DRESSED TO KILL

I may have lines on my face, but I’ve got the body I had at 17

SINGER-songwriter Sophie EllisBextor, 38, is married to Richard Jones, bassist with The Feeling. They live in London with their sons, Sonny, 13, Kit, eight, Ray, five and Jesse, one. Here, she reveals her style secrets to ROSANNA GREENSTREET.

Wardrobe treasure?

I stIll have a favourite black shift dress that I bought from New look when I was 16. My shape hasn’t changed — I have been pretty much the same size since I was 16 or 17. Nine times out of ten, I’ll still choose a dress. I like bright, bold and playful things — feminine but with a bit of a twist.

this green frock (right) by AsOs has beautiful ribbons down the back, a pretty detail. AsOs do brilliant stuff and this is the sort of thing I’d wear for a party. It’s a nice shape with the nipped-in waist and big skirt. I like that style — my wedding dress was Fifties inspired, too.

Nip and tuck?

I’d be too worried in case it went wrong. When I look in the mirror, I can see I don’t look the same as I did when I was 17, even though my figure has returned to the same size it was before children. but I try to embrace it — you are not entitled to look young for ever and there are lots of ways to look youthful without doctoring yourself too much. that said, I have girlfriends who have done it and I do not judge them; I’m all for people making their own choices.

Body loves — and hates?

I lIke the fact that any lines on my face are mainly from being happy. I am lucky: I feel good about what I do for a living and the life I lead. I’ve two very positive role models, my mum and my granny. they have both aged well and are still happy and youthful and I hope I inherit that.

When I was seven, my mum (ex blue Peter presenter Janet ellis) got a tattoo of a bird on her shoulder and it really made an impression on me. I thought it would be something I’d do at the right time. I got my tattoo of the word ‘family’ in a red heart after I had my first baby, just before Richard and I married.

that says it all for me, family is very important. I think a tattoo suggests that maybe people don’t know everything about you, and that’s a nice feeling.

It would be good if I could stop biting my nails and I wish I could do more with my hair. I’m rubbish at hairdos. basically, I do ponytails or put rollers in for gigs but even that doesn’t work very well. I see girls who can do these amazing rockabilly hairdos and up dos and I am jealous.

Fashion faux pas? PRetty much everything I wore when I was pregnant with my first child because I was slightly in denial about what was happening to my body and, at the time (14 years ago), maternity stuff was quite frumpy. I wanted to feel like me, so I still wore my clothes and it didn’t work at all! Feast or famine?

WheN I was growing up my mum banned the word ‘diet’ from our house. We weren’t allowed to say we were on a diet, it was always about healthy eating. I love my food and I don’t want to demonise anything and feel guilty if I eat certain things. I love chips, I love mayonnaise, I love cheese, I am always partial to a crisp, but I love lots of other things, too.

I try to make better choices most of the time and give myself permission to eat things that I really love once in a while. It’s that old adage about moderation; we all know it’s true but sometimes it’s tedious to hear.

High Street or designer?

I thINk we have the best high streets in the world in this country and I love the fact that there are vintage concessions in high street shops, too. In the Uk we are more proud to say that something only cost us £30 than we are to say, ‘Oh my God, I am wearing head-to-toe designer’.

I love topshop, Zara, Urban Outfitters, Warehouse. I have the shopping gene, which means you can drop me almost anywhere and I’ll be able to find something I like, which is a blessing and a curse. to this year’s Glamour Awards I wore an old betty barclay dress that cost me £35 from a vintage shop in Glasgow.

When I go on tour I put a message on twitter saying: ‘Right guys, where shall I head for the best local vintage?’

Heels or flats?

FlAts are more practical — I love skipping around like Audrey hepburn. Wearing flat shoes can make you feel chic, especially pretty little slip-ons. I have some lovely white patent shoes from Miu Miu with a low sparkly heel, they perk everything up.

Gym bunny or lazy bones?

I GO to the gym a couple of times a week. I work with a trainer and she just stops me from getting too bored and stuck in a rut. I do weights, bits of cardio and running, nothing too crazy.

Style icon?

I lIke people who are not afraid to push the envelope. As a teenager, I loved the singer PJ harvey in her neon pink cat-suit, and I loved bjork , david bowie and Prince — fearless in how they dress and they let it help articulate what they were up to.

High or low maintenance?

I’M quite low maintenance. Obviously you always want to feel like a good version of yourself but I find it hard to book beauty treatments. If I need to do my legs I just shave them in the shower and I don’t get manicures or pedicures because, with four boys, I haven’t a lot of time. I’d rather be with them than in a salon.

Dress up or down?

It’s a lot of fun to get dressed up, though sometimes I get it wrong and look a bit daft but that’s okay. I don’t take it too seriously. On stage I like to jump around so I wear things that are shorter and more sparkly. I love wearing shorts or playsuits because then I am not worried that people can see up my skirt.

Recently I performed at a music festival in london and a lady who was styling artists had a beautiful red net jacket. I wore it with a leotard made for me by the strictly wardrobe department — it’s covered in swarovski crystals and is the most amazing thing. I’ve worn it to death. It sounds risque but at that concert, everywhere you looked you saw naked flesh, so compared to everyone else, I was relatively demure.

What’s in your handbag?

I lOve my pink Cambridge clutch with my initials on. I am obsessed with the Cambridge satchel Company and I like that they are not designer bags — I am anti that kind of thing.

Inside is my iPad because I am trying to watch billions, my keys which I’m glad about because I usually forget them, my wallet, spare contact lenses, some lippy — I love Mac — and Charlotte tilbury’s eyeliner pen which is brilliant for doing the flicks I like. I still have some eyelash glue from the Glamour Awards in there and hairspray — not for my hair but because my skirt was a bit static when I left the house.

Signature scents?

I lOve Agent Provocateur and I also like Jo Malone Red Roses.

SOPHIE is working with DenTek as part of their #TeethTalk campaign, raising awareness of the importance of a good oral healthcare routine for all the family. dentekuk.co.uk