Dressing my age

I’ve always loved to show off my legs, because they’re my best asset. I’m single, after all, and I love wearing miniskirts. It’s a rock-chick thing. The other guys’ wives all still wear miniskirts, so I don’t see why I should give them up. Plus, guys I’ve gone out with have always told me they like me in minis. I still wear them as short as I did when I was 18, but with thicker tights and still with high heels.

Recently, I went shopping with my daughter Elizabeth, who is 20 and gorgeous. We were in Vivienne Westwood and saw a cute outfit that had a very short skirt. Then Elizabeth tried it on. “Uh-oh,” I thought. It looked much cuter on her. So, I let her wear the very short skirts now.

I have had one depressing moment. After my fourth baby was born, a photographer took a picture of me on the beach with horrible cellulite. I probably had water retention after the birth, but I didn’t look anything like as horrible as that picture. I’m sure they retouched it. It was most upsetting. A year later, they photographed me again with some guy, and all the papers said: “She looks a bit better now.” But it seems to be fashionable at the moment to picture celebrities looking bad.

I lead a busy life, and I like to look good, but to me, shopping is a necessity and not the most exciting thing to do with my time. In fact, I hate the actual business of shopping, especially the loud thumping music that high-street shops play. I also hate trying on things in a tiny, cramped cabin with dreadful light; it’s like going into a torture chamber. I guess that’s why I like the bigger, fancier shops, such as Dickins & Jones, Harrods or Harvey Nichols, because they tend to be more relaxed and spacious. I like to buy a lot at the same time; I shop for an entire season. I’ll buy 40 pairs of stockings in one go, but now I’ve designed my own collection, with Charnos, I don’t need to do that any more.

My daughters love shopping. Elizabeth will roam around and take hours, and Georgia, who is 12, insists we go to Topshop. Once, I bought a red and white striped cardigan from there for myself, but I never got to wear it, because she nicked it. I often shop with Elizabeth — she’s terribly busy modelling, so it’s a way of spending time with her and spoiling her. Our favourite designers are Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Vivienne Westwood. I also love Anthony Price and Thierry Mugler, whose clothes are timeless, sexy and empowering.

Elizabeth thinks the clothes I wear are cool, because she’s really into fashion, but Georgia sometimes tells me that I look too sexy. Recently, I wore a corset top that shows a bit of cleavage, and she said: “Mummy, you’re boobies are hanging out.” Maybe she worries that I’ll find a boyfriend she won’t like.

My bedroom is like a shop for my daughters. They borrow my clothes, so I always have to buy extra. They’re keen on my cashmere sweaters and leather jackets. I say to them: “Please, let me wear this at least once before you nick it.” Then it disappears, so I go into their rooms and find it lying on the floor.

Elizabeth and I often like the same thing, but she’s a young girl who is finding herself, so she wears a wide variety of clothes. At one stage, she loved square- and round-toed shoes; she didn’t really like Manolo Blahniks. I was like: “Oh, my God. You don’t like Manolos?” Now, she has seen the light and she loves Manolos, so everything is okay.

I still wear a bikini, and I hope I’ll be able to wear one till I’m 80. I like good bottom coverage, low-slung at the hips. I get lovely Chinese cheongsams made to order at Shanghai Tang, which all my children love me in. I adore Tod’s and loafers, because you can get around really quickly in them. After all, I’ve got four kids and an active life. But high heels are pretty and make your legs look better, so I wear them on special occasions. I used to get depressed about the size of my feet — they’re size nine — but now I don’t bother. I order shoes straight from Manolo Blahnik, or I buy them from Harrods.

I don’t often wear trouser suits, but at home I wear jeans all the time. I’m not into builder’s bums or G-string-revealing trousers. I think G-strings are disgusting. At the moment, Georgia is wearing very low trousers by Diesel, which I don’t approve of at all. “Your bottom looks as if it’s about to fall out,” I tell her. But I always let my children have their own way with clothes, so they can get the fad thing out of the way. They can wear anything they want at home, but if we’re going to a restaurant, I won’t let them show their midriff. And I think body piercing is disgusting. Thank God, none of my children has done that.

Earlier this year, I had my hair feng-shuied. No, really. I was staying with my sister in Texas, who I’m very close to. She introduced me to a guy called Michael Motorcycle. He reads your hairline, finds out what your hair wants to do and lets it do just that. He gave me a cut that’s easy to maintain and he did the colour, which is gorgeous. I love this man, and now he does all my family’s hair.

I believe that you have to accept life gracefully, as it comes — like the seasons. The main things are to enjoy yourself, look as good as you can and be happy in your skin.

The Charnos Jerry Hall Signature Collection of hosiery is available at major department stores, or at www.tightsplease.co.uk or www.figleaves.co.uk