DOS AND DON’TS OF LOOKING GREAT AFTER 50

DO WEAR SHOULDER PADS

I GET all my clients to buy a simple beige V-neck tank top. (You can also buy a tight V-neck T-shirt and cut off the sleeves) and add some shoulder pads – not 1980s’ monstrosities but discreet ones with a sharp, straight edge to wear under their clothes. You can wear this under anything and it transforms the way your clothes look. Actresses have their jaws on the floor when they try it, saying ‘Oh my God, I look so much slimmer.’

DON’T BUY STRAIGHT TROUSERS

If YOU carry any weight on your hips never wear straight trousers always go for bootlegs or a hip flare.

DO OPT FOR POINTED TOE SHOES

FEW women look good in really skinny high heels, they make your legs disappear into a tiny point. A chunkier, flatter shoe is more flattering. I always give people a black low-heel ankle boot with a pointed toe, they look great with dresses and skirts and help dress them down. for flats, if you want to look sharp and dynamic go for a pointed toe. Round-toed flats don’t look elegant.

DON’T DO FLIMSY TOPS

A LOT of women wear a flimsy top with trousers for work. Don’t! flimsy fabrics do you no favours if you’re curvaceous. You can see your bra through them and the bra attracts your back fat. wear something structured, it’s always more flattering.

DON’T OVERLOAD THE JEWELS

GO EASY on the jewellery, I’m always very minimal. There’s usually no dialogue between the clothes women wear and the jewellery they wear. One of my real bugbears is that I see many women who think they have to wear jewellery just for the sake of wearing jewellery, especially delicate jewellery. In daytime I prefer to go for really big, fun earrings, and maybe a bold ring rather than itsy-bitsy things that don’t make a statement.

DO BUY SHAPEWEAR

EVEN thin women have a layer of fat, so under clothes it’s more flattering to wear a bustier that ends below the ribcage than a bra that ends just below the bust. I won’t go to a fitting with an actress without a bag of wacoal shapewear and underwear.

Even if you’re not walking the red carpet, shapewear can do wonders for you.

DON’T DRY CLEAN

DRY cleaning is a racket — it’s expensive and the fluid is so bad for the environment. A lot of things that say dry-clean only, can be handwashed gently.

DO INVEST IN A STRONG BRA

IF YOU have a heavy bust you don’t want to reveal cleavage. But always wear a wellstructured bra under a high neck. The bra takes the focus away from the armpit and makes clothes hang better.

DO GO 80-DENIER ...

TIGHTS less than 80-denier look terrible. with flesh-coloured tights make sure they have a slight sheen to them — matte flesh looks grannyish. Heist is a very good tights brand ( heist-studios.com)

BUT DON’T GO STRAPLESS

NEVER wear strapless dresses, they are unflattering to anyone over the age of 30. Your armpits should never be on display. Velvet looks great on middle-aged women, it’s sumptuous and very forgiving.