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Feeling fabulous at 50
Madonnna celebrates her 50th birthday on Saturday, and the material girl is just as taut, toned and trendy as she was 25 years ago. But what is it like to be a 50-year old woman in 21st century England?
Madonnna celebrates her 50th birthday on Saturday, and the material girl is just as taut, toned and trendy as she was 25 years ago. But what is it like to be a 50-year old woman in 21st century England?Are they all in as fine fettle as Madonna, or are they reaching for the elasticated waistbands and the blue rinse perm kits?
Jemma Walton found out.
SUE Donnelly is 50 – but with her Vivienne Westwood jacket, her tailored black trousers and her spiky heels could easily pass for a woman 10 years younger.
Mind you, what does 50 look like these days, and what should a 50-year-old wear? Vivienne Westwood is regarded as the high priestess of British fashion, and she will have more than 67 candles on her next birthday cake.
In fact, look at any famous woman of a certain age, be it Madonna, Sharon Stone or Michelle Pfieffer (who are all 50) and you soon realise that the 50-year-old of days gone by, the one who said hello to comfy slippers and goodbye to her youth, is a thing of the past.
According to Sue, Madonna's generation are in their prime of their lives.
"When I was 25 I was anorexic, because I had been a size 16 when I was a teenager and felt like a giant compared with all the dainty girls around me, and I had no money to buy nice clothes with," she said.
"I am happier now probably than I've ever been because I am doing what I want to do, and I've come to terms with the way I look. My first husband helped me to deal with my anorexia by asking me to eat small meals, and I did and found I was happy with my weight.
"There are days when my hormones play up and I have trouble sleeping, and I get a few spots – which I've never had before in my life – and I can feel certain parts of me, like my stomach, getting softer.
"But I am happy in myself, I know who I am now, I know what I want to do, and I've got a good idea of how I'm going to do it."
Sue, of St Pegas Road, Peakirk, is an image consultant and life coach, and has just written a book and unveiled a website for women aged between 45 and 55.
She offers a range of services, from basic image consultancy through to connecting women with nutritionists, exercise experts, beauticians and a range of other professionals who can get women looking great.
"I think these ages are difficult for a lot of women," she said. "We have grown up with women like Madonna, and up until perhaps a year ago I always looked to her as a role model.
"She had the kids, the husband, the work, she was good looking and fit, she was at the top of her game and had been there for 20 years: you had to respect a woman like that.
"But recently I have started to think about what all that means. It means that she probably has to spend around four hours a day in the gym. A lot of women my age like the way she looks, but we wouldn't want to do that ourselves.
"The women I help want to look good, but in their own way. They don't want to look like their daughters, or their grandmothers. But there is a fine line to tread - you want to look fabulous rather than ridiculous."
"When I was growing up, I thought of 50-year-old women as old, but I obviously don't now," she laughed. "I think that things maybe changed with Joan Collins and Victorial Principal on Dynasty and Dallas.
"They were in their 40s, and in lead roles, and were very glamorous, and are still very glamorous today. And that can be achieved by everyone. Everyone these days can afford good skincare. You can get Barbara Daly stuff from Tesco from a fiver a pot, and so it is easier to stay looking good.
"There are lots of different ways of living at 50. You might have an eight-year old, you might have no kids, you might be an empty nester. You might be a company MD or not have a job at all.
"But there is a way that everyone can look their best, feel great, and enjoy the best years of their lives!"
Next page: Sue's top fashion tips
Madonna through the decadesSue's top fashion tips
1. Get your foundations right. A bra and knickers that fit you properly can take a stone off you. Get the foundations right, and everything you put on top will look good.
2. Look at your hair and makeup. You might have had dark auburn hair when you were 19, but dyeing it the same shade at 50 will age you – you might need to go a few shades lighter, to complement your face. The same goes for thick black kohl liner on your eyes – that can work against you, and make you look older than you are.
Beauty stands in department stores all offer free makeup consultations – have a chat with the women who work there and ask them what they think.
3. Buy the right size for you. Sizes vary enormously – a 12 in some shops is a 14 in another, so don't be afraid to buy the bigger size. Cramming yourself into a size 12 when you're a 16 will do you no favours.
4. Try to fall out of love with black. Everyone assumes that black makes them look thinner, but that isn't always the case. A big baggy black top can make you look much bigger than you are.
5. Accessories make the woman, but don't go overboard with it. Wear the things you really love and you'll look great.
Sue's book, Feel Fab At 50, is priced 9.99, and available at www.amazon.co.uk. Her website, www.feelfabat50.com will be up and running in a few weeks.
Madonna through the decades:
IN HER 20d
At 20, Madonna drops out of the University of Michigan, where she was studying on a dance scholarship, then moves to New York and becomes a nude model.
In 1982, at the ripe old age of 24, Madonna releases her first song, Everybody.
Her debut album, Madonna, is released in 1983 and goes gold in 1984.
She achieves a couple of firsts in 1985 - she marries actor Sean Penn amid a flurry of media attention, and makes her movie debut in Desperately Seeking Susan.
Her next film project, Shanghai Surprise, in which she stars with her new husband, is a flop.
IN HER 30s
Madonna starts her 30s by divorcing Sean Penn in 1989.
She releases the Like A Prayer album the same year.
The controversial video for the title track leads to condemnation by the Vatican and the Pope tells Italians not to attend her concerts.
At 38, Madonna gives birth to Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon (often known as Lola) – her daughter with Cuban personal trainer Carlos Leon.
That year she also wins a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her portrayal of Eva Peron in Evita.
In 1997, Madonna becomes a member of the Kabbalah faith.
IN HER 40s
Another decade, another baby – and another husband. Madonna gives birth to Rocco John Ritchie, five days before her 42nd birthday, then marries his father, British film director Guy Ritchie, on December 22, 2000.
Madonna turns children's author and publishes her first book for kids, The English Roses, in 2003.
During celebrations for her 47th birthday, Madonna comes a cropper while riding a horse and breaks her collarbone, her hand, and cracks three ribs.
At 48, Madonna creates controversy by adopting a 13-month old Malawian baby boy named David Banda (renamed David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie) during her trip to an orphanage in Malawi in October 2006. The adoption is officially approved 18 months later.
In 2007 the Guinness Book Of Records names Madonna as the highest earning female singer of all time.
Debbie says she feels lucky to have made it this far
Debbie Dunham is a sub-editor at the Evening Telegraph and turned 50 this year. Here she writes her thoughts on hitting such a milestone.
THE worst thing about being 50, without a doubt, is knowing the next milestone is 60. The next worst thing is knowing you now only have three things to look forward to: the menopause, grannyhood and death.
No, seriously, 50 is the new 30 when you realise it's not just Madonna you share your age with, but the Peter Pans of pop, Michael Jackson and Prince. What a vintage year 1958 was!
So, do I feel different about hitting the big 5-0, and what will it mean to me? Well, I could still pass lookswise for being in my 40s, so I won't be upset if people put me at 47 or 48 now, as that will seem so much younger than I really am. I still go boxing twice a week, can't cook, and live in a home that resembles a student hovel. I haven't deserted H&M for Principles, let alone Bon Marche, and refuse to take up baking, knitting or doing the pools in place of vegging in front of Big Brother.
In fact, going back to Madonna, isn't she exactly how a 50-year-old should look? I know she lives on cabbage and air and am not sure it's wise to put your leg behind your head after that diet, but us nifty-50s don't all wear dirndl skirts, support tights and have our hair shampooed and set.It is true, however, that my childbearing days will be drawing to a close. Seeing as I spend most of my working day cursing the Arctic-like air-conditioning in the office, the odd hot flush will be a welcome break, and at least I'm going to be saving a few quid in Boots each month.
It's time I decide where I really want to live, to write that book and see places I have always wanted to see.
And I might have one of those health MoTs for good measure. Apart from that, bring it on. I feel lucky to have made it this far.
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