Here are four good reasons I shouldn't bother trying to be stylish at all:

1.) I'm 43. I realise I need to keep up the momentum, but despite the efforts of two or three lone voices (of whom more in later posts), it's an uphill struggle. My legs are OK, I could wear a miniskirt, but then I'd be mutton. If I shop in Boden I will look like I had a baby rather late. Yummy Mummy mutton. Boden mutton. I did have a baby rather late (39), but also I am allergic to multi coloured buttons.
And who do I look to as a role model? I discount anyone Hollywood as they can afford airbrushing out there. I will make an occasional exception for SJP - my age-ish, a later mother, and the clothes, the clothes. But the trouble is, she's forever Carrie, and the fact Carrie grew up and hit 40 is almost as depressing as the fact I did so myself. She's a memento mori in Louboutins.

2.) I live in the middle of rural nowhere. Apart from the fact I have great wellies (Aigles, Hunters are for townies now), there's no need to look good around here. The only thing the cows care about is spreading their muck up my work clothes when I'm on a mad dash dog walk in the morning and I've been in too much of a rush to change into the Aigles. Folk haven't heard of Stella McCartney around here. In fact I'm not sure some of them have heard of Paul.

3.) I am a lecturer. Expectations are not high. I do not believe there has been a single example of a well dressed female teacher/educator in the media or popular culture, since Maggie Smith in the film of 'The Pride of Miss Jean Brodie'.

4.) Prada aspirations, Primark income. See no. 3. So the High Street it is, with the occasional higher-end sales or slightly tipsy purchase. (Here's one of the key lessons I've learnt in life: never get a little bit drunk in the middle of the day on Bond Street.)

Now here's the thing: there are Grown Up Women with Style (GUWS) out there, and lots of them. Intelligent, stylish, witty, supremely capable women, who also look half decent. I'd like to see more of them in the fashion press. There is no fashion magazine out there which makes me feel fully included, part of its club. One of my guilty pleasures is Grazia now and then, In Style every once in a while, Vogue in the hair dressers. But the focus is on the young, lovely though they are (and I can understand that - this isn't a plea for real women on the catwalk, I'll leave that to others), I have to sift though, translate, use my judgement to find things suitable for me. I know, I know, there are some magazines whose target is the over 40s, but I fall asleep before I get past the contents page. They lack the flippancy, frivolity, sense of humour of the other magazines, they are just a bit too worthy for my tastes. I can't be the only women out there who wants Grazia for Grown Ups.....and here's some of the women I'd like to see featured: Mary Portas, Kirsty Wark, Janet Street Porter, Alexandra Shuman, Stephanie Flanders (the woman explained hedge funds on BBC news wearing the Prada banana skirt - this is what we need more of), Kirsten Scott Thomas, Mariella Frostrup,Stella McCartney,  the French (all of them). Also street style GUWS.

So I'll think through some of these issues on this blog, discuss my own attempts not to give in and start shopping in M&S Classic Collection; to select a face cream that might help me out and not break the bank; to decide whether or not I'm going to wear a bikini in the South of France this summer;blog for Grown Up Women with Style to make contact with other people who might be interested and might have advice and a sense of humour. I have no idea if anyone will read this, I've never written a blog before, but that too, might keep me feeling young.