The spotting of stylish men? (From Bournemouth Echo)

The spotting of stylish men?

9:00am Monday 12th January 2009 in

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THERE was a time when a woman over 50 was expected to look like Nora Batty.

Admittedly, the sight of Nora's crumpled stockings could turn the eye of Compo on Last of the Summer Wine but it did nothing for the rest of us males.

In those days times were hard for fashion-conscious ladies over 50. They risked being accused of looking like mutton dressed as lamb.

But now women who have, ahem, a few years on the clock are being seen as today's style-setters. Move over waddling ducklings, the swans are out for a swim.

There's Lulu cutting the mustard at 60, , Jerry Hall (52), Madonna (50), Meryl Streep (59), Twiggy (59), Jane Seymour (57), Cherie Lunghi (56) and Helen Mirren showing she's got more tone than an X Factor winner at 63, who are all now seen as alluring icons by the fashion industry.

Which is great if you are a woman of a similar age. But what about us men? eh? When did you last read about Kevin Costner, Rod Stewart and Julio Iglesias being praised because their sophist-icatedly mature looks made young oiks look like mere Bambis? Not for years.

And they're the top of the range. The rest of us are just seen as grumpy old curmudgeons who would struggle to get past an MoT after 40 rather than dudes with an eye for style that we think we are.

Will the fashion industry catch up and see the worth of men in their 50s? If they do, Geldof, Gordon Brown and I are waiting...

And, in case you are wondering, I am currently wearing a dapper, crumpled blue denim shirt with pinstripe trousers and a rather natty spotted blue tie.

Well, I got out of the house before my wife woke up. Or she'd have stopped me.