London - You're never too old to feel like a sexual woman. You’re never too old to act like one either, preferably behind closed doors.
But you can definitely be too old to step out of the house with acres of cleavage on display - as 69-year-old Susan Sarandon proved this week, when she posed on the red carpet at the Screen Actors’ Guild awards ceremony with just a plunge bra preserving her modesty.
For while her porcelain skin, doe-eyes and modern messy bob haircut all screamed elegance - and made her look decades younger - the drooping cleavage on show instantly aged her, and rendered the whole get-up rather embarrassing.
The outfit caused an internet sensation, with comments ranging from “she looks rack-diculous” to “note to Susan Sarandon: no one wants to see old cleavage. Put those things away already”.
Probably not quite the effect Sarandon was going for when she teamed her chic white Maxmara trouser suit with a black bra that exposed not just her considerable cleavage but her upper abdomen as well.
As an Oscar-winning A-lister, Sarandon - feisty star of Thelma And Louise and The Witches Of Eastwick - has no need to vie for the limelight in such an obvious manner.
Yet, even as a small-busted woman, I can sympathise with her.
For a curvaceous woman like Sarandon, who has enjoyed the incredible power breasts have to mesmerise men, who has walked into a party shoulders back, breasts first, and felt all eyes upon her, hiding her assets away because she has reached a certain age could feel like losing an essential part of herself.
Like all bigger-busted women, Sarandon’s breasts will have dictated her wardrobe choices for decades, with every outfit carefully picked to showcase her best assets.
And they will also have, to some extent, defined her - as a sexually attractive, fertile woman, a woman in her prime.
I remember a friend, in her late 50s and an avowed feminist, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, telling me how much her husband loved her breasts and how much he enjoyed her wearing tight polo-neck sweaters which emphasised them or sexy low-neck numbers when they went to a party.
“I was proud of my breasts and proud that he was proud of them,” she told me. “That’s why I want to have a reconstruction as soon as possible.”
Another friend, back on the dating scene in her early 60s, has been reminded of the power of breasts to seduce. “I’ve learned that showing just a discreet amount of cleavage in your profile picture will ensure you get a lot more hits.
“I refuse to lie about my age, or Photoshop my photos, but my breasts are one of my few remaining physical assets. It’s only a hint of cleavage, but it does the trick.”
And therein lies the secret to revealing cleavage after a certain age: restraint. Women over 60 don’t need to shroud themselves in high-necked tops, but they do need to employ certain tricks when it comes to exposing their decolletage.
Actresses Helen Mirren, Jane Fonda and Meryl Streep frequently show off their figures in low-cut dresses, managing to look sensual and dignified at the same time. Good underwear is vital when it comes to flashing the flesh after 50, providing a good silhouette and banishing the dreaded sagging. Dresses should be made out of a supportive fabric, which lifts and shapes the bosom - heavily sequined materials work well - and straps should be wide. Spaghetti straps which cut into the flesh and provide little support are a no-no.
Sleeves or a stole are vital in covering the upper arms, as bare arms and a bare bust risks veering into mutton territory. Sheer panels can also be used to cover up crepey or sun-damaged decolletage, as can a light veil of tinted moisturiser.
Laser treatments, if you’re prepared to spend the cash, can help deal with both crepiness and pigmentation.
Susan Sarandon has caused a storm in a D-cup this week. She has also done all older women a favour, reminding us that when it comes to exposing our assets, sometimes the less we show, the more we gain.
Daily Mail