We think it hilarious that, in darkest Africa, 19th-century explorers took the trouble to dress for dinner each night – but the principle at stake has an application today.

When I moved to the country, my best friend issued the following caution: “Stay in touch with the city,” she said. “I’d hate to see you turn into a potato.” I now know just what she means.

On those days when my partner’s away and no one is going to see me but the cows, spending time applying mascara is plain daft. However, here’s the thing; if you don’t make the day-to-day effort, when a big night out arrives and it’s important to look your best, you’ll find your make-up skills have gone out the window from sheer lack of practice.

There can be a similar scenario when women retire. I’ll be pounding my laptop until I drop but, each year, thousands of women go from hard graft to leisure-filled days. From aiming to look their best every day at the office, the temptation is to slide towards putting comfort above everything.

Cut crystal or pudding?
I was sitting in a café last week that seemed to be populated by seniors and I was struck by the number of shapeless anoraks, sloppy cardigans and bad haircuts. Youngsters can get away with the ‘who cares’ unkempt look but there comes a point when every woman has to ask herself: “Do I want the image I make to resemble cut crystal or pudding?”

For a role model, I’d suggest we need look no farther than Glenn Close, a stunner at 63. In Damages, her latest TV series, she looked terrific in her office uniform of crisp shirts and suits. At the 2010 Golden Globes, she stole the show in a strapless black gown of utter simplicity, her only adornment a diamond in each ear, her make-up oh so subtle.

What to avoid
Glenn Close and a few others apart, this year’s Golden Globe Awards were an amazing display of how not to look on a red carpet. Certain styles can put years on a 20-something, let alone women of our age. Here’s my list of what to avoid when we don our glad rags: frills, fringes and anything that could be filed under ‘sweet’; anything with appliqué – it shrieks 70s; anything tight – it’s disastrous if you are only 2lbs overweight and if you are underweight you risk looking scrawny; animal prints; a sweetheart neckline – unless you have a body like Helen Mirren; and, last but by no means least, a hairdo that’s too ‘set’, nothing is more ageing. Glenn Close got her coiffure spot on. An artfully casual ‘do’, it probably took hours to achieve in the salon but that’s not the point – it looked 100 per cent natural.

Jeans for 60-somethings
As for day wear, a reader e-mailed me to ask is it okay to wear jeans in your 60s? To my way of thinking, you can get away with wearing practically anything – including frills and fringes et al – if you have the confidence to carry it off. I see no reason why jeans should be off limits but there’s a caveat; if you want to avoid looking like mutton dressed as lamb, you’ll wear your jeans a little differently than your granddaughter.

Keep the look simple; team jeans with a plain t-shirt or white shirt under a tailored blazer (bang back in fashion this spring) and a pair of heeled boots – shined fit to bust, naturally. Finish the look off with the most expensive belt you can afford.

Make-up makeover
If you do have a granddaughter, considering roping her in to give your make-up a once-over. I’m dazzled by the make-up skills of young girls today – it’s odds on that she’ll not only bring you bang up to date, she’ll also teach you a few tricks.

Tip of the month
TS Eliot got it wrong, February, not April, is “the cruellest month”. The days are still short, the weather’s usually foul and it’s a tad too early to think of a major spring shopping spree. My favourite cure for the February blues is to treat myself to new earrings. You don’t even have to leave the house – check out www.tiffany.com