Lisa Armstrong
23 ways to be a fashion grown-up
Asurvey this week (I know, there’s one every week, and they’re usually to sell insurance) suggests that women reach their prime, style-wise, at 30. Hmm. What they should have said was that women ascend to the foothills of “peak style” at 30. It’s a lifetime’s journey. Thirty is a good age, therefore, to leave some of your less felicitous style quirks behind, to take stock of where you want to go and how you’d like to be perceived on the way. It’s called Grown-Up Dressing, and here are some of the signposts. You’ve found a hairdresser who’s right for you. This is not based on how many celebrities they coif but how many times they make you look fabulous, and whether you find one another’s company congenial. One of the weirder laws of style dictates that celebrity notches on a stylist’s scissors are not a sensible way to gauge excellence. Celebrities are not always the best judge of anything, and what works for Cheryl may not be a happy outcome for you. Finally, if they really are in demand, they will dump you at the click of Cheryl’s fingers, leaving you high and dry in the cab on your way to the appointment. You’ve stopped changing your hair colour every six months (although a wise woman will always be flexible within two or three shades, depending on the season and the state of her skin). One doesn’t like to be too proscriptive, but I’d say 40 is a good time to go easy on the ricochets from peroxide to raven and fix on a spectrum that suits. You will also know that shampoos containing sodium lauryl sulphate leach the colour faster. 3 You take your shoes to the menders before your feet have made contact with the pavement. If they’re leather-soled and pointy-toed, have rubber tips put on to stop them scuffing. If the leather or patent on the heel is chipped, you get them fixed or donate them to charity, no matter how much they cost. Bashed-up heels are not grown-up. You’ve had your foundation properly matched to your skin tone by a professional and learnt that less is more. Caking it on all over is the quickest way to add five years – and a not very chic tide-line. When applying base, do as the US Drug Enforcement Agency does: spot check. You’ve bought your underwear based not on a photograph of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, but after being correctly fitted by an expert. You’ve learnt that shapewear is most effective when manufactured and worn with a light touch. Too draconian and it makes you look like a sausage and gives you stomach ache. You’ve realised that no amount of shapewear makes you feel as good as finding a form of exercise you enjoy and can stick to, especially since there is, as yet, no shapewear for arms (unless you count sleeves). It doesn’t have to be punishing – when it comes to toning, Pilates is more effective
than running. You’ve discovered the kind of perfumes you like (floral or musky), and they’re not celebrity-backed either. They may not even be available at the airport. So much more grown-up. You’ve perfected the art of the tousled but groomed ’do (or your hairdresser has). Rigid perfection can be ageing, but not caring how you look is immature. Saoirse Ronan’s Bafta ponytail was ideal. Bitter experience has taught you how to look good in photos. The half-smile, the smize (smiling with your eyes – it’s tricky, but worth practising), the drawing yourself up from the waist (but not too stiffly), the slight pulling in and down of the chin… This is why models earn what they do. You’ve stopped using cleansing wipes on your face, except when halfway up Kilimanjaro. The lazy (and dry-skinned) woman’s last resort. You’re using a decent moisturiser, and not just slapping it on but massaging it in. If you’re serious about doing it properly, you can book a lesson with Alexandra Soveral (alexandra soveral.co.uk), or type “facial massage Lisa Eldridge” in on YouTube for a brilliant 20-minute (free) tutorial. You’ve worn metallics during the day. This doesn’t mean Versace-style chainmail to the office, or head-to-toe sequins, but it does entail deploying a smattering of dull bronze, silver or gold as a neutral. Full points if you texture – play it against cashmere or tweed. Subtle, sophisticated and very grown-up indeed. You’ve worked out that sexy isn’t synonymous with tight or tacky. It’s about cut, fabric and attitude. Cleavage is fine; boob flashing is not. You know that tweed trousers make your bum look big, but tweed worn as a coat, jacket or top is a bona-fide investment. Investments. You have to factor in longevity into your spending calculations.