I need a style overhaul

Having just turned 50, I feel like I’m having a midlife crisis. I’m very happy with my husband and my job, and my kids are doing well – but I just feel like a frump who’s lost her way when it comes to what to wear, and it’s just

not me. I was always a ‘dedicated follower of fashion’ but, now, I don’t trust my own judgement and I’m paranoid that, if I try a new look, I’ll look like mutton dressed as lamb! Bar giving Gok Wan a call, I don’t know what to do.

Barbara, Cornwall

Maybe it’s time to give yourself a little treat, with a trip to London or another big city. Department stores such as House Of Fraser and Debenhams offer fashion advisers, or personal shoppers, for free. After a discussion, they gather together a selection of clothes they think might suit you in a private dressing room, and give great advice. It might be a good starting point.