HEMLINES: HOW HIGH IS TOO HIGH?

the eyebrows – a hard pencil line makes you look permanently surprised. And we all have a relative whose pencilled-on eyebrows are always asymmetrical.

A lip pencil is essential to draw in the outline of your lips to stop the colour ‘bleeding’ into the little lines around your mouth. These will be more pronounced if you were a smoker in your youth. Always use a lip brush to apply lipstick to get the best result. A dark red can look a bit hard, especially when it escapes your natural lip line and migrates on to your teeth. Rose pink is often the most flattering shade, depending on your skin tone.

You do not want to look too old or too young, so try to get the balance right. As your body changes, your clothes have to adapt as well, which means learning how to flatter your body shape without needing a complete wardrobe overhaul.

Don’t wear a miniskirt however good your legs are. Brigitte Macron is in her 60s, doesn’t have ‘fat knee syndrome’ but she does look a bit awkward photographed in a miniskirt alongside younger women such as Melania Trump. A hemline that’s just below the kneecap is flattering for anyone.

And leggings, especially patterned ones, are just for the gym. With age, your legs change shape. Your calves get narrower as your muscles shrink and your knees get wider.

A turtleneck, poloneck or a collar with a necklace nestling in the hollow of the throat diverts attention from a scraggy neck. Some women use floaty scarves for this purpose. Strangely, though, these seem to draw the eye to the very area you’re trying to hide.

Tops with a boat-neck are flattering under a well-cut jacket unless you’re broadshouldered and your back is a bit rounded. And it’s worth making sure that the back of your top covers the top of your back!

This is an edited extract from Getting Old: Deal With It by Lee Janogly, to be published by Mensch Publishing on 26 December, price €13.