I wouldn’t be seen dead in a pair of training shoes unless I’m exercising and, even then, I’m loathe to don them preferring Fit Flops for yoga. So I was quite taken aback when I saw that Boden had introduced Satin Sneakers! Apparently, they are so beautiful you need to wear them with a skirt rather than hide them under jeans. That’s definitely one trend I won’t be adopting, but feel free to go ahead if you think you can carry it off.

http://www.boden.co.uk/en-GB/Womens-Shoes/Flats/AR421/Womens-Satin-Plimsolls.html  £39

So sayeth the late, witty and acerbic Dorothy Parker. But is it true?

I wrote a blog a few weeks ago about my new Geeky style glasses and I have had so many people comment positively on my new look - both male and female. While the look hasn’t yet caught on in Peterborough, in London it’s everywhere. Something probably prompted by Colin Firth’s Oscar nomination in A Single Man, the new Tom Ford movie. If a pair of specs can make him look so sexy, why shouldn’t they do the same for the women on the planet?

Yes, after years of being pretty dull and boring ( I love trousers but haven’t worn a trouser suit since 2004) they are back with a vengeance.

The good thing, or the bad if you have no clue how to individualise, is that there is so much scope on which one to choose and how to wear. They veer from being reminiscent of the 80’s power driven business woman to the soft and flowing and very feminine.

 Too much choice? Here are some pointers:

1. Soften a traditional suit with lace or silk. A ruffled neckline or a print will work well too.

2. Short jackets need flared trousers unless you have no hips. Look at your rear view. How large is your bottom? If too much is on show, stick to a skirt suit.

3. If you are trendy, and of course you are, then peg trousers should show ankle and be worn with high heels. I’ve teamed mine with a shorter, shaped jacket with a wide shoulderline to balance but a blazer would also work. I never thought I would ‘get’ this look but after trying it, I love it.

4. If you love the power dressing look, opt for a severely tailored suit, perhaps double breasted if you don’t have much of a chest. There are plenty around looking like they have come straight from Savile Row and these will need a longer length jacket. You’ll also need a smart belt and stiffish leather bag to carry it off. If you don’t like high heels, this style will suit a brogue or flat shoe much better than your other options.

5. Colour is important. Vivienne Westwood has suits in shocking pink! I’m not suggesting you go that far but you can skip dark colours unless your industry requires it or you need authority in your workplace. There are a host of beiges, greys and pastels which can work really well for Spring/Summer or opt for royal blue ( Christopher Kane) or white.

6. Lastly you can mix jackets and trousers for a more casual effect as long as the fabric and shapes coordinate together.

Experiment. You might be surprised. I was.

Illustrated - Karen Millen at ASOS.com £110 trousers £180 Jacket

http://www.asos.com/Karen-Millen/Karen-Millen-Slim-Trouser/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1025151&cid=8309&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=-1&sort=-1&clr=Grey

Colour is the most amazing subject and I believe we know very little about how it affects us visually, emotionally and psychologically. I just know that it does. Haven’t you ever felt weighed down when wearing black, felt blue when dressed in navy or felt uplifted when you don something bright?

An online experiment has recently been undertaken by half a million people associating words to colours. The results formed part of a fascinating article in the Saturday Times magazine last week.

Obvious associations are diagnostic in nature - danger with red for example (think of traffic lights and other warning signs). Others are physiological. Humans have three colour receptors, red, green and blue while other animals only have two, so we could easily distinguish ripe fruit in trees back in the days when that was our main food source. What was a surprise was how perception differed according to your native language. Russians, for instance, have two totally separate categories for light blue and are more adept at distinguishing different shades of blue, not because they are highly perceptive, but because of their mother!

……. the fabulous Pure Collection cashmere company, that is. And the word is Thanks.

I have purchased many beautiful sweaters from them over the past few years because I love the colours and the quality of their garments.  I now have to add their service to that list because they are just amazingly good to their customers.

I bought a sweater in a fabulous heather type purple many years ago. It goes with stacks of things in my wardrobe and I always get complimented on it. I went to put it on yesterday and found a hole just under the armpit.  Luckily, I had other choices in my wardrobe and I was thankfully at home and not in some hotel where I would have been scuppered.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not great with a needle so I rang Pure Collection to see if they had a mending service. Not only do they have one but I was able to send the sweater back free of charge without a cost of repair!  That’s pretty good don’t you think?

www.purecollection.com

Picking up on my lipstick theme, it seems that peachy type lipsticks are the new colour for this season. Matched with purple eyes. Very interesting combination. I tried it, thinking it wouldn’t work, and actually it looked quite good. I still look better in cool colours but a change sometimes is as good as a rest, especially if you don’t have a specifically extreme colouring, which I don’t. 

Pastels are back after a long time off the shelves so this lighter lipstick is a good look. Utility clothing and sportswear as outer wear, track pants for example, are also big so this more natural look is a good one if you can wear it well.

The rule is still pretty such the same, whatever our age, so concentrate on eyes or mouth but not both. Wearing glasses does seem to require more blusher for some reason, so apply a little then adjust with more if you need to once you pop your specs on.

Be aware that if you have very dark hair and very pale skin, a light lipstick may well make you look positively ill. In this case, opt for a deeper shade and don’t overdo the eyes.

We 50 somethings have now become officially part of a new collective according to Celia Walden, Feature writer for the Telegraph - Quintastic.

There are, of course, categories because we obviously can’t all be the same.

The Inverted Adolescent - eg Sharon Stone & Madonna

The Professional eg Julianne Moore

The Enigma eg Kristin Scott Thomas

The Action Woman eg Sigourney Weaver

The Humorist eg Jennifer Saunders

Want to find out which one you are? Here’s the link to the article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/7084717/Quintastic-50-is-the-new-30.html

I’m being interviewed tomorrow morning by Karen Knott, the Mid Life expert and coach - can’t wait. She’s really warm and lovely and looks pretty good too (sorry Karen, you look more than just good).  If you have a dilemma and don’t know which way to turn, she’s your woman. www.midlifematters.co.uk for more details. You’ll also be able to get details of how to access our interview so you can partake of my pearls of wisdom too.

Ever had the dilemma where you want to look really spectacular but you only own simple clothing? Well, Simone Micallef is on a mission to help. Featured in Vogue magazine, and with her creations worn by film stars such as Sophie Okonedo ( see her tonight on BBC’s Mrs Mandela) for the Premier Night of Hotel Rwanda, she has captured the art of jewellery transformation. This is what she has to say:

Simone designs and produces all her work by hand. Her designs are singular but varied and have numerous roots in her own life and experience but, overall, they reflect her concern to bring out the beauty of the materials she works with. Her clients appreciate the magic of the metal and stones with which she communicates and many are faithful clients for long periods of time, enjoying the changes in focus and style as they occur. She works on the precious metals so that the two elements come to complement each other and to form an organic whole. As a result, most of her pieces are unique in some degree, just as stones tend to be. Women may try many of them but recognise their own when it comes alive on them. Finding the right home for each piece gives Simone the greatest pleasure. All the necklace stones are carefully selected, redrilled and burred and then individully knotted to maximize their quality and longevity and each one is hallmarked.

If you’re interested in finding out how to own one of her fabulous pieces all for yourself, go to www.simonemicallef.com and PLEASE tell her that you read about her on this blog. Remember too that Valentine’s Day is coming soon. A hint in the right quarters may not go amiss!

Looking at a photo of Audrey HepburnI realised just how she was stylish but stylish in her own unique way. Not for her, the voluptuous, sexiness of Marilyn Munroe or the handsomeness of the other Hepburn, Katherine, but just the simple, chic and elegance of her own made her tiny frame gorgeous, Because she almost did not try to be gorgeous.

That’s what unique style is all about. Not trying too hard and certainly not trying to be someone else. As Annie Morrow Lindberg once said “the most exhausting thing you can be is inauthentic.

With that in mind, I am currently in the process of putting together some Art of Style workshops. They will be held in Central London, close to the West End and all its shopping, at intervals throughout the year. I’m keeping the numbers small so we can really concentrate on honing in on your own unique style. Are you an Audrey waiting to emerge into the style spotlight? If so, call me.