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Gail and Belinda's fashion advice
Fashion consultants Gail Little and Belinda Alexander advise online readers on adapting the colour of their clothes to grey hair, what to wear for formal nights on a cruise and where to find the figure-flattering underwear featured on a popular TV make-over programme
New colours to suit grey hair
Q: I am 67 with silvery grey hair and occasional low-lights. The colours of clothes favoured when I was dark, neutrals and blues, now make me looked washed-out. I am 5'10" with brown eyes. Have you a solution please?
A: Your problem sounds very much like one that I have so I can answer from first-hand experience. Silvery grey hair can be very attractive (so I am told). Very often we spend a fortune trying to keep it blonde or brunette when a good cut and maintenance is all that is needed to sustain a youthful appearance. The next thing to address is your makeup. As we age, skin tone (along with hair colour) changes, yet many women ignore this and stick with their makeup routine of days gone by. Visit your local department store where you will have a choice of cosmetic counters and ask for advice. My preference is MAC which is a relatively inexpensive but good range of products. They will test them on you there and then and show you how to apply them. Once you have progressed through these two stages choosing clothes colours should be easier. I have found that as long as I use lip colour and gentle blusher/bronzer then I can wear most colours. For me the muted tones work well but combined with something a little warmer in colour - say a burnt orange. When wearing dark colours always accessorise with bold jewellery and accessories.
Formal evening wear for cruises
Q: My husband and I are going for our first cruise on Saga Ruby to the fiords in May 2007. I am 66, size 12, like fashion (more Per Una than classics!), 5ft 7in with silver-grey hair. I’m very unsure as to what constitutes formal wear as opposed to cocktail wear/semi formal and have a horror of being inappropriately dressed! I’d appreciate ideas for suitable clothing to cover all eventualities. I’m told I don’t not look my age and would like to look as 'good' as possible without going bankrupt!
A: This is a timely question as we have just returned from a brief but fabulous Saga cruise. The dress code can be somewhat daunting when embarking on your first one. Our trip was the usual mixture of formal, informal and casual, so let’s start with casual. For women, we would suggest a casual dress (a wrapover style perhaps) or a pair of trousers and a lightweight top. Men can wear an open neck shirt and smart casual trousers to a casual evening.
On an informal evening we would suggest "a little black dress" – always elegant and failsafe - which can be dressed up or down to suit your mood. Alternatively a pair of black velvet trousers with a fitted dressy cardigan or a crisp white pin-tucked shirt would be ideal (try www.boden.co.uk). Your husband should wear a lounge suit with tie.
On formal evenings - of which there will be two if you are on a seven-day cruise - why not wear a pair of wide-legged palazzo styled evening trousers teamed with a silk shirt (try Paul Costelloe) or a long dress; you will find a fine selection in CC (formerly Country Casuals), Phase Eight and Principles. Add a coordinating wrap or shrug. Men should wear dinner suits or tuxedo or at least a dark suit and tie. To hire dinner suits, try Greenwoods (www.1860.co.uk).
If your cruise is short, you could travel light, taking a little black dress and ring the changes each evening with different coloured accessories, say silver or gold and colours on different evenings. Add a smart pair of trousers and colourful dressy tops - and you will be fit for all eventualities. And if you are caught short, you can always visit the Ship Shop where you may find something to wear - even down to a white tux for your husband!
- More sartorial advice for cruise-goers
- More useful information about cruising
- Choose your next cruise
Underwear featured on the TV show How To Look Good Naked
Q: Having watched the TV programme 'How to look good naked', I would like to know where I can buy the bras which the presenter usually got for the ladies (what they are called/make/price etc). I’m also interested in the body stocking 'thingies' which shaped and firmed from thigh up and above the waist (make/price/where to buy etc). I have never seen them in any high street shops, catalogues, or anywhere else. Can you help?
A: Gok Wan is a real character and his TV show ‘How to Look Good Naked’ has a devoted following. All the underwear featured throughout the series was from the 'By Royal Appointment' lingerie retailers Rigby & Peller (rigbyandpeller.com). They have three shops in London but you can also order online from their excellent website. There you will find the items you are asking about. One of the bras to which you refer must be Prima Donna's Deauville bra which is underwired and has a full cup. It comes in four colours, is highly recommended as a day-to-day bra with good support and is £57.50. Another excellent supporting bra is Rigby & Peller's own sheer Grace bra. It is available in three colours, sizes from 30D - 40FF and costs £58. The seam-free Body Suit is by Spank and called Slim Incognito (£55). Available in black or fleshtone it controls from under the bust down to mid thigh. It is made from a cool breathable material and flatters the waist and supports the bottom. You can also find a small selection of Rigby & Peller underwear at figleaves.com.
More expert advice
- Fashion tips for a mother of the bride; in search of a straight skirt
- What to wear for tea at The Ritz; flattering a flat bottom; covering blemished legs
- Gail and Belinda in Saga Magazine: can I still wear jeans?
- Q&As on cosmetic surgery with our Knife Coach
More on looking good
Reader comments
Whilst enjoying the fashion tips I find it most frustrating that it almost impossible to find clothes for the older person who is size 6 and at a pinch a size 8. Even 8's seem to now represent the old size 10. Do you have any suggestions please?
Posted by: Mrs Gillian Pope | 15/06/2008 15:27:06
I was so disappointed when I tried to purchase the items on p.136 May Saga - the high-waisted trousers, etc. The trousers are only sold in white (you show them in navy) and the blouse and cardigan by Massimo Dutti are only sold in London. I live in Bradford. Please don't show items which are not nationally available.
Posted by: Ivy Hill | 14/05/2008 11:38:26
