I've been giving up a lot of fashion things over the past two years, it strikes me.

It's not deliberate, but as you get older you increasingly realise that fashion and beauty - at least in terms of trends - are really for the young.

One of the things I gave up recently was shoes with three-inch heels. I can still manage a boot with a three-inch heel, worn with my orthotics, but shoes are now a no-no - they just don't give enough support, and now that the padding is virtually gone from the soles of my feet I can't even walk barefoot any more, let alone in heels.

I have tried the lot: Boots insoles, Scholl insoles, Footpetals, which I ordered from the US and which turned out to be rubbish, gel insoles, rubber insoles. None of it helps.

What does help is my 90-euro orthotics, courtesy of the French national health service, and wearing flats almost exclusively, preferably with nice thick soles that don't leave you feeling every pebble in the pavement (does the average man have ANY idea how rubbish most women's shoes are?). At home, where comfort reigns supreme, it's either Crocs or Uggs, and with jeans I tend to wear Ecco trainers or walking shoes, but that still leaves the question of what on earth a girl is to wear with her skirts. 

Flats, as anyone will tell you, quite truthfully, make your feet spread. In other words, your feet assume their natural shape rather than being squeezed into pointy little shoes, and I do - in summer - favour Fly Flots. But I note that the pointy shoes are still something I can't quite give up just yet, at least for posh. Because if a shoe isn't going to benefit your look by giving you some lift, the least it can do to pay its way is to be pretty. This is the see-saw between beauty and utility. 

I have therefore been buying myself some elegant low-heeled shoes on Ebay for times when I don't have to walk too far, and I must say they do seem terribly hard to find. It was not always thus. Perhaps I was lucky to grow up in the era when Diana Spencer made low pumps fashionable but in the 1980s, elegant leather low-heeled shoes were easy to find. Now, however, the manufacturers seem to be led by designers who may have heard of shoes but have clearly never actually seen any.

Boden are still very good, if you can splash the cash, and Roland Cartier, Bally and Hobbs all still make the odd shoe you can actually walk in, but most other manufacturers have succumbed to the idea that a four-inch heel is really something women can't do without, wedges are cute, and platforms are comfortable. None of these things is true. It makes me sincerely wish I had never passed on my well-cared-for vintage pumps in navy and black leather, brown suede and green kid. 

What I am really looking for is a 2-inch Louis heel, which lends some stability, but failing that, I like a classic Roger Vivier-style low stiletto  - very elegant and pointy, 1950s-ish. I can't abide mules, in which I cannot balance, I loathe peep-toes, which make you look like Minnie Mouse, toe cleavage (ugh) and even slingbacks are something I find problematical. However, for car to bar, my little batch of recently acquired kitten heels seems just about right: brown tweed from Boden, red suede from M&S, interesting yellow ones from No Doubt - a label I'm not familiar with - and daft pink ones from Dolcis that I bought because they were just too cute to pass up, dressed as they are to go to a party.

On a more practical note, and having assessed my wardrobe needs, I've also treated myself to a pair of navy leather and suede loafers from Lands' End. I'd bought a couple of other pairs online that had turned out not to be right, but the LE ones are just about perfect, with an elegant line and plenty of internal padding. Lord, I haven't worn shoes this shape since I was at school.

So, feeling slightly more confident, I have also ordered myself some ballerines - another thing I haven't worn in nearly 30 years, and again in oh-so-practical navy. It remains to be seen whether I can actually walk in them, of course, as they are very flat indeed, where a 1-inch heel is much easier. But try finding THAT in today's stupid shoe market...    

Just before Christmas, a friend gave me a stack of women's magazines. "They're on the seat of the car," she said at a party we were both attending, "just take them."

I wasn't expecting a massive Ikea shopper-full, and it's taken me months to work my way through them, but it's made me realise once and for-bloody-all that fashion has left me far, far behind.

The mags in question were Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Company, with the odd copy of New Woman thrown in (possibly now defunct? - Many of these mags were five, seven, 10 years old).

Cosmo was pretty much how I remembered it - sex-obsessed, zesty and funny; Glamour I was astounded by, as it was utter rubbish compared with the US version - nothing but celebrities (most of whom I'd never heard of, not being a devotée of reality television, and several of whom - including Amy Winehouse and Heath Ledger - are actually now dead); and Company, which was a different kettle of fish - practical articles on sex and dating, but also many articles on sexual health, jobs, disabled and disadvantaged women, people who've been through trauma, etc. Personally speaking, if I had a teenage daughter, it's Company I'd rather she was reading. 

But it strikes me that the concerns of these magazines are now very much not my concern. I couldn't care less, in general, what men think (not that I ever did) and I've been with the same bloke for 21 years so if I don't know what makes him tick by now, we're both fecked anyway. And clubbing, drinking, travelling, fights with friends, deciding on flatmate chores etc, being pressured into marriage or children are pretty much now all in the past if they ever existed at all.  

However, as is my wont, once I'd finished with each mag, I went through it ripping out the fashion and beauty for my scrapbook. This is a rolling project of 'looks' that I fancy; clothes or beauty looks that I find attractive; photos that have something to teach me; things I'd like to emulate, etc. And time and again, I came away empty-handed.  There was simply nothing - literally almost nothing AT ALL - that I liked. 

It has served as a reminder of why I gave up on women's magazines. I find more looks to admire in my Lands' End and La Redoute catalogues than I do in the fashion pages these days. Today, fashion is very much aimed at the young, and seems to have little to offer anyone more sophisticated or with more exigent requirements.

And before you think this is a middle-aged whinge, it wasn't always thus: I grew up in an era where a woman's attractions weren't thought to rely entirely on how much flesh she was revealing - take a look for yourself and see how covered up we all were in the 1980s. And yet, we still managed to procreate, even though we were quite often in baggy trousers and pixie boots rather than micro-mini, skintight, bright pink WAG dresses. 

I cut out and kept many looks in 1980s magazines that I've kept in my scrapbooks to this day. In the 1990s, too, there were many looks that were my cup of tea: scoop-neck t-shirts, boatneck shift dresses, long-sleeved wrap dresses, boots with moderate heels. When the hell did everything get so exaggerated, with the frankly hideous shoes that all fashion shoots show now, and the total lack of appeal to anyone's intelligence - surely the sexiest of all attributes in either sex?

Oh well, perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps the majority of women really are as dumb as stumps and want to look it - possibly so they'll appeal to men who are even dumber.

And so, to the recycling heap these magazines go - nobody else here wants them, and the doctor's and dentist's waiting rooms are already chock-a-block with English magazines.  

As for me, back I go to Country Living, Easy Living and Good Housekeeping - still not quite 'me', especially since I find children boring beyond belief, but clearly as good as we're going to get in UK publishing in the absence of an equivalent of the US More magazine, aimed at women over 40 whose interest in fashion and beauty hasn't quite withered and died just yet. 

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.

I found this article in the Daily Mail the other day, which I greet with unabashed dismay.

It doesn't matter how flexible the sole of a shoe is, reducing foot pain. Foot pain is a SIGNAL - wear something lower, for Christ's sake. 

Why on earth do women succumb to stumbling around in utterly ridiculous shoes? I do sometimes wonder if this deliberate hobbling of women is a backlash against women beginning to attain some equality with men in our society. As we have gained at universities, and more women become doctors, lawyers, scientists etc, young women - at least in the UK - are simultaneously encouraged to disappear themselves, to attain size zero, to hide themselves behind makeup, to change the colour of their skin and hair, and to cripple themselves with footwear that is impossible and dangerous to walk in. 

Any podiatrist or orthopaedic surgeon will tell you that heels above 1.5-2in high are bad for your joints. For your back, hips, ankles, knees and feet. Double arthritis of the knee - a truly crippling disease - is almost unknown in men and you know perfectly well why this is a disease of women - heels. 

Thank God, most of us realise the error of our ways long before we have to resort to a knee replacement - our burning soles hint that it's time to switch somewhere around 35. So why, then, is it so bloody difficult to find attractive low-heeled shoes? 

When at home, I spend my life in Crocs (podiatrist's orders) and if only someone would make boots and shoes with a 2in Louis heel I would stock up on loads to wear for the short periods when I'm in town. A Louis heel is beautifully and femininely shaped and gives a wide, secure base quite unlike a stilletto, but it seems to have almost disappeared from fashion. 

It is also easy to obtain complete flats, especially ballet flats, but these aren't particularly good for your feet either - a small heel is a better option for your back. Nor are flats very easy to wear with a skirt, though you can easily tuck a pair of sandals, loafers or trainers under your jeans. Even in Paris, home of all that is chic, I noticed older women dressed to the nines in skirt suits, but clad in trainers.

When I visited London recently, I did so with a large budget for shoes, but came away without a single pair - there was simply nothing in the shops that I liked. I spent my time in Nike trainers and FlyFlot sandals, quite unable, in the heat, to wear the 3in pink suede courts I'd brought with me for a business meeting. But an inch lower, and they'd have been fine.

Where, oh where, is the Chanel slingback of yesteryear with the easy, 2in heel? Why oh why did I give away my black and navy leather pumps with the narrow Cuban heels in 1.5in and 2in, which were so easy to obtain in the days of that gigantic stork, Lady Diana? 

I can only hope, I suppose, that Kate Middleton, doubtless a new fashion icon, has a fondness for low-heeled shoes....

It's now spring and as I gingerly peel off the layers of winter woollies, my thoughts are turning to how I want to look this season.

This is not - as every year - very much to do with fashion. What may work on the catwalk doesn't work for my life of wellies and dog-walking, and by the time you're 40 you'd better know what suits you in any case. I know that I like practical, comfortable clothes that don't need much maintenance; lowish heels (2.5in) or flats; fitted, hourglass-shaped clothing with stretch etc. And I like to just pull on two or three things and go, without any dicking about.

This year, I've decided to think very carefully about colour, and since I bought only one new thing last year - a taupe print dress from Boden - I feel justified in having a few new things too. They will only be new to me, of course, as they are all second-hand from Ebay - most of them cost about 99p.

This season I'm going to seriously focus on blue to match my eye colour. This idea is an old image consultant's tip and it really works. If you wear tops, necklaces, earrings etc in your eye colour, it makes your eyes really pop and over time, I intend to have more and more blue in my wardrobe. My eyes are blue-grey but virtually any soft shade of blue works, from ice blue to sky blue to cornflower to darkest denim, and veering off into turquoise shades as long as they're on the blue rather than the green side.

Complementary colours I've decided on are blonde (my hair colour - another image consultant trick), white, cream, primrose yellow (a good complement to blue) and the nude shades of flesh through to pale pink. And tiny flashes of red, as this is a colour that blue is often teamed with. What won't be on the menu is khaki (normally one of my staples) or strong, bright colours such as lime green, mustard, chrome yellow, magenta or purple - my colouring is too subdued to look good in these. 

In a more radical step, I've also decided to eliminate black and dark brown entirely from my wardrobe this summer. Partly this is because I've been living in brown and black all winter and I'm longing for a change - and if these clothes are out on view, it's all too easy to end up wearing them. So at the weekend, into the flatpacks went all my dark clothes, not to be seen again until autumn (if this experiment works).

The next step, then, was to assess what I already had and work out what I needed to buy in order to fill the gaps.

I already have a cornflower blue tiered skirt and three dresses in sky blue and forget-me-not blue, but they are all linen and only suitable for really hot weather - I didn't wear them at all last year. I don't need any new tees, as I have half a dozen long-sleeved blue t-shirts and several strappy vest tops, as well as several blue-striped cotton and denim shirts. But I am parlous for medium-weight clothing such as denim, brushed cotton or chino fabric.  

I fixed on three new cardis (I no longer buy jumpers as they're not flexible enough), three new skirts, a dress and a couple of pairs of sandals. This will do me for at least a year and a lot longer if I buy right. 

I love denim as it's practical, the twill weave needs no ironing, and it will go with everything - cotton cardis, cashmere polos, aran sweaters, you name it. It was strange, then, to realise how little of it I had left, having dropped a couple of dress sizes over the years.

The two blue skirts shown are from Ebay - the paler one is Laura Ashley and the darker one is Per Una from Marks and Spencer. These are both brands I trust, which is important when you can't see the actual garment (the Per Una one arrived yesterday and it's a  gorgeous, clingy fishtail shape, so I'm very pleased). Then I treated myself to the coral linen skirt (below) from Boden simply because of its irresistible print (I am trying to be bolder with prints, as I tend to avoid them). It ties in with the blue colourway, and I already have cream, taupe and coral cardigans to go with it. 

The plain cornflower-blue cotton cardigan (top left) is from Cherokee, a surprisingly good label from Tesco supermarkets. The casual zip-up style (a flattering vertical line) will go perfectly with all three skirts as well as with jeans and my existing Laura Ashley chino skirt. 

Again deciding that some pattern was necessary, I then bought two more cardis - the blue and white one is ramie and very similar to a jade and cream one I once had, which I wore until it literally fell apart. The softer, more muted one in blue and brown is from Next. Again, both go with either of the new denim skirts, as well as chinos, taupe trousers, etc, that I already own.

Then I bought a denim dress that can be worn by itself on warm days or will go over a t-shirt or under a jacket. Last year I really missed my old denim button-down dress, which I gave to a pregnant friend, so it will be nice to have one again - living the life I do, I'll probably get almost more wear out of this than anything else. 

Once all that was sorted, I sat down over the weekend and made myself some casual necklaces from turquoise and blue beads - shell, agates, pearls, turquoise from China, ceramic, glass, wood and you name it: each necklace has a slightly different length, texture and mood so they can be worn together or separately.

In the sewing room are several lengths of fabric: sky blue chambray, sky-blue cotton with polka dots or white stripes; vintage blue cotton with a fine red check; heavy, embroidered grey-blue linen etc, even the most gorgeous Solbiati linen (just a remnant, but enough for a scarf). These, I'll turn into half a dozen bias-cut skirts and panelled button-down dresses. 

My last purchases are these sandals, to go with my navy Crocs (fine for round the house, but not hugely flattering if anyone's going to actually SEE me). A friend who, like me, wears orthotics recommended Fly-Flots last year, and these blue suede ones look a pretty good combination of orthopaedic design and fashion. The others are a just a plain rubber mule for days when I have chafed heels (I've learned my summer lessons the hard way) but should suit both my running around lifestyle and Normandy's cobbled streets. 

Sorted, I hope, for the summer...