EVERY woman has a few guilty secrets. In fear and trembling, I agreed to allow mine to be brought to light.

My greatest sins, decided Julia Forder, with a tone of honeyed warmth and understanding, were a shocking pink slash-neck T-shirt and a pale pink flowery blouse.

I hung my head in shame.

One moment of weakness was all it had taken. Before I knew it, my purse was lighter, my conscience heavier and my wardrobe burdened with two tops in completely the wrong colours for me.

What I needed, sartorially speaking, was a firm hand.

Julia Forder is a fashion graduate who has set up a business giving private clients the benefit of her impeccable taste.

When she arrived for our meeting, her appearance inspired confidence. Smart, trendy but non-threatening, she obviously knew plenty about picking the best clothes to suit her own style.

A typical image consultation with Julia takes place at the client's home and lasts one to three hours.

Step one is colour profiling, designed to help you find out which colours suit you and which should be avoided like the plague.

My palette is autumnal, Julia decided within seconds of seeing my reddish-brown hair and freckled complexion. Moss green, terracotta and russetty red should form the basis of my wardrobe she said, naming my favourite colours with uncanny accuracy.

Steering me in front of a mirror, she proceeded to prove her point. With red and green swatches held up next to my face, I looked my normal self.

But as Julia draped a delicate duck-egg blue scarf around my shoulders, an extraordinary and not-at-all-pretty transformation took place. Suddenly my pale skin took on a grey pallor and purple shadows appeared under my eyes.

Next, we tackled my wardrobe. Julia approved of my fondness for red and liked the fitted tops and long-line jackets I wear for work. But she tutted gently over my heavy reliance on 'safe' black and beige (no-nos for autumnal people) and urged me to let go of some shapeless relics which have ceased to earn their keep.

My favourite tight jeans and long skirts were perfect for my tall, slim frame Julia decided, but before I could start to preen, she added that my polo necks and strappy sandals would do nothing for my weak chin and chunky ankles.

The main thing which stood out for me from my meeting with Julia was how much I enjoyed chatting to her. Being criticised has never been so much fun.

The second outstanding thing about Julia was that her judgement was spot-on.

I guess I always knew in my heart of hearts that the shocking pink top was a bad idea...

An image consultation with Julia Forder costs £18 per hour. For further details call 01722 503038 or 0795 0604074.