Style at any age: Amanda Lamb

All About You online 06.03.2008

From Scottish Widow model to 'A Place in the Sun' presenter, Amanda Lamb talks fashion with Alyson Walsh and reveals her age-defying style tips

Amanda Lamb in front of a mountain view Amanda Lamb has just bought a new dress. The 34 year old presenter of Channel 4's 'A Place in the Sun' has been on an impromptu shopping spree. 'It's a teal green, '60s style shift with long sleeves, and it's gorgeous,' she enthuses. ' Oh and I bought some silver Miu Miu sandals too - it's dangerous living five minutes away from a Matches boutique.'

But, the vivacious property expert hasn't always been such a spendthrift. 'I grew up on a council estate and used to have a thing about buying expensive clothes,' Lamb admits. 'The thought of spending £300 on a dress would make me feel ill.' Now with a high profile career and cash to spend, Lamb (which is how she cheerfully refers to herself in conversation) is a bit more relaxed about buying designer fashion. 'I do have a splurge every now and again, not thousands, just a couple of hundred quid on a Diane von Furstenburg wrap dress or something from Gharani Strok.'

At six foot tall, with an enviable 34" inside leg, the Judith Chalmers de nos jours spent her 20s as a fashion model. Widely recognised as the face of Scottish Widows, the ad campaign that projected Lamb onto TV screens and billboards nationwide, where she successfully remained for over a decade.

So, is fashion still important to her? 'I do care about fashion - but I'm not a slave to it,' she states. 'I was always a big model, a size 10. I've got boobs and hips so I'm aware of dressing for my shape, there are certain things, like leggings, I just can't get away with.'

This frank self-knowledge teamed with an ability to enjoy fashion and remain objective, is the key to looking stylish, whatever your age. Lamb is savvy enough to realise that her womanly curves can't carry off all the latest trends, and wise enough not to want to. 'Now I'm older, I have a better understanding of what suits my shape, I'm more comfortable in my style, ' she asserts. 'I'm a lot more classic - I said to myself, "Alright Lamb it's time to start dressing your age".'"I love a wrap dress. They're a godsend, so easy-to-wear and smart."

Wholesome and sexy, travel TV's answer to Nigella Lawson admits she has a wardrobe full of figure-flattering wrap dresses at home. 'I love a wrap dress. They're a godsend, so easy-to-wear and smart.' Amanda has the talent to combine high-end and high street: 'I spend money on shoes - I love Miu Miu's quirkiness - but I don't always spend on clothes. I tend to mix and match - Topshop do a fantastic wrap dress.'

That said she doesn't always get it right, 'Dressing for TV is a case of trial and error - sometimes I look back and think ohmigod Lamb, why did you put that on?' One particular occasion in South Africa springs to mind, 'I wore a silk dress - there's always a lot of hanging around in cars when we're filming - and when we were finally ready to shoot, this beautiful dress had creased like mad, it looked awful.

'So now I stick to fabrics that don't crease, and I avoid silk, the last thing I want is sweaty pits.' With top-notch stylist Mark Hayes on board, Lamb admits she's had a bit of a style makeover. 'We went shopping together and he'd get me to try things on, clothes I wouldn't normally look at - everything he chose looked fab. He's a genius. The new series looks fantastic.'

Lamb's down-to-earth attitude and honesty make a refreshing change from the superficial world of skinny celebrities and their excessive spending. So what if she's made the odd fashion faux pas, haven't we all? And anyway, this just adds to her charm. She's real. Comfortable with her looks, and self-deprecating too, 'I'd love to be one of those women who always look effortlessly stylish, but I'm not.' And on that note, it's time for the former model who ditched the hooded cape for a holiday wardrobe to find 'A place in the closet' for her gorgeous new dress.

Amanda Lamb's age-defying style tips:

1. If you wore a trend the first time round, you're too old the second time round. Leggings, shorts - need I say more

2. Know your assets and make the most of them. Then hide the bits that aren't so great

3. Don't be afraid to experiment, but keep the receipts!