There was a lovely, bittersweet little column in the Guardian a couple of weeks back by Alison Lurie recounting how she gave up on fashion at age 60 and the liberation she found in not “having” to wear high heels, irritating blouses, make-up and no longer dying her hair.

On the one hand, hurrah for realising that there’s more to life than fitting into this season’s ‘must have’. On the other: why further the dreadful notion that women are obliged to be fashionable—at least up to the point where no one wants to employ them or have casual sex with them? Is that  progress?

Wearing clothes you feel comfortable in, wearing shoes that don’t break your ankles, not spending hours pouring stinking chemicals on to your hair; none of these should be the exclusive privileges of age. Why not say goodbye to Vogue before it says goodbye to you? It is entirely possible to dress well without being a slave to fashion. Men manage. We should give it a try. I have a sneaking suspicion money in the bank is more empowering than an extra pair of Manolos.