Fashion: Fiftysomething, and fabulous in her fashion

Jan de Villeneuve is 54. She was a cover girl in the Seventies and looks great today. We took her through the collections of some British designers who make clothes for women rather than girls.

Jan de Villeneuve turned up for our shoot wearing a long black jacket and matching trousers by Agnes B, a plain white T-shirt and a pair of Converse trainers. She looks as cool and modern as her 18- and 22-year- old daughters. Now that she's in her fifties, she still has the attitude that anything goes.

From the rail of clothes in the studio, we chose two relaxed looks for day by Nicole Farhi and Episode; a versatile and easy-to-wear black dress by Betty Jackson; and for evenings a glamorous tailored jacket and palazzo pants by Pearce Fionda.The Nicole Farhi suit and scarf were closest to her own personal style, and she loved the drama of the Betty Jackson dress, with its free panel tying at the shoulder. The power-shouldered jacket by Pearce Fionda was perhaps most out of character to her own relaxed style. "It's funny to see these shoulder pads coming back in. But as you get older, you tend to wear things that are more comfortable."

Beige-and-cream-striped top, pounds 99; caramel-coloured textured trousers, pounds 129, both by Episode, 172 Regent Street, London W1, Fenwicks, New Bond Street, London W1, and stores nationwide (enquiries, 0171-439 3561); striped cardigan, pounds 119, by Fenn Wright and Manson, from Fenwicks, as before; buttermilk trouser socks, pounds 3.95 by Hue, from major department stores nationwide (enquiries, 0171-436 4091); tan suede loafers, pounds 95.50, by Russell and Bromley, 24- 25 New Bond Street, London W1, and stores nationwide (enquiries, 0171- 629 6903)

Single-breasted glitter jacket, pounds 741, and black satin palazzo pants, pounds 286, both by Pearce Fionda, from Selfridges, Oxford Street, London W1 (enquiries, 0171-609 6470)

Grey trousers, pounds 199, and jacket, pounds 449; dusky pink, beaded camisole, pounds 199, grey chiffon beaded scarf, pounds 149, salmon bead-trimmed cardigan, all by Nicole Farhi, 158 New Bond Street, London W1, (enquiries, 0171-499 8368)

Black jersey dress, pounds 286, by Betty Jackson, 311 Brompton Road, London SW3 (enquiries, 0171-589 7884); black satin shoes, pounds 269, by Michel Perry, available at Pied a Terre, 31 Old Bond Street,

London W1