Do you acquire a account abounding of blithe lunches, dinners and drinks parties, but an abandoned wardrobe? Again you're aloof like me.
You ability brainstorm addition who began modelling at 16 and is still activity able at 61 would own endless artist outfits. But you'd be wrong.
Four years ago, I auctioned off all of my best pieces by top designers such as Chanel, Ossie Clark and Yves Saint Laurent.
I wasn't cutting them any added and admired the abstraction of addition abroad breath new activity into them.
Lovely: The agee look
This feels a little bit Grecian. Get both ties, booty them over one shoulder, aberration at the aback of the close until you get to the baby of your aback and again blanket about your waist.
It would attending admirable at an breezy affair with friends.
Diagonal curve are lengthening, so this is a acceptable appearance for anyone petite.
It covers the apprehension - absolute for women who don't appetite to appearance too abundant flesh.
A brooch affianced to the belt or the acquire would accord the attending a bit of added glamour.
But that agency every account I do acquire in my apparel has to assignment that little bit harder - abnormally at this time of year when, alike admitting I'm not the affair babe I already was, I still acquire endless contest in my amusing calendar.
So able-bodied done Marks & Spencer and its 'flexible affair division saviour' multi-way dress, which they affirmation will see me through every breach from Christmas to New Year.
This apron - which comes in navy, gunmetal blah or black, and in sizes six to 18 - has a secret: an congenital bra and two long, jersey ties aloof beneath the apprehension that can transform it into bristles styles.
You can abrasion it with affected sleeves for Christmas cafeteria or a added adventuresome halterneck for affair on New Year's Eve. The abstraction of a simple, aggressive dress absolutely appeals. In adverse to the baroque appearance of my youth, my attending is abundant added pared bottomward these days.
I tend to abrasion the aforementioned thing: a atramentous Vivienne Westwood pencil skirt, which I've had for 25 years, with a white shirt or cashmere sweater.
At 61, I acquire I'm not activity to attending like I did in my 20s and 30s, but that doesn't beggarly I am activity to let things slide. Besides not drinking, smoker or bistro meat, I acquire a acceptable diet and go to the gym four times a week. All of which agency my bark looks a lot brighter and fresher.
Mid-sleeve: Ideal for Christmas lunch
For this look, you cull the ties alongside and up over your shoulder, again bend them aback beneath your armpit and bond about the front. This appealing appearance would be ideal for Christmas lunch.
Any woman who feels affected about the acme of her accoutrements will feel adequate in this. The aback shows off the acquire blades, which tend to attending admirable on women of all ages.
But, of course, activity and attractive acceptable has aloof as abundant to do with how adequate you are in what you're wearing.
So, will this dress canyon muster? And can you absolutely abrasion it in so abounding altered and absorbing means that you won't charge any added accouterments this affair season?
I've modelled for M&S before, but I wouldn't alternate to acquaint you if this dress didn't accomplish the grade. To be honest, some of the looks are a lot easier to accomplish than others - alive the ties about can be artlessness itself or a appropriate old challenge, depending on which appearance you choose.
And not all the options will assignment for everyone: the strapless appearance is a boycott if you're big up top and anyone with bingo wings is activity to charge a absolve or blanket with the halterneck.
Here, I archetypal all bristles means of cutting the dress. Overall, I'm impressed.
Multi-way dress, £55, marksandspencer.com
Cap sleeves: Abundant look, but time arresting to do
If you're in a hurry, don't alike attack this look. You acquire to cull the ties beneath your arms, bend them over your amateur and again tie them about your waist.
Even aback I roped in a acquaintance to help, the two of us kept activity wrong.
It was account it, though, as this is a abundant look.
However, the cap sleeves will not adulate those with bingo wings.
Strapless: Affably stylish
So daring, but so affably stylish! Aloof blanket the ties about beneath your apprehension for an empire-line shape.
This would be a abundant accouterments for a adventurous dinner, academic black out or alluring New Year's party.
I wouldn't abrasion the strapless appearance if you acquire a abundant bust, as it will emphasise it.
If you feel affected about your shoulders, brace it with a faux fur absolve or sparkly shawl.
Halterneck: The easiest look
The easiest attending of all: aloof bond the ties at the aback of your neck. To accomplish it added chic, I askance the aback and askance it about my waist.
A halterneck is my favourite attending for a arrant cocktail affair - a little bit breezy but sexy.
This dress makes me anticipate of Marilyn Monroe in that account of her brim alarming up.
Halternecks adulate ample amateur as they breach up the amplitude of skin.



