. . . at 59, Twiggy feels better than ever in her skin. Even if these days her secrets include packs of frozen peas and photos taken after midday, says Cassandra Jardine
The encouraging truth is that Twiggy does not look nearly as young in the flesh as she does in most of the photographs in her new book about how to look fabulous over 40. She has, I am heartened to observe when we meet in a London hotel, a slight tummy, jowly bits and a light craquelure of wrinkles.
Her cleavage is not available for scrutiny because she is wearing a high-necked T-shirt - M&S, of course - teamed with mannish trousers, waistcoat, jacket, blue silk brogues that make her "feel like Fred Astaire" and navy nail polish. The combined effect is of a well-groomed, genetically blessed woman of 59, rather than a cryogenically preserved nymph.
She shouldn't mind me saying that, because her book is all about how she is content to be her age. No Botox or laser treatments for Twiggy, nor scalpels, liposuction or collagen implants. "The whole thing of being depressed about getting older is wasted energy, so I try to be positive," she says.
In fact the only surgical appliance she has used in the last couple of years has been a corset to keep her bad back in order after a disastrous moment, "like 10,000 elastic bands snapping", when she bent over in the shower. Otherwise, she is as nature has dictated, helped along by regular exercise, sleep, a good diet, skin creams, flattering (but not always expensive) clothes and careful make-up.
At the tender age of 16, she became the world’s first supermodel. Now preparing to enter her seventh decade, Twiggy is to publish a style bible for the over-forties.
Es gibt viele Ikonen aber Sie war fuer mich die erste ... Ulla
