The staples at the height of style are so last century

If the past four weeks of shows have proved anything, it's that mid-20th-century clothes are enjoying an extended moment. Should we conclude that this was the era when clothes best answered what a woman most desired, both in terms of form and function? I'm starting to think that's at least partly the case.

Exhibit one The knee-length (or longer) pencil skirt. Sexy but not tarty, slinky, but great for concealing a dodgy pair of knees. Brilliant for loose-hipped women who have a waist, but works for those who don't.
Exhibit two The mid-heel court shoe. Also sexy, without making the wearer look like a desperate S&M merchant. Major advantage: you can walk in them.
Exhibit three Duster coats - versatile A-line garments that can be belted or worn loose, look chic in wool over jumpers, but also chic in satins for evening.
Exhibit four Elbow-length gloves - they accentuate slim wrists, cover age spots, keep you warm.
Exhibit five Solidly constructed underwear. Enough said. Spend more on a great, uplifting (in every sense) bra than you ever have before.Get yourself properly fitted.
Exhibit six Slim, cropped trousers - they go with everything your pencil skirt goes with and have the added advantage that they don't require tights, cover even more of your leg, while drawing attention to your gorgeous (aren't they?) ankles and shoes.
Exhibit seven Tailored shirts, worn loose, to counterbalance those pencil skirts and slim trousers.

All seven of these stylish, 50-year-old-plus innovations will be everywhere come 2013. By a happy serendipity, so will the stylish 50-plus woman. According to a survey for myhighst.co.uk, 57 is the age at which the majority of the 2,000 women they polled said they finally got their shopping act together.

By 57, British women have, apparently, stopped making serial mistakes, started expecting - and receiving - a flow of compliments.

Heartwarming, I guess. Although Parisians probably get there four decades earlier.

BOBS THAT ARE JUST THE JOB

Bobs are back on the catwalks and celebrities. Cutting your hair can be liberating - and fattening, in the right way. Short hair often looks thicker. But beware, the Mary Portas crop isn't for everyone.

Lots of women in their forties make the mistake of having what they think is a Louise Brooks when in reality they've ended up with a Louis Bourbon - something that grazes their ears and brutalises their jawline. Short is good, but make sure your hair-dresser's up to the job. And if in doubt, get layers.

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