I have a confession to make. There was a time when I hated navy – it was my school uniform colour and it took me almost 30 years to get over that fact. Up until a couple of years ago I just couldn’t bring myself to wear it – there were too many associations with rules, regulations and uniformity so I simply adopted black as my base colour and the foundation of much of my wardrobe. While I still have a deep affection for black, that eternally chic, streamlined and slimming shade, in my mid-forties I began to notice that it was not quite so fond of me. I began to observe that it emphasised the dark shadows under my eyes, made my winter pallor more ghostly and if not wearing a full face of make-up could render me drawn and dejected looking. 

At around the same time I began to perceive that navy was enjoying a resurgence in popularity – it was being worn by fashion editors on the “frow”, was appearing increasingly in editorials and was also being championed amongst younger women who were paring it with unexpected brights such as  red, burnt orange and neon pink. Suddenly navy didn’t look “mumsy” and “matronly” anymore but cool, classic and understated. Once Phoebe Philo started giving the colour her endorsement I was sold.  I didn’t consciously decide to re-evaluate my bias against navy but somehow subtly and imperceptibly I began to soften my attitude and the next thing I knew I had bought a navy tailored pea coat. Next came a striped navy and cream maillot, a pair of slim navy cropped pants, a pair of navy suede pumps and a navy leather jacket. Gradually I became a fully-fledged “navy-ophile” and soon wearing the shade with increasing frequency. 

I was forced to admit that the softer inkier darkness of navy was much kinder to my skin tone and was just as flexible an anchor colour as black.  I had to acknowledge that my school uniform experience had blinded me to the positive attributes of navy for too long. Now I began to appreciate that black is not the only shade to confer gravitas – navy is elegant and serene but not quite as sober as black – it doesn’t take itself quite as seriously. It possesses a chic French allure that is sexy without being self-conscious. This Autumn Winter is has been given a serious style re-boot courtesy of Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior who showcased a collection almost entirely in navy which was inspired by Christain Dior’s assertion that “Among all the colours, navy blue is the only one that can ever compete with black, it has all the same qualities.”  

As a colour navy has always had association with uniforms – the colour was named after the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 and has therefore long been connected with functionality without fuss. Indigo the shade most associated with denim (the uniform of the street) has its roots in workwear and was perhaps the first incarnation of navy in a newly fashionable guise. Certainly the renaissance of navy owes much to the huge popularity of denim again in the past five years – women began to wear the colour as a partner to their designer denims and over time an increasing amount of directional labels began to include navy garments in their collections. Previously seen as something that your mother wore in sensible slacks and nice blazers, navy began to be perceived as innately cool. In a social media  saturated world where attention seeking has grown to epidemic proportions, there is something about the restraint of navy that is immensely appealing. There is also the bonus that if you buy navy well it will last a lifetime.   

If you stop to recall perfect navy fashion moments there are some quintessential images  – Jackie Kennedy Onassis on the streets of New York in a navy pea coat, Marilyn Monroe in dark denim in The Misfits, Princess Diana in a long languid Catherine Walker slip dress accessorised with a huge aristocratic sapphire, Victoria Beckham in a tailored trouser suit or Alexa Chung in one of her beloved navy jumpers of tomboyish jumpsuits. What is illustrated by these is how adaptable navy is to all women regardless of body shape or style – it is the chameleon of shades – looking distinctly  different on each wearer yet also simultaneously as if it belongs to them personally. Put simply – everyone looks good in navy. 

There are of course certain garments that seem to look better in navy than any other colour – the blazer, jeans, pea-coat, cable sweater and cropped trousers all seem to reach peak perfection in navy . A navy tailored blazer is perhaps the most perfect pairing – first worn by naval seamen as a uniform adorned with pewter, brass or silver buttons, it was later adopted by civilians who had Savile Row tailors craft bespoke versions which were then copied by preppy Ivy Leaguers in the US in the 1920s. It has been the talismanic garment for Ralph Lauren over the span of his entire design career and reached its most perfect incarnation of waspish sophisticated glamour on the divine Robert Redford in the 1974 film, The Great Gatsby.    

 Navy - this inky, cool, sharp shade manages to look calm, collected, intelligent, intriguing, elegant, sophisticated and confident without even breaking a sweat. Despite never drawing attention to itself or its wearer, navy always manages to look expensive and effortless. There are multiple shades of navy – those with  purplish, blue or indigo undertones – shades that are darker or lighter, clearer or smokier. As a neutral it is extremely flexible and can be worn with a wide array of other colours including black, grey, camel, chocolate brown, tan, orange, all shades of lighter blues, lilac, cream, white, red, cerise and even yellow. 

It semaphores calm enduring style in an increasingly chaotic and frenzied world. It manages to transcend trends while exemplifying modern glamour. That is why for me navy is the new black and I will be continuing to wear it throughout the winter. As I get older I find myself drawn increasingly to simpler things – no fuss, no stress just easy relaxed glamour. Navy symbolises this attitude perfectly. Yes, this is going to be my blue period.      

 

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​​In an age of fast fashion trends that emerge and peak within a matter of weeks and a confusing multiplicity of fashion collections, knowing what to wear is becoming an increasingly fraught dilemma. At some stage north of thirty, you may start to look at fashion with a slightly jaundiced eye – the schizophrenic trends are best left to the teens and twenty-somethings, the fits are increasingly skimpy and the aim of the fashion cycle to maintain us in an eternal cycle of sartorial dissatisfaction starts to wear thin. 

How does a woman stay sane yet stylish in the face of these conundrums? The answer is to develop a signature style that is reflective of you - your body type, personality and aesthetic preferences, that has everything to do with who you are, rather than who you think you should be. It’s about having the confidence to say “No” to trends that don’t suit you, silhouettes that don’t flatter you and too much product that is designed to lift balance sheets rather than your sense of self-esteem. 

As a woman matures, she learns to know her own mind as well as her own body and a signature style is visual evidence of this sense of self-assurance. In the face of fashion hysteria, the art of signature style is a survival tool that allows you to ignore the noise, focus on what it relevant and maintain a distinct visual impact that sets you apart.  Women who have honed and refined a signature look or personal uniform are recognised as some of the most stylish -   Audrey Hepburn, Coco Chanel, Kate Moss and Tilda Swinton. They are women who have a defined visual template, a finely-honed look that they wear with confidence, be it a whalebone corset or a man’s tuxedo. Their clothes reflect the essence of who they are - they never look like a fashion victim. Clothes are a potent blend of armour, seduction and self-expression - as YSL wisely observed: “The fashionable woman wears the clothes. The clothes don’t wear her.”

The advantages of adapting a signature style or personal uniform are multiple - it saves you time, money and unnecessary stress. By defining your own style template, you streamline your life and make your wardrobe your ally rather than your enemy. Wearing what you love and feel comfortable in is hugely liberating – if you are happy in your sartorial choices if gives you confidence and promotes a state of being which the French term “Bien dans sans eau” – literally being comfortable in your own skin. 

To follow are some suggestions to help you purge your wardrobe and adopt a streamlined style. Having a signature style doesn’t mean that you become stuck in a rut and buy the same things repeatedly – you can still experiment with colour, texture, pattern and detail once you have selected your key look and silhouette. Try to avoid being an impulse shopper and think before you spend - just because an item is in fashion, you don’t have to acquire it - use your critical faculties to assess trends and see if they have relevance for your style. If they don’t suit you then don’t go near them. Cultivate a relationship with an excellent customer shopper or a boutique owner that you like and trust and use their expertise to help you isolate and identify your style. 

•  Analyse your wardrobe and which garments you wear the most. Look at why you gravitate to those items and the features that you like about them.
• Trust your instincts and pull out your five favourite garments across various types of garments e.g. – trousers, dresses, jackets, tops etc. 
• Begin to define your style based on your favourite pieces – are you crisp, clean and minimal, soft, feminine and romantic, edgy, cool and distinctive? Assess which colours work for your complexion – warm tones or cool? What kinds of fabrics work for you – natural fibres or easy-care synthetics? 
• Look at which body parts your favourite garments emphasise? Which features do they conceal or minimise? 
• Also look at the items you rarely if ever wear. Evaluating your mistakes can be just as beneficial as admiring favourites.  Analyse why they haven’t worked for you or your lifestyle – do they match other pieces in your wardrobe, do they require lots of maintenance (e.g.  frequent dry-cleaning and hand-washing) or are they simply too old and frumpy or too young and revealing?  Get rid of item you don’t wear.   
• Review the quality of your clothes – do they look cheap and shabby or smart and polished? Buying an item purely because it is on sale isn’t “a bargain” if you never wear it. Also, never buy anything that you will have to slim down to fit – shop for who you are now, not some aspirational size that you may never achieve. 
• Avoid shopping under pressure for a special event – panic purchases are rarely a good idea. It is much wiser to have a few items on standby for dressier events that you have bought when you have seen them and loved them, without a looming deadline. 
• When shopping for new pieces at the start of a season, try to ensure that your wardrobe contains a ratio of approximately 3 to 1 when it comes to jackets, tops and blouses to bottoms. Most people take note of us from the waist up, so spend accordingly. Build your wardrobe around a core of 70% staple or classic items and 30% novelty colours and prints.
• Shop smarter – before you part with your money stop and reflect.  Look at what you are missing – are there clothes you never wear because you simply don’t have co-ordinating pieces to match them? Make a shopping list before you go so that you have defined what you need. It will help you to stay focused. 
• Versatility is the key to a functional wardrobe – invest in garments that allow you to get the maximum wear out of what you already own.  
• Shop to reflect your lifestyle – where do you spend most of your time?  If you are a working woman who needs to look smart and polished then shop accordingly. Invest appropriately – look at pieces that might need to be replaced or refreshed. 
• Always ask if a piece suits you and your lifestyle. Ensure that any new investment goes with at least three other items in your existing wardrobe. 
• Be ruthless – do you really love it and can you see yourself wearing it past one season and into the future? 

A note here regarding the quality of contemporary clothes – with the advent of fast fashion the emphasis on quality has been diminished. Whereas our mothers and grandmothers took great care when choosing new clothes, always keeping in mind that pieces were expected to last and give repeated wear, today we have been flooded with a tsunami of very inexpensive and frequently very poorly made garments. A disposable culture has evolved that promotes a wear and throw lifestyle, regardless of the impact that this has on our environment, our wallets or our sense of wellbeing. I strongly believe this culture is destructive if not downright immoral. Always keep a keen eye on quality when you are buying – cheap clothes come at a price and something that gets shabby and slack after a few wears does you no favours. Instead of always being tempted by the lure of novelty, opt for the beauty of quality. Try spending a little more on quality so that pieces have longevity and become the foundation stones of your wardrobe. 

Key tips re assessing quality would be:
• Inspect fabric compositions, linings, buttons and zips to ensure that they are suitable for wear and tear. 
• Seams should be straight and smooth. 
• The fabric composition should preferably contain some natural fibres as some synthetics are lint magnets and naturals fibres are more breathable. 
• Buttons should be well sewn on and look classic rather than gaudy. 
• The lining shouldn’t pull or dip and shouldn’t crackle with static.
• Checks and stripes should always match, particularly at the shoulder seam.      

When it comes to the fit, critique your reflection from all angles and be ruthlessly honest with yourself. If it doesn’t look good in the shop, then it won’t miraculously look better in the real world. If you know your body shape, then you can review pieces in terms of what flatters your shape and what doesn’t. The fit of garments is key to looking polished and pulled together. 

Key pointers re fit would be:
• Shoulders – upper body garments hang off your shoulders so the fit here is critical. Especially important is that the shoulder-line of jackets and coats sits on your natural shoulder – it shouldn’t extend beyond it of sit short of it.  
• Bust – garments should sit smoothly over the bust. One of the most common mistakes re fit is buying pieces that are too small in the bust resulting in pulling and puckers. Bust darts must sit in the correct position or will simply not do their job properly. 
• Waist –  if it is too tight you will have a muffin top and if it is too loose clothes will constantly move around and fall down. 
• Rise of trousers – if the crotch is too short you will develop the dreaded “camel foot’ and if it is too long your trousers will appear saggy and sad.         
• Thighs – clothes should sit smoothly over the thighs, be that in skirts, trousers or dresses. If the fit is too tight, garments will ride up constantly and as a result will look creased and cheap.
  
In terms of length, proportion is crucial to how attractive a piece of clothing looks. If you are tall and willowy, you can get away with a multitude, however if you are smaller and curvier you need to scrutinise lengths carefully. As a rule, I feel that skirts are most flattering worn just under the kneecap. With trousers, it depends on their style, your height, and your choice of footwear. Generally wider trousers need a heel and look most flattering brushing the tops of your shoes while narrower legs look good cropped above footwear.   

When shopping for clothes, regardless of the item, move around in them – bend over, stretch upwards and reach around to give yourself a hug to see that you aren’t too restricted. Even if a piece looks great initially, if it isn’t comfortable, you will soon tire of it and will eventually stop wearing it. 

Once you get home before you remove tags etc. review your purchase against existing pieces you own, to assess if it is worth keeping.  If in doubt put aside and look at it again a day or two later – sometimes a second look can reveal flaws we didn’t see on the first pass. 

A few notes re shapes – if you are petite, you should control the amount of volume you wear as it can easily swamp you. Watch proportions carefully and if in doubt, discard. If you are prone to weight fluctuations a slightly raised waist can provide effective camouflage.  For hourglass shapes honour your curves and define your waist while avoiding cocoon shapes that will make you look shapeless.     

Adopting a signature style takes some effort initially but repays you amply in the long term. You will find choosing what to wear far less stressful and will be out the door in half the time on busy mornings. Remember that your uniform can be as rigid or as relaxed as you choose - it is totally at your discretion because you are creating your own system rather than being bullied by trends. 

A single note or identifying element can also create a signature style – think of Anna Wintour’s sunglasses, Grace Coddington’s flame red hair or Audrey Hepburns’s pearls. Your wardrobe should be your own creation – you can self-edit, review and refine at will as your lifestyle and circumstances evolve and change. Our signature style reveals the essence of who we are – what we value, how we perceive ourselves and how we negotiate the world. Clothes can give us confidence, boost or sense of well-being and inject joy into everyday monotony.  If you focus on the fit rather than the size label you will be saving yourself time and needless anxiety. 

Always, always wear what you love – life is too short for ugly clothes. Buy classics and inject your own personality into them with how you style and accessorise them. Take time to understand your body type/ frame and choose to flatter it cleverly.  Invest in your grooming not just your clothes – if you have a glow it elevates everything you wear. Remember that accessories are key – buy the best bags, shoes, belt and scarves your budget allows and they will repay you with endless wear. Find labels that suit you and stick with them. 

Finally, simplicity is an art form – by refining your choices to suit your personal style you will feel empowered and confident and confidence is the most flattering accessory of all.  Style is deeply personal and asserting your own personal style is a wonderful form of self-expression.   

The spat earlier this year in the UK between Theresa May and the Education Secretary Nicky Morgans, about the price of the Prime Minister's  Amanda Wakely leather trousers may have seemed like a storm in a tea-cup, but the history of trouser-wearing women has often been controversial.  2000 years ago St. Paul asserted that women in male dress were an abomination and this mind-set was still in place at the start of the 20th century for the (male) arbiters of public morality and sartorial propriety. Sara Bernhadt may have appeared in pants in the late 19th century but they weren’t considered acceptable for “respectable” women until well into the 20th century.  Apart from working class women such as the Wigan pit girls who worked at the mouths of the coal mines sorting coal and actresses or acrobats, trousers weren’t considered "proper" for ladies. As late as 1932 there was still widespread hostility to females in trousers: when Marlene Dietrich visited Paris that year, the Chief of Police tried to ban her from wearing trousers in public, arguing that it would corrupt the weak-minded. 

Today we take the wearing of trousers and the liberation of modern female dress for granted. Elisabeth Wilson, a respected historian of dress has called “the advance of the trousers for women, the most significant fashion change of the 20th century”. With wide leg trousers being promoted as a major trend for A/W 2017, we may all be referencing Marlene, not to mention other trouser-wearing heroines such as Greta Garbo, Katherine Hepburn and Ali McGraw in the months ahead. Certainly as someone who has always appreciated the freedom, mobility and easy tomboyish glamour of trousers, I find it hard to conceive of a wardrobe without them.  

 In the past year, stars including Cate Blanchett, Evan Rachel Wood, and Lady Gaga have all attended red carpet events in streamlined trouser suits looking polished, confident and beautiful   while taking their style cue from St Laurent's Le Smoking (the sexy tux suit for females). Suiting on women is having a revival  with the rise of androgynous dressing and the breakdown of gender rules in dress, yet how often do contemporary women reflect on their sartorial freedom to wear trousers? The modern woman can step into her trousers without thinking twice but for her forebears this act was initially considered scandalous and even shocking. Fashion reflects our priorities, aspirations, liberalism or conservatism, even our emotional needs and can convey subtle or overt sexual messages. Currently with serious global unrest and polarising political philosophies re-emerging, it is not surprising that trousers for women have become a serious sartorial statement again. 

Donning trousers in the early 20th century was a call to arms because for centuries women's legs had been concealed and kept firmly pressed together (even riding a horse was conducted side saddle and swathed in long skirts). To define and separate a woman’s legs was not only to reveal her shape but also to confer on her the physical independence and mobility of a man – shocking concepts for the bourgoisie of the time. 
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​One of the first woman to wear trousers was music hall star, Vesta Tilley, who performed Champagne Charlie in trousers and tails to the titillation and amusemnet of her audiences. Designers flirted with male fashions for women in the late 19th century and early 20th century but trousers and pantaloons were typically worn only by actresses, entertainers or others of dubious sexual morality, such as Radclyffe Hall and Vita Sackville West.  

Prior to this, one of the first advocates of trousers for women was Amelia Jenks Bloomer.  She published an article in her feminist paper The Lily, in support of her husband's theory that short skirts worn over ankle length trousers (akin to the costumes worn by Turkish women) were far more practical than the voluminous skirts and petticoats of Edwardian European and American women. The look was adopted by a liberated few with the growing popularity of cycling but the wearing of bloomers was initially the object of public outrage, amusement and even blatant ridicule. Subsequently the arrival of the Ballet Russes in Paris in the early 1900s popularised harem pants, which became a favourite of designer Paul Poiret, but these were also cumbersome consisting of very full legs gathered into a band at the ankles.

The First World War in 1914 put women into men’s jobs as well as their trousers which was endured as a temporary measure. During the inter-war years however, trousers for women began to become acceptable for the upper classes and in the 1920s Coco Chanel, with her typical talent for purloining garments from the male wardrobe, introduced  wide legged trousers for women, christened “yachting pants” based on sailor’s bell bottoms. They reflected her signature style which was casual, unstructured and uncomplicated and she further promoted trousers by subsequently designing beach pyjamas and wearing them with great elegance. 
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​In the 1930s and 1940s  a group  of Hollywood actresses including Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Katherine Hepburn and Lauren Bacall adopted wide leg trews as their relaxed off-screen ensemble, which increased their popularity. However many ordinary women still felt unconvinced. Then the advent of World War 2 and the participation of women in the war effort and heavy industry saw them cast these reservations aside as they donned, boilersuits and dungarees in their thousands to work in the forces and munitions factories.

After the war, with resistance to trousers partially broken down, they were adopted for leisure wear in the1950s when capri pants, Bermudas and pedal pushers were popularised by actresses such as Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot. However dresses still ruled for formal-wear and trousers were considered inappropriate for many occasions.

The real trouser revolution  happened in the late sixties when unisex fashions emerged – early in the decade André Courreges introduced long trousers for women and in 1969 Yves Saint Laurent showed his then "shocking" and subversive, Le Smoking. From then the trouser was de riguer for fashion pioneers and women adopted them as an integral part of their smart look for work and evening wear. The previous prohibitions against girls and women wearing trousers in schools, the workplace and socially gradually eroded.  

In the 1970s the concept of executive dress for women gained popularity as they entered the workforce in large numbers and infiltrated management positions. The solution: tailored trouser suits, often in pinstripe, frequently with a matching waistcoat and a man’s shirt and tie or a blouse and bow tie. However not all approved of these trousered valkyries and stories abound about women wearing pants being refused entry to restaurants. There is an urban legend about one lady, who on being refused entry in her trouser suit by a particularly condescending Maitre D sighed, shrugged, stepped out of her pants and was seated in her bum grazing jacket.

Halston  popularised the trouser during this decade, but in a more relaxed and sexy variation in wide sensuous jersey pants or fluid halter-neck jumpsuits. By the 1970s rules and attitudes had relaxed in the wake of the sexual revolution and the feminist movement, to the extent that pants were generally accepted as a normal part of a modern woman’s wardrobe. The eighties saw the advent of body-con with super slim leggings kept in shape with a new  fibre, lycra and it seemed that trousers had evolved as far as possible in revealing the curves of the female anatomy.

While the early nineties saw the continued popularity of the trouser suit, the end of the decade saw its gradual decline. Bohemian femininity and eclectic seperates were popular and trousers, while still worn by women, became less of a fashion item and more of a uniform. The noughties saw  the revival of the dress as the backbone of many women’s wardrobes but when the recession devastated many lives post 2008, the sober streamlined trouser suit suddenly seemed desirable and chic again. While women have always had trousers in their wardrobes, this A/W now sees them back as a fashion statement as power dressing is revived and elegant wide-legged incarnations look fresh and directional.  

Women want to look competent, efficient and attuned to the demands of a competitive corporate landscape - there is not doubt that sleek tailoring is one of the most confidence-boosting looks that anyone can wear.  So this winter as you step forward in your trousers,  spare a thought for those women who endured ridicule, derision and condemnation in their early variations. When investing, choose carefully and concentrate on the fabric and fit - trousers are one of the hardest garments to get rights as a designer. Some of my favourite trouser brands for beautiful flattering pants are Joseph, COS and Max Mara but trousers are a very personal thing so you need to find your own perfect fit by trying on lots of labels. See my notes below re the various silhouettes and how to wear them.   

Women wearing pants now seems perfectly natural, it wasn’t always so. A designer like Chanel cut clothes for women along the same liberating and simplified lines as men's clothes: trousers are symbolic of that heritage and of the sartorial and social advances made by women over the past century. As Chanel stated: "Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury." Today women have the luxury of choice - they can choose to wear the pants and no one can deny them. 

Trouser Silhouettes 
Skinny Leg 
Key Elements - A slim flattering leg to showcase great legs. Lycra is a must to avoid sagging.
Advantages - a skinny leg can flatter all sizes as long as it fits correctly. It is a flattering silhouette as it is elongating and can camouflage weight by streamlining your lower body and pulling in your shape. Pair with a loose tunic, shirt, knit. or a long tailored jacket. 
How to Wear Best - Ensure that skinny trousers aren't too tight as they will become very uncomfortable. Avoid muffin top and VPL by wearing hight waisted seamless underwear. 

Wide Cropped Leg
Key elements - An easy wearable shape that flatters slim ankles and highlights brown summer legs.
Advantages - They should allow you to look relaxed yet polished, so must fit perfectly at the waist and around the bum. 
How to Wear Best -  Wear with a tailored shirt, cropped knit or short fitted jacket for tomboyish glamour. 

High Waisted
Key Elements - A flattering built up waist to highlight a neat waistline and give the illusion of a longer leg length.
Advantages - They make you look effortlessly elegant and taller while emphasising a shapely bum, if you are lucky enough to possess one. 
How to Wear Best - pair with slim fitting, tucked in, silk shirts or fine-gauge knitwear. A sneaky flash of skin between the hem oy your top and the waistband of your  trousers can be subtly sexy.

Straight Leg 
Key Elements - Fuss free and a staple of your wardrobe. They are equally adaptable for work and weekends.
Advantages - Their shape works equally well with flats and heels, boots, brogues and pumps. 
How to Wear Best - because they are an extremely versatile cut, they can be worn with virtually everything. The fit should be slim but not skintight and the most flattering length is just above the ankle.

Wide Leg  
Key Elements - Timelessly elegant and on trend again for this season thanks to the revival of 1970's glamour. 
Advantages - Beautiful, polished and leg lengthening. An investment, so spend as much as you can afford to get the best quality fabric and tailoring. 
How to Wear Best - Classic when paired with a tux jacket, silk blouse and heels. The length should be floor grazing so get them altered for your perfect personal length and shape.

​If your beauty regime has always been an indulgent and enjoyable part of your life, there is no reason why it shouldn’t continue to give you pleasure as you age. Frequently an interest in beauty is dismissed as mere vanity but a beauty ritual is a sensual source of happiness and relaxation for most women – just because you know and care about skincare, sunscreens and serums doesn’t make you a dimbo. It simply means that you possess a healthy amount of self-respect and  take care of yourself accordingly. 

By the time you hit 40, you have probably experimented with a wide selection of beauty looks, some more successful than others – (my own have included  brightly dyed red hair, blue eye-liner and kabuki like foundation) – and have adapted a signature look that is flattering and easily created on a daily basis. So while the days of big hair and gothic lipstick may be a distant memory, I still love the ritual of grooming and make-up that help me prepare for the day ahead. 

 As we age, we may start to feel that we need to refine our approach to skin-care and make up to take into account changing hair colour,  skin tone and evolving lifestyle. What worked so beautifully on  your face at 30 may not look so striking at 50. Our faces change with age – contours soften,  brow and lash colour fade, skin can become sallow or pale and lines becomes more pronounced.  So it is worthwhile every few years to examine your skin-care and make up and honestly assess what is working and what isn’t . 

Regardless of any other changes, application of a daily sunscreen is vital to preserving facial skin- there are many lightweight fluids that can be worn comfortably every day or you can buy a moistruiser or BB cream that includes a decent level of sun protection. No-one want to look like a shrivelled prune so be sun-smart and make sunscreen a daily habit – it is the single most preserving behaviour you can adapt for your skin.  

As I age, I have adapted a lighter touch with make-up while simultaneously ramping up my skincare and gravitating to more natural plant-based products.  Make-up should never be mask-like, rather it should  enhance your features so that you look prettier, fresher and smoother. Prepping your canvas is  essential so  I cleanse, tone and moisturise twice daily and massage my face with various oils including rose-hip and other plant based oils to stimulate facial circulation and promote a glow.  I want my skin to look as healthy as possible,  and hopefully to look fresh and rested not desiccated and dry. I have taken to wearing a tinted moisturiser or BB cream daily and generally reserve foundation for night time or special occasions. Also the importance of a good under-eye concealer can’t be overstated – if you successfully apply concealer to diminish dark under eye shadows you can knock off years. 

Adapting a less is more approach to make-up allows your skin to shine through and is more youthful than loads of product. If you exert restraint and apply less you will learn that it looks better – too much make-up is ageing and can have a tendency to sit in wrinkles and highlight them. Invest in a selection of good quality products that really work and make you feel happy, and learn to apply them skilfully rather than throwing everything on indiscriminately, The most effective way to look polished and easy is to pare back and learn how to apply make-up expertly – a professional make-up lesson is a good investment.

 I have also gravitated to a more natural palette when it comes to eyeshadows, blushers and eye pencils – I find them more flattering and less prone to highlighting lines and pores. Because features can become less defined with age I also focus on highlighting brows and eyelashes with colours that are realisitc rather than hard – tones of taupe, grey and brown are generaly more attractive than graphic black. Keeping brows groomed and shaped is very important as they do literally frame your face and well-shaped brows lift the entire eye area. Post 40 lipstick becomes a lifesaver – a quick slick of a super flattering shade can immediately brighten your face and add sparkle to eyes and skin. 

On the subject of Botox and fillers, I think that it is every woman’s preserve to decide if she wants to indulge – I just haven’t seen very many women in Ireland with these done well. It takes a very skillfull medical practioner  with an excellent eye to use them judiciously and personally speaking I would rather look like myself (lines and all) rather than a taut and startled stranger. I have heard excellent things about lasers but have yet to try them as I am a bit apprehensive of potentially aggressive procedures. A good facial is more my speed as it is not only a relaxing treat, but also helps to promote circulation and improve a sense of wellbeing.   

For now I am happy to mantain my current skincare routine, get good quality sleep, plenty of fresh air and exercise and a varied (mostly) healthy diet. Our lifestyle choices and general well-being shows up very clearly in our faces – for the moment I am content to continue ageing relatively naturally and being grateful for the opportunity to do so. 

I think that  society needs to fundementally review attitudes to ageing and beauty . I would love to see the stigma that surrounds ageing replaced with a more positive attitude that values warmth, wisdom, expression and experience in woman’s face instead of just youthful dewy skin.          

It may sound like a cliché but I agree with Lauren Bacall who affirmed:
 “I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that.” 

My Favourite Products
Here in no specific order are a selection of my favourite skincare and make-up products that I use and love.

Skincare  
Cleansers – Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish,  Kinvara Absolute Cleansing Oil 
Moisturisers – Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser, Kinvara Active Rosehip Face Cream
Serums – Kinvara 24 Hour Rosehip Face Serum
Toner – Pixi Glow Tonic, Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic   
Primers – Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, Benefit the Porefessional Pore Balm
Facial Oils – Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil
Eye Creams – Clarins Xtra Firming Eye Wrinkle Smoothing Cream, Kinvara Eye Wow! Eye Serum 
SPF Face – La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Fluid, Factor 50  
Body Cream/Lotions – Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion  
Balm – Weleda Skin Food, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream 
Hand Cream – Helen James Considered Hand Cream, Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream
 

Make Up 
BB Cream – Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue SPF30, Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint SPF 15
Foundation – Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup Foundation SPF 15
Concealer – Clarins Instant Concealer 
Bronzer – Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint Bronzing Fluid
Facial Self Tan – St Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Face Lotion
Blusher – Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm – Amp’d Up Apple 
Lipstick – MAC Creme In Your Coffee Cremesheen Lipstick,  M&S Rosie for Autograph Lipshine – Rose Bud 
Eyeshadow – Clarins The Essentials Eye Make Up Palette,  M&S Rosie for Autograph Eyeshadow Palette in Copper Gold Rush  
Mascara – Maybelline Classic Volume Express Mascara, Lancome Amplicils 
Brows  -   M&S Autograph Fibre Sculpting Brow Gel, Eyelure Brow Kit 

Hair  
Shampoo -L’Oreal Extraordinary Oil Low Shampoo, Jason Moisturising Aloe Vera Shampoo 
Conditioner - L’Oreal Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Conditioner, Jason Moisturising Aloe Vera Conditioner 
 Hair Oil -  L’Oreal Extraordinary Oil Miracle Hair Perfector 


 
  

Photograph courtesy of Absolutely Fabulous 

“Women have only two ages – girlhood and womanhood.”  Christian Dior 

In an era when grandmothers  wear bikinis,  perceptions of ageing are evolving   and being a grown-up doesn’t mean you have to abandon frivolity, what exactly is age–appropriate dressing ? In print and online there are myriad experts chastising women about what they should and shouldn’t be wearing after their 40th birthday - the dictates are delivered with zealous certainty : “No minis after 40”, “No sleeveless dresses post 50” and “No flesh north of 60”. But is any of this  appropriate or even relevant to women who are fit, financially independent and managing  personal lives and careers with confidence ? How many of these condescending lectures are addressed to men of the same age?  Precisely - none. 

While none of us can turn back time, focusing  on the gains of maturity rather than the loss of lustre is a far more positive approach. As Coco Chanel observed: “ At forty women used to exchange youth for elegance, poise and mysterious allure, an evolution that left them undamaged .” 

Now coming to the end of my 40s, I didn’t change anything dramatically about how I dressed throughout that decade, and I don’t intend to do dowdy, matronly clothes facing into my 50s. If anything as I age I am realising that pieces that are too classic, worn head to toe can be ageing. Edgier, more colourful or even slghtly dramatic pieces can add a lift and inject a glow. What I increasingly look for when dressing are modern, clean pieces with a twist or interesting detailing  -  a combination of comfort and coolness is my desired result.

Anything too co-ordinated or considered looking is immediately ageing in my opinon. I want to look interesting but also as if I have put the entire look together effortlessly. My own style heroines are women who exude quiet confidence and also an easy elegant sophistication – Phoebe Philo, Sharon Stone, Linda Rodin, Ines de la Fressange and Lucinda Chambers all look contemporary and chic – they dress in an intelligent, polished and relaxed style that also has room for a little humour or subversion. As Diana Vreeland said: “A little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika. We all need a splash of bad taste—it’s hearty, it’s healthy, it’s physical.”

Being  too tasteful can be counter-effective as you age – looking distinctive, often comes with wearing artistic, bomemian  labels that exist slightly outside mainstream fashion and trends. Bland good taste can age the wearer rapidly – more daring colourful pieces add spice.  Don’t fall into the habit of of wearing only classic colours – navy, black , beige  or dowdy pastels.  Colour is so imprtant to our complexions as we age. Having been a disciple of the dark side in my 20s and 30s I have realised in my 40s how much colour can inject life and radiance into fading skin tone and lift hair and eye colour. If you are nervous of colour then add it through your accessories.

Having said all that, I do think there are some things that are immediately ageing . These include clothes that are too tight, too short, too gaudy or too glittery, too many accessories, too much heavy make-up and pieces that are overtly girly. But these can be just as unflattering on someone in their 30s as their 50s. It is time sisters to consign plaits, bows, frills, cutie prints and lacy white fabrics to the annals of girlhood.

 For me, one of the advantages of being a “grown up” is that I have evolved a signature look that I love and feel comfortable in. It is distinctly mine, it flatters me and reflects my personality. I am quite happy now to channel sensuality rather than overt sexuality in my dress (not that I was ever a major fan of cleavage and acres of flesh).  But don’t forget either that a small sliver of bare skin can still be very seductive – bare ankles courtsey of 7/8th trousers, exposed wrists peeking out of bracelet length sleeves and bare shoulders are all retain their allure and add a youthful feel.  

By now, I hope I have learned relevant life lessons and acquired a smattering of wisdom. If you know yourself,  want to reflect who you are,  your lifestyle, body-shape and budget  then you are damn well entitled to dress exactly as you see fit. By focusing on yourself and what you need from your clothes rather than passing trends, then you can ignore the superfluous and focus on your priorities. You also learns the art of disguise after years of dressing your own body, it’s a matter of trial and error but the basic aim  to accentuate your assests and negate the less flattering parts of your body can be best understood and applied by yourself. You have an internal individual compass, so trust it and learn to use it.    

Neither is it true, that as we age, we should outgrow our interest in clothing and grooming.  An interest in fashion and a healthy IQ are not mutually exclusive  concepts – glamour is an invigorating and life-enhancing force not be underestimated. When I think of older stylish women, I see that great style endures into older age – Diana Vreeland, Charlotte Rampling,  Iris Apfel, Audrey Hepburn all appear as striking in their later years as they did in their youth, if not more so. They honed a personal dress code and then tweaked and refined it throughout their lives. 

One of the things that renders a woman attractive as she ages is a sense of confidence. You may lose your collagen, your eyesight, and even your hair colour, but in their place you will hopefully have cultivated knowledge,  a sense of humour, kindness and an intrinsic sense of your self-worth. There are entire industries devoted to making women unhappy and dis-satisified with their ageing bodies – all the better to sell them  stuff to “fix” their perceived problems. What if we could defy the culture of sadness around ageing and instead re-claim maturity as an acheivement. Age is just a number  - what is most defining about anyone is their energy, lifestyle and personality. What is wrong with adulthood? Age doesn’t have to mean you become matronly, traditional or boring.  Self expression though clothing remains life affirming and if a little superficiality lifts your spirits, go for it - it  shows that you haven’t “given up” on  life or yourself.   

Beauty and glamour can brighten the banality of mundane everyday life and should be indulged without guilt, because we also realise that it never defines us entirely.  Life is differnet for everyone  - there is no one size fits all solution to dressing for your middle years but my personal list of essential items would include:

A stylish face flattering haircut – cheaper than a face-lift
A well tailored black or navy blazer – everyday armour
A statement coat – a good coat makes an impact and covers a multutude 
Trench coat – the ultimate in sexy rainwear
Leather jacket -  never too old for a little rebel chic, it doesn’t have to be black 
The perfect pair of jeans  - choose  for your body-shape and height 
Flattering tailored trousers – well fitted trousers are practical and empowering 
Versatile dresses – sleeves optional depending on how you feel about your arms
A leather pencil skirt – sleek, polished and a little bit subersive
Cashmere knitwear – the warmest and most luxe natural fibre
Boyfriend cardi – cosy, casual and sexy 
Whites shirts –  crisp complexion boosters, men’s are usually better quality 
Striped Breton t shirts –  instant  French chic 
Silk blouses and camisoles – silk is seductive, cool in summer, warm in winter. 
Flat shoes that you can run about it – ballet pumps, brogues, slides  - you choose
Classic black courts – because sometimes the classic option is the best
Shoes with and edge to add personality to basics – colourful, sparkly, satin etc
Sneakers  - sport luxe or simple Adidas 
Knee high boots – a winter staple 
Good quality opaque tights – allow you to still show some leg  
 Flattering underwear/lingerie  - underpinnings are your foundation 
Oversized sunglasses – to cultivate an aura of mystery and keep wrinkles at bay
An investment bag – choose quality over brand – can even outlast relationships  

You can edit this core wardrobe and add more trend-led or fashionable elements seasonally to add variety and a contemporary edge.

You may not be able to have eternal youth but you can be eternally stylish.





   

I have decided to start a blog focusing on women over 40 as I approach my 50th birthday this year. Approaching this “landmark”, I feel very grateful for the life I have lived thus far and am looking forward to just as diverse and fulfilling a second act. I am still in very good health, interested in life, love my family and friends and enjoy fashion, food, and popular culture with as much zest as ever. In this I know that I am no different to most women ageing today, in a way that is re-defining the term “middle-aged”.  

At last we are finally starting to see encouraging signs that les femmes d’un certain age are gaining visibility in mainstream media and advertising after decades of neglect. Since the 1960s western culture has been in thrall to a culture of youth and beauty  - women over 40 were only notable by their absence from fashion, advertising and media and a subliminal message was conveyed that we were to stay quiet and out of sight post our prime. 

But why is a woman’s prime associated with youth, beauty and her child-bearing years? This is a limiting, discriminatory and sexist perception of what women are capable of in their lives. If we look back at our mother’s and grandmother’s lives they probably had fewer opportunities, less education and more limited financial independence than we enjoy now.  While they were admirable women, the general consensus was that once the grey hairs started to arrive, women were somehow on an inexorable path to physical and social decline and were therefore less valuable. 

If you look around today nothing could be further from reality – women over 40 are active achievers who are enjoying their lives and are juggling myriad accomplishments, responsibilities and interests with aplomb. What exactly does the term middle-aged even mean anymore? Isn’t it simply obsolete?  In the past it was redolent of cauliflower perms, elasticated waists, floral aprons, bridge and bingo. Today the term seems utterly archaic as women are choosing to define their middle and later years as an adventure rather than a purgatorial wilderness of invisibility and anxiety. 

We are the ageless generation who simply don’t define ourselves by age.   

A recent survey for The Telegraph in the UK suggested that 90% of 40 plus women don’t even feel middle-aged, while 80% perceived that society’s assumptions about middle-aged women don’t accurately represent them or their lives. Is this surprising when we look around at the role models challenging jaded attitudes to ageing – Michelle Obama, Robin Wright, Lauren Hutton, Tilda Swinton and Brigitte Macron are glowing examples of women looking confident, chic and true to themselves while leading busy professional and personal lives.  They look empowered and  far from invisible. 

Part of the growing visibility of the post 40 sisterhood is to do with their financial clout – in a precarious and volatile world, their spending power has outstripped that of younger  generations. Paired with this is the fact that many older women are also using products and services that are aimed at younger women. Because of their youthful attitude, better health and the more relaxed nature of contemporary fashion, there is now little difference between how a woman dresses at 25 and 55. Wardrobe staples such as great jeans, stylish knitwear, cool coats and designer bags are favoured by women across the decades which has promoted a new generational blurring. Mothers and daughters swap clothes and shop from the same brands without a second thought. Because of these factors fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands are finally starting to wake up to the importance of older women to their finances. I hope that this isn’t just a passing fad and that the older beautiful faces we have seen recently in ad campaigns including -  Cate Blanchett, Joni Mitchell and Julia Roberts will continue to feature even more in the future. After all neither we nor our spending power are going anywhere. 

Yet despite all these advances women in the 40 plus demographic can still feel ill-represented by advertisers and media – some depictions of them are downright condescending while others are offensive. No affluent intelligent woman wants to buy an anti-wrinkle cream advertised by a dewy 22 year old  but neither do they want to see themselves portrayed dancing around a gleaming house espousing the attributes of cleaning products with maniacal zeal.              

Women over 40 no longer yearn to be 25 again - they are however interested in looking like the very best version of their current age. They want portrayals in media that show them as independent, intelligent and resourceful. The want information, entertainment and advice that is pertinent to them not relentless pieces about Botox and how to look younger. Women over 40 care about their well-being – be it physical, emotional or spiritual and are taking care of themselves better than any previous generation. Personally speaking I want to age well and healthily, not fight an exhausting and futile war against every line and wrinkle.  I want this part of my life to be lived joyfully, not with regret. If I am constantly trying to retrieve a version of myself that is gone then how can I live a happy and fulfilled life now? And essentially even though my exterior might change I still remain the same person. 

As I age I don’t intent to disengage from the world – I want to become one of what digital entrepreneur, Gina Pell has christened the “Perennials”  - “ ever blooming relevant people of all ages who know what is happening in the world, stay current with technology and have friends of all ages”. Like her I want to “stay curious” and be one of those “passionate, compassionate, creative and confident, collaborative, global-minded risk takers”.

In this blog I want to explore topics such as fashion, beauty, lifestyle, wellbeing and popular culture relevant to women who are north of 40 but who don’t intend to let their enjoyment of life diminish with the decades. I know I will age but I won’t be invisible. I am determined to live my life with joy, retain my vivacity and continue to learn as much as I can.

As Coco Chanel observed: “after 40 nobody is young, but one can be irresistible at any age”.