When it comes to getting dressed, I like to be quick, as a rule. I can't be bothered with faffing about trying on this and that, so over the years, I've narrowed down my choices to things that all work together and can be put together as a no-brainer, leaving me more time for a G&T.

Some years ago, I wrote a list of 12 essentials an over-40s babe needs to keep in her wardrobe. If you keep all of these in, you'll always have something to wear. I've discovered other brands since then, so today, that updated list looks like this: 

1 Microfibre shorties. Go for a slightly low waist, and nude for the colour so that it goes under everything. Shorties give you a better line under clothing than a thong or brief and if your tummy or bottom are starting to sag, look out for those with butt-lift and tummy panels built in. The best are made by Jockey and Hanro but I because I live in France, I mostly buy Dim.

2 Nude-colour microfibre bodies or long camisoles, or a thermal camisole in silk jersey. If you choose the camisole rather than the body, make sure it's long enough to come down to at least your low hip, then it won't budge under clothing when you bend or stretch. If you choose the body, consider one with a built-in bra to minimise bulk and strap-show. Wearing underwear of this kind allows you to don low-waist or sheer clothing secure in the knowledge that you're properly covered up. It also has the secondary effect of smoothing over a bra that has lace or other additions, which many of the best support bras do. Check out Figleaves for ideas, or Winter Silks for thermal camisoles.

3 A decent bra. This becomes increasingly important as you age and the breast tissue softens, so keep your ideas updated - what suited you last year may not be right now. Wearing the right bra can take 10 pounds off your silhouette, so get properly fitted and when you find what you like, buy three of them (one to wash, one to wear and one to rest). Nude-colour is more flexible than white, then white, then black, then coloured items. If you're a C-cup or above, choose strong, wide straps that hoick your breasts forward and whatever your size, make sure the support comes from the band, not the straps (take your arms out of the straps and jump up and down to check). After 25 years of underwires, lately I'm a convert to the Doreen bra by Triumph, which is the best-selling bra in the UK. Sadly not the most attractive item to look at - though the Luxury option is an improvement - it gives a great shape under clothing, complete security as you move around and is so comfortable you don't know you're wearing it. I am also partial to the Grace bra by Royce and a very comfortable bra with padded straps by German firm Spiedel, which I found on Ebay. My latest purchase is a pack of three Ahh Bras to wear at home, when I don't need to hoick the girls up. 

4 T-shirts.  Only choose short sleeves if your arms are toned: long-sleeved tees are infinitely more wearable for most women and they cover a multitude of sins. When they appear in the shops with a neckline that suits you, snap them up, or order from a catalogue. I now rely on firms such as Lands' End and Gap for my cotton tees. Winter weight tees are usually better quality than summer tees - don't waste your cash on anything see-through unless you're aiming to wear it under a dress, in which case you want as thin as possible - American Apparel is a good place to look. A crisp white tee is as useful as a white blouse and can be dressed up or down accordingly, but almost any colour is wearable. Avoid logos and designs though - keep them plain if you're above an A cup, or you'll never make eye contact again. By and large a scoop-neck or v-neck is the most flattering neckline unless you're very thin, and cotton with some stretch - say 5 per cent - wears better than pure cotton.

5 Fitted white cotton shirts. Have a bunch of these in various styles - here's a good place to echo current trends, if that's your thing, or indulge a personal fetish for lace or embroidery. A shirt ending at around hip length means you can tuck it in or leave it out - keep it fitted, not tight nor too loose and baggy, so that you can layer both under and over. Vertical detailing such as pintucks, seams or pleats will lengthen your torso, making it looks slimmer - only choose items with horizontal details if you're small-busted. Whether you prefer collarless or collared is up to you, but generally, an ageing face benefits from a bit of tailoring and a shaped open rever or a standard shirt neck flipped up at the back are very flattering. Wear the neck open to give you a long, slimming, vertical line. Just above your bra is a good level, but if you feel this is too revealing, fill in the gap with a camisole or light t-shirt. White shirts are available everywhere, but Gap do good cotton ones and George at Asda do fab poly-cotton ones if you're short of cash. For investment pieces, consider Shirin Guild or men's shirtmakers such as Hilditch and Key.

6 Sweaters. By this I mean thin 2-ply cashmere or merino if you can stretch to it, something like Courtelle or a soft viscose if you can't. Choose crewneck for the most mileage, v-neck to be flattering, or poloneck if you're the chilly sort, and always buy them long-sleeved and at least hip length. These thin jumpers should be close-fitting - loose enough to get a blouse or tee underneath but still tight enough to go under a jacket. You need at least three - one in black, one in a paler neutral such as cream, beige or grey, and one in a colour that really makes your complexion sing - but having more won't hurt.

7 Well-cut black pants. Follow the style of the day, but not slavishly - avoid fashion extremes such as parachute legs and fiddly details like cargo pockets. Most women are well-served by a slightly low waist (ie: just under your belly button, not a low-rider), no pockets and a side zip to minimise bulk. This style of waist is very clean and allows you to wear your tops either tucked in or layered on top. Keep the leg bootcut, straight, full or flared. For fibres, anything matt and with some stretch is useful - wool/poly blends, microfibre and stretch velvet are all good options. I buy mine at La Redoute, from the supermarket, or from Lands' End.

8 Jeans. Choose a slightly low waist for minimum bulk, some stretch in the denim (2-10 per cent), dark indigo dye and a boot cut hemmed to the right length for either flats or heels. This type of jean will take you almost everywhere except formal offices and functions and it practically never dates - for this reason, avoid acid-washes, stonewashes, cropped legs, zips at the ankles, paper-bag waists or anything 'trendy'. A bootcut is not only flattering on every woman with hips or a backside, it also gives you the option of wearing long boots underneath in cool weather. You can wear these jeans with a t-shirt every day, with a jacket to smarten them up, with a white shirt, a sweater or a frilly blouse. When the denim starts to look tired, chuck it in the wash with a pack of Dylon dye and follow the instructions. Don't allow your denim to get stained, messy or faded unless it's strictly for casual wear - only young, thin people can get away with looking scruffy. After indigo blue, neutral colours such as black, grey and beige will give you the most mileage. Personally I favour Boden, which has a choice of bootcut width, and Lands' End.

9 Knee-length skirt. Somewhere around your knee, from slightly above to slightly below there is a length that is perfect for you. Take the trouble to find it and your legs will magically slim down and lengthen. Once you do find it, have all your skirts altered to fit (this might entail a visit to the tailor, as if you shorten skirts you often have to narrow them too). The knee-length skirt is always appropriate wear for business but you can wear it to work all day and still go out in it in the evening. Black woolmix with some stretch is probably best, followed by a neutral with some texture, and pair it with dark tights and shoes or boots. I have skirts this length in wool flannel with a lace hem, microfibre with a beaded hem, wool crepe with a wrapover front, velvet and cord. 

10 A classic coat. You can't go wrong with a trenchcoat or fly-front polo-coat of the Burberry type in a dateless colour such as beige or navy. Bought with a zip-out lining it will take you through at least three seasons each year. The real thing is always worth the investment but cheap knock-offs can be found in microfibre with poly linings and they will go in the washing machine. If you're looking for a winter coat, the most flattering shape on women remains the classic wrapover camelhair with a standard or shawl collar, worn to the knee or calf, belted or unbelted. In a good colour like beige, navy or black, it will take you from office to night out to a weekend in the country with nothing more than a change of accessories. Wool-poly blends will last you 2-5 seasons, while a good cashmere will last a lifetime. Incidentally, this is the coat that has consistently tested as the most appealing to men, if that might sway you.

11 Black leather footwear. Shoes are a very personal thing. One of my friends has over 65 pairs and favours leopard-print stilettos; I have about 10 pairs and favour stack-heeled boots. One thing we're both agreed on, though, is that the black leather ones are the ones we really wear. However full your wardrobe is of spiky-heeled satin numbers, pink suede peep-toes and diamante-studded boots, the fact is that streets are dirty, driving takes its toll and your feet can get cold nine months of the year. Good-quality footwear is a must, whether it's Footglove sandals, Chanel slingbacks or Shelley's boots, and black leather requires the least upkeep. Decide on your style - flats, court shoes, spike-heel boots - and maintain them well.

12 Accessories. Here's where any woman can dress up her basics and really make the most of colour and trends without breaking the bank. So if there's a season's colour that you like and it suits you, buy it in a scarf or belt rather than something expensive like a jacket. If there's a fussy trend in bags or belts, such as studs, fringeing or crochet, consider carefully whether it works on you - nothing updates an outfit quicker than a change of bag, but nothing dates it quicker either. Also, few things date a woman of a certain age more than an unwise belt (my once-favourite 4-inch deep black elastic belt with gigantic double peacock bronze clasp doesn't look quite so good now that it's not teamed with football-player shoulders and a big swirly skirt...) Trends apart, you'll still find that the accessories you wear the most are in good quality materials such as silk, wool and leather, and in neutrals such as brown or black, or cosmetic colours that flatter your skin. This means items such as leather belts half an inch to one inch wide, silk foulard squares, long velvet scarves, dark leather gloves and classic hats such as berets and fedoras.

A press release from M&S this morning set me off on another rant.

Why is it that decent nightwear (as at left) is so bloody hard to find?

I don't mean the skimpy stuff - the strappy, silky, short variety of nightwear. That's pretty nearly ubiquitous and you can usually find what you want. What I mean is the warm, snuggly, comfortable nightwear that I - and surely not I alone - need in winter.

Checklist

What do I want in my nightwear? Well, first of all, this is what I don't want.

* I don't want velour or polyester - the very idea makes me shudder.

* I don't want Winnie the Pooh or teddy bears or other such bollocks appliqued all over myself. 

* I don't want babyish, inoffensive colours as if I was a two-year-old. 

* I don't want static cling or anything that rides up.

* and I don't want to look like a little old lady.

What I do want is:

* Strong, interesting colours like I'd wear in my daywear. 

* Warmth. 

* Some semblance of style. 

* Natural fabrics. 

* Something that doesn't cling, ride up or create static. 

* Something that I wouldn't mind the postman seeing me in. 

* High neck, long sleeves, long legs. 

* A bit of interest - a nice print, a nice trim, some interesting detailing. 

The high street desert

If you want something stylish, M&S clearly isn't the place to go. Shades of white, cream and baby-pink, and frumpy, awful styles that make everyone look like a hospital patient. Look at this nightie - enough to make you give up the will to live. Go click on the 'Classic' range and see what I mean - you'll need your own sickbag. 

Searching the whole of the M&S nightwear collection, I could only find two items that I'd be caught dead in - this navy PJ and a matching nightie from the Adored collection. Even so, the design is not well thought out.

Let me explain further for a moment. We live in a draughty old pile in the arse end of nowhere, and our bedroom is pretty cold in winter, mainly for cost reasons. The heating won't click on until the temperature drops to about 12 degrees.

I also sleep with my arms outside the covers (not really by choice - they just end up that way). That means I get cold around the head, neck and shoulders, and when I get up, I want warmth round my ankles. Under my 20 togs of duvet, I'm plenty warm enough, thanks.

Uggs take care of the slipper problem, and my total inability to find a warm AND stylish dressing gown sent me screaming to the sewing machine many years ago (I wear a black tooled velvet gown lined in wool and silk).

But this year, I fear I will end up making my own nightwear too - I just can't find anything I like that I can also afford. 

Nighties are something I gave up on centuries ago. The short ones aren't warm enough, the long ones ride up and leave me feeling like I've slept on rocks. Even on so-called warm nighties, made from wincyette or flannel or thick cotton jersey, the neck area is always left exposed. What is the point, exactly, in making the garment warm where it's under the blankies, and cold where you most need cover? 

For many years, I've tended to wear men's or boy's pyjamas in brushed cotton or flannelette. That way you can leave off the bottoms if you so please, and leave the collar open or flip it up  to stay warm. 

But even M&S - that bastion of men's nightwear - isn't what it once was. Its entire men's range this winter is in shades of depressing grey and navy. There's a recession outside, thankyou - I don't want one in the bedroom as well. Far better is this jazzy pair from Derek Rose, whose men's PJs I've worn for 20 years. The only downside is the price - these are nearly 90 quid.

As with many things, the Americans do it all so much better, if you can find a site that will deliver to Yurrup. There is the place to look if you don't want nightwear that is anodyne, but you will generally have to shell out 60-120 dollars plus carriage. 

Idlewild is a rare exception in being a UK site. This store sells sells some of the prettiest, practical nightwear I've found online, including these toile de jouy Bedhead PJs (£75) and the gorgeous PJs at the top left of this article, which I think are the prettiest thing I've ever seen (too short and too thin, but I might base my design on these, as I like the contrasting cuffs and trim).

Comfygirl is also very good, and sells a wide range of Bedhead PJs, including these dotty ones.  Sleepyheads  (sorry, their pix won't download) makes its own range of flannel PJs and stocks a wide range of other makes including Frankie and Johnny's bamboo flannel PJs, which are said to feel like cashmere and silk, and Fresh n Funky (cotton poplin rather than flannel, but fab designs). Think huge paisleys in brown on jade, dots, spots, florals and cherries. 

Personally I find thick jersey or flannelette the best kind of nightwear in winter, but failing that, silk is a good, if expensive option. These yellow pjs from Winter Silks are approaching perfect in terms of design (I forget the price - about 64-70 dollars, I think). Note the high neck, which is still pretty, an interesting colour, proper long legs and sleeves, but with a bit of trimming. Someone has actually THOUGHT about this design. Unfortunately, these are still too thin for me. What I DO wear from Winter Silks is their lightweight silk jersey thermals, which also have the advantage of not allowing draughts up the legs and sleeves.

Speaking of vintage, as we were re Mary Queen of Charity Shops, I just came across this site: Retro Chick, selling vintage fashion at very modest prices.

Got to be a little bit careful about that term 'vintage' if you're over 40, of course.

Vintage for me means the 1960s and before. Might just get away with the 70s at a squeak, but the 80s is a definite no-no, at least if you can TELL.

There is something terribly ageing about wearing clothing from the era of your heydey, as if you can't accept the passing years. Jumping backwards from that a decade, or preferably two, makes it cool again. 

My personal favourite era is the 1930s - I don't think clothing has ever been so beautiful again, nor the fabrics as luscious - though I'm also quite partial to the 1920s and 1950s. The 60s, for me, you can mostly keep - it is the era of Crimpelene and nylon, sta-prest and Dacron. I remember sweating like a pig in a sandwich bag in those synthetic fabrics, and little 60s shift dresses don't suit anyone with boobs.

That said, I do have a few silk and wool things from the 60s that are very Jackie O and out of which I get a lot of mileage. And the problem with 1930s and 1950s clothes is that the prices stroll on - you're really into specialist stores here. 

Anyway, give the site a visit, if only to sigh at how you dressed when you were 20. 

Wearing a tankini, high-waist bottoms and a swimskirt is a great chop-and-change option for the beach, but if you can only pack one cossie and you like a bit of cover, you could think about a swimdress. As you can see, a swimdress is a more forgiving alternative to a swimsuit, and if you pick your design right, you can have rather looser coverage than wearing a swimskirt - useful if you've got tummy issues.

Somewhere in my heart I knew these things must still exist (I remember my mother wearing one back in the 60s), but it took me a while to find them.

With a swimdress, you get what you pay for, as with any other costume. Those from Sears (sadly not available in Europe) are at the cheaper end of the market. Sears has numerous designs of swimdresses (I count 24, plus another 10 or so from sister company KMart), offering different features. Some have moulded cups while others have a shelf bra: you can choose ruffles, thick straps, thin straps, tie fronts, halternecks, backless and bandeau. Those that aren't empire-waisted have vertical princess seams and a sewn-in brief. Prices (for the KMart range) start at just under $25. The regular size is US 8, 10, 12 and there's also a plus-size range.

This batik suit (far left) is the type with a separate tank underneath an empire waist overlayer. There's a string tie in the front, the cups are moulded and there is bead trim on the straps. The tank suit underneath has a mesh panel across the midsection for better ventilation, which strikes me as a great idea, given that you're wearing two layers. Sadly, the size range is limited to US sizes 8, 10 and 12. But at $54.60 it's a bargain.

This floral number (middle left) is one of the plus-size models, available in 18W and 20W. It has vertical princess seams and a sewn-in brief rather than two layers and costs the same price - $54.60. My personal fave though is this halter-neck swimdress (left) with contrast bust section (great for women who are small on top but heavier on their lower half) and loose, floaty plain skirt. $47.60.

Best of all at Sears, the firm is linked with My Virtual Model, so you can log on via the Sears site and dress your actual figure in one of these suits to see what it looks like.

If you've got deeper pockets, check out Orvis, which also has a range of swimdresses, with nicer styling and more features than the Sears dresses, averaging about $90 a pop. This floral one (right) has a faux sarong skirt, which is a very feminine option, a built-in softcup bra and adjustable straps. Many of their models have a built-in tummy control panel, including this soft green and brown batik option (middle right). My favourite, though, is this v-neck version, where the thick straps balance the flirty skirt (far right).

Priced in between the two are suits from Spiegel, which offers about 15 designs of swimdress for the mid-70s of dollars, but are currently on sale for about $55. They include moulded cups and power-mesh tummy- and butt-smoothers and some interesting designs, such as this contrast-border black one (far left). Crucially, for British readers, Spiegel will ship to the UK. For more US offerings, check out NexTag.

We Yurrupeans seem to get a bit short-changed generally when it comes to swimdresses, and they are much more expensive. The UK version of Orvis offers the same swimdresses as the US company but for TWICE THE PRICE. The best is this one from Miraclesuit (left), which offers all the usual Miraclesuit goodies, is 32 per cent lycra, so will suck you in, in all the right places, and promises to take 10 pounds off you, but at the moment it's out of stock.

But why, I ask you, should we pay twice the price for the same bloody thing anyway? Log onto Spiegel, or get yourself an American friend instead.

The BBC is running a story today entitled 'The end of cheap clothes is near'.

It was obvious this was going to happen. With a worldwide rise in food prices, not only will everyone from east to west have to curb their clothes-buying to stretch the family budget, land that is currently producing cotton will turn back to food production as the prices for food crops increase.

Every which way, clothing is going to cost more to produce. Even third and second-world workers have seen wage rises over the past few years (gee - I thought they were going to eat straw forever), fertiliser costs are rising, and as transport costs increase because of the oil crisis, clothing will cost more to ship from production site to retail outlet. That means the price increase will be loaded onto individual garments at retail level, so we will be able to buy fewer of them.

Getting on my puritan high horse here, I can't help thinking that a bit of this could be a very good thing. Spending has gotten totally out of control in the UK and - let's face it - most women in the west have a problem of surplus clothing rather than not enough. 'Not having a thing to wear' isn't due to there being nothing in the wardrobe, just to our crappy impulse-buying habits that fill our closets with unmatched crap that dates badly, wears out or doesn't go with anything else.

Many women I know in London buy something new to wear every week. Some buy something almost every day. They pick up a new item at lunchtime like a sandwich, they have a bag for every outfit, they have 40 pairs of shoes. We have become individual Imelda Marcos's.

In contrast, when I was growing up in the far-off days of the 1970s (in a working-class family), you expected to get a new coat maybe once a year. If you could, you stretched it further - my school uniform required a navy wool coat, which I wore every school day for the whole five years I was there, letting down the sleeves as I grew (marginally) taller. If you had older brothers and sisters, you got their hand-me downs as they grew out of them, and if you didn't, friends and neighbours could be relied upon to pass around their kids' barely-worn clothing so that some good would come of it. Most of all, you learned to be handy with a needle if you wanted to look more individual.

Nobody wants to go back to the days of - for instance - wartime rationing, but at times, a little necessity can be the mother of invention. If we all have to be a bit more careful about what we buy and how often, maybe women will relearn those good old habits of looking for quality of design and construction, a good fit and high-end materials. Maybe they'll learn to ring the changes with accessories instead of whole outfits. Maybe they'll learn to mix and match their clothing to wear the same thing in a different way, and end up with a small wardrobe of fully-co-ordinated clothing, every item of which they actually wear.

Well, I for one hope so...