To help her transformation, Britney Spears's finally decided to hire a stylist, revealing that she's impressed with the way Katie has evolved from schoolgirl-cute to sophisticated mum. And now she wants to do the same, regardless of cost.

"Britney wants to go from trashy to classy," says a source close to the singer, "and she's spending a fortune in the process."

In a massive one-day shopping spree splurge recently, Britney took her cousin Alli Sims and a personal shopper along with her as she shelled out almost $39,000 on designer clothes at upscale Beverly Hills department store Neiman Marcus.

As she was ushered into a private VIP viewing area, Britney, 25, was overheard telling staff she wanted to buy "the kind of stuff Katie Holmes wears".

In her attempt to be just like Katie, Britney Spears focused her attention on elegant, high-end labels such as Armani and Manolo Blahnik.

But after splashing out on her new wardrobe and choosing an array of Katie-inspired items such as fitted jackets, chic silk shirts, fashion shoes and well-cut jumpers in muted tones, Britney's planning to ditch her famously tacky outfits once and for all and emerge as a sophisticated woman.