Still stylish at 50+?

“IT’S all downhill from here”, is a phrase you’ll often hear in reference to reaching the grand old age of 30, let alone 50.

Model Twiggy, 61, and actress Joanna Lumley, 64, were named the second and third most stylish mature women in the world. American beauties such as Kim Basinger, Goldie Hawn and Jerry Hall all fell outside a top 10 that was dominated by Brits.

But with fashion now accommodating all ages, shapes and sizes - and the beauty industry and all its potions giving you the ability to appear in soft focus 24/7 – getting on a bit is fast becoming the new youth.

Well perhaps not, but there’s a lot to be said for certain stars who would have once been deemed “over the hill”. Stars who still manage to give the cast of the OC a run for their money. Take Dame Helen Mirren for example.

Dame Helen heads up a new list of British women who have beat off global competition to take their place in a list of the world’s ‘Hotter Than Ever Women Over 50’, in a study by home shopping retailer for 50+ women, Isme.

Still, it’s not as though she’s ever pictured on all fours scrubbing like Kim and Aggy. Dame Helen has spent the last awards season glamming it up on red carpets. Vivienne Westwood for the Oscars, leopard print Dolce and Gabbana for the Arthur premiere; it’s a hard life.   

Interestingly, Mirren doesn’t see herself as a style icon and was reported in Vogue magazine to have said: "I think it's great, I'm so surprised by it. At my age, it's like: wow, that's so cool. I never thought that might happen. And I think of myself as sort of a bag lady, really. I wash up nice, but mostly I'm not very stylish."

It’s this evident, very British humility that is reason enough for Dame Helen to top this list. Even in her purple leotard, Madonna (rated 43^rd hottest) clearly can’t match Mirren.

Model Twiggy, 61, and actress Joanna Lumley, 64, were named the second and third most stylish mature women in the world. American beauties such as Kim Basinger, Goldie Hawn and Jerry Hall all fell outside a top 10 that was dominated by Brits. Michelle Pfeiffer, Jane Fonda and Sharon Stone were the only other Americans to feature in the top 20.

Singer Lulu, 62, actress Kim Cattrall, 54, who appeared lithe and lissom as Cleopatra in Liverpool last year also made the top 10. As did  TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, 52.

However, there were some more surprising nominations, including Dawn French at number 18, as well as the Queen – at number 28 – and daughter-in-law, Camilla Parker Bowles – at number 33, oddly.  Other Brits in the top 30 included Jane Seymour (12), Jo Wood (25), Honor Blackman (17) and Selina Scott (27).

Sara Prowse, brand director at Isme said: “For any woman looking to emulate the amazing style of these iconic British women, my advice would be to take a leaf out of Dame Helen’s book and dress for the woman you are now.   Recognise that your body shape changes as you age and choose fashionable clothing that has been created with the shape of a 50+ women in mind and so it fits and flatters your best assets. 

 “The queen of the red carpet, Dame Helen, faultlessly chooses gowns that cinch in her best asset, her waist, and that cover her problem area, which like most women over 50, is her arms. Time and time again she proves that classic shapes and a love for colour work whatever your age. And, this is why Dame Helen, and women such as Twiggy and Joanna Lumley are role models for a new generation of British women who want to continue looking good as they mature.”