Style Solutions as a direct result of her experience as a trainer for business executives. She explains: "Quite often I would be giving a training seminar and I would look out [at the audience] and think 'how on earth did you get to where you are dressed like that'.

"First impressions do matter. You can be a phenomenally capable in business but if your shoes are dirty or your hair is a mess, then this impression starts to override and undermine what your audience is hearing."

"I get called in by marketing departments who say 'look our CEO is absolutely unbelievable at how they do the job but they look shocking'," Suzanne Bernie founder of image consultancy, Coathanger.

Her point is picked up by Suzanne Bernie founder of image consultancy Coathanger. She said: "Often because they have been so successful at getting results, how they look has been overlooked, but then they come to award ceremonies to give speeches and while what they are saying may be perfect, all that the audience is thinking is 'what are they wearing'."

While Bernie's inference that appearance can sometimes be a tricky subject to raise with senior staff, not all women are offended that their employer has singled them out to go on a style course. Indeed some employers incorporate such advice into fast track programs for their brightest employees.

One investment banker who attended one such course explained: "The course was about working out what you want and being yourself. The point they highlighted was that often women try to be too straight and conservative in their presentation and do not take chances or calculated risks with their clothes.

"They encouraged us to be both feminine and professional and linked how we dress to charisma. It was about using charm and personality to make an impact, and how to bring that through to how you dress."

"The course was about working out what you want and being yourself. The point they highlighted was that often women try to be too straight and conservative in their presentation and do not take chances or calculated risks with their clothes," Investment banker attendee of style course.

How it works

Image consultants are not personal shoppers. Granted they may well end up taking you round the shops or even buying your clothes for you, but shopping is the last bit of the image overhaul service. Personal shoppers are there to dress you for a specific event. What this new breed of companies do is talk to the individual about what they want to achieve, what image they want to project out to the world and only when that has been worked out does the shopping commence.

It is not about taking people out of their comfort zone. Subtle changes, such as adding a piece of jewellery, adding a scarf or choosing a jacket with a bold lining, can have a significant impact on how women are perceived by their peers and colleagues as well as making them feel more confident on a day to day basis.

Equally neither Bernie nor Colman subscribe to the Trinny & Susannah school of hard and fast rules about how to dress. Bernie explains: "Often you find women will stick firmly to a certain colour or style of trouser because somebody somewhere will have written that if you are this shape you should wear this, and if you are this colouring you should never touch these colours. I think that is absolute rubbish.

"I would never tell a client that they should never wear red. While they might not look good in an orangey red, I might find that red with a little bit or pink or blue would look amazing. It's really all about trying on different styles and colours and experimenting."

After the initial overhaul, clients can either go it alone or employ their consultants on an ongoing basis to keep their wardrobes up to date by shopping for them, adding key pieces to keep their look refreshed, every season.

What it costs

If you are not lucky enough to have your employer offer to pay for a image course for you, you can expect to pay around £400 for a half day wardrobe session - where the consultant goes through your existing wardrobe and talks through what you are trying to achieve - and about the same again for a day's accompanied shopping.

For more information:

Coathanger, tel: 0870 460 6194 or visit www.coathanger.net

Style Specialists, tel: 01422 241115 or visit www.stylespecialists.co.uk

By Lindsey Rogerson