White-collar workers are dressing smarter as they fight to keep their jobs and beat the financial crisis.

Upmarket shirt-makers TM Lewin has revealed its sales went up as Britain slid into recession. And Image consultant Julia Campion says she has been inundated by calls from workers desperate for advice after years of casual dressing.

Mrs Campion said: 'Many people in the UK, at all levels, are finding themselves either desperately hanging onto their jobs or searching for new ones.' 'The challenge during this recession is that many people don't remember the last one and so have never had to learn to wear suits, shirts and ties on a daily basis.' Mrs Campion, managing director of First Impressions Image Consultancy, said she has begun offering special coaching sessions to cope with the demand from sartorially challenged workers.

Research by fashion forum www.theragtrader.com has found four out of five office workers believe the way they dress has affected their work.

More than half (54 per cent) thought dressing smartly helped them to perform better in the office. Two-thirds felt more 'in control' if they were dressed smartly and 61 per cent thought it gained them more respect from colleagues.