Sue Donnelly of Feelfabat50, wearing Vivienne Westood
When I go shopping now, I realise it is not new clothes that I really want, it’s a new body. This one I currently have is softening and fattening with age, things are slipping and I am often stumped as to how to dress it. And I frequently look in the mirror and wonder who it is that’s looking back at me. Since buying a new body is currently not an option, I think the next best thing would be to get some expert advice on how to work with my new shape to project an image both it and I are happy with and to do that I need Sue Donnelly.
Via her Feel Fab At 50 website, Sue dispenses expert advice on how to dress the shape you find you have at 50 via her image consultancy business (she is president of the International Federation of Image Consultants). And for anyone reading who thinks that this sounds like a ‘fluffy’ way to spend money, then you fall into the category that Sue’s says she finds a lot in 50plus women, those that think nothing of spending money on their kids, or husbands or the house and garden, but consider themselves ‘not worth’ spending money on themselves. Well listen up, you are worth it and Sue can help.
Sue tells The Women's Room "The biggest mistake women make in their 50s is they try and hide themselves. Their wardrobes often feature a lot of black, there are lots of shapeless clothes and because they don’t know what to buy, a lot of what they have got tends to be very old and dated. Many of them find they have this new, often fuller figure when they reach 50 and they do not know what to do with it so end up trying to hide it. Instead they need to learn how to celebrate their good bits and cleverly disguise the rest. They can and should wear modern stuff but they often readjust in the opposite way and try to disappear from view by playing safe."
Sue also feels its time to lose the guilt about spending money on your clothes because investment in good ones can make all the difference to your self esteem. “People forget how good you can feel wearing beautiful fabrics, luxury next to the skin can really make you feel good. Spending on a great cut or fit is going to make you feel and look so much better.” Hair, make up and colours bought all need to be reviewed at 50, claims Sue, who says changes after the menopause alter our body shape and skin structure significantly.
But even if you have no money to spend, Sue’s website allows you to tap into her expertise through her 100 Top Tips, which you can (and should) down load for free and daily advice, through both her blog and her Daily Tips. If you feel like a complete make over you can buy Sue herself, who will totally transform you, head to toe with all the hair/make up/clothes buying and styling advice you could ever possible need for about £750, which I think would be a rather good present for anyone turning 50 from their significant other/best friends/entire family. Interestingly Sue claims many of her make-over clients stay with her and come back for top-up advice, such is the enthusiasm after transformation.
