Try Van Dal - they're great for wide-fit shoes of all descriptions

English brand Van Dal (www.vandalshoes.com; 0800 801909), which has an extensive range of styles. It is stocked at most John Lewis and House of Fraser stores as well as branches of Jane Shilton and Kurt Geiger.
www.tallgirls.co.uk (mail order: 01420 587400) has a small selection in EE,
www.cinderellashoes.co.uk (00 35 357 932 6696), a Dublin company, specialises in wide fittings and stocks sizes 8-11 in an EE fitting, from £34-£82. It will do mail order, but there is no brochure; you can only view the shoes via the website.
www.lushshoes.co.uk
www.elephantfeet.com

Try www.figleaves.com

Rather than repeat the advice I have given many a time on Wonderstuff (use search to find out - in the coloured strip above - don't type it into the question box again), I thought you might like to read a piece on the topic which I wrote for The Observer:

AM I TOO OLD FOR CLOTHES?

"Why are you dressed as one of The Ramones?"

My husband and I are stacking the dishwasher one Am I too old for clothes? Sunday morning, listening to The Archers. It's a tricky one. How can I explain that drainpipe jeans are tout la rage? Or how a friend of mine wore Converse All Star baseball boots the other evening and looked so rock'n'roll, so Chrissie Hynde, that I was powerless to resist.

"Doesn't David Cameron wear Converse?" continues husband conversationally, as he scrapes Rice Krispies into the Brabantia. "And what's with that weird skinny tie?"

He's right, of course. There comes a time in life when wearing full-on fashion - the kind of entertaining kit you find in the pages of the glossies, worn by teenage Russian models with complicated names and no breasts - when it all starts to look ridiculous if you attempt the look at home. Pinafores, say. Or culottes. Berets. Braces. Bubble skirts. Am I too old for clothes? To make my point, almost as a eulogy for my lost youth, I wore my rock-god outfit on a family kite-flying trip on the Downs that afternoon. Passers-by probably thought I was wearing the skinny tie for a bet. Or a joke. Up there on that hill, it dawned on me that I am too old for clothes.

Not all clothes, of course. But the silly, slavish stuff which has been the lifeblood of my wardrobe for nearly three decades. At the age of 38, certain trends are beginning to look wrong. It's a realisation which creeps up slowly, like hair loss or weight gain, until one day the mirror shows you a stranger. "Mutton," mused one similarly afflicted friend, "dressed as goat."

Yasmin Yusuf, 46, formerly creative director for womenswear at Marks and Spencer, had a similar epiphany in the company of a pair of Costume National boots not long ago. "I was wearing my superfine narrow jeans tucked into the boots - and I got home and suddenly felt it was all too young. I had a defining moment. Something had to give."

While fashion pundits are terribly gung ho these days about the agelessness of clothes, about how the taboos of dress have been broken, and how mother and daughter can now wear the same jeans to the same party where they'll dance to the same tune around the same handbag... the bottom line is that there are still boundaries. Not, perhaps, enforced by a society of strictures and codes, but by the fact that a forty-year-old woman wearing a pork-pie hat in homage to Pete Doherty looks daft. There is, and I say this with a sigh, undoubtedly a time to put away childish things.

But what to wear instead? Turn 35 and you're supposed to instinctively know how to dress your age, just as you're expected to know how to file a tax return and how to produce a tasty coq au vin - and no one, least of all the media, the mags, the designers, the retailers, the icons - is giving much away on the matter.

The brutal fact is that everything gets more complicated as you edge towards forty, particularly if you've had children. You blithely expect to return from maternity leave and resume shopping, as though nothing has changed. But everything has. Throughout my twenties and early thirties, I shopped as a hobby, like some folk do crosswords or crochet. I loved it. I loved dressing up, posing, changing three times a day. But, it dawned on me not long after my kids arrived, there's not a whole lot of point in dressing up as a Ramone or Edie Sedgwick or Frida Bloody Kahlo to catch the News at Ten headlines or do the nursery run. If you work at home, as I do, only the postman will get to see your witty take on military chic. To add insult to injury, just as your lifestyle goes all domestic, your body goes to pot. Mine, like most, became pliable and comfortable, like something from the soft-furnishings department at John Lewis. Saddled with a mum's bum, dressing becomes a game of hide and seek, reveal and conceal.

While we're struggling with the mirror, the fashion world remains haughtily besotted with youth, enthralled by its milk skin and pretty feet. "Things are improving," says Alexandra Shulman, editor of Vogue, optimistically, "but it's nowhere near enough. Designers are still enormously youth orientated. As soon as you say you're creating for a specifically older market, you start to put people off... As you age, it's certainly harder to get away with flinging anything on and looking great, like you might have done in your twenties. Your body changes. Your arms aren't so great, you get shorter in the torso. These changes, generally speaking, are being ignored."

And so, fashion deserts us just when we need it most, like a red-neck cowboy skipping town. When everything is edging towards the floor, it ups and leaves, abandoning women to fend for themselves in an image-obsessed world. No wonder Trinny and Suzannah make £1.2million a piece for offering style direction to this lost generation.

Yasmin Yusuf agrees that there's a dearth of ideas for women who are too old for clubbing but too young to make their own chutney: "There isn't anything really slick and sexy for this market yet. It's such an opportunity. What is available is generally expensive - it's all about beautiful cut, something to give confidence, and that comes at a price. The middle-market retailers should be looking at this: the 35-plus group aren't going to stop loving fashion just because they've had another birthday."

This year for the first time, women over 40 will make up more than 50% of the UK female population. Many have money. Most have perfectly adequate bodies, thanks to a regime of regular exercise and sensible diet. If anything, we're the future of fashion. Interestingly, there are signs that some of the major fashion and beauty companies are beginning to recognise the spending power of this influential age group. Now that the Pink Pound and the Grey Pound have been truly tapped, attention is at last being turned to the Navy Pound.

Miuccia Prada, as if to seize the moment, has installed 52-year-old Kim Basinger to front the Miu Miu label this spring. Elsewhere, Sharon Stone (47) has just been hired as the new face of Dior's Capture skincare range. 51-year-old Christie Brinkley is the new girl at Cover Girl cosmetics. Suddenly, companies are interested in women who've lived a little, who have the depth and maturity of a good wine rather than the fizz of a bottle of pop. Model agencies are reporting a significant increase in demand for models in the 35-plus bracket. Witness Twiggy's rebirth for Marks and Spencer at the age of 56; even Paula Hamilton back in circulation, 20 years after that VW famous ad.

Just look, too, at "the muse of the moment", as designated by the influential industry magazine Women's Wear Daily: Carine Roitfeld - the 50-year-old editor of French Vogue. She has lush eyebrows, punch-black eyes, and a curtain of hair which constantly threatens to close off her face from public view. Her look is imitated everywhere - on the catwalk, in the ad pages of the glossies, in the windows of department stores. "Right now," said a recent paean, "Carine Roitfeld is the most stylish woman in the world."

The point is - and here's the rub - that she has always looked this way. She didn't arrive in her fifth decade and think, "Hmm, time to drop the ra-ra skirts and opt for something more swank". Roitfeld's look is timeless and personal, the living embodiment of Yves Saint Laurent's aphorism that "Fashions fade; style is eternal".

The question for mere mortals, tugged between the pull of jazzy earrings and the push of crow's feet, is quite how to win a slice of this ceaseless style for yourself.

Well, over to Roitfeld herself:

"Leather?" she says firmly. "No good as you get older... For normal woman, with not big money, if I would give advice: buy mainly classic pieces and a new pair of shoes each season. A Burberry trench-coat is always beautiful. Maybe you change the belt and this season you put an Indian scarf."

She doesn't counsel, you will notice, the purchase of a skinny tie and a pair of Converse baseball boots. Shulman, meanwhile, is less prescriptive: "I don't think there are specific things you can't wear after a certain age. It's entirely up to the individual to make the judgment. Some people are more successful at judging than others, of course. But if you've got great legs, I don't see why you shouldn't wear a short skirt. As you get older, though, you can no longer follow fashion in a craven way... but I rather think you shouldn't do that at any age."

For the lucky few, of course, the progression happens naturally. I remember seeing a picture of Plum Sykes not long ago. We worked on Vogue together in the early Nineties - and here she was, toast of Manhattan, a genuine It Girl, with her glossy gush of hair and her thoroughbred legs. But what caught my eye was her clothes. A striped sweater in coffee'n'cream cashmere. Tailored pants in a tantalising shade of cocoa. In short, Plum (five years my junior) looked like a grown-up.

My wardrobe, by woeful contrast, still looks like a dressing-up box. Just recently, I was seriously toying with the idea of wearing leggings under a strapless dress. I had the idea that I'd look a bit like Laura Bailey in this get-up, though there's a distinct possibility I'd look like a turnip. The fact is that it's simply not an appropriate look for a mother of two, a woman with a large mortgage, a substantial garden, a subscription to The Economist and a growing knowledge of oenology. The overall effect will, I know, be discordant and off-key.

Perhaps Quentin Crisp was right when he remarked, "Fashion is what you adopt when you don't know who you are." Once you're old enough to know thyself, you simply have to stop hiding, to start letting go, just as you have already forsaken your intimate knowledge of chart tunes, dance moves, street vernacular and who's snogging who in Hollyoaks.

But - blissfully - just as some things look terribly wrong, others begin to look absolutely right. Take tailoring, for example. Won't give you the time of day until you're 33, and then it's all over you like an expensive suit. "It helps to know the designers that suit you, to find your shop, so you're not starting from scratch every time," says Shulman. "Having some idea of your own style, your strengths and weakness, helps - although, of course, they do change as you get older. Personally, I find it much harder to get away with boho dressing than I once did. You can so easily look like an aging Mystic Meg. There is a temptation to go for simpler, cleaner shapes as you age. A few great cashmere sweaters really will take you a long way. Jewellery becomes more important."

Some retailers are getting it right, says Shulman. "There's a lot of money in this age group. Zara has been very clever and has tapped it well. Chanel and Armani are always going to have things that work - there's a core offer there. I have found that, on the whole, women designers are kinder and more sympathetic - they seem to understand and acknowledge what is happening to a body."

There are individuals, of course, who will do the editing for you. Style consultants Campbell & Bathurst fillet and refresh the wardrobes of women in precisely my predicament. Their advice is to go easy. "Many women over 35 make the mistake of clinging on to a style they should have ditched long ago," they say. "So steer clear of frosted lipstick and plunge-V necklines. Avoid acid colours, bubble-gum pink, logo T-shirts, tight anything, hot pants and micro minis, stonewashed jeans, animal prints (keep to accessories only), midriff-bearing tops and low-slung trousers, girlie frills, black leather. We advise our clients to edit their wardrobe every six months and to keep an eye on things like hair colour. As you get older, you have to tone everything down."

This season, then, I'll be treading gingerly through the traps and trips of spring fashion... Chloe's wooden stack heels? I think not. Those darling little broderie Anglaise dresses at Miu Miu? Nah. They yell youth. Wear one over the age of 21, and you run the distinct risk of looking like Grayson Perry. As you slide down the razor blade of life towards forty, it's heartening to know that ethnic works well into old age; folkloric, however, doesn't.

Meanwhile, my skinny tie and drainpipes are finished. The animal prints will be escorted from the building and shot. The amusing slogan T-shirts ("Brunettes Have More Fun") are banished. "Give them to the au pair," said one friend in what she imagined was a helpful manner. I don't even have an au pair. But if I did, you can be sure she'd look a dish in my drainpipes.

Published in The Observer, 2006

Red, red, red - I love the combination of cocoa and scarlet - it has such a chic, Parisian feel to it (YSL was a dab hand at mixing the two). I wouldn't wear beige with chocolate - it seems ageing to me. I do like sugar-pink, though - and aquamarine, eau de Nil, teal, chartreuse...

It has to be a knockout dress, no question. Everyone will have aged, but you need to look super fabulous. Your best bet is a wicked black dress - playing up to your best bits, worn with crazy shoes, the more colourful and bonkers the better. Who cares if it's in a pub, you want to walk in and rule the room!

Rather than repeat the advice I have given many a time on Wonderstuff (use search to find out), I thought you might like to read a piece on the topic which I wrote for The Observer:

AM I TOO OLD FOR CLOTHES?

"Why are you dressed as one of The Ramones?"

My husband and I are stacking the dishwasher one Am I too old for clothes? Sunday morning, listening to The Archers. It's a tricky one. How can I explain that drainpipe jeans are tout la rage? Or how a friend of mine wore Converse All Star baseball boots the other evening and looked so rock'n'roll, so Chrissie Hynde, that I was powerless to resist.

"Doesn't David Cameron wear Converse?" continues husband conversationally, as he scrapes Rice Krispies into the Brabantia. "And what's with that weird skinny tie?"

He's right, of course. There comes a time in life when wearing full-on fashion - the kind of entertaining kit you find in the pages of the glossies, worn by teenage Russian models with complicated names and no breasts - when it all starts to look ridiculous if you attempt the look at home. Pinafores, say. Or culottes. Berets. Braces. Bubble skirts. Am I too old for clothes? To make my point, almost as a eulogy for my lost youth, I wore my rock-god outfit on a family kite-flying trip on the Downs that afternoon. Passers-by probably thought I was wearing the skinny tie for a bet. Or a joke. Up there on that hill, it dawned on me that I am too old for clothes.

Not all clothes, of course. But the silly, slavish stuff which has been the lifeblood of my wardrobe for nearly three decades. At the age of 38, certain trends are beginning to look wrong. It's a realisation which creeps up slowly, like hair loss or weight gain, until one day the mirror shows you a stranger. "Mutton," mused one similarly afflicted friend, "dressed as goat."

Yasmin Yusuf, 46, formerly creative director for womenswear at Marks and Spencer, had a similar epiphany in the company of a pair of Costume National boots not long ago. "I was wearing my superfine narrow jeans tucked into the boots - and I got home and suddenly felt it was all too young. I had a defining moment. Something had to give."

While fashion pundits are terribly gung ho these days about the agelessness of clothes, about how the taboos of dress have been broken, and how mother and daughter can now wear the same jeans to the same party where they'll dance to the same tune around the same handbag... the bottom line is that there are still boundaries. Not, perhaps, enforced by a society of strictures and codes, but by the fact that a forty-year-old woman wearing a pork-pie hat in homage to Pete Doherty looks daft. There is, and I say this with a sigh, undoubtedly a time to put away childish things.

But what to wear instead? Turn 35 and you're supposed to instinctively know how to dress your age, just as you're expected to know how to file a tax return and how to produce a tasty coq au vin - and no one, least of all the media, the mags, the designers, the retailers, the icons - is giving much away on the matter.

The brutal fact is that everything gets more complicated as you edge towards forty, particularly if you've had children. You blithely expect to return from maternity leave and resume shopping, as though nothing has changed. But everything has. Throughout my twenties and early thirties, I shopped as a hobby, like some folk do crosswords or crochet. I loved it. I loved dressing up, posing, changing three times a day. But, it dawned on me not long after my kids arrived, there's not a whole lot of point in dressing up as a Ramone or Edie Sedgwick or Frida Bloody Kahlo to catch the News at Ten headlines or do the nursery run. If you work at home, as I do, only the postman will get to see your witty take on military chic. To add insult to injury, just as your lifestyle goes all domestic, your body goes to pot. Mine, like most, became pliable and comfortable, like something from the soft-furnishings department at John Lewis. Saddled with a mum's bum, dressing becomes a game of hide and seek, reveal and conceal.

While we're struggling with the mirror, the fashion world remains haughtily besotted with youth, enthralled by its milk skin and pretty feet. "Things are improving," says Alexandra Shulman, editor of Vogue, optimistically, "but it's nowhere near enough. Designers are still enormously youth orientated. As soon as you say you're creating for a specifically older market, you start to put people off... As you age, it's certainly harder to get away with flinging anything on and looking great, like you might have done in your twenties. Your body changes. Your arms aren't so great, you get shorter in the torso. These changes, generally speaking, are being ignored."

And so, fashion deserts us just when we need it most, like a red-neck cowboy skipping town. When everything is edging towards the floor, it ups and leaves, abandoning women to fend for themselves in an image-obsessed world. No wonder Trinny and Suzannah make £1.2million a piece for offering style direction to this lost generation.

Yasmin Yusuf agrees that there's a dearth of ideas for women who are too old for clubbing but too young to make their own chutney: "There isn't anything really slick and sexy for this market yet. It's such an opportunity. What is available is generally expensive - it's all about beautiful cut, something to give confidence, and that comes at a price. The middle-market retailers should be looking at this: the 35-plus group aren't going to stop loving fashion just because they've had another birthday."

This year for the first time, women over 40 will make up more than 50% of the UK female population. Many have money. Most have perfectly adequate bodies, thanks to a regime of regular exercise and sensible diet. If anything, we're the future of fashion. Interestingly, there are signs that some of the major fashion and beauty companies are beginning to recognise the spending power of this influential age group. Now that the Pink Pound and the Grey Pound have been truly tapped, attention is at last being turned to the Navy Pound.

Miuccia Prada, as if to seize the moment, has installed 52-year-old Kim Basinger to front the Miu Miu label this spring. Elsewhere, Sharon Stone (47) has just been hired as the new face of Dior's Capture skincare range. 51-year-old Christie Brinkley is the new girl at Cover Girl cosmetics. Suddenly, companies are interested in women who've lived a little, who have the depth and maturity of a good wine rather than the fizz of a bottle of pop. Model agencies are reporting a significant increase in demand for models in the 35-plus bracket. Witness Twiggy's rebirth for Marks and Spencer at the age of 56; even Paula Hamilton back in circulation, 20 years after that VW famous ad.

Just look, too, at "the muse of the moment", as designated by the influential industry magazine Women's Wear Daily: Carine Roitfeld - the 50-year-old editor of French Vogue. She has lush eyebrows, punch-black eyes, and a curtain of hair which constantly threatens to close off her face from public view. Her look is imitated everywhere - on the catwalk, in the ad pages of the glossies, in the windows of department stores. "Right now," said a recent paean, "Carine Roitfeld is the most stylish woman in the world."

The point is - and here's the rub - that she has always looked this way. She didn't arrive in her fifth decade and think, "Hmm, time to drop the ra-ra skirts and opt for something more swank". Roitfeld's look is timeless and personal, the living embodiment of Yves Saint Laurent's aphorism that "Fashions fade; style is eternal".

The question for mere mortals, tugged between the pull of jazzy earrings and the push of crow's feet, is quite how to win a slice of this ceaseless style for yourself.

Well, over to Roitfeld herself:

"Leather?" she says firmly. "No good as you get older... For normal woman, with not big money, if I would give advice: buy mainly classic pieces and a new pair of shoes each season. A Burberry trench-coat is always beautiful. Maybe you change the belt and this season you put an Indian scarf."

She doesn't counsel, you will notice, the purchase of a skinny tie and a pair of Converse baseball boots. Shulman, meanwhile, is less prescriptive: "I don't think there are specific things you can't wear after a certain age. It's entirely up to the individual to make the judgment. Some people are more successful at judging than others, of course. But if you've got great legs, I don't see why you shouldn't wear a short skirt. As you get older, though, you can no longer follow fashion in a craven way... but I rather think you shouldn't do that at any age."

For the lucky few, of course, the progression happens naturally. I remember seeing a picture of Plum Sykes not long ago. We worked on Vogue together in the early Nineties - and here she was, toast of Manhattan, a genuine It Girl, with her glossy gush of hair and her thoroughbred legs. But what caught my eye was her clothes. A striped sweater in coffee'n'cream cashmere. Tailored pants in a tantalising shade of cocoa. In short, Plum (five years my junior) looked like a grown-up.

My wardrobe, by woeful contrast, still looks like a dressing-up box. Just recently, I was seriously toying with the idea of wearing leggings under a strapless dress. I had the idea that I'd look a bit like Laura Bailey in this get-up, though there's a distinct possibility I'd look like a turnip. The fact is that it's simply not an appropriate look for a mother of two, a woman with a large mortgage, a substantial garden, a subscription to The Economist and a growing knowledge of oenology. The overall effect will, I know, be discordant and off-key.

Perhaps Quentin Crisp was right when he remarked, "Fashion is what you adopt when you don't know who you are." Once you're old enough to know thyself, you simply have to stop hiding, to start letting go, just as you have already forsaken your intimate knowledge of chart tunes, dance moves, street vernacular and who's snogging who in Hollyoaks.

But - blissfully - just as some things look terribly wrong, others begin to look absolutely right. Take tailoring, for example. Won't give you the time of day until you're 33, and then it's all over you like an expensive suit. "It helps to know the designers that suit you, to find your shop, so you're not starting from scratch every time," says Shulman. "Having some idea of your own style, your strengths and weakness, helps - although, of course, they do change as you get older. Personally, I find it much harder to get away with boho dressing than I once did. You can so easily look like an aging Mystic Meg. There is a temptation to go for simpler, cleaner shapes as you age. A few great cashmere sweaters really will take you a long way. Jewellery becomes more important."

Some retailers are getting it right, says Shulman. "There's a lot of money in this age group. Zara has been very clever and has tapped it well. Chanel and Armani are always going to have things that work - there's a core offer there. I have found that, on the whole, women designers are kinder and more sympathetic - they seem to understand and acknowledge what is happening to a body."

There are individuals, of course, who will do the editing for you. Style consultants Campbell & Bathurst fillet and refresh the wardrobes of women in precisely my predicament. Their advice is to go easy. "Many women over 35 make the mistake of clinging on to a style they should have ditched long ago," they say. "So steer clear of frosted lipstick and plunge-V necklines. Avoid acid colours, bubble-gum pink, logo T-shirts, tight anything, hot pants and micro minis, stonewashed jeans, animal prints (keep to accessories only), midriff-bearing tops and low-slung trousers, girlie frills, black leather. We advise our clients to edit their wardrobe every six months and to keep an eye on things like hair colour. As you get older, you have to tone everything down."

This season, then, I'll be treading gingerly through the traps and trips of spring fashion... Chloe's wooden stack heels? I think not. Those darling little broderie Anglaise dresses at Miu Miu? Nah. They yell youth. Wear one over the age of 21, and you run the distinct risk of looking like Grayson Perry. As you slide down the razor blade of life towards forty, it's heartening to know that ethnic works well into old age; folkloric, however, doesn't.

Meanwhile, my skinny tie and drainpipes are finished. The animal prints will be escorted from the building and shot. The amusing slogan T-shirts ("Brunettes Have More Fun") are banished. "Give them to the au pair," said one friend in what she imagined was a helpful manner. I don't even have an au pair. But if I did, you can be sure she'd look a dish in my drainpipes.

Published in The Observer, 2006

Not my specialist subject, but have a look at www.howtoclean.org/how-to-clean-suede.html

Tons1 The very best are by Made, a company that works out of the slums of Kibera in Kenya. Alexa Chung has recently designed a "skull" collection for Made (see www.made.uk.com). Have a look at www.adili.com for other options, including ethical bags - but for jewellery, I would HIGHLY recommend Pippa Small, who works on craft initiatives with indigenous communities (www.pippasmall.com). And have a look at the Tuareg artisans of Niger, who make brilliant stingray cuffs for Ikken (www.anedoti.com). Ooh, and you must check out www.fashion-conscience.com, where Gwen Davies ethical and eco cuffs are for sale. You can find conflict-free diamonds at www.thelookboutique.com, designed by Lora Leedham. Finally, a company called Leju is using "vegetable" ivory to stop elephants being killed for their tusks. Have a look at the brilliant, colourful necklaces, around £100 at www.lejudesigns.com.

Tons1 The very best are by Made, a company that works out of the slums of Kibera in Kenya. Alexa Chung has recently designed a "skull" collection for Made (see www.made.uk.com). Have a look at www.adili.com for other options - I would HIGHLY recommend Pippa Small, who works on craft initiatives with indigenous communities (www.pippasmall.com). And have a look at the Tuareg artisans of Niger, who make brilliant stingray cuffs for Ikken (www.anedoti.com). Ooh, and you must check out www.fashion-conscience.com, where Gwen Davies ethical and eco cuffs are for sale. You can find conflict-free diamonds at www.thelookboutique.com, designed by Lora Leedham. Finally, a company called Leju is using "vegetable" ivory to stop elephants being killed for their tusks. Have a look at the brilliant, colourful necklaces, around £100 at www.lejudesigns.com.

While the Great British High Street is a domain of pure delight for teenagers, wannabes and MILFs, once you hit a certain age (you’ll know it when you get there), the fashion shops seem to desert you, leaving you numb and naked on the great unfriendly plains of style. It has always perplexed me, this disregard for such an obviously huge and lucrative market. So, ladies, I’m here to help.

First, I would recommend a complete overhaul of your underpinnings. Get on friendly terms with your body. Know thyself. Only then can you dress thyself. If you’re having trouble with the knowing bit, get some tips from Caryn Franklin’s fantastic website www.howtolookgood.com. Thus galvanised, get thee to a lingerie department and stay put until your body has found a properly fitted bra (remember only one in four of us is wearing the correct size) and a great pair of “slimming knickers” (have a look at www.figleaves.com; you won’t look back). Hey! You’re already half-way there.

Now, wise up and dump the frump. This requires a deep intake of breath and an entire Saturday morning spent weeding out your wardrobe. Be ruthless, be relentless. Laugh in the face of those comfy trews and, please, chuck out that ancient old cardi that makes you look like a butternut squash. If you haven’t worn it in years (and it’s not vintage Chanel), chuck it. If the colour no longer works with your complexion (hold it up to your face, look in the mirror, it will not lie), then throw it away. If the fabric is polyester, nylon, pilled, rubbed, marked or in any other way compromised, get rid of it.

Now, to the good bit: time to shop. Sure, look at M& S and Jaeger. But don’t be afraid to shop on-line (try www.fennwright manson.com and www.wall-london.com). And do please go for quality. Now is the time to invest, not splurge – rather than buying three silly sweaters, get one lovely jacket. I am of the firm opinion that a glance at Yohji Yamamoto will do you the power of good (don’t be afraid to try it on; his clothes come alive on the body). If Yohji is too costly, try Oska (www.oskahome.de). Look for kind layers and face-friendly colours (no, this season’s canary yellow is probably not for you).

I would have said St John, which has long excelled at this nautical look. If not, have a look at www.brittanyboutique.com, which stocks the type of clothes you're after.

What a great question. I have been thinking hard about what would work - you are asking quite a bit from an outfit if you want it to have the sober gravitas required to preside over a wedding service, followed by a bit of fun and frivolity to step on to the dance floor when the band strikes up...

The fact that you like a floaty low-cut dress bodes well - as this is the backbone of summer dressing. there are some truly lovely tea dresses cropping up in the shops - and I would certainly pick one of those. The way to wear it is with a blazer jacket - which would serve to tone down the look for the day-time service. Have a little look at Stella McCartney, who manages to mix the formal and flighty with consummate skill.

This is Armani territory, no question. Have a look at his various lines - they're not all wildly expensive. Emporio would be a good place to start. Otherwise, the Tux is created with consummate and original skill at YSL. Again, the Rive Gauche diffusion line will offer you choice outside of the stratospheric realms for couture fashion.

Oska is my favourite place for linen tunics - have a look at www.oskahome.de.
Other labels to try include Clemente, Yulin, Oui Moments, Apanage and Save the Queen - and also
try www.edunonline.com for ethical labels. I absolutely love the soft tunics and tops at Wall Luxury Essentials (www.wall-london.com; mail order: 0870 350 7373). And then there's always www.fennwright manson.com - a current favourite of mine.
Wall

Have a look at www.petiteblogspot.com for tips on petite dressing. I think you need toi introduce a bit of colour into your life - remembering not to "block" your body into zones which will make you look smaller still. Separates tend to cut you up into chunks, so I would go for one colour, elongated with a scarf of pendant to cheat the eye into giving you more height. Black can be very harsh as you get a little older, so try a soft dove grey or graphite instead. Wear with fuchsia (the colour of the season) as an accent.

Spring time in Paris! Lucky you. I suggest taking thin layers - silk, cashmere - in neutral colours. A pair of great jeans, heels for fun, flats for sight-seeing, a brilliant big bag (Mulberry) and a trench coat. A big scarf for wrapping up against the wind. And then, when you get there, go shopping! Leave space in your case for the great fashion you'll find in the capital of style.

Have a look at a piece I wrote for the Observer not long ago by typing "am I too old for clothes" into the Search Bar (above, in the coloured strip).

Then, it's time to think about the new season. I know very well that your average fashion writer will implore you to trolley out there and buy, buy, buy. You’ll be encouraged to go for turquoise! You’ll be exhorted to “channel” Jerry Hall or Bruce Springsteen. “Go pick up a boa!” we’ll cry. “Get a hairclip just like Kelly Osbourne’s!”

I know this because I have spent the lion’s share of my career doing the cajoling and coaxing. Well, this week, just to give us all a break, I’m doing the opposite. Today’s missive is all about the items you need to keep, the cherishable, treasurable, bankable stayers that will not necessarily wow your babysitter or set fire to the tablecloth when you sit down in a restaurant, but things that are still utterly useful and wholly fashionable for spring 2008. Play a canny game, and you might just get away with a negligible till receipt this month. Go on then ladies, give the old credit crunch a two-finger salute, and waltz with me through the nuggets of gold that you already own…

(Ahem… needless to say, if you don’t already own them, I would exhort you to go out and buy them, right now, this instant, before you eat that Weetabix or check your horoscope. )

Right then. Do you have a trench coat? Good. Wear it. Belt it. Pin a corsage on the lapel. Fabulous. OK, so what about last summer’s platform heels? Yes? Stick ‘em on. Oh. You’ve got wedge heels? They’re still in too! We’re really cooking on gas now, aren’t we?

Now then. Trousers. Well, while the tapered, cropped pant is lurking on the sidelines of style and is set to be the shape of summer, you are still more than welcome to wear those high-waisted, wide-legged trousers that you’ve loved for the past six months or so. If they suit you, don’t take them off. If they don’t, go for the crop. And I bet you’ve got a white shirt in that wardrobe of yours. Well, pull it out and put it on. If it’s not white enough, boil it. If it’s still not white enough, tie-dye it and knot is at your waist. Voila! A spring trend for the £3.99 you’ll spend on Dylon.

Since tailoring is still a strong suit in fashion, keep a hold of that boyish blazer which fashion writers have been banging on about for months. Wear it over a new dress (OK, you can buy a new dress. Three words: floaty, chiffon and floral) – and strap on those platform heels. You are now very nearly the essence of spring 2008. The missing link is a grand gesture of jewellery. Grab the cuffs and bangles from your dressing table and slide them on. Yes, all of them. And another. Borrow some more from your next-door neighbour and imagine you are trotting down the catwalk at Marni. Rifle through your drawers until you find you aviator shades. Wear them.

Ta-da. The spring season, in a nutshell, on a shoestring. There are, of course, items lurking in your cupboards that need to be retired. Off the top of my head, these perishables will include trilbies, smocks, polka-dots, sequins, swing coats, leggings, slogan T-shirts and little leather jackets. Don’t chuck them out though. They’ll be back…

Absolutely wear heels - high and mighty, that's what you need. As far as a dress goes, you seem to be slim hipped and ample-chested - so steer clear of plunge necks, ruffles and too much going on upstairs. If you can't find a dress which fits, choose a skirt suit (full skirt, nipped-in jacket) so that you can arrive at a proportion that fits you properly. Have a look at Caryn Franklin's website - howtolookgood.com for more thoughts on how best to dress your shape.

Don't even bother with sandals if youare self-conscious about your feet. You need the perfect summer shoe for funny feet - and that is the ballet pump. They've been in fashion for donkey's years, but they are still happily trotting along at the forefront of fashion. If you want the designer version, just to pep things up, get yours at Marc Jacobs.

Have a look at Caroline Charles - who does gorgeous evening and occasion wear which won't frighten the horses! Caroline Charles (Beauchamp Place, SW1 and branches; 020 7225 3197, www.carolinecharles.co.uk)

Thanks for the thanks (if you see what I mean). For the jacket, you need to call the fashion desk at You Magazine, who very kindly put together that bit of the page. The number is 0207 938 6000.

For bigger sizes, try Elvi, the size 16-plus fashion specialist, which now has a flagship store in New Bond Street, London W1 (020 7629 6284),
Marina Rinaldi in Old Bond Street (020 7629 4454), where the spring/summer collection, in sizes 14-26, is beginning to arrive. Marina Rinaldi is a division of the major Italian label MaxMara, so you can be comfortable in the knowledge that it strikes the right chic note.
Poppeau & Hall (020 7704 9200) stocks designer wear in up to size 30
Anna Scholz (020 8964 3040) goes up to size 26. For a list of plus-size fashion labels and stockists, see: www.fashion-era.com/plus_sizes.htm.

For big shoes, try - English brand Van Dal (www.vandalshoes.com; 0800 801909), which has an extensive range of styles. It is stocked at most John Lewis and House of Fraser stores as well as branches of Jane Shilton and Kurt Geiger.
www.tallgirls.co.uk (mail order: 01420 587400) has a small selection in EE,
www.cinderellashoes.co.uk (00 35 357 932 6696), a Dublin company, specialises in wide fittings and stocks sizes 8-11 in an EE fitting, from £34-£82. It will do mail order, but there is no brochure; you can only view the shoes via the website.

Also, go to www.lushshoes.co.uk and www.elephantfeet.com

As far as I know, it's fullofchic.com

That's a very good question Naomij - and I haven't found a pod or videocast which really covers these areas. You'll already be looking at Shiny Shiny's fashion blogs, which are great - and baglady etc - and Sartorialist, which I love. But as far as casting goes, there's a bit of a gap in the market. I'm hoping to add vlogging to Wonderstuff at some point - it would be great to have our experts talking directly to readers. In the meantime, keep logging on and joining in - watch this space

No - type it into the SEARCH BOX - above in coloured strip, where it says "search". You have typed it into the Question Box, which is something entirely different :)

The boyish blazer is all over the shop (so to speak) this spring. Sportmax do really lovely ones, though you can pick up a version at New Look (in slimline stripes), or at Top Shop.

Type "am I too old for clothes" into the search bar (above in the coloured strip) - and a piece I wrote for The Observer will come up - there should be a few pointers for you in there!

Poppeau & Hall (020 7704 9200) stocks designer wear in up to size 30
Anna Scholz (020 8964 3040) goes up to size 26. For a list of plus-size fashion labels and stockists, see: www.fashion-era.com/plus_sizes.htm.

And keep your eye open for Beth Ditto's fashion range which is in the pipeline. For a list of plus-size fashion labels and stockists, see: www.fashion-era.com/plus_sizes.htm

This was my advice from You Mag -
"Now, to the good bit: time to shop. Sure, look at M& S and Jaeger. But don’t be afraid to shop on-line (try www.fennwright manson.com and www.wall-london.com). And do please go for quality. Now is the time to invest, not splurge – rather than buying three silly sweaters, get one lovely jacket. I am of the firm opinion that a glance at Yohji Yamamoto will do you the power of good (don’t be afraid to try it on; his clothes come alive on the body). If Yohji is too costly, try Oska (www.oskahome.de). Look for kind layers and face-friendly colours (no, this season’s canary yellow is probably not for you)."

Wonderstuff Users have also come up with ideas -

Leonora in Devon says the following - "Hey Mimi, this is not really a question but I just read your article entitled 'Dump the frump' about how older women find it difficult to find decent clothes. If this helps anyone - I work in a shop called DUB in Topsham, Devon which specifically stocks brands for the older woman. For example, Fennwright Manson, Oska, Clemente, Yulin, Oui Moments, Apanage and Save the Queen, to name a few. So if anyone is looking for all of these brands under the same roof, Topsham is the place to come! There are also stores in Exeter, Truro, Ringwood and Lymmington. I hope someone might find that useful."

And here's Harrie's Granny - “as a 65 year old grannie, I cannot understand my fellow oldies! We don't need special clothes. They are all out there! I can dress very easily in selected pieces from M&S Per Una, Phase Eight, Max Mara, Nicole Farhi, Jaegar etc. Best of all are the small local boutques (I go to Leamington Spa and Stratford)who had make the necessary alterations to length, waist, sleeves to make a garment tailor made. Even my Armani jeans have been tailored to suit me, but you cannot spot the alterations. I have a very supportive husband and we enjoy our clothes shopping. Best wishes, Harry's Grannie”

This is turning out to be a popular topic on Wonderstuff. It really seems that the 50-65 age group is being overlooked (or feels that they are) by the fashion retailers. There are things that will help, and labels you'll love - but I do think this market is woefully under-served. But, try the following and see if you can climb out of the drags.

First, I would recommend a complete overhaul of your underpinnings. Get on friendly terms with your body. Know thyself. Only then can you dress thyself. If you’re having trouble with the knowing bit, get some tips from Caryn Franklin’s fantastic website www.howtolookgood.com. Thus galvanised, get thee to a lingerie department and stay put until your body has found a properly fitted bra (remember only one in four of us is wearing the correct size) and a great pair of “slimming knickers” (have a look at www.figleaves.com; you won’t look back). Hey! You’re already half-way there.

Now, wise up and dump the frump. This requires a deep intake of breath and an entire Saturday morning spent weeding out your wardrobe. Be ruthless, be relentless. Laugh in the face of those comfy trews and, please, chuck out that ancient old cardi that makes you look like a butternut squash. If you haven’t worn it in years (and it’s not vintage Chanel), chuck it. If the colour no longer works with your complexion (hold it up to your face, look in the mirror, it will not lie), then throw it away. If the fabric is polyester, nylon, pilled, rubbed, marked or in any other way compromised, get rid of it.

Now, to the good bit: time to shop. Sure, look at M& S and Jaeger. But don’t be afraid to shop on-line (try www.fennwright manson.com and www.wall-london.com). And do please go for quality. Now is the time to invest, not splurge – rather than buying three silly sweaters, get one lovely jacket. I am of the firm opinion that a glance at Yohji Yamamoto will do you the power of good (don’t be afraid to try it on; his clothes come alive on the body). If Yohji is too costly, try Oska (www.oskahome.de). Look for kind layers and face-friendly colours (no, this season’s canary yellow is probably not for you).

For a bit of a pick-up, read what Wonderstuff user Harry's Gannie had to say last week - “as a 65 year old grannie, I cannot understand my fellow oldies! We don't need special clothes. They are all out there! I can dress very easily in selected pieces from M&S Per Una, Phase Eight, Max Mara, Nicole Farhi, Jaegar etc. Best of all are the small local boutques (I go to Leamington Spa and Stratford)who had make the necessary alterations to length, waist, sleeves to make a garment tailor made. Even my Armani jeans have been tailored to suit me, but you cannot spot the alterations. I have a very supportive husband and we enjoy our clothes shopping. Best wishes, Harry's Grannie”

Definitely. Short question, short answer! His boutique (or shoe-tique) is at 55b Old Church Street in Chelsea. Go and be dazzled.

You'll find a great selection on www.figleaves.com. If in doubt, though, go to a specialist to get fitted. Most good lingerie stores offer the service - Bravissima being particularly good if you are well-endowed.

I would recommend Brora - have a look at the collection on www.brora.co.uk

Sadly, the vast majority of the nation's clothes hang idly in the cupboard year upon year. Such a waste - and such a bore when you're trying to find something to wear. I suggest you whittle your wardrobe down to: 3 pairs trousers, 2 pairs jeans, 3 day dresses, 2 evening/cocktail dresses, 3 sweaters of various weights (polo, crew, V), 1 trouser suit, 1 blazer or jacket, 2 shirts, plenty of T-shirts - and then all your accessories. Keep a couple of frivolous items, just for fun - but ditch the things that are weighing your wardrobe down. This is exactly what a stylist would do if you invited one into your house (and, if you do, choose Laura Campbell of www.campbellandbathurst.com - she's one of the best in the business).

For more on the topic, type "why is m y wardrobe such a mess" into the search bar (above, in the coloured strip) and a feature I wrote not long ago will pop up.

Have a look at Designers at Debenhams - great for the dress-up moments in life.

While the Great British High Street is a domain of pure delight for teenagers, wannabes and MILFs, once you hit a certain age (you’ll know it when you get there), the fashion shops seem to desert you, leaving you numb and naked on the great unfriendly plains of style. It has always perplexed me, this disregard for such an obviously huge and lucrative market. So, ladies, I’m here to help.

First, I would recommend a complete overhaul of your underpinnings. Get on friendly terms with your body. Know thyself. Only then can you dress thyself. If you’re having trouble with the knowing bit, get some tips from Caryn Franklin’s fantastic website www.howtolookgood.com. Thus galvanised, get thee to a lingerie department and stay put until your body has found a properly fitted bra (remember only one in four of us is wearing the correct size) and a great pair of “slimming knickers” (have a look at www.figleaves.com; you won’t look back). Hey! You’re already half-way there.

Now, wise up and dump the frump. This requires a deep intake of breath and an entire Saturday morning spent weeding out your wardrobe. Be ruthless, be relentless. Laugh in the face of those comfy trews and, please, chuck out that ancient old cardi that makes you look like a butternut squash. If you haven’t worn it in years (and it’s not vintage Chanel), chuck it. If the colour no longer works with your complexion (hold it up to your face, look in the mirror, it will not lie), then throw it away. If the fabric is polyester, nylon, pilled, rubbed, marked or in any other way compromised, get rid of it.

Now, to the good bit: time to shop. Sure, look at M& S and Jaeger. But don’t be afraid to shop on-line (try www.fennwright manson.com and www.wall-london.com). And do please go for quality. Now is the time to invest, not splurge – rather than buying three silly sweaters, get one lovely jacket. I am of the firm opinion that a glance at Yohji Yamamoto will do you the power of good (don’t be afraid to try it on; his clothes come alive on the body). If Yohji is too costly, try Oska (www.oskahome.de). Look for kind layers and face-friendly colours (no, this season’s canary yellow is probably not for you).

Not much for me to go on there. Are you the bride? An usher? What is your shape? Age? When is the wedding? Without a bit more info, even my magic fashion touch escapes me!

Dear Nikki - two top suggestions. Top Shop has been brilliant in bringing on hot new designers. Alongside more established talent such as Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Jonathan Saunders and Emma Cook, the newer names to watch include Todd Lynn and Richard Nicoll. Peter Jensen and Louise Goldin are also showing immense promise.

The truly great, very demographic news, is that every single one of these wildly exciting designers has developed a range for Top Shop. I particularly like Todd Lynn's shrunken tux (£55) and Emma Cook's one-shoulder applique dress (£65) - both in store this month. Or you can go online to www.topshop.com and look in "The Boutique" for some of the best design talent you'll have seen in donkeys. Have a look at some of the accessories - they're bound to be collectors' pieces and your friend should love them. Kate Moss's new-season line for Top Shop will also be available from next week.

Secondly, go to www.oli.co.uk - a new "department store" on line which stocks masses of great young designers at the cutting edge, including Jasmine Guinness and PPQ.

One final thought - how about a sale piece from Net a Porter or brownsfashion.co.uk? £150 could get you sale-time Manolos or and Anya Hindmarch bag....

A favourite jeans label sort of creeps up on you. It happens when you realise that a particular cut or quality seems to work with the shape of your body and the cut of your gib. It has happened to me with Levi's, True Religion, Seven, Citizen of Humanity - but never with Siwys or Hudson. So, it boils down to a matter of personal taste. You need to try on as many brands as you can (I generally do this at Selfridges, though a jeans boutique which stocks plenty of labels would work just as well). For a kickstart, go to www.ilovejeans.com, feed in your requirements and the site will cleverly chug out some labels which will be good for you. That's where you should start your trying-on search.

I'd also have a look at Twenty8Twelve, Sienna Miller's fashion line - which is great for happening jeans. And even DvB - Victoria Beckham's denim line which is garnering great accolades in the fashion press.

Yes. I have decided to go on an anti-jeans drive lately - just because I'm boring myself to tears. But skirts and dresses seem so much more of a palaver - all that thinking about tights and shoes and so on. So, I've gone for two options: skinny cords (available at Gap, and as effortless and rewarding as denim, but without being quite so dull)... and coloured jeans. I have red and cobalt - and am seriously debating lemon yellow. They're available at American Apparel, Top Shop, Uniqlo, DKNY - all over really, and they just seem to be a step up from the usual denim-blues.

Generally speaking, it's trickier to tailor leather than most other fabrics. That said, it is entirely possible to alter leather and suede if you go to the appropriate professional. If the coat is of great sentimental or financial value, I would only take it to a tailor who has been recommended to me personally; I would ask to see other work first, and discuss precisely what work would be done. To find your nearest tailor, use www.upmystreet.com.

If, however, it's a complicated cut (a biker jacket, for example), you'd be way better off selling it and starting over. Look upon it as your treat for losing weight!

This season, I'd buy a brilliant trouser suit (try Wallis, which is great for tailoring) - and a tea dress (they're EVERYWHERE) with a neat blazer jacket.

From your description, you see to have an Erin O'Connor of Agynes Deyn kind of body - lucky you - but if you are self-conscious about your arms, the best thing to do is wear cap sleeves (to shorted them by illusion) or long sleeves - and when it's hot go for very light linen, cheesecloth or cotton tops. There's a great top by Kate Moss about to hit Top Shop - a sort of demi-kaftan with embroidery, incredibly lightweight and sexy - £80.

There's tons of household advice available on this kind of issue - but one of my favourite places for tips is the very thorough US site housekeeping.about.com - which covers all kinds of house tips in enormous detail. I've attached their advice on ink stains below (you'll see that it depends on the ink) to make it easy for you - but go there direct for more information.

"Ink stains fall into a few different categories. Water based ink stains are easier to remove and include markers that are available in different colors. Permanent ink stains can present a much tougher challenge and include permanent highliters and markers.

Water Based Ink Stains

Lay the stained area on top of a clean dry white towel. Apply water to the ink stain and blot with another clean white cloth, removing the stain as you blot.

Apply your normal liquid laundry detergent onto the ink stain and allow the garment to sit for 3-5 minutes.

Wash in the warmest water that the fabric can tolerate.

Before drying, double check to make sure the ink stain was removed, if not, repeat the previous steps until it is.

Permanent Ink Stains

It’s important to remember that permanent inks and markers represent some of the most difficult stains to remove. If a permanent ink stain happens on a fabric or pattern that cannot be bleached, it will be difficult to impossible to remove. You can try and you might get lucky, but don’t hold you’re breath for too long.

The first solution to try is rubbing alcohol. Place the clothing on top of a clean white towel. Be sure to test in a hidden spot before applying rubbing alcohol to the permanent ink stain. Blot rubbing alcohol onto the stain. The towel underneath will become wet and discolored from the ink. Be sure to move the garment to a clean dry section fo the towel as this happens. Continue until no more ink stain can be removed. Make sure you rinse the stained area completely free of the rubbing alcohol.

Next try fingernail polish remover. Blot in the same way as you did with the rubbing alcohol, moving the stained area to a clean dry section of a towel as the ink stain is removed. Rinse thoroughly.

As a last resort, you can try acetone, although this doesn’t do well with a lot of fabric types and cannot be used on acetate and rayon fabrics. Test first in a hidden spot. Apply the acetone in the same way as the rubbing alcohol and fingernail polish remover. Remember to rinse thoroughly.

Next, try rubbing baking soda mixed with water into the ink stain. Rinse thoroughly.

Apply a stain stick, gel, or spray to the ink stain and wash according to the fabric directions.

If the ink stain still remains after washing, try repeating the baking soda step again before rewashing and drying.

Ballpoint Ink Stains

Lay the stained area on top of a clean dry white towel. Apply rubbing alcohol to the ink stain and blot with another clean white cloth, removing the stain as you blot. Rinse thoroughly.

Lay the stained area on top of a clean dry white towel. Apply nail polish remover to the ink stain and blot with another clean white cloth, removing the stain as you blot. Rinse thoroughly.

Apply your normal liquid laundry detergent onto the ink stain and allow the garment to sit for 3-5 minutes.

Wash in the warmest water that the fabric can tolerate.

Before drying, double check to make sure the stain was removed. If not, repeat the previous steps until it is."

What you need is some shapewear, to pull your body into its ideal silhouette. I'd even try a corset if I were you - you'd be surprised at how effective and comfortable the modern ones are. Have a look on www.figleaves.com for ideas. Once you feel content with your tum, you will start to enjoy wearing all kinds of tops.

Nic! Enough already with the old and fat malarkey. You're a size 12, for heaven's sake - which is what a vast mass of womankind only dream of. So get real. You're young, you're a good shape - of course you can wear shorts and opaques if they make you feel good. Confidence is all you need!

Go to www.smallshoesandthings.co.uk.
If you have petite feet, shoes with heels set at the very back of the foot are perfect for elongating the foot - Oscar de la Renta's satin brocade 'Floral Cloque' pumps are a good example.

Try L K Bennett and Hobbs. Or have a "shop" at online department store www.oli.co.uk.

Dear heart - you sound down on yourself. Have a look at Caryn Franklin's lovely body shape website - www.howtolookgood.com - for ways to accentuate your positives.

You;ll simply have to try on some of the many, many dresses available in the shops. You'll be spoiled for choice, since this is definitely a "dress season" - but I couldn't possibly say where each individual dress is likely to stop on your particular body.

For a perfect white T-shirt, try the Per Una collection at Marks & Spencer stores (0845 302 1234). Gap's (0800 427789) "Stretch Favourite T" has a bit of Elastane for stretch, and chimes in at around £10.

The other great spot for Tees is Joseph (020 7610 8441), but the price zooms up to around forty quid.

Coast and LK Bennett both have a good line in great day dresses - which is pretty much what you're after.

If you don't want to go the high street route, I would start with grayandosbourn.co.uk (08702 411166), a website that caters for sizes 10-20 and has a very extensive collection of special occasion wear for day and evening and has many a Royal Ascot dress.
Otherwise, how about Caroline Charles (Beauchamp Place, SW1 and branches; 020 7225 3197, www.carolinecharles.co.uk)?

It's such a competitive market, and there are so many people who'd love to do exactly what you're doing, that it would be unfair to offer special treatment to any one individual. I'm afraid you'll have to go through the usual channels.

You need figleaves.com - the best array of magic pants you're ever likely to see.

Per Una at M&S has a paisley jewelled top in stock at the moment - £25 - see www.marksandspencer.com. I'm guessing you want more of a hippy paisley shirt - if so, look in Carnaby Street. But I love the super-cute pussy-bow paisley blouse on ASOS.com - it's called Fairground and costs £35.

Ooh - I've had another thought on this. Nicole Farhi. I have cashmere from Farhi that I have worn and loved for 18 years. Again, sniff out her sales. Also look at her Diffusion line (and See by Chloe diffusion - and Marc by Marc Jacobs)...

I know exactly what you mean - how a jumper can be so friendly and fabulous that you come to rely on it; and, also, how hideous it is when you lose a piece of clothing that you truly love. It happened to me with a fantastic leather jacket years ago - and more recently I lost my aquamarine earrings in a burglarly, and I still think about them every day (!)

As far as your grey sweater goes, this is - as already you know - Joseph's territory. I suggest you return to base, and look out for the brilliant Joseph sample sales, when old stock will be available at knock-down prices. Since it is spring, you're right that most stores are steering clear of big knits - so you may have to wait until autumn if you want to get one on the high street. I'd recommend having a look on www.net-a-porter, where you can get a sale-item from the winter season at around half price. Look at Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, both of whom are GREAT for knitwear. There's a Chloe alpaca oversized grey sweater on there at the moment (no guarantees it will be forever!) which looks great and is down to £185. Worth every penny if this becomes your new best thing.

Two great places for yellow jeans - Uniqlo (£29) and DKNY (£115, call 020 7808 8790). Victoria's were from her own DvB range.

First, I would recommend a complete overhaul of your underpinnings. Get on friendly terms with your body. Know thyself. Only then can you dress thyself. If you’re having trouble with the knowing bit, get some tips from Caryn Franklin’s fantastic website www.howtolookgood.com. Thus galvanised, get thee to a lingerie department and stay put until your body has found a properly fitted bra (remember only one in four of us is wearing the correct size) and a great pair of “slimming knickers” (have a look at www.figleaves.com; you won’t look back). Hey! You’re already half-way there.

Now, wise up and dump the frump. This requires a deep intake of breath and an entire Saturday morning spent weeding out your wardrobe. Be ruthless, be relentless. Laugh in the face of those comfy trews and, please, chuck out that ancient old cardi that makes you look like a butternut squash. If you haven’t worn it in years (and it’s not vintage Chanel), chuck it. If the colour no longer works with your complexion (hold it up to your face, look in the mirror, it will not lie), then throw it away. If the fabric is polyester, nylon, pilled, rubbed, marked or in any other way compromised, get rid of it.

Now, to the good bit: time to shop. Sure, look at M& S and Jaeger. But don’t be afraid to shop on-line (try www.fennwright manson.com and www.wall-london.com). And do please go for quality. Now is the time to invest, not splurge – rather than buying three silly sweaters, get one lovely jacket. I am of the firm opinion that a glance at Yohji Yamamoto will do you the power of good (don’t be afraid to try it on; his clothes come alive on the body). If Yohji is too costly, try Oska (www.oskahome.de). Look for kind layers and face-friendly colours (no, this season’s canary yellow is probably not for you).

You've probably tried Precis and Principles and the obvious petite ranges. Have a look at www.petitefashionista.blogspot.com. I would recommend the services of a good local dressmaker. If something doesn't fit, have it tailored to your spec - it will make all the difference in the world.

Two Wonderstuff users have shared their thoughts - here they are!

“As a 65 year old grannie, I cannot understand my fellow oldies! We don't need special clothes. They are all out there! I can dress very easily in selected pieces from M&S Per Una, Phase Eight, Max Mara, Nicole Farhi, Jaegar etc. Best of all are the small local boutques (I go to Leamington Spa and Stratford)who had make the necessary alterations to length, waist, sleeves to make a garment tailor made. Even my Armani jeans have been tailored to suit me, but you cannot spot the alterations. I have a very supportive husband and we enjoy our clothes shopping. Best wishes, Harry's Grannie”

"Hey Mimi, this is not really a question but I just read your article entitled 'Dump the frump' about how older women find it difficult to find decent clothes. If this helps anyone - I work in a shop called DUB in Topsham, Devon which specifically stocks brands for the older woman. For example, Fennwright Manson, Oska, Clemente, Yulin, Oui Moments, Apanage and Save the Queen, to name a few. So if anyone is looking for all of these brands under the same roof, Topsham is the place to come! There are also stores in Exeter, Truro, Ringwood and Lymmington. I hope someone might find that useful. Leonora Hansen"

Go for the trench this spring. It fulfills all of your criteria, and is (as ever) bang on trend. Get yours at Burberry (naturally), or Gap has a great khaki trench for £58 which stops dead on the knee and tunes into the safari mood currently doing the rounds. Otherwise, the grey Principles version is neat - £89 (call 0870 122 8802 for stockists).

Yes. Absolutely. Go for it. The shops are starting to really stack up with tea dresses. I've got my eye on Kate Moss's new ones which come into Top Shop next week (they just have that slightly hippy cool thing going on, which I love). If that's too young, Jenny Dyer's poppy-print tea dress is adorable, £375 at Harvey Nichols (020 7201 8400). Mango has a great floral-sprigged tea dress, against a black background, for £40 (020 7434 3694) - which is pretty much the shape of summer.

Have a look at www.howtolookgood.com (Caryn Franklin body shape advice). On the whole, you must wear what makes you feel good. Only you really know the ins and outs of your body - try on, try on, try on and let the mirror decide. That said, there are certain items which probably won't work for you now. Steer clear of black leather, for example, which can be very harsh once you've turned forty or so. For more on this, type "older woman" (sorry!) into the search bar (in the coloured strip, above), to see what other users and experts have said.

It's a tricky one - partly because remodelling fur is one way of keeping it fashionable and wearable, which goes against the grain for anyone who's anti-fur (like me).

An old fur is not worth a patch of what was paid for it. They depreciate fast - and fashions change significantly over time. Some fur retailers may take old furs as trade-ins against a new fur (a bit like a car). They also may be able to suggest charities to donate your fur to. You could sell your fur directly online. Or restyle it into home furnishings (you'd have to love fur a lot yourself to do this - and I'm guessing you're not that enamoured!).

The most "fashionable" fur to wear is probably the tippet, and you could ask a dressmaker to produce a handful of tippets from your coat. It's a matter of taste - a matter for the individual I guess.

For more thoughts on the matter, go to www.furs.com - it's an American site, but it does examine the issue of what to do with elderly furs in some depth.

First, I would recommend a complete overhaul of your underpinnings. Get on friendly terms with your body. Know thyself. Only then can you dress thyself. If you’re having trouble with the knowing bit, get some tips from Caryn Franklin’s fantastic website www.howtolookgood.com. Thus galvanised, get thee to a lingerie department and stay put until your body has found a properly fitted bra (remember only one in four of us is wearing the correct size) and a great pair of “slimming knickers” (have a look at www.figleaves.com; you won’t look back). Hey! You’re already half-way there.

Now, wise up and dump the frump. This requires a deep intake of breath and an entire Saturday morning spent weeding out your wardrobe. Be ruthless, be relentless. Laugh in the face of those comfy trews and, please, chuck out that ancient old cardi that makes you look like a butternut squash. If you haven’t worn it in years (and it’s not vintage Chanel), chuck it. If the colour no longer works with your complexion (hold it up to your face, look in the mirror, it will not lie), then throw it away. If the fabric is polyester, nylon, pilled, rubbed, marked or in any other way compromised, get rid of it.

Now, to the good bit: time to shop. Sure, look at M& S and Jaeger. But don’t be afraid to shop on-line (try www.fennwright manson.com and www.wall-london.com). And do please go for quality. Now is the time to invest, not splurge – rather than buying three silly sweaters, get one lovely jacket. I am of the firm opinion that a glance at Yohji Yamamoto will do you the power of good (don’t be afraid to try it on; his clothes come alive on the body). If Yohji is too costly, try Oska (www.oskahome.de). Look for kind layers and face-friendly colours (no, this season’s canary yellow is probably not for you).

You can also use Search (above, in coloured strip) to see how this Question has been answered before on Wonderstuff.

Try duoboots.com (shops in London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Bath; 0845 070 5588), which has 33 styles in 21 different calf and foot sizes (2-10), for between £80 and £170.

Then, www.plusinboots.co.uk (01202 331892) which has calf widths from 15.6-21in; prices start at £151.

Or www.emotionfootwear.co.uk (01642 807090). Prices from £90 to £120.

It's fascinating that this is one of the most popular topics on Wonderstuff - almost as if the groom's mother is overlooked, while the bride's mother is the subject of plenty of style advice. For my money, the Mother of the Groom is an equally important role, requiring a perfect outfit. Here's what I suggested earlier: go for a dress with a matching coat - perhaps a princess line - is the perfect choice. It depends, really, on how much you have to spend: Robinson Valentine is expensive, but serves this area brilliantly. Also, try Caroline Charles. If you're on a tighter budget, I would always recommend L K Bennett, Coast, Designers at Debenhams and Karen Millen, who produce up-market, interesting and elegant dressing-up clothes. One final pointer - do check your colour with the Mother of the Bride. It wouldn't do to clash, or copy!

Without knowing you, it's almost impossible to give you a body-shape review - particularly since I don't really hold with labelling women in this way. I would hate to tell you that you're a spoon or an apple or a pear! I think it's demeaning, and misses the point of fashion - which is that it is a personal, glorious thing. It has to do with personality, demeanour, complexion, lifestyle, and a whole lot of other things that have nothing to do with the size of your bottom in relation to the size of your hips. I don't like cookie-cutter fashion either - what works for one size 14 won't work for another. If it did, we'd dress like drones, and end up looking like those awful neutral houses that property developers produce to appeal to anyone and everyone.

So. The answer is that you don't come under any shape. You ARE, however, a size - and this you must decide for yourself according to the fit of the clothes you try on. Remember that different design houses and manufacturers have wildly differing views of what makes a size 10 or 18. I was once (years ago) the in-house model for Nicole Farhi, and they used my body as the template for a size 10. It's as happenstance as that. Companies also employ "vanity sizing" to fool you into thinking you're smaller than you really are. You need to try before you buy, and aim for the best fit regardless of the size on the label.

If you still want body-shape advice, turn to Caryn Franklin's website www.howtolookgood.com. If desperate, Trinny and Suzannah's latest book may be helpful too.

If you want a Sixties mod style dress, you might consider vintage - or, perhaps, buying a vintage dress and having it remade to your spec in a nice new fabric (white material tends to yellow with time). Have a look at Cornucopia, Upper Tatchbrook Street, London SW1 (020 7828 5752), One of a Kind, Portobello Road, W11 (020 7792 5853 and Steinberg & Tolkien on the King's Road.

TopShop has an Archive Collection of one-off dresses on its website (Topshop.com) with prices starting at around £50. Alternatively, www.circavintage.com.

If I were getting married in Ibiza, I'd buy an Alice Temperley dress, no question.

Dear heart - the days of such rules are long gone. You really needn't worry about what goes with what: much more important is how you feel about it. If those black shoes sing with your navy skirt, you go right ahead and let no one stand in your way. On the black and brown front - let your mirror decide. I have never liked the pairing myself, though I am partial to black and tan.

I generally go to Selfridges, which stocks most of the labels you see in the pages of the glossies. If you want a cheap & cheerful pair, Gap is generally good.
To work out what jeans will suit your shape, and to get an idea of what to buy, have a look at www.ilovejeans.com.

It's fascinating that this is one of the most popular topics on Wonderstuff - almost as if the groom's mother is overlooked, while the bride's mother is the subject of plenty of style advice. For my money, the Mother of the Groom is an equally important role, requiring a perfect outfit. Here's what I suggested earlier: go for a dress with a matching coat - perhaps a princess line - is the perfect choice. It depends, really, on how much you have to spend: Robinson Valentine is expensive, but serves this area brilliantly. If you're on a tighter budget, I would always recommend L K Bennett, Coast and Karen Millen, who produce up-market, interesting and elegant dressing-up clothes. One final pointer - do check your colour with the Mother of the Bride. It wouldn't do to clash, or copy!

Try contacting Ralph Lauren direct - they should have a good idea where stock might be. Head Office Address, 650 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022. Telephone, 888-475-7674. Fax, 212-888-3290.

Alternatively, of course, have a quick look on eBay.

You are in the relatively lucky position of being tall and slim - perfect for almost anything fashion can throw at you. The issue, I suspect, is one of confidence. Jeans just seem such an easy option, particularly if, like you and me, you have small children demanding your attention. I think the key would be to have a shopping consultation at a good store - a professional will lead you down fashion paths you may never have considered. Here's my lowdown on where you can have this done:

Top Shop, Debenhams and Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex all have a free personal shopper service. The Trafford Centre in Manchester and Meadowhall in Sheffield both contain stores that provide personal shopper services, but not for the entire centre.

Then there's...
Liberty (020 7734 1234); Harrods (020 7893 8000); Harvey Nichols (020 7259 6638); all John Lewis branches offer a fashion advice service(0845 604 9049); Selfridges (0870 8377 377) also offers hair-styling advice at its salon; and at Fenwick, New Bond Street (020 7629 9161), you can have a free make-up consultation.

the most effective way to tackle these is with IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments (visit www.cosmeticdoctors.co.uk to find a good practitioner in your area). This will fade the spots by breaking up the pigment that forms them, it’s not that painful (like being flicked with elastic bands) but it will cost about £200-£300 a session, depending on the extent of the area you want treated. There are loads of ‘brightening and whitening” creams which can all help fade brown spots with ingredients such as vitamin C, retinol and bilberry extract. Whatever you choose, you need to get obsessive about using sun-protection at the same time (every day, all year, at least SPF15) to protect your skin and prevent more brown spots forming.

First of all, skip off to Bravissima for a bra fitting - you may have changed since you last measurements, and your whole look hangs on your boobs (so to speak!). Since you are petite, you want to aim for looks which elongate rather than widen your body. A single colour will help (block colours carve a body up into portions and will make you look shorter; mad prints will be too busy on a small frame). I'd have a look at the Armani catwalk on www.style.com for inspiration - and maybe at Jean Muir (48 Conduit Street, London, W1; 020 7434 9077). Try www.grayandosbourn.co.uk (08702 411166), a website that caters for sizes 10-20 and has a very extensive collection of special occasion wear for day and evening. Or Caroline Charles (Beauchamp Place, SW1 and branches; 020 7225 3197, www.carolinecharles.co.uk).

This is a perennial issue - and one that gives a lot of women the heebie-jeebies - chiefly, I think, because it's a Performance Part: you just know people (and photographers) will be looking your way and expecting you to look your absolute best.

There are obvious pointers - checking with the mother of the groom, knowing which hat shape will suit your face - but it's tricky to say precisely what will work without meeting you. I do know that brights and florals are big news for spring/summer 2008, so you may want to use this as a starting point. Also, evening fabrics (organza, chiffon) are increasingly popular for day wear - so there should be plenty of options in the shops.

For a one-stop online destination for MoB, I give a big thumbs up to
www.thebridesmother.co.uk - masses of great information for women like you.

Without knowing where you live, I suggest you go to www.yell.com or www.upmystreet.com to find your nearest dressmaker - and do ask for references and to see their work. One great dressmaker is the woman who made Sandra Howard's dress for her daughter's wedding - her name is Janette Howell, 01303 894607.

What you need is Pilates - a gentle, effective toning regime for exactly your problem. Look in your local paper for your nearest class.

Without knowing you, it's almost impossible to give you a body-shape review - particularly since I don't really hold with labelling women in this way. I would hate to tell you that you're a spoon or an apple or a pear! I think it's demeaning, and misses the point of fashion - which is that it is a personal, glorious thing. It has to do with personality, demeanour, complexion, lifestyle, and a whole lot of other things that have nothing to do with the size of your bottom in relation to the size of your hips. I don't like cookie-cutter fashion either - what works for one size 14 won't work for another. If it did, we'd dress like drones, and end up looking like those awful neutral houses that property developers produce to appeal to anyone and everyone.

So. The answer is that you don't come under any shape. You ARE, however, a size - and this you must decide for yourself according to the fit of the clothes you try on. Remember that different design houses and manufacturers have wildly differing views of what makes a size 10 or 18. I was once (years ago) the in-house model for Nicole Farhi, and they used my body as the template for a size 10. It's as happenstance as that. Companies also employ "vanity sizing" to fool you into thinking you're smaller than you really are. You need to try before you buy, and aim for the best fit regardless of the size on the label.

If you still want body-shape advice, turn to Caryn Franklin's website www.howtolookgood.com. If desperate, Trinny and Suzannah's latest book may be helpful too.

That's the longest link in history - but I can't see the top. Can you describe it?

OK, so your first challenge is to change the attitude. You sound like you're covering everything up and then feeling dowdy. No wonder! You need to take a deep breath, and overhaul your wardrobe and your outlook for spring. Have a wardrobe clear out - it'll pep you up, give you a true view of what you own and a bit of space to see what's next. Then I'd recommend a free consultation at one of the big stores. There's no obligation to buy, and you will learn about what shapes, colours and looks suit your body.

If you can't get to Selfridges or Harrods, most provincial department stores now offer this as a free service. House of Fraser, Lakeside, Debenhams and John Lewis all spring to mind. Even Top Shop does it!

Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex has a free personal shopper service for the whole centre; Bluewater in Kent can offer a paid-for freelance service too. The Trafford Centre in Manchester and Meadowhall in Sheffield both contain stores that provide personal shopper services, but not for the entire centre.

If you mean how much should show under TROUSERS, then the classic answer is that the hem of your trousers should sit on the vamp (upper) of the shoe. This spring, though, 7/8th trousers - a little bit cropped - are set to be the shape you'll want - so the whole shoe would show (plus a little bit of coquettish ankle too).

Tricky. I think it's best to put the whole "looking sexy" thing off until you feel a bit more yourself. In the meantime, be kind to yourself, put on your pjs, get a good DVD and chill out.

If you want to look smart, you need to start with tailoring. I'd go for a wow trouser suit - but it depends entirely on your taste. You may prefer a dress and jacket - in which case, have a look at LK Bennett and Coast, both of which serve the smart-lunch brigade well. Of course, if you have money to blow, a proper lunch outfit would come from Bond Street. Escada is mistress of this market, and you won't regret the splurge.

If you ask Miuccia Prada, Sarah Jessica Parker or half the girls hanging out in Hoxton, the answer is a resounding yes. I have always found knee-high socks a bit of a bizarre look - too St Trinian's for my liking - but if you're into cute, then this could well be a look for you. Take a leaf out of Carrie Bradshaw's book of style and wear them with wicked heels, neat tailoring and a big blousy corsage.

Have a look at www.uniquelywoman.co.uk - it has a comprehensive list of boutiques stocking petite ranges, and you may well find a niche brand which really speaks to you. It sounds to me as though you have the perfect figure for one of this season's skirt suits with a nipped-in waist.

I'd go for a classic lightweight trench. They are madly on-trend at the moment, and have been for years, so it's a great, versatile investment buy. Get one at Burberry, or choose one of the many many alternatives that are on the high street now.

Hi Mel - if only there were enough hours in the day... take heart - there are some brilliant personal shoppers out there who can help you shop effectively. Here's a run down of what's available -

Top Shop, Debenhams and Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex all have a free personal shopper service. The Trafford Centre in Manchester and Meadowhall in Sheffield both contain stores that provide personal shopper services, but not for the entire centre.

Then there's...
Liberty (020 7734 1234); Harrods (020 7893 8000); Harvey Nichols (020 7259 6638); all John Lewis branches offer a fashion advice service(0845 604 9049); Selfridges (0870 8377 377) also offers hair-styling advice at its salon; and at Fenwick, New Bond Street (020 7629 9161), you can have a free make-up consultation.

As I'm sure you know, there are tons of labels - designer, high street and mid-range - who service the petite market well. Precis, as you say, is good - but Principles also does well in the petite range. Instead of a retail site, how about a great blog? www.petitefashionista.blogspot.com is really worth a look, since she is a girl in your shoes, so to speak.

Another favourite at the moment is www.smallshoesandthings.co.uk - a site dedicated to all things tiny.

You should go to www.ilovejeans.com - where you can feed in your vital statistics, your preferences and your budget, and the website will suggest some good brands for you. You can then buy them online, or use the information as a basis for a shopping trip.

I'm not sure I like labelling shapes in the way that has lately become popular. I would hate to call myself an "apple shape" - it kicks off by making you feel a bit diminished and silly. Better to find a dress which suits YOUR shape, not some notional label.

That said, if you're thicker in the middle, look for a shift shape which dwells on your good bits (legs? decollete?) Hobbs is your best bet.

Here's Alice hart-Davies' advice - "The fabulous Jean Broke-Smith (former principal of Lucie Clayton, and now a tv deportment and etiquette star) would tell you to stand up tall, clench your backside, and move forward with your heels following a line along the floor, with your toes pointed out a bit. First place one foot in front of the other, then gracefully transfer your weight onto the heel of the front foot, then through the foot and onto the toe, as you pick up the back foot, place it in front, and so on. The idea is that you glide, with poise and balance, and with Jean's voice repeating 'heel-instep-toe, heel-instep-toe in your head..."

Are you the bride? Or a guest? Not sure - so I'll take a guess that you're on the pews and not sweeping down the aisle - so have a look at Caroline Charles - a designer who has been brilliantly, quietly creating great dress-up clothes for many years. www.carolinecharles.co.uk

Have a look at Caroline Charles - a designer who has been brilliantly, quietly creating great dress-up clothes for many years. www.carolinecharles.co.uk

Have a look at Caroline Charles - a designer who has been brilliantly, quietly creating great dress-up clothes for many years. www.carolinecharles.co.uk

Your best bet is to avoid cling and go for soft, wide-leg palazzos.

Use Search (above in the coloured strip) to see many thoughts on this subject. And have a look at this from Wonderstuff user Leonora - If this helps anyone - I work in a shop called DUB in Topsham, Devon, which specifically stocks brands for the older woman. For example, Fennwright Manson, Oska, Clemente, Yulin, Oui Moments, Apanage and Save the Queen, to name a few. So if anyone is looking for all of these brands under the same roof, Topsham is the place to come! There are also stores in Exeter, Truro, Ringwood and Lymmington. I hope someone might find that useful.

I'm with you on this, as you'll know if you read my You Magazine columns. There are companies out there who are servicing this market (see below), but they don't have the clarion-call pull of the well-known high-street names. This is where M&S should shine, and occasionally does - but I still think there's a gap in the market for great, fashionable, sensible, wearable, glorious fashion.

In the meantime, here are a few thoughts from other Wonderstuff users -
Vikki Pounder recommends The Earth Collection.
Here's Leonora on the topic: "If this helps anyone - I work in a shop called DUB in Topsham, Devon, which specifically stocks brands for the older woman. For example, Fennwright Manson, Oska, Clemente, Yulin, Oui Moments, Apanage and Save the Queen, to name a few. So if anyone is looking for all of these brands under the same roof, Topsham is the place to come! There are also stores in Exeter, Truro, Ringwood and Lymmington. I hope someone might find that useful."

For my part, I'd say Wallis and Jaeger may work for you. And Burberry for the raincoat.

Yes! You've made a great start - navy wide-legged pants are a classic which you'll love for years. They also happen to be bang on the money at the moment - tuning into the nautical feel that is flooding fashion right now. So... I'd go with the perfect white shirt, or silk-knit tee, or a boat-necked sloppy joe (for down-play days). They'd look great with a trench coat - or a navy polo-neck, for that clean-cut look. Play it any way you choose, but know that you have chosen a brilliant foundation.

What you need is to pep things up a bit - and the best way to do this is to turn to the professionals for a bit of hands-on advice. Loads of shops now offer free shopping consultations. Here's my list of the best...

Liberty (020 7734 1234); Harrods (020 7893 8000)- you may have to join a waiting list; Harvey Nichols (020 7259 6638); all John Lewis (0845 604 9049) branches offer its Fashion Advice Service; Selfridges (0870 8377 377) also offers hair-styling advice at its Cobella salon; and at Fenwick, New Bond Street (020 7629 9161), you can have a free make-up consultation.

Alternatively, try Top Shop, Debenhams, John Lewis, all of which have a free consultation service.

While the Great British High Street is a domain of pure delight for teenagers, wannabes and MILFs, once you hit a certain age (you’ll know it when you get there), the fashion shops seem to desert you, leaving you numb and naked on the great unfriendly plains of style. It has always perplexed me, this disregard for such an obviously huge and lucrative market. So, ladies, I’m here to help.

First, I would recommend a complete overhaul of your underpinnings. Get on friendly terms with your body. Know thyself. Only then can you dress thyself. If you’re having trouble with the knowing bit, get some tips from Caryn Franklin’s fantastic website www.howtolookgood.com. Thus galvanised, get thee to a lingerie department and stay put until your body has found a properly fitted bra (remember only one in four of us is wearing the correct size) and a great pair of “slimming knickers” (have a look at www.figleaves.com; you won’t look back). Hey! You’re already half-way there.

Now, wise up and dump the frump. This requires a deep intake of breath and an entire Saturday morning spent weeding out your wardrobe. Be ruthless, be relentless. Laugh in the face of those comfy trews and, please, chuck out that ancient old cardi that makes you look like a butternut squash. If you haven’t worn it in years (and it’s not vintage Chanel), chuck it. If the colour no longer works with your complexion (hold it up to your face, look in the mirror, it will not lie), then throw it away. If the fabric is polyester, nylon, pilled, rubbed, marked or in any other way compromised, get rid of it.

Now, to the good bit: time to shop. Sure, look at M& S and Jaeger. But don’t be afraid to shop on-line (try www.fennwright manson.com and www.wall-london.com). And do please go for quality. Now is the time to invest, not splurge – rather than buying three silly sweaters, get one lovely jacket. I am of the firm opinion that a glance at Yohji Yamamoto will do you the power of good (don’t be afraid to try it on; his clothes come alive on the body). If Yohji is too costly, try Oska (www.oskahome.de). Look for kind layers and face-friendly colours (no, this season’s canary yellow is probably not for you).

Try Muji. Thier vests and tees are just a little bit cooler than most high street chains, and the fabrics are good. Go to www.muji.co.uk to see and buy.

I would highly recommend John Smedley if you want to spend a bit more. They use sea-island cotton and it is soft as silk. In T-shirts, as in life, you get what you pay for. www.johnsmedley.com

I'm not sure how old you are (you don't say), but I would urge you to read a piece I wrote not long ago for The Observer. It was called "Am I too Old for Clothes?" and you can find it on Guardian Unlimited.

Also, there are several archive pieces on Wonderstuff that will help. Use Search (above, in the coloured strip) and type in:

Why is fashion mostly for the young?
and
What are grown up clothes?

Two columns from my You Magazine archive will come up.

It depends on your budget, shape and age - but I am particularly impressed by the gorgeous dresses at Jaeger, some of which would be just the thing for a summer cruise.

Yes indeed. As with most events in the British spring, your watchword needs to be layering. A gorgeous dress with a nippy tailored jacket would be perfect - you can wear it with opaques (coloured ones) and whip them off if things warm up. Take a trench coat and a brolly.

Alas, there is no product that will "fix" a leather dye. You could try using some of the stain repellents ont he market, which may help - but the only option is to "wear them in", when the dye will settle and stop turning your feet grey.

Wow - you're ready to really go for it. Great. What you need is a strong idea of exactly the look you aspire to. You are slim, fit and full of energy, so really, the fashion world is pretty much at your disposal. What do you like? Classic? Wild? Are you a navy suit or a frilly dress? I suggest you go through your current wardrobe and pull out the 5 things you love and wear the most. What colour, shape and feel are they? This is an indication of your preferences, and could work as the backbone of a new capsule wardrobe.

Rather than going at it hammer and tongs, take your time. Make a list. Go into shops and try things on, even if you wouldn't usually give them a go. You're obviously up for the challenge - and it's bound to be fun.

Since you are on the petite side, have a little look at www.petitefashionista.blogspot.com for ideas. Remember that your aim is to elongate your body, so don't carve it up by wearing opposing colour blocks on your top and bottom halves. If your new clothes don't fit really well, don't be afraid to have them tailored by a local dressmaker to your exact specifications. It will make all the difference in the world and cost a few pounds. In the right hands, a spot of bespoke tailoring will turn your world around.

Hello Glow62. I would invest in a dress. THe tea dress is the winner for spring - a floaty, floral number to stop at the knee, perhaps with a few covered buttons or a ruffle? It's a look which can suit any age group (alleluia!) and looks equally good with heels, boots, flats, tights...

To really get a handle on what suits your shape, have a look at www.howtolookgood.com, which offers great advice for all manner of figures. Wardrobe in Conduit Street is masterful at dressing different shapes with consummate skill. Call 020 7494 1131 for an appointment.

Net a Porter and Brownsfashion can both access very small sizes. For jeans, Victoria Beckham's favourite (before she launched her own line) was David Bitton, which has 23-inch waisters (I'm guessing that's about a size zero).

I would spin you straight into Wallis, which does such things with grace and skill for a reasonable price.

It is expensive, and several companies offer online services. Perhaps the best place to start is the "color test" on www.colormebeautiful.com - it's free and it will give you some food for thought.

To balance your body, go for a fitted upper panel and a fuller, floatier skirt.

Ben De Lisi, Alice Temperley, Vera Wang, Susan Neville, Jenny Packham would all be prefect for you. Have a look at their websites for ideas, but I wouldn't recommend buying online for your big day. You want the fit to be perfect, so go in person to buy.

Go to My Wonderstuff and scroll down to find the element you would like to change.

Go to Janet Bailey's shop Eve - on Fleming Square in Blackburn. Here's what she has to say on mastectomy bras: "There's hardly any underwear available for ladies who have had a mastectomy. I am aiming to provide everyday wear and pretty underwear. I am currently researching it and I have a client testing some underwear. When I set up, the Get Set Trust awarded me a grant to help find suitable and sexy underwear for ladies who have had a mastectomy."

When hunting for your information, I came across a piece in the Daily Mail which may well be helpful for you. Here it is in its entirety (with apologies to Daily Mail back-copies dept!).

Best breast cancer bras 11th October 2006

More than 41,000 women in Britain are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and at least a quarter of these have to face a mastectomy.

Radical surgery can be a devastating blow to a woman's femininity, and the trauma of losing a breast can often be compounded by the challenge of finding pretty lingerie because normal bras are often uncomfortable and unable to hold a prosthetic breast.

Marks & Spencer recently became the first High Street retailer to launch a bra range, known as Truly You, which can be worn following breast surgery. So how good are the latest mastectomy bras? We asked four cancer survivors to find out...

Julie Foster
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THE BRA: Damart Columbo postoperative bra, £14.99 STOCKIST: www.damart.co.uk THE TESTER: Julie Foster, 41, a housewife, lives in Poole with her husband Chris, 43, a taxi driver and their two children. She tried a size 34B.

Julie says: I have always enjoyed wearing pretty clothes and looking good. But after being diagnosed with cancer in December 2002, I lost my right breast.

After my operation, I selected the prettiest bra I could find from the catalogues the nurses gave me, and although it covered my scar and supported my prosthesis I felt my femininity had been compromised.

It seems more important than ever after a breast removal operation to be able to wear feminine styles.

I was thrilled by the look of the Damart bra. It's a delicate shade of lilac with rose lace detail on the cups and discreet prosthesis pockets, which I loved.

It was also really supportive which helps the breast to retain a natural-looking shape.

However, I felt the elasticated straps were flimsy - both broke after just three days. I'm very involved with the charity Breast Cancer Care and am on their campaign panel to help communicate what women with breast cancer need.

We need lingerie that makes us feel pretty and feminine, while being practical. The Damart bra is pretty enough. It just needs to be stronger. RATING: 6/10

Amanda Scott
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THE BRA: M&S Verona post-surgery bra, £18. STOCKIST: Marks & Spencer. THE TESTER: Amanda Scott, 39, who works for a finance company, lives in Birmingham with her husband David, 43, and their son, Harry, 11. She tried a size 32D.

Amanda says: I was only 32 when I had my left breast removed in January 1999. Afterwards, the nurses were fantastically helpful in finding me a bra to wear. They brought me endless catalogues - but the styles were so unfeminine.

I wore a stick-on prosthesis which was attached directly to my chest and thought I could get away with wearing one of my old bras. However, they didn't provide me with the right support, and once my prosthesis fell out.

Fortunately I was at home.

At M&S's Dudley store, the sales assistant spent a good half-hour with me, carefully measuring my size and talking through my needs.

It was great to be able to have a fitting in a High Street store. It was particularly helpful because the assistant discovered I was wearing a bra that was too small for me.

I chose the Verona bra because it looked so nice. I liked the cotton prosthesis pockets and thought the scalloped cups decorated with flowers were pretty.

It was also comfortable because the underwiring was soft and gave me uplift without digging into my skin.

This bra has large cups, while still giving me a low cleavage — so it won't limit what I wear. RATING: 8/10

Betty Bryning
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THE BRA: Anita camisole bra with stretch lace, £30. STOCKIST: Eloise lingerie, 0845 225 5080. THE TESTER: Betty Bryning, 59, a housewife, lives in Saffron Walden, Essex, with her husband, John, 70. They have two grown-up sons. She tried a size 36B.

Betty says: I had my left breast removed in March 2000. I wear a prosthesis which has to be worn inside the pocket of a bra rather than on my skin because I have a deep hollow above where my breast used to be.

My problem was compounded because, as a 36B, my prosthesis was quite heavy and looked droopy, so I needed a bra with strong support.

I found some nice bras at a specialist shop, Eloise Lingerie in Suffolk. And because the owner, Gillian Brown, is a former nurse, she could advise me about my prosthesis.

She introduced me to a more triangular-shaped prosthesis which gave me a more uplifted look. I loved the startling pillar-box red camisole bra. It's such a bold feminine statement - so unlike a typical mastectomy bra. It was also comfortable and supportive. RATING: 10/10

Debbie Lowther
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THE BRA: Amoena embroidered lace underwired bra, £25. STOCKIST: Eloise Lingerie, as before. THE TESTER: Debbie Lowther, 46, the bursar at Girton College, Cambridge, lives in Cambridge with her husband John, a solicitor, and their children Richard, 18, and Edward, 15. Debbie tried a size 34A.

She says: I had a mastectomy three years ago. I have since tried countless bras with varying degrees of success.

When I was given my prosthesis a couple of days after my operation, I tried on one of my old bras, but it didn't feel comfortable or give me a smooth shape.

I realised I would have to buy specialist bras for everyday wear, which looked really frumpy, and only wear my "normal" ones if the design of my outfit required it.

I really liked the colour of the pale mocha Amoena bra and found the under-wiring gave me a little uplift while supporting my prosthesis in the pocket.

However, I did find the cup quite large considering it was only a 34A, and the actual style of the bra was quite matronly. RATING: 7/10

The only way, like Robert Bruce, is to try, try, try again. Take your time when you shop, take a friend along for moral support and an honest opinion, be prepared to put in the leg work to find the style that really works for you. For more pointers, go to www.howtolookgood.com.

. For a list of plus-size fashion labels and stockists, see: www.fashion-era.com/plus_sizes.htm. Plenty of the labels listed do denim.

If you go to www.ilovejeans.com, and use "search by style", you can pick out all plus size jeans available - from Boden, Juicy Couture, Uniqlo etc.

To save you calling Denmark, call one of their key UK stockists - Seasalt Falmouth. 1 Church Street Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 3DN tel: 01326 312945. They should be able to give you further stockists. You're right to track it down. I love Oska (am wearing Oska top as I write!)

I know that figleaves does the Playtex 18-hour bra, but don't know if Playtex even do matching pants. For more info, try www.playtex.co.uk

Shoestring straps, boatnecks and slash-neck tops will only serve to make your shoulders look broaders. What you need is a cap-sleeve or a vest top with wide straps, which will break up the line and make you look narrower. Bring the eye down, not across, with a V-neck.

Cheryl Cole was wearing dress by Alice + Olivia, a belt by Angel Jackson, shoes by Miu Miu, earrings and ring by de Grisogono and bag by Vaza and most notably no wedding ring.... She looked radiant despite all the drama

Duo of Bath, which specialises in assorted styles of boots that come in different calf sizes, from 30cm to 50cm circumference, or from xs to xxl. Prices are £90 to £150. Tel: 01225 723999.

A skinny-legged friend takes boots that she buys in high street stores to Classic Shoes, 23-25 Brecknock Road, London N7 (tel: 020 7485 5275) to be taken in. This costs from £50.

The best selection I have found is on figleaves.com (simply click on the name and it will take you there.)

Otherwise, go to www.uniquelywoman.co.uk for a comprehensive list of shops which specialise in post-mastectomy fashion (type "mastectomy" into the search bar).
The other great resource is www.nicolajane.com, which is great for swimwear and lingerie.
Fiannly, I would direct you to www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/
guide/fashion-after-mastectomy - an upbeat, informative look at options.

It's fascinating that this is one of the most popular topics on Wonderstuff - almost as if the groom's mother is overlooked, while the bride's mother is the subject of plenty of style advice. For my money, the Mother of the Groom is an equally important role, requiring a perfect outfit. Here's what I suggested earlier: go for a dress with a matching coat - perhaps a princess line - is the perfect choice. It depends, really, on how much you have to spend: Robinson Valentine is expensive, but serves this area brilliantly. If you're on a tighter budget, I would always recommend L K Bennett, Coast and Karen Millen, who produce up-market, interesting and elegant dressing-up clothes.

A few tips for petite dressing, since you say you have no dress sense:

Petite curvaceous women need to elongate their body. The most frequent mistake is arriving at the wrong proportions. So... Wearing large belts is out. Carving up the body by using one colour on top and another below is out.

It's a myth that very long skirts make your legs look long (the opposite is true). A good trick to elongate your legs is to wear straight trousers that cover your shoes. And wear high heels, obviously.

One final pointer - do check your colour with the Mother of the Bride. It wouldn't do to clash, or copy!