Assistant editor Neil White isn’t known around the Nottingham Evening Post newsroom for his love of fashion – so reporter Mhairi McFarlane bit the bullet and told her boss he needed some help from the experts.

Mhairi managed to persuade Neil to go along to the local John Lewis store, which offers a free fashion advisory service and aims to provide a helping hand to those whose style quota is slightly below par.

Normal Neil

Neil (left) was dubious about what outfits the store’s fashion advisor Leissa Philpott and menswear assistant Duane Johnson would be recommending for him – but armed with two of his usual ensembles he grudgingly let the team go to work.

They had soon replaced his usual casual attire of sweatshirt, jeans and Coventry City baseball cap with a blue, red and white gingham Hilfiger shirt, navy chinos and a Hilfiger gillet, which was quickly swapped for a jacket when Neil declared: “I would only wear it if I were dead.”

Taking in his new casual outfit Neil said: “They’ve ended up with a comparatively moderate colour scheme, it’s not too extravagant.”

Casual chap

Next they set out to overhaul his work wardrobe, which unlike other men in management doesn’t consist of designer labels but off-the-peg suits bought by his wife Andrena.

Kitted out in a new suit, shirt, shoes and tie Neil (pictured below) exits the fitting room with a spring in his step, pleased with the choices that had been made for him.

He said: “This has almost been verging on a pleasurable experience, and although it started with alarming red shirts they haven’t forced me into anything I don’t like.

“When you’re married with kids you tend to be at the bottom of the list to get money spent on your clothes.

“But if they can kit you out for an entire year in an hour, so you don’t have to drag around 400 shops… I’m sure that would appeal.”

Neil has even agreed to take Andrena back with him to have another look at some of the outfits suggested and so a more fashionable assistant editor may soon be seen around the Post.

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