This fabulous 1950s green lurex suit is the latest addition to my vintage wardrobe. It was £45 on Ebay, which is a fortune for me, but I just couldn't resist it. 

Many years ago, I had a dark green and black bubble lurex 1950s dress that was one of the most fetching things I've ever owned. I always regretted getting rid of it. Ever since, I notice, I am trying in one way or another to replace it and this is one of those times.   

I bought this just after Christmas, and really with next Christmas in mind, for lunches with my writers' group etc. Probably, in general, I'll wear just the top half, with plain black trousers, or the skirt alone with a black poloneck, as the whole thing together is a pretty serious outfit.  

This suit might not be everyone's cup of tea but I love the rich colour married to the simple cut, the mink cuffs to the sleeves, the standaway collar that frames the face beautifully. It's made of a quality, thick jersey fabric that is very comfortable - and not at all scratchy - to wear. Gorgeous.

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.

One of my readers, Julie, called me 'continental-elegant' the other day, which I must say I'm very flattered by. Good job she can't see me, though, is all I can add.

Today is one of those days when I realise my wardrobe is seriously schizophrenic. I'm sure we all have clothes for home and clothes for work, but since my home and my work are synonymous, what I have these days is clothes for home (Spudulika Slob - warmth being a priority) and clothes I can actually be seen dead in. Turn up unexpectedly and I don't mind you finding me in a Slob outfit, but I wouldn't actually go out in it. Nor, however, do I wear anything even remotely smart at home. 

Today, by lunchtime, I was on my fifth set of clothes of the day. This is a tad excessive, even for me, but it was unusually varied. I guess on most days in London, it was a case of sleepwear, workwear, maybe evening wear, then back home to sleepwear again. 

Today I got up (pink cashmere cowlneck and pyjama bottoms covered in penguins), and donned my slippers (green Uggs) and dressing gown (thick grey wool coat from Wetherall, top left) in order to have breakfast. I wear the coat as a dressing gown, incidentally, because I can't find a dressing gown warm enough. 

Then I drove into town (fleece-lined tracksuit bottoms, pink cashmere sweater, Uggs, Marinac jacket from Lands' End and purple beanie) and went swimming (which entailed a swimming cossie and flip-flops). 

Back home, I quickly changed to go to a Christmas fair at a friend's art gallery (black viscose poloneck sweater, black lambswool trousers, 1930s lamé jacket in red, gold and black, several strings of pearls, a gold and blue lamé trenchcoat I made from this coat at left and black suede boots with three-inch stiletto heels). 

Then it was home again, off with the posh togs and into a fleece polo, trousers and gilet, again all from Lands' End, to bum about for the rest of the day subbing copy and hugging the woodburner.

Talk about horses for courses. I was pleased to note, however, that although I can no longer endure the agony of walking about in high heels, I can still stand in them for a couple of hours, so perhaps they are not entirely a thing of the past. 

My face today, meanwhile, has gone from the usual blurry-eyed morning ruin to red-eyed chlorine monster, to fully-made up red-lipped maven and back to my normal worn-off-makeup-but-can't-be-bothered-to-reapply-it look.  Hopefully, however, it will not have to earn me any more bacon today, so I need not dig out any more Revlon China Red from the dregs of my 10-year-old lipstick case, which is increasingly becoming an exercise in futility. Time to track one down on Ebay.

Today shows up the problem with clothes - like a family car, it's almost impossible to get one thing that will do duty as another. The only solution is to have an extensive wardrobe - gosh how awful...

My latest Ebay find turned up this morning, just in time to brighten a crappy day: this cord dress from Orvis.

Ever since I saw this dress, I don't know how many years ago on the Orvis site, I have craved it. My Orvis clothes are among my faves - beautifully made in gorgeous soft fabrics, with a friendly cut that you can sit and move comfortably in. They're not the most stylish garments you can buy, but are great for around the house, country walks, etc. 

I can always tell, too, when the DH is wearing an Orvis garment. There is something plushy about the folds and finished about the detailing: today at lunch I could see from the heavier zip, the different stitching on the collar and the properly applied cuffs that he was wearing Orvis rather than Lands' End, for instance. 

The only drawback with Orvis is the price - they are not cheap clothes, though the cost-per-wear works out at peanuts. This dress normally costs £109, so I was delighted to find this worn-once-only version on Ebay and to pick it up for under £6.

It's made of beautiful, soft, thick corduroy that falls elegantly, and is a perfect fit, too - roomy enough to get a poloneck and fleece-lined tights under, and can also be worn as a long shirt/light coat in in-between weather. The pinky-beige colourway - almost like the colour of fresh plaster - is incredibly flattering for my blonde colouring as well, so all in all, I'm very pleased. 

Today it is wall-to-wall rain, which is a shame, as yesterday when it was brilliantly sunny, I was stuck indoors, cleaning the house for a girls night in (we had a mini-clothes-swap). So to cheer ourselves up, as he too was feeling blue, the DH and I had lunch at the local creperie, which should be enough to restore our spirits for the day. Both of us in Orvis, then, which is unusual. I wore my new dress with stripy thermal tights in grey, magenta and purple (it's OK, you couldn't see them....) and vintage leather riding boots.

Back home, woodburner on early and I'm now changed into my snuggly stretch fleece layers from Lands' End (review to follow) for an afternoon of subbing, teacakes and loving up the cats. I suppose that comes under the heading of winter pleasures. 

I have been having a bit of a splurge recently - probably my last for a while.

The reason is that over the past year, I have fast become a convert to outdoor and high-tech clothing, and so I decided to make an investment in a new capsule wardrobe.

It marks, in a way, a new stage of my life, I feel. It's not that I have given up on style, but I do rather feel that fashion has largely given up on me, and I am now resolved to focus my budget on clothing that is more suited to my life. You know - the one I actually have rather than the one I'd like to have.

My everyday life contains few opportunities - or requirements - to dress up. Most people here live in jeans, wellies and fleece. I don't need to be formal, as I once did, nor to impress anyone at work. I mostly spend my days doing housework, gardening, and writing cross-legged in a big old wing chair with my Macbook in my lap: this is not conducive to towering heels and pencil skirts: besides, most town clothing simply doesn't stand up to country life.

I have an extensive collection of beautiful vintage clothing for the odd posh dinner or gallery opening I go to, but the rest of my time only requires that my garments be comfortable and practical not beautiful or sexy. And with December nearly upon us, warmth is once again my highest priority: it was three degrees at noon today, as I drove through the fog to my friend K's.

Brought up, as I was, a complete snob about natural fabrics, for years I've eschewed acrylic, nylon and polyester in favour of wool, silk and cotton. But after many years of struggling to keep warm in winter with traditional merino and silk, the discovery last year of modern ski base layers in fleece and Climate Control wicking polyester fabrics was a revelation. Get into the 21st century, why don't you? The newly fleece-clad DH and I spent the most comfortable winter ever, in indoor temperatures that were rarely above 14 degrees and certainly fell as low at 8 degrees in our glacial bedroom.

He was more experimental than I. Years of watching every penny we spend have made me reluctant to spend money on new clothing - nearly everything I own is second-hand (let's call it vintage) - and I was gobsmacked when he spent over £30 on a fleece. A fleece, for God's sake, I thought. A synthetic fabric...

I learned quickly, of course, what everyone else has doubtless known for bloody ages - that the good stuff has come on a long way from the pill-prone plastic shite I bought once and discarded in disgust 20 years ago. A crappy £4 fleece from Primark does just what it says on the tin, but a £35 microfleece from Berghaus is a different animal and it is to microfleeces that I am the biggest convert of all. They feel like suede; you can wear them over or under things, or even next to your skin; they come out of the washer almost dry; they wick the sweat right off you, and if you pay a little extra, they are very nicely styled and wear extremely well.

Such garments are made by firms that put the design and utility of the garment first, and the look of the thing second, and there is a quiet beauty in that: these garments are fit for purpose, unrestrictive and comfortable and are designed by the kind of people who actually wear them. They don't ride up, or stretch, or scratch or itch. It is very pleasant to put on garments that are so well made (more than can be said of the offerings from the average UK high street store), and so reasonably priced at the same time - because gone for good are the days when I could splash out £400 on a cashmere sweater. 

Lands' End is a label that is fast becoming a favourite: like Boden and Orvis, their clothes suit my casual life, and are both practical and pretty. When the DH ordered himself their Insulated Squall Parka, I quickly followed suit with a bright yellow one (but without the extra insulation). It is fantastic for walking the dog: lightweight, warm and windproof, and I practically glow in the dark - important in the fog and the half-light.

Since they had a sale on, I ordered a few other things too - the Squall Jacket (like the Parka but shorter) in Chambray Blue; a stretch fleece hoodie (the most useful garment, by far, I find, as I do suffer so terribly from cold ears); and fleece socks and gloves, so I could check out their Thermacheck 100 fleece in an accessory before buying a staple garment.

Next up came a couple of fleece polos, a Heavenly Fleece scarf (I await with anticipation, as the French say); two fleece gilets and a Thermacheck 200 (ie: 200gsm) fleece parka. And if the idea of sports clothing makes you shudder, btw, the firm also does fleeces cut in conventional shapes such as cardigans and blazers, which give a more tailored look without the weight and restriction of wool. I've kept my palette to soft blues, greens and lilacs, as with such casual cuts and no applied detailing, using a flattering colour becomes more important than ever. 

Most of the outdoor clothing companies (and admittedly Land's End is more of a fashion firm that sells outdoor clothing than an outdoor specialist like North Face) develop and sell their own patented fabrics or finishes, with names like WindCheck, Dri-Off, AT-Optic etc. How much of this you need, and how much you're willing to pay for depends on your lifestyle. Personally, I haven't yet felt the need to splash out the 100-quid plus level for North Face or Patagonia, as I don't go hauling my arse up Ben Nevis, but I have lately progressed from Lands End to the slightly more specialist Craghoppers and Berghaus, which offer sun-protection fabrics and anti-mosquito fabrics, and for his birthday I bought the DH Craghopper's Kiwi trousers because they have eight pockets and he is a pocketaholic.

So, we will see how we get on...