HOW TO REMAIN AND LOOK STYLISH IN 40's

"Life begins at 40", crowed American author William Pitkin back in 1932.
Unfortunately, his gushing ode to fortysomething life failed to consider one crucial development that too often arises around the 40 mark: the increasingly stubborn refusal of one's belly to coexist with its belt.
Should a growing middle spell the end of a fortysomething's forays into fashion? Phill Tarling thinks not. He's a celebrity stylist who has rejigged the wardrobes of everyone from Adrian Chiles to Tom Hardy, and it's safe to say most of his clients end up looking far more stylish than any waifish Topman model in skinny jeans ever could.

So, in search of answers, we turned to Tarling. Here are his top tips on how to look your best at 40 and beyond.

1. Get grooming
"Staying on top of your hair can keep the years off your face. Most barbers and hairdressers offer a tidy up for a fraction of the cost of a full haircut, sometimes called a fringe trim."

2. Keep your colours tonal...
"Guys with a larger body shape who want to look sharp and considered should stick to slimming, darker earth shades. Match your tie to your jacket, and if you wear a white shirt, stick to the blue or grey families for the colours that surround it."
...and your patterns subtle

"Avoid big chalk stripes, windowpane check or any other strong detail that's just going to look like a deck chair. Find a fine check that's tonal, perhaps in a birdseye weave — a really small, detailed texture will look great."

3. Know your body shape"Don't wear your belly hanging over your trousers because you'll look like your torso takes up two thirds of your overall height. Bring balance to your silhouette by wearing your trousers on your waist rather than your hips."


4. Stick to structure
"Don't buy big and baggy. Any tailoring you buy should be structured, as it will give you shape. A little structure in the shoulder of a blazer will keep your silhouette neat and clean."


5. Accessorise
"Ditch the comedy Simpsons pants and novelty socks.

"Braces are available from high street department stores from John Lewis to Debenhams and M&S. They'll have clip on braces and some vintage braces — vintage will require trousers with buttons on the inside.

"If you're wearing a waistcoat, try adding a pocket watch. The chain should go from second or third button from the bottom, dangle down and then scoop back up and into in the left or right pocket just above your hipbone."

"When pairing a tie with your suit, choose between wide lapels, wide shirt collars and wide tie or smaller lapels, smaller collars, and smaller ties."