Leigh-Anne Hunter gets tied in pussy-bow knots trying to follow the advice of a professional image consultantI've never seen anyone walk so fast in heels. "We usually stop for a quick break after about four hours," says Tracy Gold as she breezes along the aisles of Sandton City mall. The makeover expert regularly brings clients here to shop for outfits.Even Gold's bouncing blonde hair exudes confidence. "I never wear sloppy clothes. Ever." She does pole-dancing to stay shopping fit. "It's a marathon, going from store to store. And some women take a long time to get changed."Gold, who has been doing image interventions for the last 13 years, flits between consultations in Joburg and Cape Town. "It gets intense." Her makeover packages range from a R1,500 styling session to a full-day wardrobe, hair and makeup special at R8,450. She calls it "New Look, New You". It's like pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete on your life, say women who've hired an image consultant.Gold also coaches clients in the art of shopping so they can do it for themselves. "Women tell me: 'Tracy, I have a confession. I hate shopping.'" It's often said in a whisper. "They walk around shops; they're overwhelmed. They waste money on things they don't wear. It begins a cycle of dislike. Women, I realised, don't know how to shop. So I decided I would teach them."Her preferred angle of attack is from the right, Gold tells me as we walk into a clothing store. She calls it the "enter and skim" approach.Gold, who gives clients tips on how to work with their body shape ("Skinny jeans are not a girl's best friend"), says my challenge is that I tend to look "quite straight up and down". What we need to do is define my waist. That's what it's all about. "Define, define, define."She has me try on several outfits. "That's not a bad colour on you, but it's not a FAB colour. Now try this on ..." In the hierarchy of fashion, I'm promoted from jeans and sneakers to peplums and pussy-bow blouses. (I didn't ask, in case I revealed what a fashion peasant I am. Although she'd no doubt gleaned that when I arrived at makeover headquarters wearing mommy jeans and prematurely greying hair.)Apparently I'm a typical client. From new moms to divorcees and Empty Nesters, "women come to me when they're going through a big change", Gold says.Growing up, she felt "caged in" by her school uniform and couldn't wait to get home and put on one of her signature cheerful outfits. "I just needed to feel like myself."And that's the essence of what she does now. "It's important to create an image that reflects who you are on the inside. When a woman is in an erratic emotional space, her clothing reflects that." Helping women find the "right fit" can help them embrace their new identity.Many bookings are made by husbands. "Men give me cash. 'Please make sure my wife spends it.'" She says women often relegate grooming to the bottom of the laundry pile. (It's true: just the other day I cut my own hair with the kitchen scissors.) They are "sleep, time and patience deprived", which means it's even more crucial to "make things easier for yourself".Imagine, she says, if you could just pull out any outfit in the morning because you know everything you own is faahbulous? It's her own life that she describes - she's one of those people who does overseas trips with a tiny suitcase because she knows how to mix 'n match.Mothers tell her they feel guilty to shift the attention to themselves. "They say it hurts their conscience. But sometimes a conscience needs to be retrained. A woman needs to model the importance of self-care to her children."Gold reclines on a sofa stroking a chinchilla as she probes my subconscious. It's like a therapy session for the fashion-fearful. "Tell me Leigh-Anne," she says, "what would it look like for you to look and feel fabulous? Just dream."I ramble on and she makes "mmm" noises. "So what I'm hearing is that you like details, textures ... Yes, I'm getting a picture now."I have this flashback to university and a moss-green velvet jacket I loved. It feels like 200 years ago. "It's often about creating a feeling," says Gold, and finding out which clothes do that for us. "I don't believe in rules. I don't own a single little black dress."When we go shopping, Gold picks out this hottie I've had my eye on. "I shouldn't," I say, stroking the jacket's perfect buttons."I'll get women to try on something really bold that I know is going to terrify them," Gold says. "'I could never wear that,' they gasp, followed by: 'Wow, that actually looks good!'"The right look, Gold says, "can transform how people see themselves and what's possible for them. It never is just about the clothing."..