I really fear for women's sanity sometimes, you know. I've always enjoyed reading Liz Jones' column in the Daily Mail - although I disagree with virtually everything she says. But her latest 'reveal' is that she's had a facelift. At 52.

Well, it's her money, many might say. And it's her body - she can abuse it whatever way she wishes. But ye gods, what madness. 

Prior to her facelift, Liz looked like a pretty normal woman of her age - a bit tired, maybe, but nothing that 'a good shag and a sleep' wouldn't fix (along with switching from the dead-black hair colour and eyebrow pencil, love - no-one over 35 can carry that off).

Now, she looks like a Stepford Wife - her face a creepy, espressionless mask that reveals nothing of the life she's lived.

The standfirst rightly says: "Liz Jones, 51, has always hated the way she looks, particularly as she got older..."

"Always hated the way she looks"? Well, that says it all, really. Because no woman who truly valued herself would willingly go under the surgeon's knife without some horrible, over-riding reason. 

I find it particularly shocking that the article's intro is so positive about what she has done (all the more so because this woman has outlined in terrifying detail her absurd spendthriffery and the colossal amount of debt she's in etc). Phrases like: "line-free glory", "impressive results" and "brave" are very much telling the reader what to think. 

Well, I beg to differ. Being line-free is not glorious - God knows, we EARN our bloody lines. If Liz Jones looks tired at 52, well, DOH. Maybe she should cut down on her hours and do without the IT bag and the IT shoes. Cut out the booze. Do more exercise. If she wants to be brave, maybe she should help someone worse off than herself rather than spending money she hasn't got on beautifying herself, which is anyway only shoring up an old building that will eventually sink on its foundations, as we all do. Brave is a word we should use for the armed forces, not for this.

I know, I know - at root it's insecurity, not vanity. Liz Jones' main problem, I always feel, is that she's a woman who hasn't come to terms with looking normal when she's surrounded by women who are abnormally beautiful and paid to be so (bearing in mind that beauty, of course, is a cultural phenomenon and part of the zeitgeist - many of today's models would have been considered positively ugly in any other time but our own). 

Being surrounded by the 'beautiful' people would make anyone feel insecure, and quite likely short, fat and ugly. But this is where you have work to gain some perspective and build your inner character. I feel Liz Jones has never done this. What she's done instead is buy into every cliché that is thrown at women, and that women seem to fall for, as if we hadn't had 100 years of free education.Go abroad, for heaven's sake; learn a language; learn a skill; expand your mind - the thing that makes you a human being.

Women need to resist this pressure to look constantly YOUNG - it is, after all, a hiding to nothing. And there really is pressure to come up to some standard ideal. OF COURSE Liz's surgeon suggested a facelift - what on earth does she think he makes the most money out of?

My friend H visited a Harley Street surgeon in order to have a mole removed, and the bastard had the cheek to say: "Oh, I think we should fix that nose first...". H, btw, is a slender 29-year-old with the porcelain beauty of a Dresden shepherdess, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with her nose. But even, despite her  she was rattled - no woman retains total confidence about her looks. 

I notice, too, that Liz Jones mentions that she didn't tell her boyfriend what she was about to do in case he dissuaded her. Another Gawd 'elp us, because men, bless 'em, do often actually love us for who we are and don't want to see us go through the kind of pain and blood loss that a serious assault from a mugger might involve just so we can live up to some imaginary standard of beauty. 

Oh well, I could rant on, but will stop here. What now for Liz? Further in debt and still ageing (like the rest of us). When it all catches up with her again, what will she do?

And just to remind us all that you can look fantastic over 50, WITH your wrinkles, here's Lauren Hutton: happy, smiling, engaged, vibrant...

Found this daft piece on another con destined to gull women out of their hard-earned cash - the Oralift.

Correctly identified, I see, by many dentist commentators as nothing more than a device that stops you grinding your teeth in your sleep, it's now being sold as a kind of mini facelift. 

Well, with many women being just as daft as the writer, the maker will probably make millions. 

"At the age of 46, I've done a lot to try to turn back the clock on my looks," says the author. "I've been Botoxed, filled and lasered, had my skin peeled and had painful light treatments."

Clearly more money than sense, then. Admittedly, she looks pretty good for her age in that peeled, smooth way that is considered desirable for women, right until the time they start to speak, at which point it becomes apparent that their face doesn't actually move any more.

Personally, I haven't had any of those treatments - I just eat right, drink loads of water, rub coconut oil into my face twice a day and stay out of the sun. But then you never could persuade a woman that a bit of effort would make more difference than shelling out £100 on a face cream of of (hah) lamb placenta, or even £500-£2,500 on a plastic mouthguard.

Gawd help us. 

Great article here about stylish older people. Admittedly they're New Yorkers and therefore content to be somewhat outrageous, but it's delightful to see so many of the grey generation thumbing their noses at convention.

The article also pointed me in the direction of Advanced Style, a blog by Ari Cohen, who goes about snapping the older generation - people whom he believes are the last generation to know how to dress formally. Cohen himself is only 27, which makes most of the people he photographs old enough to be his grandparents.

Take a look and feel inspired that style and fashion have little to do with one another.   

In addition to our 10 frumpy mistakes, a Second Cherry reader has come up with another 10.

1.  All those dreadful 'gypsy' look outfits from M&S's Per Una range - no, they don't suit a 60-something woman unless she wants to look like an accessory at a fairground.

2.  Crocs - I really, really don't get them and how can anyone think a shocking pink plastic pair of oversized play-shoes look anything than ridiculous!

3.  As Trish says, short hair in 'regulation-over-40's-cut'. Just because we are told older women should avoid the 1661 look doesn't mean you have to look like a school dinner lady. My husband (hairdresser) HATES the look so much, he won't even do it!

4.  Billowing baggy 'cropped' pants - capri pants should be fitted and chic not resemble a flag pole at half mast.

5.  'Turtle neck' anythings - leave it for our shelled friends. No-one suits them and don't kid yourself otherwise.

6.  Massive plastic handbags with 'bling' - just because it has a badge on it saying 'FleaORelli', it doesn't impress - you just look cheap.

7.  Fake tan - apart from legs (which DO benefit from a more becoming shade than road-mapped white). Avoid the really orangey ones though - Tesco have a brilliant one at the moment, just £3 a bottle and better than St Tropez (May 09).

8.  Nauseating 'perfume' or 'body sprays' (what are they about?). Just because Britney Spears thinks she can sing, do you really, really want to smell like her?? Stick to a signature scent...just leave a subtle powdery waft... vanilla/musk/orientals are good for older skins.

9.  Awful underwear. Yes, we CAN see your nipples in that budget bra you threw in the trolley in Asda and do you really want people to think you have four boobs? Get properly fitted and try, try, try them on. Find a style which flatters then buy loads. Don't forget, nude underwear under white - not white.

10. And finally.... your kids. Don't go out with your 28 year old hunk of a son. You are in danger of looking like a cradle-snatcher - he is in danger of looking desperate. Not a good look at all!

For me, items 2, 6, 7 and 8 are things ALL women should avoid, not just those of us who are old enough to know better. But gentle reader, what do you think? 

M&S is 125 this week. Well, happy birthday. If the firm keeps tanking at this rate, perhaps there won't be many more of them. 

A company moves into dangerous territory when it deserts its core customer base, and M&S's dismal Portfolio range, aimed at the over-40s, is a good example of how it's losing the plot. 

When I reviewed the Portfolio range elsewhere on this site there was quite a response, along with some rage at the end of the firm's in-store ordering policy, which discriminates against those without Internet access (mostly over 50 at a guess), and the reduction in the formerly generous refund period.

Co-incidentally, a Second Cherry reader had already written to the firm to express her dismay at the Portfolio range. Here's what she had to say:

Dear Sir Stuart

Marks & Spencer Portfolio Fashion Range

I have never written to the chairman of a company before, but I have taken this unusual step because I felt I just had to express the huge disappointment and feeling of betrayal of your core customer base with your new, and much heralded, Portfolio range.

Having read about this range in the media last Autumn and wanting to believe the PR hype rather than the actual comments of women on some of the previewed range (which were almost 100% negative), I logged onto the M&S site this morning to hopefully order a ‘perfect’ capsule wardrobe. I have been waiting a long time for an M&S range that would ‘speak’ to me!

The hype was that M&S had apparently ‘identified a gap in the market’ for the forty five plus age customer – which begs the question as to why it took so long? This uninspiring and condescending range only proves that, whilst you may indeed have identified a gap in the market, you most certainly have not addressed the needs or aspirations of that market.

At 54, married to a hairdresser who has to be very conscious of the needs of all women and particularly, those of the more mature woman, I feel qualified to comment on behalf of many of your core customers.  I consider myself to be a young and still fashion-savvy 40/50’s something woman (size 12). I would assume myself to be firmly in your Portfolio range target customer base.

I certainly have always tried to shop at M&S. I say try because increasingly, so many of Marks & Spencer clothes seem to have been aimed at the twenty to thirties age range, with inappropriately short hemlines, too much tacky detail and dangerously revealing necklines! I am sorry but I am not yet ready for the Classic range (and doubt I ever will be). Similarly, Per Una, with its continual re-working of a now irrelevant ‘boho’ theme, is samey and frequently unwearable – unless, of course, you are considering a Romany lifestyle!. Strangely, I found the vibrancy and novelty of the recent Patricia Field collection quite exciting but had to console myself with buying just a gorgeous silk scarf, as the remainder of the collection was clearly aimed at the ‘celebrity obsessed’ generation with ‘body con’ design and an overtly sexual message and would not look good on anyone over 25.

So, I was really hoping, with Portfolio, for a new range of well-cut classic clothes – that is ‘classic’ as in Sophia Loren and Jaeger, not ‘classic’ as in Norah Batty and Littlewoods.

The Portfolio range boasts of being ‘exclusive, luxurious and sophisticated’. I have to ask you, Sir Stuart, if you really think that a plastic handbag could ever be deemed exclusive, a short-sleeved stretchy viscose top or a 100% acrylic cardigan ever be considered luxurious or a hideous lime green linen belted ‘over-shirt’, sophisticated?.  And, surely, someone should have questioned the ‘wide legged, sleeveless, tie-belted 100% polyester jump suit’ before it was included in this collection.

Which brings me to the whole question of design. Personally, I think the overuse of tie belts in this range illustrates perfectly just how very wrong almost all of these clothes actually are.  If any modicum of thought had been given to the woman expected to wear these clothes, this style ‘feature’ would have been abandoned at the outset. Has no-one told your cutting edge, arrogant young designers that a ‘waist’ is something we older ladies can often only dream about! Few of us would ever favour the bunched up fat-look that is achieved with any kind of ‘tie waist’. Clothes for the more mature figure should skim and flatter, not draw attention to an area which has hormonally lost its way! Surely, the first step in designing a new range is to identify your market and then address their needs. Did anyone actually do this? Did you really ask your customers what they wanted and, more importantly, did you listen to their answers?

We fifty something’s may be past the first flush of youth (thank goodness!) and we may be more rounded and not have a perfect hourglass figure, but we are not ready for this cynically targeted range yet. If your focus group have approved all, or to my mind, any, of these clothes, then may I respectfully suggest you need to select a new group. I for one would be more than happy to take part - as would any of my friends who are equally frustrated at being ignored, undervalued and sidelined by the fashion industry. I have even conducted my own straw poll today and rung round a group of like-minded friends, all of whom reacted in exactly the same manner as I did this morning. One friend commented that the range was ‘awful’, one burst out laughing and a third commented that it was no wonder M& S’s profits were down.

In these very difficult, recessionary times, a well-researched range aimed at us baby boomers who, unlike our own mothers, do not go into perms and big cotton knickers at forty, is certainly well overdue. We do still have spending power and to be treated as sad, saggy old Bagpuss Women by M&S, our favourite shop, is frankly, humiliating.

We want quality fabrics, a flattering cut, gorgeous colours and sophisticated, chic design  – not A line skirts in viscose and jeans in ‘tencel’ thank you! Is that too much to ask of Marks & Spencer?

And finally, I wish M&S would take a lead and shun this obsession with celebrity culture which has been dominating (and arguably, ruining) our lives for a decade. Instead of paying vast sums to celebrities, why not invest in encouraging and training your fashion designers to actually think about designing for real customers. I might admire Marie Helvin’s youthful looks, but forgive me if I do not necessarily see her as some kind of ‘role model’ for my generation. Just because Twiggy looks good in your acid green mac, this will always say more about Twiggy (or the wonders of Photoshop) than your clothes! Please never, ever, under-estimate the intelligence of your customers.

I am not sure that writing to you in this way will achieve anything – but if one very small voice from your heartland in Berkshire can make any difference at all, I will feel it has been worth it.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and excuse my cynicism if I do not expect an answer!

Marks did reply, but our reader wasn't particularly pleased with their answer, which she felt fobbed her off:

Dear....
 
Thank you for writing to Sir Stuart. I am a member of his personal team and so replying on his behalf.
 
I was sorry to hear that you are disappointed with our Portfolio range and feel we have not addressed the needs of the market for this particular range. I can assure you that research has been carried out and we hoped that our customers would be pleased with the items of clothing on offer.
 
I can appreciate your comments concerning the design of the clothes with tie belts around the waist and also the type of fabrics used. I have passed these comments on to our buying department so that they are aware of your feedback. I'm sure they will give this their consideration as we always try to improve and make positive changes to the types of clothes we offer.
 
I have also noted your comments about how you feel we should take the lead and design clothes for 'real' customers rather than celebrities. This has been logged so that our marketing department is aware.
 
We always appreciate any customer feedback that enables us to improve our products and services:  I do not underestimate the importance of listening to and understanding our customers' views. I hope that you can continue to enjoy shopping with us.
 
On behalf of Sir Stuart, many thanks for contacting us.
 
Yours sincerely

Not really good enough, she thought - what do you think?