Today I'm going on a style journey with the extraordinary
Dame Prudence Margaret Leith DBE, more commonly known as the
South African restaurateur, television presenter,
broadcaster, cookery writer and novelist Prue Leaf.
Hello and welcome, Prue. Wow, it's such an honour to have
you here. It really is.
Thank you that it's such fun to to be here.
Well, I'm. I'm impressed.
It's 9:00 in the morning and you are here with colour and smiles
and beautiful makeup. And for a person in their 9th
decade, you seem to be speeding up, not slowing down.
Oh, I keep thinking I'm slowing down and that's it.
Remotely. I mean, what what?
What is the project that's really making your heart sing at
the moment? I think the thing that I'm most
happy with at the moment is we've got this new little telly
thing that goes on on Saturday mornings.
It's called Fruit Leafs Cotswold Kitchen and it's a cookery
program, which to be honest, I wasn't that interested in doing
because I think I've spent my whole life cooking.
It'll be quite fun to do something that was wasn't
cooking, but ITV persuaded me that Saturday morning.
It's perfect for cooking and I've really loved it because
it's tremendously casual. And I invite people.
If we get a second series out, you'll have to come.
It's just fun. You invite people you think are
interesting and fun, and then we talk about other things other
than food and we also cook. And so for example, we had, when
Sandy Toxford came, we did a recipe that Enid Blyton had put
into a charity mag in 1930 or something, and it was sort of
ham and egg pie. It was actually disgusting, but
it was so interesting. But I would think Sandy is just
so funny with it. In fact, I've seen a slippage of
it. She thought it was delicious,
but it would have been good if the pastry had been properly
cooked. But the lovely thing is that
I've decided that I'm not going to do anything twice.
You know, in all cookery programs, the home economists
have a whole lot of extra chickens or extra onions or
whatever it is so that you can mess up and then you can redo
it. But I we haven't got time and
we've only got a a day to do each program.
And so I just thought, this is silly.
We'll just do it like you would at home.
So quite often I'm trying to show you some wonderful trick
and it doesn't work. And then and then I just say,
oh, well, that didn't work. But you know, sometimes it
works. But there's something so
collaborative and social about cooking together.
I mean, I I still make marmalade with my 90 year old mother and
we love doing it together so. Yes, I agree if.
You've got a Marga. I'll come and make my my lemon
marmalade which? I I do always make marmalade.
I want to understand what makes you tick.
Sartorially. Sartorially, yes.
And so how did you decide what you were putting on this
morning? Well, to be absolutely honest,
I'm put, I put on this morning exactly what I put on yesterday
because I came up from the country and I don't like
carrying too much and I had to have a suitcase full of evening
clothes for last night. So I'm just dressed in what I
was dressed in yesterday and that's happened because I I
don't know, I I have a lot of these little jackets like Giles
with in every color with no sleeves and I'm really
comfortable without sleeves. So underneath I always have a
shirt and a gilay on top and so I choose a shirt and then think,
well it might be chilly. So I put so this is a pink
shirt. Well it's actually a top.
This is my top, one of my tops. I'm I have a little range with
Kettlewell, Kettlewell. Kettlewell have fantastic colour
which is why I went with them because they they have an
amazing range of colours. Most most fashion houses are
deeply into Gray and and beige and cream and elegant, elegant
clothes like you are wearing. And so if they have anything
they have one red thing or one yellow thing or something.
But Kettlewell really believes in colour.
And are you very particular about the shade of pink?
The shade. Of yellow.
I'm all into tone and the tone of colour is what matters.
I'd you know, people often say to me, I bought you this or
something because I know you love colour and I look at it and
I think not that colour because I I like very clean colour.
I was. Going to say.
I now think that a lot of my colour comes from the fact that
South Africa is so clean and bright and the sky is really
blue and the the sea is greeny blue and but it's they are all
clean club and the flowers are all very in your face.
I mean, there's nothing subtle about South African.
Flower, Yes, but it's that beautiful pure color, isn't it?
Found, Found in nature. Do you get back there much?
I do. I do, because there's a a chef
school called the Prue Leaf Culinary Institute rather
grandly in Johannesburg. As it should be.
And so I go there to see how they're getting on.
I mean, after the first time in my life I've had somebody to
actually help me with clothes and stuff because of just having
to do so much. And she's wonderful.
She runs, she's called Jane Galpin and she does it and she
has a company called How to Look Good.
And she got me straight away when I was before I was on Bake
Off, I was on some show called My Kitchen Rules and I just, she
was just given to me. And I was used to being having
stylists who were very, very young and they tended to want to
put me into things that late they'd like to wear.
So I was always being asked to wear shirt shirts was Fully
Cuffs, which is. Useless in the kitchen I.
Useless in the kitchen and be just not my style and all sort
of baby doll things in it. And I'm a large lady, you don't
want to put me in a baby doll dress.
And anyhow, but Jane came along and she absolutely got it.
You know, block colours, clean, simple.
And did she take you out of your comfort zone at all?
Yes, she often does, and she often comes with and the best
thing, because I've never liked shopping.
I absolutely love. That's why.
I started my label. Yeah, because I hated shopping.
Exactly. Well, exactly.
I hate shopping, but I do love clothes.
And she she just arrives with a rack full of clothes and flaps
through them. And I say what I don't like, but
very often I say, well, I don't like that.
And she'll just try it on. And I've tried on it.
I love it. And I was going to say, how
often is it actually, you've got a good point.
There very often, very often. But the other, my other great
influence in my fashion, if you like or style, is my husband who
was in the trade. I was going to ask about that.
Well, he he started as a salesman for a French fashion
house and he so he got into fashion and he'd been to art
school. So he somehow got himself into
the designing side of it and he ended up with three factories in
the middle of London in the days in you know, where the red trade
was all round Golden Square and so.
And he had, and he made clothes for Louis Ferrero, who he'd
never heard of anymore. But of course you'd you'd know.
Back in the 70s. And 80s, that's right.
And so he had a he had a really high class women's fashion.
He mostly was known for jackets and raised sort of structured,
more tailored things. And he and he does that
beautifully. But he then he SAT one day.
It's a lovely story. But one day the he had these
enormous fashion shows and I used to get all these a sort of
Madam Shop ladies who would come all over the country, who would
come to see what he had to to show.
And one one day he had this enormous show going on and his
secretary came up and said there's a girl from British
Airways here and I think she's somebody's guest.
But anyhow she is really keen to have some jacket.
And John was very busy and said oh for goodness sake, just give
her one and give her what she wants.
And he said, well, she wants 30,000 of them.
Amazing. And it was British Airways
wanting at one of his stretcher jackets, and he suddenly
realized that making uniforms was bliss.
Because you have 30,000 orders of the same jacket in the same
colour and different sizes, but you it's just so much better
than one really picky rich lady who doesn't like the yellow
buttons or says you know that's not not my color or and keep
saying she's a 16 when she's obviously an 18.
I have total empathy for him, but does he get involved in your
styling sessions with Jane? He does, and not so much.
Not so much. He sort of leaves Jane Bake Off
to Jane and he but he can't resist.
He's become addicted to shopping on the Internet and for you, for
me and he and he and he is really good at it.
It's mostly shirts and tops and things, but there are some
amazing things for very little money.
And of course I keep saying, well, there's probably, you
know, poor Chinese children, you know, in sweatshops making this
stuff. And and then he says yes, but
that's probably all the money that that family gets, you know?
That that is the argument, isn't it?
So you know, if we stop buying that.
Yes, I I don't know what's the right thing to do.
But anyhow I can't stop him because he is absolutely.
And so he often we have, you know, we'll be going to bed.
And he says, well before you take the brown pants off, I've
got these. And then we have this sort of
parade, rather. And they are amazing, some
really good stuff and beautifully made.
I remember buying stuff off the Internet years ago and it was so
badly made that you know you you didn't do it again.
But he would have the eye for the detail, so I bet you he
spends a long time zooming in on images to make sure that that
detail is. And I'm completely conflicted in
this because I love the result of all this scrolling through
the his phone, but I really hate him scrolling through this.
You've got a. Teenager at the table.
I've got a teen, you know, I'll be watching.
We'll be watching some really good movie.
And then I suddenly realised that he's actually looking at
fashion. I think it was fantastic built
in, stylish. Just going back to South Africa
and your childhood for a moment. Your mother was an actress.
Were you very aware of her style?
Yes, she was really very elegant when I was at school.
I'd really resented it because I wanted, I want.
She was very well known actress. She was South Africa's sort of
premier actress and so she never came to the school fate and she
didn't make cakes and she wasn't fat and cuddly.
She was very elegant. She wore hats and and she, her
picture was in the paper all the time and and I really didn't
like that and I remember once the head teacher said to me,
we've invited your mum to come and talk to the girls about
Shakespeare. I think about Shakespeare and I
just thought oh I can't bear it. I'll die of embarrassment.
And so I went to right to the back of the hall and sort of
hid. So I, you know, I really thought
I could just slip out of back need.
And she came onto the stage looking unbelievably glamorous
and she she's told us the story of Romeo and Juliet and then she
was Juliet and she became this 14 year old girl in love and she
was absolutely magic and she had the whole school just
completely. And then she became Hamlet and
Horatio and then she Henry the Fifth.
And and it didn't matter what she did.
She had a little box of hats that she wore to sort of change.
And and I walked out of that hall thinking, my mother's an
actress. Of course she can't make cakes
and come to school face. I was so proud of her.
Oh. What a lovely story.
And then I really began to appreciate the way she looked.
It was the fashion when I was leaving school.
It was this end of the end of the 50s really.
And she the fashion was shirt waisters, really beautiful
cotton, nicely made shirt waist and she had quite a low waist
and so she looked great in the shirt waist.
And in those days, you know little girls wanted to look like
their mothers. Now of course, they wanted to
look as anything but not like their mother.
And so did you follow her style? So I did.
And I couldn't pin pinch her clothes because she was smaller
than me. But I did like you know and I
yes, yes, I. Did and so you went from grunge
colours to. Shirt waisted?
Yes, clean. Do you think it was sort of, was
that talk at the school quite a catalytic moment in your
relationship with your mother? No, I don't think so.
To be honest, when I was young we didn't think a lot.
It was only when I became about, I suppose, when I got into boys,
you know, 16 or so, that I became really interested in what
I wore. But as a child, you know, I see
my grandchildren fussing about what T-shirt they get to wear
and what sneakers they get to put on, and they're two or
three, but they mind about their clothes.
I never, I will always pull the T-shirt that was on the top of
the pile and that's what I wore. And it didn't matter if it
didn't go with the shorts. It's it's fascinating, isn't it?
I wonder if it's this bombardment of visual
information we're getting from the television, from the
Internet and all the rest of it, whether that just sort of sparks
the synapses in a different way to when we were growing up.
I think so. Well, it might be that or it
might be. Yes, I I think it's it's it's a
mostly I imagine, about television and now phones that
you're constantly bombarded with pictures of how you're meant to
look. Yeah, it's a bit unhealthy
really. I'm.
I'm not convinced that it's the healthiest thing, but it is.
It's it's life. I mean, you then moved to Paris.
Yeah, As a teenager, Yes, I did. And did your style change
dramatically then or did it just evolve?
Do you know, I don't remember ever thinking about clothes at
all when I was in Paris? I must have and then.
You came to London at the beginning of the. 60s, didn't
you? That's exactly.
And then I did become really interested in fashion because
the 60s were so obvious. Yeah.
And so colorful. And Bieber had arrived.
And I remember queuing for purple suede boots and Bieber.
God, don't. You wish you still had.
Them I do. And you know what?
I did have them for many, many years.
They were, they were. They were well made Bieber
stuff. It was beautiful.
Anyway, so I and I had, you know, the Kings Rd. was, I
remember buying a a sequin actually a little sleeveless
waistcoat in sequins, which was just a little like clowns outfit
really. But.
It was 60s. Yeah, it was fabulous.
And I and I and I wore masses of necklaces, mostly long beads,
you know, all together. And was the the love of
necklaces, do you think that was inspired by Africa or was that
inspired by? Fashion At the time, a lot of my
necklaces in those days were African because of the beading
and I was used to buy them and when I went back to South
Africa. Something about the movement of
clothes and jewelry that I think is quite important, yes.
And that's and and when I often think the point about necklaces
is sort of to hold your clothes against you so that you it sort
of accentuates your shape. They're an anchor, aren't they?
Yes, they are. They are and and so and I I I
fuss about whether my necklace should be.
I mean this sort of one. This is one of mine by the way
you. You have become a fashion icon
in this. In this time of your life, how
do you feel about the fact that you are you're you are actually
a fashion. I I mean, you are.
You're becoming our Irish apple. Oh my God, I hope not.
I do very much like the fact that a lot of women write to me
or say to me, you know, I never dared wear colour until I saw
that you did it. And and some of them unhappily
say things like, um, you know, I used to wear color, but after I
turned 50, I don't think it's appropriate now.
And I think, I think this is so sad and and that's why I do
really feel it's fantastic that you're embracing colour and I
mean let's talk about your glasses.
So that's another little collaboration you've got going.
I know I've got lots of these little businesses going but
that's because I'm I actually love business.
I I've always loved it. I I I I hugely enjoy it and when
I sold my restaurant and school and and umm catering companies,
I really missed it. I I you know, I just it's a
funny thing to say but I think I get almost the same buzz out of
a profit and loss sheet as I used to get out of a perfect
wedding buffet in it I. I can understand that because it
has creative challenges. You know, being an entrepreneur,
which I consider you to be, and you fantastic restaurateur and
broadcaster and all the rest of it, but you, you have an
entrepreneurial spirit. I do, and I absolutely love it.
And I I I really think it's so sad.
So many young people. Less so now because it's
becoming much more fashionable to be entrepreneurial and young
people often know better than older people about IT.
Businesses. But there used to be a feeling
that anything to do with business was naff.
You know you didn't profit was a bad word and and you and it
would be very boring to go into a company.
You know you had to be an artist or an actress or something.
And you know, it's business is really exciting.
It is. I love it.
Well, yeah, of course you did very well.
I I think that my let me say what I've done is is the glasses
came from the fact that I could only find one company that that
had enough color in their glasses and enough variety and
so in the end I did a deal with them and so that started the
glasses thing and then something similar with necklaces.
Jane has helped me a lot because she she does a lot of the
quality, quality control and and yeah, so but I I love it.
I mean, they don't make it really, don't hardly make any
money at all, but as long as they break even or make a bit.
But it but it's fun and it gives you an endless supply of.
Wonderful. Yes, Wonderful.
It does. It does.
Can we talk about shoes for a second, though?
Because, God, I think everyone, It doesn't matter what your age
is, you know, after lockdown, no woman I know wanted to go back
into a pair of heels. And I know that I love being in
flats. And you know, as you get older,
you really probably don't want to totter around on heels.
But I feel that the right pair of shoes can make you so much
more youthful or make you so much older if they're wrong.
And, and I mean, how many women do we see in their 70s and 80s
and 90s looking a lot older just because of their footwear?
Yeah. And because they're they're
they're tottering because they're uncomfortable.
Yes, but even the Flats, you know, sometimes it's just what I
call granny shoes and they don't need to be because I'm looking
at you today in your fabulous sneakers with the pink laces and
do you have a a shoe license? No, I don't.
A sneaker. License.
You should do. But these are these.
These are called soul bliss and I love them because they're
really comfortable. Yeah, very soft leather, but
they're trainers, but they're leather and they're and they
come in every colour and then and they all laces, but they
look, you can change the laces. And I and I love that because,
you know, you could have a very sturdy.
Yeah. Older looking pair of shoes on,
Let's put it that. Way and it would.
It would take your whole appearance in a different
direction. So do you still wear any heels?
Do you know I've got one pair of heels which I've had probably
for 10 years, which is they're suede boots and their ankle
boots and they're Russell and Bromley and they're absolutely
so comfortable. I I can't tell you.
And the trouble is that since lockdown, I haven't worn them,
but I can't throw them away. I absolutely cannot.
Do they still fit you? Yes, they do.
No 'cause that's interesting, cause a lot of people talk about
how their feet me too, spread during lockdown and slopping
around and working stocks. No, no, I think no, they they do
slop it. And I wore them the other day in
the house and I thought, you know, I could, but I suppose I'm
actually now quite nervous of falling over and stuff and they
are quite high, but I can't throw them away.
Yes, but but why do you need to? Why do you need to?
Can we talk about dressing for awards ceremonies and dinners
and how? How do you approach all of that?
Well, my, I realised that if you've got a cope with the red
carpet, that what you don't want is what young people manage it
to do, which I can't do, which is walk down in the winter with
nothing on top, you know, a sort of bare arms and low dress and
or sleeveless or sometimes strapless, however glamorous it
is. I mean, I just shivering to.
I can't bear it all. I'm thinking about.
I'm freezing. I've got can't you know.
Kept me off here. And so I find myself wearing my
old raincoat or or coat coat. So what I like to do is to have
something that looks quite good without a coat because so that
you can. Go straight from the car.
Yeah, exactly. So.
And I've got a I've got one coat, which is, which is really
good for that because it's it's bright red and it has a sort of
fake fox fur collar. Huge and and sleeves, so it
doesn't really matter what's underneath it.
The coat itself is so glamorous. What about a vintage kimono?
Yes, that would look like nice. Too get Jane onto that.
And I think that could be. Fabulous.
She has got given me a got me a couple of kimono.
I do like the style. Yes, yeah, I I was always very
inspired by the simplicity of it and and the fabrics and the
colours are. I know.
And the embroidery on on a good kimono.
Just so beautiful. Yeah.
What is amazing now is how. How the most exquisite
embroidery happens all by computer in India or somewhere.
And it's honestly, it's better than anything you've ever seen
It. It is extraordinary.
How the? Fine.
Yes it is and and and the the embroideries onto mesh actually
look like lace now and beautiful but you know phenomenal seeing,
seeing all of that development. When do you think you really
discovered your style DNA? Do you know I think I'm still
am. I mean, I I I still quite like,
I mean I think it's John is really, I've been with John now
for 13 years and he has. I think he made a real
difference because he often produced stuff that I would not
have thought of and says go on try it and it works.
So I think probably the last 10 years I've had more fun.
Yeah. Mm hmm.
It it strikes me also you're having more fun with your hair,
You know, have this lovely choppy haircut.
Yeah, and that feels more youthful.
Yeah, and when I. Look at pictures of you 20 years
ago. I think you look younger now
than you did 20. Years, you know, and that is
definitely John because he wanted to get that my hair off
my face and so that. So that's what started this
business of pushing it up and back love it.
And I always thought I had to have a fringe to hide my
wrinkles on my stop it. Not my for it, Lisa.
Forget it. I mean, with 318,000 followers
on Instagram, you're undoubtedly an influencer.
Do you get bombarded with offers of to be dressed by brands and
designers? It's rather touching, but I'm.
I'm always embarrassed by it. Ordinary individual women will
send me things that they think I just saw this and I knew it was
for you and you have to have it in it.
And I think often, I often. I don't want it to, you know,
it's not what I I want, but they it's what they think I'd like.
And how do you handle that? Well, you just have to be, you
know, I mean, I just have to be as nice as I possibly can and
say thank you and but I'd like to discourage it because I don't
want people spending lots of money on me.
John, he's your second husband. What did you wear to get
married? Oh.
The night before we got married, I wore a red long bath dress
that I bought at Harrods for lots of money.
Had he been with you? To choose it?
No, I did it on my own and it it's absolutely plain.
And last week I gave it to my daughter because I'm not too fat
to wear it. Lucky daughter.
She's thrilled with it, So that's.
Not surprised. And and then then when we
actually got married, that was the night before when we went to
dinner and we were married in in Scotland, in Edinburgh.
And then on the day I wore a jacket from Beatrix Francesca,
because I love all her Indian embroidery and colors and things
in turquoise and a black pair of pants.
And was John involved in the decision?
Yes, I think he actually bought that jacket.
Yeah, and that, but that was its first outing.
Yes, yes. What would you say you've
reached for when you want to feel empowered?
Oh, probably something red. I remember years ago when I had
my company, I had one of those days.
When you ask a colour expert to come and talk to people about
what their colour should be, she came and did everybody's colors
And she started with me and she and I was wearing a red jacket
and she said you shouldn't wear red.
And I said oh why? So she said it's very aggressive
and you're the boss and people will feel frightened of you if
you wear red. And I thought this has got to be
rubbish and I was extremely resentful about it.
So I, you know, took no notice basically, but and I realized
that I have more red jackets than everything else.
I love red. I think my attitude about red is
that it's it's, you know, the Chinese aren't stupid.
They think it's it symbolizes happiness, wealth, you know,
they paint everything red. And that's quite right.
If someone was to describe your style, style, DNA in three
words, what would you want those 3 words to be if John was to
describe your style in three words?
Well, I think his his. His words would be elegant, fun
and colourful. But interestingly, he manages to
combine the idea of fun with elegance.
I mean last night I wore a a necklace which is just multi
colored glass beads and it's rare and when I first saw it I
thought that's really enough. But actually it's it's huge fun
and and sparkly earrings in the star sort of * shape and I
didn't want to wear them but he's said just did them and then
he said they looked terrific because I was on on the stage
doing my little piece and he said you you need something with
sparkles. So, so fun is his.
He thinks it's fun. If you're unsure of something,
who is the person you really trust for their opinion?
I think probably John. I mean John and Jane between
them. Would you say you've got a style
icon? Well, you know, it's very
interesting because I say all the time that I love colour, but
the but the people I admire and when I'm flapping through a a
magazine are generally dressed like you are in cream and beige.
And I mean, I think there's something so elegant about, if
you get that right, if you get the, you know, the sort of gold
jewelry and the tan suede jacket and the but it's cashier.
Coloring, hasn't it? Yes.
I mean, you've talked about needing a lot of clothes for
television, and everything that you do is your phenomenal.
Is your wardrobe phenomenally well organized it?
Is, and I love that. Is that I am.
Yes, I am. One of the the constant
underground debates in our house, which sometimes bubbles
into absolute arguments, is about what's John Will sometimes
accuse me of wanting the house to be sterilely tidy.
Because I have all my, you know, the all the jars that have the
sugar and the and the flour and the spices and everything else
are on shelves and then they're in the right order and that I
can find them and I'm glad. That you've been in the kitchen
this morning? And and I like, you know, I have
my shoes on shelves and I have all the black ones together and
then the Navy blue ones and then the red ones and so on.
And the same with, you know, I color coordinate everything so I
can find them because otherwise you're flapping around if
they're all muddled up. You sound like a secret
retailer, A merchandiser I am probably.
Whereas John is famously untidy. I mean, I can tell where he's
been because he leaves a trail of, you know, pastor will arrive
and and he will open it, which means he'll borrow a knife from
my very well organized knife, he.
Must love that on paper or cardboard.
He takes it, uses it on the cardboard, leaves the cardboard
there, leaves the knife there, leaves the inner wrapping there,
leaves everything there except what?
What was? And he'll take that out and dump
it somewhere. Else, this is sounding horribly
familiar to me, but we won't go. There, so, so the I mean a lot
of it is I tease him quite good at naturally but every now and
again I I say, look if you leave something in the same place for
two weeks, I'm I'm, I'm allowed to move it.
Rules in the House. Would you say you had a worst
fashion moment? I find that I'm looking at
myself on television. You know I'm I'm looking at some
show I've been in and it's not usually that the the clothes
wrong it's the way I'm sitting. You know I will lie back because
I'm feeling quite relaxed and enjoying myself and I'm really
sort of slouching in this in the chair and you know so that you
get all my chins in on display. And you know you, you have to be
aware if you're trying to look good that you put yourself in
the right position. Otherwise you just don't do
yourself any favours. So true, isn't it?
I mean, I am vain, there's no question about it.
And so I don't like it when I look awful.
I was in a couple of nights ago, I was doing Ant and Dec's
Saturday, whatever it's called, Saturday take away.
And I had to lie on a on a you know here they do these silly
little tableaus in a really quite funny.
And I I was lying in a Bunny suit with ears on a chaise long
being fed by Father Christmas, you know, poking cake into my
face. And I've no idea what it was all
about but I was most concerned that I having to lie down on a
on a chaise long. I would just look awful because
I was. You know, that's the perfect way
to get lots of chins. Let's just talk about travel for
a moment. Do you have a go to airport
look? Oh, no, no.
I'm just mostly concerned about what I really have on the plane
and how I can reach it. And have I, You know, have I got
my book and my computer and. Are you a good Packer or a bad
Packer? I'm quite good.
Number of pieces of luggage if you're going for more than a
few. Days.
Minimal. Honestly, I try very hard not to
take too much. And when it comes to shopping,
what would you say is the most expensive item of clothing or
accessory that you've ever bought?
Now I'm not asking the price tag I.
Remember when I was about, I suppose 30?
Yeah, about 30. I bought a Zander Rhodes silk
top and skirt and it was hugely expensive and it didn't suit me
and I didn't wear it and it was such a waste of money.
And of course, because it was so expensive, I kept it for years
and years and never wore. A guilty secret.
That's cool. What happened to?
It in the end. I said no, I can't remember.
It's a charity shop, I think it was such a pity because I I I
always admired Sandra Rose. But.
Brilliant. Absolute.
Such an artist, actually. And such a colourist.
Yes, exactly. And does even now.
She does all sorts of things. Have you ever bought recently
from her it? Wasn't recent.
I'm talking about 20 years ago, but I've still got it and I love
it. It's a black gauze jacket, which
is embroidered, you know, they embroidered on, you know, on
lace or on tool, whatever. And it it just goes over
anything and it's got these flowers all over it.
It's beautiful. Yeah, clever lady, lover lady.
Hypothetically speaking, if your house was on fire,
hypothetically speaking, you could only save one outfit.
What would it be to be a wedding dress?
No, I've got my wedding dress from my first marriage, which I
was very pregnant at the time. So this is a huge wedding dress.
And it was by Thea Porter, Thea Porter, and it was cotton and it
had antique lace, like a dungarees suit, you know, like a
finniful dress. It was a sort of finniful dress
and I've kept it ever since and it still hangs in my cupboard.
So I was going to say that must be the oldest piece in your in
your wardrobe. Probably is.
But would that be the piece that you would reach for?
I don't think so, because I know I'd never wear it.
Too practical. I think it would probably be a
piece of jewelry. I bought a piece of jewelry.
I bought a necklace from a gold necklace.
It's the only it's the only posh piece of jewelry I've got from
I've forgotten what his name was, a jeweler in Elizabeth St.
And I remember very well buying this because my I was recently
widowed and I was really unhappy and a girlfriend of mine said
you need cheering up. Let's go to this guy who has a
sale on in his jewelry shop and it she's he says.
He always gives you champagne and vodka jellies, so it's fun
sounds. Like a fun way to shop.
Well, exactly. This was a disaster because I I
mean, vodka jellies, they just taste like Jelly, but they're
full of vodka. And we were having glasses with
champagne, so of course we both got barely.
Of course I tried on this necklace and I couldn't resist
it. And so I bought it.
And I told myself, well, and I told him the the reason I'm
getting this is because while my husband was alive, every year
for Christmas, my birthday or something, there was always one
present, which was this present, most special present you got,
which was from your mate, you know, from your husband.
And it's perfectly true that I used to have to do to shop for
it, buy it, probably pay for it, wrap it, give it to him to write
the card. But at least I knew it was.
And then you'd be surprised. And then I'd be surprised that
I'd be thrilled, you know. Anyway, so I my excuse to myself
was that nobody gives me that. What?
You know, I got a lot of, you know, my you still get presents,
but you don't get that. Justification going on here for.
Exactly. A lot of dustbin.
So I bought this. We're in lured of room and shop
and he gives me this amazing necklace to try on and I go and
buy it. And then I said to him, you
know, it's because I'm trying to make up for the fact that I
don't have a husband anymore who gives me this one special,
wonderful present. And so he said, well, every year
afterwards, at the same time he would, he would bring me up and
say it's time for you to have your annual present.
And I never brought anything else.
He was always hopeful that I would and.
Do you still have that I? Still and I still wear it and
it's absolutely lovely and. Did it bring you comfort?
Did it make you think of your late husband?
Well, yes, it does. And it's and I'm very glad I
bought it. You know, it's just beautiful.
But it's not, you know, it's it's a very far, you know, it's
a million miles from this. It's, you know, it's not.
It's not fun and it's not vulgar and it's not colourful, but it
is very beautiful. Let's turn to some quick fire
questions. So these just simple quick
answers, what fashion advice would you give your 20 year old
self? I think to stop, try to getting,
stop trying to get into a size 12 when you're a 14 nowadays.
I would have to say stop trying to get into it at 16 when you're
at 18. Which fashion trend would you
most like to see make a comeback?
Do you know, I think I'd love to see dungarees back.
And would you wear them? Yes.
What fashionable beauty trend would you consign to Room 101?
I think Botox. I'll try and lift my eyebrows
now your last impulse buy. My last impulse buy, oh, I went
to, I had to do a literary festival, talk about books at
that thing called The Spirit of Christmas, you know, which is a
sort of show that goes on in Olympia Christmas Fair.
And I was so impressed with the sort of quality of all the
stores and the and the shops in there because it was all quite
quiet and there was no loud music and it was all very
elegant. And so I went into this coat
place called, I think it's called the London Fur Company or
something. And the and I bought, I bought
that red Jack jacket I told you about.
It was big fake fur collar. The lady said to me she she
wanted me to try on one another one with which was had no
sleeves and big fur cock pockets and it was long like a long
waistcoat right down to the ground.
So she said if you buy that you can have that you see.
So I got 2 for the price of one and then my husband came along
and he bought me another jacket. So I had said to him, let's do
all our Christmas shopping here because it's such a nice place
and, you know, comfortable and there's nothing left here and
anybody would like anything we bought.
And so we set off to do the Christmas shopping and we came
out with three coats for me and no Christmas shopping.
So it was 3 impulse buys. So I've got three really nice
coats. They sound pretty good ones.
Your views on tattoos? You know, I think it's such a
disaster. I know it's an old fashioned
thing to say, but I think it's so difficult to get rid of them.
And I really think you shouldn't do things you can't reverse.
Beauty. Treatment you couldn't give up.
Well, I don't do any beauty treatment.
High End or High Street? Ideally high end.
Minimalism or maximalism? Well, minimalism in in shape and
maximalism in colour Crocs. Cute or puke?
Certainly not Crocs. Sneakers or stilettos?
Or sneakers. Skinnies or boyfriends or wide
legs when it comes to jeans. Straight legs I like.
Sports Lux or Rock chick? I don't know what that mean.
Red carpet or relax? I like both.
I'm such a wonderful for attention.
I love the attention, so I do like red carpet.
Trend or style? Style, I think.
Color or monochrome? Guess Experimental or uniform?
I think experimental. Cashmere or cotton?
Cotton hoarder or editor? Well, unfortunately, edit.
I'm hoarder, but I'm I'm getting better at editing.
Shapewear or sexy lingerie? I've never had any sexy lingerie
in my life, but I do have a sort of vague lust for the idea.
Tights or stockings? Well, I did wear I'm either.
Bikini or One Piece? One piece.
Beanie beanie or Berry Berry? Vain barrier Tamashanta finally.
At the end of the day, what do you or don't you wear in bed?
I didn't wear much in bed. If it's chilly, I'll wear a a
sort of shift, which is Indian cotton was bought as a dress.
But there's now my 90. Relegated Prue.
Thank you so much for your time and your thoughtful answers.
It's an honour to be sitting here with you.
I've really enjoyed our conversation.
I'll tell you what, Amanda, I've enjoyed it too.
And since I've never given that much thought to style or fashion
or anything else, I've had to tax my brain all morning.
So sartorial therapy. Yes.
Yes, Well, thank you very much. Great fun.
Thank you.