As Sexy As Helena Christensen

She’s a former Miss Universe Denmark who went on to become one of the original supermodels of the 90s. She has also worked as a fashion designer and a photographer. But still, Helena Christensen has been criticised for wearing a cool bustier.

The criticism was about her mature years. “Why, at the age of 50, did she decide to pitch up in a tacky, black-lace bustier?”, asked the former Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman in her Mail on Sunday column. Shulman described the look as “madam in a one-horse town” and wrote: “Something you wore at 30 will never look the same on you 20 years later. Clothes don’t lie.”

In our opinion, you can dress as you please at any age. Yes, we should wear what we like, rather than following trends. In the end, style is individual and we do adapt and adjust our wardrobes as we get older. But that doesn’t mean we should choose a monochrome boring comfort zone for our look.

The Japanese fashion designer, Yoshi Yamamoto once said:

For me, a woman who is absorbed in her work, who does not care about gaining one’s favour, strong yet subtle at the same time, is essentially more seductive. The more she hides and abandons her femininity, the more it emerges from the very heart of her existence

In the end, being sexy doesn’t have to mean short and tight. And if you feel invisible, that’s probably not the best way to make you notice. At middle-age, it’s not about perfect curves, it’s about being comfortable in our own skin and embracing our imperfections. It’s not necessarily the imperfections themselves but rather, the way in which we own them. So while most women have cellulite, it’s not the ones that have the least who carry it well, it’s the ones who don’t care about it who are winning.

Sexy comes with an attitude of confidence and being comfortable with one’s body and self. It’s about feeling beautiful in both stilettos, as well as a pair of Levi’s, a white t-shirt and runners, despite most of society thinking the former is what sexy is.

Sexiness can be about kindness, laughing at the same jokes and sharing stuff in common. Forget what you’re wearing on your body, the most important thing is the expression you’re wearing on your face. A smile can be sexier than a red (or blue) lace corset and far more comfortable to wear. A smile can work in mysterious ways. People may forget the details of your clothes and your hair, but they never forget a great smile. It invites and attracts attention; it flirts and teases; it empathises and welcomes. It reaches out to the other person and makes them feel special and wanted and this, in turn, makes them see you as sexier and more desirable.