Are you turned off by your husband’s appearance? This is the secret syndrome to blame… and the simple solution that made mine look 15 years younger – and sexier than ever

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This was not a sight I thought I would see. My husband, Anthony, wanders around a department store dressing room like Julia Roberts in the Rodeo Drive scene of Pretty Woman.

He first wears a pale pink cotton sweater, a white brushed cotton shirt, and a delicious boxy blue worker’s jacket with deep open pockets. Then she struts around in pure Made in Chelsea green terry shorts, then stone-coloured shorts and pointy cork loafers.

It’s quite a turnaround, considering he was hunched over and defensive in his green vest and wide-leg chinos when we first arrived for this personal shopping session.

Anthony looks 15 years younger and is clearly performing well.

My friends will not believe that I achieved this; None of her husbands would ever agree to anything that smacked of change. Men shop online and infrequently, refusing to accept their increasing waistlines and hiding from the fashion world in ways women can rarely escape.

After all, while women over 50 are under no illusion that they can ease into middle age, men feel like they don’t need to put any effort into their appearance at this point.

To be fair to Anthony, he’s on a pretty good nick. Now 60, he still runs twice a week, his face is wrinkle-free and he has hair of his own. The chest area may be a little larger, but it is smooth and structured. She’s proud that she can still fit into the clothes she bought in her 20s.

The problem is, he’s still wearing them. Or versions thereof.

In winter, flat-front, skinny cords and piping match old City shirts, now fraying at the collar; In summer, flat-front chinos or loose shorts, topped with short-sleeved button-downs or polos.

The green towel coordinate, which I thought was super cool and therefore had to be out of our cost range, turned out to be JL… only £45 for the top and £35 for the shorts

So far, middle-of-the-road, middle-aged man… but the most heinous crimes have always been committed in the shoe department. When we met on holiday in Provence in 1997, I admired her toned, tanned body and blonde hair, but her shoes bothered me on a molecular level. Suede desert boots or worse, Oxford brogues with striped socks pulled halfway up their calves.

He looked half Riviera dreamboat, half off-duty officer.

Nearly 30 years and three pairs of desert boots later, it’s fair to say this is starting to bother me. When a friend tells me that trusty John Lewis (they certainly wouldn’t let me down) now offers a men’s only service (no obligation, no minimum spend), I grab the nettle and book Anthony.

This is my chance to rescue her from her fashion woes, solve the summer shorts and shoes debacle, and give her the male equivalent of Glow Up.

Of course I won’t tell him this. I’m just pretending that I unexpectedly have a small premium bond of £500 and want to buy her some new clothes. Once at the store, knowing how much he hates stalking stores, I convince him to have a private session, thinking it’s free and productive.

‘I’ll take a look, but I’m not promising anything,’ he grumbled. ‘And it won’t be long, will it?’ (It’s only been two hours, I’ve been thinking silently.)

But the moment the door disguised as a bookcase opens and we are ushered into the blue velvet-lined Speakeasy men’s styling room, Anthony is impressed. This immediately makes you feel like James Bond is cuter than an embarrassing Jeff Banks makeover.

Our stylist, Mark Lewis, has worked at the JL flagship on Oxford Street for 25 years, the last seven as a stylist, and there’s nothing he doesn’t know about their products. I filled out an online form stating my husband’s sizes, height, hair/eye color, and skin tone, as well as his budget, and added a line or two about what I (sorry, Anthony and I) wanted to get out of this session.

Anthony and John Lewis stylist Mark… Anthony wears a pale pink sweater under a white brushed cotton shirt and a blue jumper

Anthony is wearing Hugo Boss slim-fit indigo jeans and Dune brown suede loafers

Mark has some suggestions but when Anthony says this he goes for more, although he’s happy to try new things (I’m trying not to sound triumphant) retro and slim fit is what he likes.

Mark says it’s all part of the process; The day before, a customer said he wanted to look like Jamie Redknapp or ‘football pundits in general’. We chuckled at this as Mark ran off to get more relevant pieces.

‘Fast!’ my husband hiss. ‘Let’s try something while he’s gone.’

For the next five minutes, he grabs things off the shelf and dives in, gathering things he likes on one side and things he doesn’t like on the other into a pile. I am an equally quick servant; I prepare the shirts by unbuttoning them, shrugging him into his jackets, putting the rejected ones back on their hangers, and we’re still giggling together when Mark returns. This is already a lot of fun.

When it comes to new offers, Mark is convincingly reassuring; muttering ‘different but not wrong’, he coaxes Anthony into the unexpected elements.

He tells us he’s familiar with the concept of stuck-in-a-rut husband syndrome.

‘More than two-thirds of our appointments are made by women for their husbands, boyfriends, fathers, sometimes even sons or brothers,’ she smiles. ‘Only one or two people came reluctantly; At first there was one that hissed and shot an arrow. “Just ask heThe first time I showed him things, but even he calmed down and ended up buying a whole new wardrobe.

‘I often persuade men to dare to be a little different by telling them they can try something first on holiday, away from judgmental neighbours!’

It turns out that men’s fashion has a wider range than many men imagine. For every baggy, cool pair of trousers that my retro-inclined husband instantly rejects, there’s a skinny equivalent. For every boring old polo, there’s a terrycloth Cuban collar swap.

In line with our budget, Mark turned to his own brand, the JL series, in terms of cost. The green towel coordinate, which I thought was super cool and would therefore be out of our cost range, turns out to be JL: just £55 for the top and £35 for the shorts. I am impressed. Surprisingly, so does Anthony.

But Mark is about to create even greater miracles. My husband didn’t wear jeans today centuryEver since she took a stand against the ubiquitous cowboy look in Dress Down Friday when she was working in the city in the ’90s – and yet here she is, grinning at me as she steps out from behind the curtain in a head-to-toe pair of jeans.

Workaday blue denim shirt, also from JL, without pleats; Below are indigo Hugo Boss jeans. It looks incredible. Younger, sexier, with a smile that showed she knew the impact she was making. The moment I pick myself up off the floor, they go straight to the shopping cart before she changes her mind.

This will burst the dam. Next Mark steers her away from colorful plaids and polos towards a brushed-cotton white shirt and pale pink sweater. As for shoes, the loafers go straight into the basket, along with the green color and the boxy blue jacket; This is called ‘shacket’.

Then I see him wearing the deck shoes he refused to wear last millennium because he was too ‘banking idiot’. Could this spell the end of desert boots?

‘I understand. “Summer shoes were a challenge for men,” Mark says sympathetically. ‘But there are so many options now: the Italian loafer look, a nice white sneaker, a sneaker, even a slipper.’

It’s like someone pulled the needle out of the record. My husband’s face darkens.

‘Sliders? In a 60 year old man? No, no, no Mark, you’ve gone too far. You know I have red lines and you’ve crossed them now.’

I secretly agree. Sliders are a step too far, even for my stylish new husband. But we’re still leaving with a bag that Julia Roberts would be proud of.

ANTHONY Says…

I’ve always fancied myself as a casual dresser – clean lines, good colours, a bit of a Talented Mr. Ripley retro – so I restrain myself when Susannah teases me for being stuck in a monotonous style.

I don’t think he gives me enough credit for refusing to follow fashion orthodoxy. I have always hated fashion for fashion’s sake and preferred a timeless approach.

At first, I was distrustful of selling overpriced tattoos that would look outdated next summer. So it was great that Mark understood me instantly and catered to my tastes perfectly. He adjusted me enough that we were all happy with the results.

Sorry Susannah, but I’m not retiring desert boots completely. I love my new loafers though.

A week has passed, and I must admit I haven’t worn any of my new clothes yet. But I told Susannah that I was saving the first ‘throw’ for when we were going out together; He’s been working a lot lately and I want to show off by having a night that suits him. I will wear it every day from now on. Honest.

Mark’s top tips if your man is stuck in a style rut

1. Dress according to your size, not your age. Years are no obstacle to fashion, especially since men’s tailoring is much smarter at adapting to the differences of the male body in middle age. T-shirts are cut to flatter thick sleeves and hug mid-life jerseys, and blazers are made in different lengths: The rule of thumb is that you can hold the edge of a jacket without bending your arms (too short) or bending (too long). Quality, comfort and fit should always take priority over trends.

2. Stay true to yourself, but be ready to mix in new things. I quickly realized that Anthony was a stylish guy and was a little stuck up, so I played to his love of retro but changed up the textures a bit and added new shapes, like shorter shorts and a slim work jacket. Then he experienced the joy of getting out of his comfort zone.

3. Don’t be afraid of color: Start neutral with items that can be easily paired with each other (capsule approach), then start embracing the amount of color you feel comfortable with, highlighting features like skin tone, hair and eyes. Anthony went bold, but even a pop of color in a pocket square or colorful socks under jeans might be enough for you.

4. When it comes to shoes in the summer, the rules have relaxed; Maybe too much for Anthony, but you can’t go wrong with a pair of loafers or boat shoes. One rule that still applies is to match the color of the belt to the shoes.

5. When buttoning a jacket, there is a little acronym that will come in handy: from top button down – MAN. Top button – Maybe. Middle button – Always. Bottom button – Never