YES, SLEEVE LENGTH DOES MATTER

AnnA HArvey, former fashion director at vogue and style consultant to Princess Diana, is the author of Timeless Style: Dressing Well For The rest Of your Life. THE KNEE is not a great point of focus for anyone over 50. A midi hemline is elegant, but if you don’t feel comfortable in one — and they can be tricky — the most flattering length is just below the knee for a straight skirt, and a tiny bit longer for a fuller skirt.

Mini skirts, along with vertiginous heels, are ageing. You look at the skirt, then at the face; if the two don’t match, it makes you seem older.

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of cleavage at our age, but a plunging V-neck, where you start to see the shape of each breast, isn’t attractive. I’m quick to slip on an M&S white vest under a low neckline just to be sure I’m not going to bend forward and get caught with it all hanging out.

And I’m obsessed with sleeves. Unless you are very young, the skin underneath the upper arm is the least attractive piece of flesh on the body.

A sleeveless style may look fine when you try it on in the dressing room because your arms are by your side. But lift up your arms and move them about, and you’ll see.

A sleeve that ends just above the elbow looks far better, and you can show off a nice tanned forearm.

With paler colours and lightweight fabric, be aware of opacity. Visible underwear on anyone, but particularly the over-50s, is a no-no.

Pieces don’t have to be lined; just check you’re not totally transparent.