You have to hand it to her, Melania Trump knows how to give great hair.
Burnished bronze, her mermaid curls tumbled beautifully over her shoulders throughout last week’s State visit. And it was this, rather than the jewels and the Dior clothes and the possible tweakments, that made her appear far younger than her 55 years.
Imagine for one moment Mrs Trump with the same style but grey. She wouldn’t look her age, she would appear decades older.
I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about grey hair.
At 67, I am fortunate in having healthy, thick hair – the only downside being the fact it grows faster than tumbleweed. I have to hightail it to Mel, my trusty colourist at Hari’s hairdresser, every four weeks. And that’s pushing it. By then, there’s close to an inch of visible grey for her to banish.
During my last visit I discovered it wasn’t just the area around my front hairline that’s affected, but also the back. And I saw a frightful picture of me from above where it looked as if there was a wide patch of snow at the parting.
Every now and again Mel and I have the same conversation about whether to let my hair revert to its natural colour. Instead of dying it with a montage of chocolates and caramels, she would gently convert me to a range of silvers.
And every time we – or at least I – swiftly conclude there is no way that is happening. I’m not giving in.
Imagine for one moment Mrs Trump with the same style but grey. She wouldn’t look her age, she would appear decades older, writes Alexandra Shulman
While I have never had any interventions such as Botox or fillers, and I am steering well clear of any fat jabs, I am not prepared to go au natural when it comes to my hair colour. My dark hair is who I am. To turn into a grey-haired person would be a dramatic and psychologically disturbing decision for me.
But I am surrounded by friends who have made that decision. Many had lovely dark hair in their youth and well-maintained highlights in their 40s, and have now, in their late 50s and 60s, gone grey – with very mixed results.
Some look great. They have the right skin tone to deal with the grey without looking washed out. Or they are lucky enough to have sparkling blue eyes, which helps. Others look drab versions of their former selves. And it is the drabness that is the danger.
You can (and many do) look old with dyed black hair, especially if you go the full Morticia Addams and keep it long. Badly dyed black is not only ageing, it’s spooky. But you don’t look drab.
Of course this all leads back to the thorny question of why I mind looking old. I know we should be able to accept ageing with grace and, to a large degree, I do. But not when it comes to my hair. It’s worth paying the £3,000 a year it costs to keep me looking ‘me’ – not young, but at least not dreary.
Why women at war make such good TV
Robin Wright, Laurie Davidson and Olivia Cooke star in Amazon Prime’s psychological thriller about a doting mother and her son’s girlfriend
I’ve just binged the hit Amazon drama The Girlfriend, an enjoyable tale of rivalry between a doting mother and her son’s predatory girlfriend. There’s nothing like a good catfight – women scrapping and plotting against each other.
Think of the interest in the supposed animosity between the Princess of Wales and Meghan, before Meghan took her prince over the water. Or the sad breakdown of relations between Victoria Beckham and her son Brooklyn, which has been blamed on his wife Nicola Peltz.
And then there’s the accusations of toxic behaviour by female bosses such as Gwyneth Paltrow which are nearly always levelled by other women.
Although there are many examples of tensions between men – brothers William and Harry, or Lachlan and James Murdoch, the warring sons of publishing mogul Rupert – they don’t seize the public imagination in the same way. There is something particularly chilling about women scheming against each other.
Could this be because we can’t let go of the old-fashioned idea that it’s against a woman’s nature to be aggressive? We are allowed to be powerful and successful, but the idealised maternal figure is someone who nurtures, who enables rather than destroys.
Society is far more accepting of men at war. Indeed, there is a tacit understanding that to be an alpha male you have to trample over your fellow men. When a father is suspicious of his daughter’s new boyfriend, it’s regarded as protective. A mother who feels similarly about her son’s partner is overly clingy. Whatever the reason, The Girlfriend, even with its sometimes incredulous plot, is a jolly good watch.
Posh’s documentary is sure to be a hoot
Victoria Beckham with her son Brooklyn and her daughter-in-law Nicola, whom she doesn’t see eye-to-eye with
Her daughter-in-law might not see eye-to-eye with her, but I’m a big fan of Victoria Beckham and can’t wait to see her new Netflix documentary. Among her many gifts, Victoria is very funny and knows the power of poking fun at herself.
One of my favourite pictures from my time at Vogue is a fashion shot of her in a fake kitchen stacked with dirty dishes.
On her T-shirt are the words: Too Posh To Wash. ‘Quite right,’ she said in the interview, ‘I don’t ever do the washing up.’
Lady Starmer’s touching gesture
My favourite moment of the Trump visit came during the military parade.
Sir Keir and Lady Starmer were seated front row and, as the King and Queen arrived, Sir Keir was deep in thought, possibly wondering how to negotiate the Mandelson issue with the President.
Seeing him not entirely focused on proceedings, his wife Victoria patted him firmly on his thigh – at which point he leapt to his feet with the rest of the audience.
Such a familiar, wifely action.
My bistro corkscrew has pulled its weight
A word about corkscrews, surely a vital part of any household.
Over the years I’ve owned extravagant French steel-levered contraptions, bog standard turn-and-screw ones, elaborate American rocket-shaped gadgets and many others, but none works as well or has lasted as long as my trusty wooden bistro style.
I’ve had it at least 40 years and counting. Why does anyone use anything else?
