Much has been made of the fact that Susanna Reid and Joan Collins yesterday shared a sofa on daytime television wearing dresses described as nearly identical. Much has also been made of Dame Joan’s graciousness in a situation that might have felled a lesser mortal. The problem is one with which many women can sympathise. Few have been spared the ordeal of walking into a room and meeting someone else wearing the same dress. To do so on national television is yet another circle of despair.
Men are invariably at a loss to understand why this matters. So too, however, are some women. To quote just about the only known instance of Chairman Mao being right, women hold up half the sky. They cannot do that if they are worried about what other people are wearing. Few things could matter less. The only possible response to a fashion clash is, as Reid and Collins did, to laugh it off and get back to the business in hand, be it sitting on a TV sofa, starring in a film, or running a FTSE 100 company.
As for Dame Joan, her graciousness might have been borne of the knowledge that the dresses were not actually identical and hers was far more flattering. While her almond blossom-print dress was from Dolce & Gabbana, Reid’s was, as those in fashion like to say, a homage to that same print by George at Asda. A star of 60 years’ standing is not going to let Asda affect her composure.
Besides, as every woman secretly knows, it’s not just about whether someone else is wearing the same dress. It’s not even about how much it cost. It’s about who looks better. On the Good Morning Britain sofa yesterday, there was only ever one possible winner. The dresses might have been similar, but the contest was between youth and old-school stardom. Move over, Susanna. All hail Dame Joan.