Looks like the ubiquitous George Davies has done it again. Not only has his new venture for older women, GIVe,  provided a sneak preview to W&H magazine and offered a percentage of his profts to charity but George at Asda has just launched its very first range of Asian clothing.

It consists of 13 pieces of sequined, embellished salwar kameez (traditional suits), kurtas (tunics). dapata (scarves) and churider (slim leg trousers). Prices from £7 - 26. Available from 21 stores and online www.george.com

I blogged about the impending launch of GIVe a few weeks ago. GIVe stands for George, his 4th collection ( Next, Per Una, George at Asda - though he seems to have forgotten Pippa Dee - remember them?) and e trading on line. His new line consists of 140 pieces, including accessories, in 4 main colourways - red/black, purple/black, chocolate/mulberry and blue/grey. Prices are higher than Next, perhaps more Reiss, as a silk jersey dress sets you back about £80 and a bag £250. He has concentrated on premium quality so expect cashmere, silk jersey and leather. You can also expect real service, including in store tailoring to provide instant alterations - well done that man - and in-store kiosks to obtain information such as fabric types, stock position, manufacturing details and watch a catwalk show displaying the garment in question.

 If you buy this months W&H, as well as a sneak preview of the collection, which launches next week, on page 38, you can also get a free GIVe cashmere scarf in a variety of colours by cutting out the coupon on page 214.  Apart from the Regent Street flagship store, GIVe can be found in independent department stores, not yet in the high street as a standalone brand  name.

As you know from my previous blogs, I have been suffering from a swollen ankle due to an almighty fall a few weeks ago. Wearing shoes has been a nightmare and the zip fastenings on boots have been impossible to fasten. So when I fell across (no pun intended) a podiatrist in Cromer, I decided to book an appointment.

I now have an orthotic (plastic models of the underside of my foot) in each of my shoes, which have balanced out my inclination to fall over to the right with my right foot - the damaged one - and keep me upright and steady on my feet. Slightly uncomfortable, but doing the job. Still can’t practice my yoga but can get into all my shoes and that’s the important thing.

Steve Randell and his team are all experts, with degrees to prove it. It seems that many chiropodists do not have relevant qualifications as they are not  an essential requirement to practice in the UK  - exactly the same with Image Consultants, unfortunately. Good podiatrists are extremely scarce so if you fancy a change of career, this would be a great choice.   http://www.randellsfootcare.co.uk/about-chiropodists-norfolk.htm

Just come back from a much overdue break ( read rest ) in sunny Norfolk - and it was too, very sunny and very beautiful. As  still have a very swollen ankle and damaged fingers from my slip in John Lewis, the walking part of our holiday was pretty scuppered, so needs must and we had to find something equally pleasant to while away the time. Wonder what that could be? Oh yes, shopping. Well I do need to do my research and even I can hobble round the shops.

Holt, if you’ve never been there, is a delightful little town. Known for its shops and it’s lovely deli. it’s a business model that all local councils should adopt to ensure custom all year round. I have never seen a place so busy, and on every single day of the week  too. Not a chain store in sight, unless you count the supermarket.

There are a number of clothing shops and all offer something really fabulous for our age group, whatever your shape or budget. What was so delightful is that all the boutiques have the ambience of an expensive store even if they aren’t, so some items were a real delight price wise. My favourite, though this is hard because they are all lovely, is Annie&Boo www.annie-boo.co.uk (website coming shortly). Owned by a gorgeous, young looking 50 year old man (who has an older girlfriend so he told me), his clothes were spot on for me. Modern, wearable and great value for money. I love my new ’suede’ boots which have a small heel (needs must) and fold over at the knee. At £39 I had to purchase in both brown and purple. They are so comfortable, it’s untrue. I also bought a great dress, fully lined, which I can wear in a sophisticated way with heels and funky tights or dress it down with a polo neck sweater/scarf and belt. At £65 another brilliant bargain. I also loved Nicholsons www.nicholsonsuk.com and Mrs Jones (great for Vanessa Bruno).  What I really loved through, was the fabulous service we received absolutely everywhere we went.  If you haven’t been there, I suggest you take a trip. We booked a lovely cottage about 1 minute’s walk away from the High Street www.norfolkcottages.co.uk (pictured). Much cheaper than a hotel and with lots of privacy. Really cosy.

You may not be aware but red is a colour that we see immediately it appears before us. It’s no accident that traffic lights are red. If they were violet, for instance, the roads would be awash with accidents.  So it’s also no surprise that red lips are back in vogue.

In the past, the rule has always been ‘either the eyes or the mouth’ where make up is concerned but the catwalks are showing that highlighting both is the new trend.

Red can be very tricky to wear on a more mature face. It can make the teeth look yellow and has a habit of slipping onto the teeth if you’re not careful, giving less of a vamp and more of a vampire appearance. The shade you choose is crucial, as too warm or too cool can be very unflattering. A word of advice - always ask the assistant at the cosmetic counter to apply on you and then go home and look at it in the daylight and/or your own mirror. Never buy immediately as lights can be very misleading. Colour can also look very different once applied on the lips. So finding the right red can be an expensive business, as it’s easy to get it wrong.

Here then, are some of the choices for you to consider: 

Boots No 7 Sheer Temptation in Smoulder £9.99 (pictured) looks scarlet but in fact is so sheer it just gives a hint of red. This is a great choice for those who don’t like too much colour and it has SPF 15 included for protection. Stay away if you are dark haired with a very pale or very dark skin as this will tend to make you look washed out. This is a better choice for those of us who have less contrast in our appearance.

Revlon’s ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in Top Tomato £8.99 looks like a gloss in a tube but is actually a cunningly disguised lipstick which stays on the lips for 12 hours without drying. The slight metallic sheen makes lips appear plumper.

Bobbi Brown rarely sells dark or bright colours in her palette but has made an exception for her Lip Color in Burnt Red. It’s a dark red rather than bright red and would look great on pale complexions and/or freckles and red hair. £15.

Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Lipstick in Stay Scarlet £16 is great for those of us with a cooler skin tone as it is quite pink/blue rather than scarlet/orange. I’m a fan of these lipsticks as they do seem to keep my lips moisturised  and the packaging is very glam too.

Boots Stay Perfect in Cherry £9.99 is probably better for a warm skin as it has lots of deep orange in the colour. Stays on very well and is good value for the price.

Guerlain’s KissKiss in Exces de Rouge £15 is glamour revisited. The gold packaging is so retro that you’ll feel like a Hollywood film startlet when you apply. A long lasting red which appears brighter on the mouth than it looks in the tube. 

Another very bright red is Mac’s Lipstick in Ruby Woo £12. Team with a black dress and that’s all you’ll need. Pair with black eyeliner or smoky eyes if you dare!

Lastly, another of my favourites and a real ‘full on’ red is Dior’s Rouge Diorific in Rouge Bingo Roulette Red £16. The name says it all. Be lucky!

Don’t forget to use a lipliner that matches your own lip colour, not the lipstick, and a specialist cream to stop any colour bleeding into fine lines - an unattractive hazard of mid life I’m afraid. I use Chanel’s Lip Correction, which does the job well and lasts for about 6 months so provides good value for money.

Great to see that I’m always ahead of the game. No sooner do I fall over than all the newspapers are running stories on how bad heels are for you. Apparently, the TUC want to ban them in the workplace. 

As a heel lover, I admit to having very tight hamstrings but I also had tight muscles when I was a child and was unable to touch my toes even then. I apparently used to constantly walk on tip toes, driving my mother to despair. I must have know that a) it was more comfortable and b) I had short legs and looked out of proportion.

Apparently, even kitten heels are no good -you screw up your toes, wedges can make you unstable and stilettos don’t provide enough balance on the back foot. A court shoe is acceptable if the heel is tiny - small mercies then. I do make concessions and I wear Fit Flops in the house, or go bare foot, and I do lots of downward dogs (yoga) so hopefully no permanent damage is done. My foot, though, is still swollen after 10 days - ouch - but flatties are more difficult to get on than higher heels. Where’s the logic in that I wonder?

Sorry that you haven’t received any blog posts for a few days. Silly me tripped up and went flying in John Lewis while on a  personal shopping session. Result, a badly sprained ankle on which it’s very painful to walk. Can’t wear any of my lovely shoes either. I was invited to be one of the head judges at the FACE of ESP competition on Friday and if you looked closely you could see my legs were differing sizes. Very attractive.  I’ll do my best to get blogging regularly again after my hols, which haven’t come a day too soon!

The world went ballistic last week when the US version of Glamour Magazine printed a photograph of 20 year old model Lizzie Miller. Why the furore? Her photo had not been airbrushed so showed her with a normal amount of fat around her tummy. Let’s hope this new trend continues. It would certainly make many of us feel more comfortable in our bodies and, more importantly, reduce the ridiculous expectations of younger girls who think they need to be a size zero to succeed.

I was also really proud of the actress Sharon Maugham, wife of actor Trevor Eve, who not only appeared in 2 hours of Waking The Dead without makeup but also appeared completely naked. I believe she is in her mid 50’s  and she looked like a woman of that age should - beautiful but natural.

Every 6 months or so I sell clothes that I no longer love ( or perhaps more to the point, they no longer love me) to a fantastic dress agency called Circles ( Sue Allbright 01733 252539). I am always surprised by how much money I claw back. Admittedly, I don’t get a 100% return on what I originally paid but I have had great pleasure from my clothes and I’d just hate to throw them away. Occasionally, I’ll give a more expensive designer outfit to my husband to sell on eBay - I’ve better things to do with my time - and I usually do Ok financially from those transactions too. More to the point, I love the fact that someone else is getting joy from wearing my clothes and that they have, in effect, gone to a good home with someone who will care for them like I did.

I recently pawned some yellow gold jewellery that I knew I was never going to wear. I received about 30% of the original purchase price, but better than nothing, and it de-cluttered my jewellery box to make way for something better.

I’m no expert but you can sell virtually anything that no longer serves you. If you don’t fancy a car boot sale, try the following sites:

www.auctioning4u.co.uk - they sell your goods on eBay if they are likely to fetch in excess of £30. They charge 35% plus VAT

www.iswap.co.uk - a free swap service, bit like swishing.

www.girlmeetsdress.com - an online boutique where you can hire top designer labels from £24 for a couple of nights

www.handbaghirehq.co.uk - ‘must-have’ designer bags to borrow for a fraction of their retail price. Membership is from £7.50 per month

www.rentourrocks.com - borrow precious gems and find out, from experts, which ones would best suit your outfit. From £50.

I would also like to remind those of you who live locally, that the Swishing Event is on 19th September at Orchids Ladies Health and Fitness Centre on 19th September starting around 10.45. This is a great opportunity to swap clothes you no longer wear for something you will treasure. £5 entrance fee covers refereshments, an auction and some style tips from yours truly PLUS it’s all in a good cause . Ring 01733 348299 or look at the Calendar section of this website for more details http://blog.feelfabat50.com/2009/09/190909-charity-swishing-event/ We’d love to see you there.

If you can’y make our event it but like the idea of swapping your clothes go to http://www.bigwardrobe.com/ the largest re-cycling ‘party’ in the UK, with over 50.000 items in stock or http://www.whatsmineisyours.com/ for vintage finds

Just make sure you don’t sell the clothes off your back though! 

I don’t know about you but, apart from the tartan VW suit I told you about, I am getting drawn to neutrals again. Easy to wear, practical but stylish clothes that I can mix and match and know they will never let me down. Perhaps we’re all fed up with blingy dressing and obvious labels? Who knows, but I can relay that Jil Sander (pictured) is not the only designer to go to the high street with pared down style that we can all access (see my blog dated 13th August). Look out for Adam Lippes for Mango (effortless styling from the USA), Pierre Hardy for Gap (staples in the shoe department) and Roksanda Ilinicic for Whistles for beautiful, sexy but ‘not in your face’ eveningwear.  Of course, if you want to stay funky and dramatic, there are options as many other designers are also in collaboration with the cheaper high street stores. This is your chance to purchase seriously sexy Jimmy Choos from £50 ( H&M), totally wild Giles accessories from £30 at New Look (party dresses too) and Matthew Williamson has changed his allegiance and is now showcasing in Debenhams. Dates of launch range from early September through to end November.