Lisa Armstrong
Modern dressing for the older woman
t’s the Prime Minister’s 60th birthday today. I won’t waste time with platitudes about how 60 is the new 40, because what the heck does 40 look like these days? How is any age “supposed” to look?
Suffice to say that there has never been a better time to be a grown-up. The caveat is that you have to put some effort in.
In an essay she wrote in her sixties about grooming, Nora Ephron recalled how she’d suddenly realised she was only about eight hours a week of self- maintenance away from looking like a bag lady.
So here’s a list of don’ts for sixty-somethings.
Yellowing teeth
Get them whitened, but not too much. Think Farrow & Ball subtle, and it will knock at least 10 years off, rather than blind your assailants. If cost is an issue, ask someone to bring back a box of Crest Whitening Strips the next time they’re in the US.
Dated shoes
For unfathomable reasons, women often become absent-minded about shoe trends as they approach their seventh and eighth decades. Age is no excuse for undermining an otherwise stylish outfit with outmoded heels. I’m talking about those elongated toes and stumpy kitten heels. Now that flat-forms are so groovy, there’s a fashionable shoe for every foot. As for animal print, as the PM knows, it’s an evergreen.
Stray greys
That includes the ones sprouting from your eyebrows and – Oh God! – your chin. When it comes to grey it’s all or nothing. Blitz or cultivate.
Limp resolve
Nondescript waterfall cardis (in fact any kind of cardi is hard to pull off as you get older), twee frills, bland patterns…none of this will do. Bold, well-chosen statements – a flamboyant ruffle, a confident print – speak of confidence and self-knowledge.
Bad bags
The closer a woman was born to the postwar austerity period, the more uncomfortable she seems to feel splurging on a decent bag. Think of a beautifully made bag as jewellery – a sartorial investment (for you and any daughters) that’s more likely to have come from a supply chain where animal welfare is taken into account. J&M Davidson is a good place to start. Aspinal is also a source of modern classics.
Overdone hair
As hair becomes drier and less amenable, the temptation is to adopt draconian products. In this, as in most things, less is more. Focus on the best cut you can find (if you come to London it’s hard to beat Joel Concalves at Daniel Galvin, who, with the lightest of touches will give you dream hair (0207 486 9661).
The Stemm range of thickening shampoos and treatments for thinning hair has had a stampede of pre-orders (victoriahealth.com). I’ll report back when I’ve tested, but it comes from cult beauty company Deciem.
Underdone lips
Nothing erases sleepless nights and sagging mood faster and more painlessly than a slick of a bouncingly bright lipstick. Avoid dark Goth reds and burgundies and go for brightening orange-reds, corals and pink.
The best red I’ve come across is Victoria Beckham’s Chilean Sunset from her Estee Lauder collection. My colleague Kate Finnigan swears by Bobbi Brown’s Parisian Red.
Too much work...
... makes you look strange. That said, a few sprinkles (as Robin Wright calls her Botox jabs) or some light filler can do wonders. (Dr Prager has a super-light touch drmichaelprager.com). However some experts think Botox leads to muscles atrophying and ultimately sagging.
Your best investment is to look after the condition of your skin: sleep, facial massage and exercises, and effective, non-harsh cleansing and moisturising regimes. That’s a no to excessive retinol, peels and dermabrasion. Facial massage guru Alexandra Soveral offers advice on all kinds of skin issues, as well as facial massage tutorials via skype (alexandrasoveral. co.uk).
Too much working out
Those mothers and grandmothers who are more taut, toned (and haggard looking) than their nearest and dearest 20-yearolds? Not a good look. Sure, exercise of some kind is a must, but it needn’t be punitive. Walk as much as you can (but in supportive, springy-soled shoes) and don’t use food as a pay-off. Better to be moderate in both and if ever it’s a toss-up between sleep and exercise, no question, the former should win.
The wrong trousers
No need, ever, to slump into dreary, nondescript territory when there is a style to bring out your best feature, from trim waist (high-waisted, wide legs with tie waists) to dainty ankles (cropped kick flares), long legs (flares) to curvaceous hips (palazzos and pyjama sets). A pair of velvet trousers is every sixty-something’s right – an elegant, modern update on predictable black skirts.
Blah spectacles and sunglasses
Assertive frames in classy materials add definition and set off bone structure, eyebrows and sparkling eyes.
Sparkling eye deficit? Make sure you’re having regular eye check-ups. If insomnia’s an issue, work a nap into your day. Get outside at lunchtime for a walk in the park. If all else fails, try Vizulize Tired Eye Drops, £4.99 (healthmonthly.co.uk).
Gloomy greige
It may look amazing if you’re tawny skinned and Italian. But if you’re not, I beseech you to dump it in favour of more lifeenhancing shades that make it possible to detect where your clothes end and your skin starts.
What suits you may change as your skin tones alter. Start with chic neutrals – grey, navy, chocolate, soft bottle greens – and don’t be afraid of monochrome. It’s harsh on some skins, but works beautifully on others and is so good with silver hair. And always have something metallic to hand – it’s the equivalent of a flashlight on your skin.
Defeatist trainers
Never has there been a better time to have bunions, pronation, dropped arches, because trainers/plimsolls have never been more stunning. Go chunky, colourful, wild.
The Frump Jacket
Some can be too boxy, too shapeless, too long or too dull. Hillary Clinton’s given this a lot of thought and adopted the elongating, streamlining and sleek coatigan. Learn from her.
Inadequate scaffolding
Always spend the bulk of your budget on tailoring – and good underwear. Three words: Rigby & Peller (rigbyandpeller. com).
Things you can’t do past 40, let alone 60
Grunge, messy hair, mom jeans, irony, aubergine hair, cheap-tat jewellery, heavy eyeliner, neglected nails and (worse) toenails, spaghetti straps, sheer tights, mini skirts with bare legs (OK, at 40 it’s still fine), boho.
Places you should shop
Zara (why should twenty-somethings have exclusive access?), Massimo Dutti, Jigsaw, M&S Autograph, COS, & Other Stories, H&M, Vince (superior basics), Whistles, Joseph, CH by Carolina Herrera (princessy classics), Isa Arfen (quirky details and roomy cuts), Roksanda (womanly shapes, beautiful colours), Jacquemus (shirting so stylish, no jacket required).