With the Christmas season upon us, many of us have been looking for the perfect item to wear. Whether it be a new little black dress, bright red festive shirt or the funny Christmas jumpers that seem to be popping up everywhere, we really are spoilt for choice.

Many items we buy at Christmas on only worn a handful of times so it is important to bear this in mind when it comes to cost. It’s not only adults that are encouraged to join in with the Christmas jumper craze, many schools now have Christmas jumper days. Again the chances are you child will have grown so much from one year to the next that they simply will not be able to wear the jumper two years in a row.

Why not consider buying an outfit that you can alter allowing you to wear it all year round, so for example, buy a plain dress and add a bit of sparkle to it. This can not only save you money but also give your outfit that unique look, knowing that no one else will turn up at the works Christmas party wearing the same outfit as you!

Why can I never find anything to fit me properly? I hear you cry. I used to be able to walk into a high-street store and pick something off the rack now I spend all day looking for a top that fits. This is all too familiar and is causing many women to wonder whether the manufacturers really understand what the modern fifty-something woman wants or how her body shape has changed.

Most women in their Fifties are still working and so they need to look smart whilst also feeling comfortable. They may need to wear layers that they can remove if they become too hot and may prefer clothes made from natural materials. On the whole, the high street only seems to cater for young women and older women are getting a raw deal.

In order for this to change, fifty-year-old women’s voices must be heard. Write to the executive of the company and ask about their sizing (how can someone be a 12 in one shop and a 16 in another),

buy online from a speciality shop that caters for real women, you could even have a go at making your own clothes. Whatever you decide, good luck you’re going to need it.

It seems that more and more children’s clothes are designed in line with the latest fashion and some of these fashions are considered not as appropriate for the younger generation. Many parents want their children to fit in and be popular but not at the expense of their comfort or safety and some fashions can tend to question this.

So is it wrong to encourage our children to buy items that not only feel good but look good and at in line with recent trends? This is often a debate that causes a split of opinions and will probably be argued for years to come. The truth is many children are becoming aware of fashion at a younger age and therefore will want to dress in a certain way. This is not necessarily a bad thing as long it is is still appropriate to their age and the place they are going.

Many of us see a trip to the hair dressers as a treat and it is one of those things that often gets put off if money is tight. If you are looking for highlights or colour and a cut you can expect to pay in excess of £70 but when you split it over 6 – 8 weeks, it is not that much weekly.

If you miss appointments not only will you probably start to feel self conscious but will also risk your next appointment costing you much more. This is often the case with colours that could have just required a root touch up but with the missed appointment will now mean a full head of colour.

Ideally try to save the amount needed each week so when it comes to your appointment you have already got the money. You may find that you don’t miss it weekly but it is a big amount to fork out for in one go.

Make up can make you look youthful and healthy, but if applied wrong it can have the exact opposite effect. Contouring is something people do with make up that makes their face change shape. It is designed to make certain features stand out such as cheek bones, giving your face a smooth, chiselled look.

If you really want to get your make up right then you need to practise and practise at home when you have no where to go. There are some brilliant tutorials on YouTube etc that show you exactly how to apply your make up to make you look youthful and some of them also show you what not to do.

You could also go on a make up course which is designed to give you an overview of what you intend to do with the make up and how special effects can work. These courses are often run by colleges or even by beauty salons.