Did you see last week’s episode of Trinny and Susannah Undress the Nation? The dynamic duo had it in for black clothes this time, saying British women wear far too  much black, and that it’s time we stopped. Claiming that they were going to disprove the ‘myth’ that black is slimming and flattering, they took a woman who loves wearing black, and dressed her first in the most shapeless, baggy, sacklike black clothes they could find, and then in a neat little red dress that fitted her perfectly. Surprise, surprise, the red outfit was judged more flattering, but come on ladies, isn’t that cheating just a little bit? I’d totally agree that the black outfit they chose did nothing for their model, but the same thing in red or blue or yellow would have been just as bad, if not worse. If you really think black isn’t slimming or flattering, why not compare two identical outfits in red and black?

What made me laugh even more is that both Trinny and Susannah are often either photographed in the press or appear in their own shows wearing black themselves!
There is absolutely no denying that black is one of the most versatile, chic and flattering colours a woman can wear and that is precisely why we all do! It would have made a lot more sense if Trinny and Susannah had talked more about how to wear black clothes and how to team them up with colours and accessories that will create fabulous outfits.

Whether it’s a classic little black dress or the perfect pair of black trousers, I don’t know a single woman who wouldn’t put something black on the list of clothes that make her feel confident, stylish and yes, slimmer as well. So sorry, Trinny and Susannah, but I don’t think you’re going to banish black any time soon!

How many pieces of black clothing do think you have in your wardrobe? Five? Ten? Well, if you’re the average British woman, research has shown that the number’s actually more like 47! Apparently, our wardrobes are typically over 40% black, and on average, we’ll own three pairs of black trousers, a pair of black jeans, three black skirts, two black dresses, six black jumpers, 12 black tops, five black coats and 12 pairs of black shoes and boots.
I don’t know about you, but that pretty much sums up my wardrobe, and personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s all very well fashion editors declaring that we should all be wearing ultramarine, or purple, but for those of us who have to throw together a smart outfit in ten minutes flat every morning, black is a godsend. You can dress it up or down, it goes with everything, and it stays looking fresh all day (as long as you avoid Persian cats!).
Black looks expensive, even when it’s not, and while other colours have their moment in the limelight, and then scream ‘last year’, black never goes out of style – those little black dresses Audrey Hepburn wore so beautifully would still take you anywhere today. And best of all, you can put it on, even on a fat day, and instantly look taller and slimmer. So forget diamonds – it’s black that’s a girl’s real best friend.

Is anyone else a bit, well, dazzled by some of the clothes in the shops this summer? The big, splashy prints, the yellows and the electric blues are all very well if you’re 16, but for those of us who won’t see 30 (OK, or 40) again, it’s all a bit too in your face; I don’t want to blend into the background, but I don’t want clothes that scream ‘look at me’ either.
If, like me, you’re looking for something a bit more chic and timeless, I don’t think you can go far wrong with black. We often think of it as a winter colour, but unlike summer’s brights, black looks great whether you have a tan or not, and of course it’s slimming too, which somehow feels even more important in summer, when there’s more of you on show.
Well-cut black linen trousers are a great alternative to the winter ones that most of us live in from September to May, while a sleeveless black shift dress is blissfully cool, yet still looks as though you mean business. At the weekend, a fitted black waistcoat instantly updates the classic white T-shirt and jeans combination, while a chic black sundress in crisp cotton is summer’s version of the classic little black dress, brilliantly easy to dress up or down for anything from a barbecue to a drinks party. And if you’re planning a holiday wardrobe, why not make it easy on yourself? Pack a capsule collection in black and white, and you won’t waste a second of your holiday wondering what to wear.

If you’re petite or even average height, chances are that long, slender legs are one of the things that would be on your wishlist, should you ever bump into a fairy godmother. While we disagree about whether we’d like curly or straight hair, big boobs or small ones, I’d bet there’s hardly a woman under five foot eight who’d turn down the chance to add a couple of inches to her legs. Luckily – what with fairy godmothers being so thin on the ground – there’s lots you can do to make your legs look longer. So if nature didn’t give you legs that go on forever, try these tips and get the lean, leggy look for yourself.

• Avoid cropped trousers; the horizontal line where they end makes legs look shorter.

• High heels are an obvious way to make legs look longer, but only if you can walk confidently in them. If not, you might as well be wearing a sign saying ‘I’m quite short but I want to look taller’. If you tend to totter, go for a lower heel and a pointed toe instead, so there’s a nice tapered line down to the end of your feet.

• High-waisted trousers and skirts, which are in all the shops this summer, make legs look miles longer, just because they seem to start higher. Short jackets and tops can have a similar effect, as long as you wear them over a slim, sleek bottom half.

• Choose bootcut or straight trousers and jeans, and make sure they’re long enough to cover your shoes, so you get a long, clean line. Skinny jeans and flats are cute, but they will make stubby legs look even shorter.

• Avoid horizontal details on skirts, like dropped waists, tiers, or border trims. They chop you into sections so you look shorter.

• Wearing one colour from head to toe, or even just below the waist, means there’s nothing to disturb the eye, so legs look longer. For the ultimate leg lengthener, you can’t beat well-cut black trousers, or a black skirt and black tights, with black shoes.

• For summer, fashion editors swear by  ‘nude’ shoes (that’s beige to you and me). Worn with bare legs or skin-coloured tights, there’s no colour break at your feet, so legs look long and slender.

If you thought finding clothes in the right colour and size was tricky enough, get ready for shopping to become altogether more complicated: within a couple of years, scientists say, we could be choosing clothes not just on what they look like, but for what they can do for us. Companies like Philips, Hewlett Packard and Casio are working on ‘wearable technology’, that can turn our clothes into computers, phones, music systems and more, so instead of toting gadgets around with us, we’ll simply wear them.
Want music while you walk? You’ll be able to buy a jacket with a built-in MP3 player. Like to keep in touch? Computer technology embedded into fabric means you could send emails from your coat, via a drop-down keyboard in the cuff. Special fibres could be used to produce clothes that’ll cool you down or warm you up, as required, while with sat nav built into your skirt, you need never get lost again. For the hypochondriacs among us, there’ll be clothing that constantly monitors your heart rate and blood pressure, while paranoid parents can dress the kids in T-shirts with tracking devices (no word yet on whether they’ll be available in adult sizes for straying spouses).
Scientists at Bristol University have even worked on a jacket that can be set to beam out information about the wearer to other people with the same garments, so if you’re eyeing up someone in a bar, for example, your jacket could tune into his and report back that he’s a model railway enthusiast who lives with his mum and sixteen cats. Which should streamline the dating process quite a bit.
It all sounds thrillingly futuristic and Star Trekky, but couldn’t they just have invented clothes that washed, dried and ironed themselves instead? Now that’s what I’d call technology.

Coming soon to a fashion store near you: a mirror that gives fashion advice. Yes, I know it sounds like something out of Harry Potter by way of Star Trek, but apparently this reflective replacement for the bored best friend already exists. Called the Magic Mirror, it works by reading tags in the clothes you try on. Stand in front of it in your potential new outfit, and, like your very own shiny, flat Trinny or Susannah, it’ll suggest the perfect accessories to complement the look, and point out where to find them in the store. Slightly disappointingly, it doesn’t actually speak, only displays its tips on a screen, but then again, do you really want to stand in a changing room filled with robotic voices shrilling ‘What that needs is a nice pair of black heels’?

If you’re not sure the colour’s really you, it’ll tell you what other shades the clothes come in. Got the wrong size? It’ll helpfully summon the right one, without taking ten minutes to finish a conversation about how it was, like, really annoyed when Natasha said that, then rolling its eyes and looking you up and down with the words ‘A 12? Yeah, right’ written all over its face. Which makes it one up on most Saturday girls.

 If you need a bit more feedback, it’s also now possible to send live video footage of yourself in your new outfit, through your changing room mirror and straight to the mobile of your best friend, partner or mum, and then to get their comments displayed on the screen. All very 21^st century, I’m sure, but given the chances of unwittingly zapping a shot of myself in a bikini straight to my boss or my bank, I think I’ll be sticking with a message from the mirror.

Have a look at this other article I found in the Daily Mail and see what other mirror marvels are coming to our stores!

Get the layered look - and beat the weather!
Well, the weather’s really gone nuts this month, hasn’t it? The other day, I went out all muffled up in a coat and scarf, only to find that by lunchtime, summer had suddenly descended and everyone was strolling about in T-shirts. Not wanting to be caught out twice, next morning I swapped the coat for a jacket, and guess what? Britain had been suddenly temporarily relocated to somewhere east of Siberia.

We seem to be getting all four seasons at once, and I don’t know about you, but my morning routine doesn’t really allow for a detailed consideration of the weather forecast before I even start getting dressed. Then there’s the fact that even when it’s cold outside, offices are often heated to sub-tropical temperature, so if you’re warm enough on the way to work, you’re sweltering when you arrive.

What’s needed are adaptable outfits that can cope with Siberia and Sorrento in the same day, and that means layering. Two or even three thin layers can be as warm as one chunky knit, because they trap warm air between them, and if it warms up, you can just peel one off. The key is to avoid the bag lady look by making sure the base layer is something close-fitting, like a vest, T-shirt or camisole, so there’s a bit of structure.

Gap is always good for this kind of look, and they’ve got some great short-sleeved and cap-sleeved fine knits that layer beautifully over their long-sleeved T-shirts. If you’re thrown by the idea of wearing long sleeves under short ones, try keeping the colours close together rather than contrasting – it’s a less scary way into the look. Another idea is to wear a jersey camisole under a shirt with a suit - it really freshens up a formal outfit, as well as adding a bit of extra warmth.

For the coldest days, you need some lightweight knitwear that can be layered over a shirt or T-shirt. Cashmere’s perfect for this time of year, because it’s warm but not weighty, so you can slip a coat or mac over the top without feeling like the Michelin man. M&S has a fabulous cashmere empire line cardigan, in grey, dark pink or a really pretty spring green, and I’ll also be looking at the Japanese store Uniqlo, which has branches springing up all over the country. They have a fantastic cashmere range at amazing prices (currently from around £20 for a sweater) and their spring colours are beautiful.

My other tip for the great British winter is to always carry a hat. Apparently 50% of body heat is lost through the top of your head, so if you’re caught out wearing that spring mac when you should have been wrapped up in your warmest coat, a hat can make all the difference. Accessorize has some great knitted berets that you can just squash into your handbag; with one of those and an umbrella, we can be ready for whatever the British weather throws at us!

 How to look 10lbs slimmer – instantly! Hands up if your New Year’s resolution was to lose weight? I read recently that something like 40% of us plan to start a diet and/or gym programme this January, but personally, I can’t think of a worse time to try to shed the pounds. Most of us still have a cupboard full of fattening little treats from Christmas (rum truffle, anyone?), and when it’s cold and dark outside, the idea of a jog round the block and a little light salad is, to say the least, less than inviting. So my advice would be to save the diet plan for spring, and go shopping instead. Whether you’re top or bottom heavy, or just plumper than you’d like, you can look taller and slimmer without losing a single pound, just by choosing the right clothes. I did a little survey of my best-dressed friends – of all shapes and sizes - to find out which clothes work miracles for them, and these are our tried and tested tips:

• Black, black, black! Everyone swears by it - slip on a well-cut black suit, or a curve-skimming dress, and you’ll look ten pounds lighter, instantly. If it’s a bit too harsh for your colouring, wear something light-reflecting near your face – pearl, mother of pearl or not-too-shiny silver work brilliantly.
• Boot cut or slightly flared trousers and jeans work wonders on chunky hips and thighs, because they balance out your silhouette. Try on a pair of tapered trousers and then some bootcut ones, and you’ll see the difference instantly.
• Wrap tops, V-necks and scoop necks are all great for making you look taller and slimmer, because they lead the eye downwards. If you’re not comfortable revealing your assets, the trick still works if you wear a contrasting camisole or vest top underneath.
• Wearing the same colour from top to toe makes you look taller, and therefore slimmer. That doesn’t have to mean the same shade - different tones of the same colour can work just as well. Wearing tops and bottoms in contrasting colours cuts you in half and makes you look shorter and wider, which unless you’re going for a part in Teletubbies, isn’t the aim (yes, I know Teletubbies are one colour from head to toe – but just imagine how much fatter they’d look if they weren’t).
• The shops are full of fabulous long knitted cardigans and coats, which are great for disguising lumps and bumps. Choose finer knits rather than enormously chunky ones, and go up a size if necessary, so they skim over your hips and bum. Yes, it’s painful to get that next size, but everyone knows high street sizing is totally arbitrary anyway, and no one’s going to see the label, are they?

So how about you? Do you have a ‘magic’ outfit that always makes you look and feel slimmer? What are the most slimming cuts and fabrics for your shape? Share your tips by posting a comment below, and we’ll all look fabulous in 2008!