I am an expert when it comes to choosing the perfect little black dress because I have owned many myself over the years, from the Chanel boutique to Miss Selfridge on the High Street. The first one I ever purchased was in the early seventies, yes I am that old I can remember hippies, I was one in my Ossie Clark black maxi and chiffon headband. These days I struggle to find something that fits me well, the young labels cater for sticks and the more mature market needs binning, so I am always on the hunt in charity shops to find affordable quality frocks.

I always choose a bunch of charity shops situated in a more wealthy area because rich, shopaholic women are very generous donators, so designer pickings are often available and can be very exciting, like a vintage Chanel suit, dated and too small but still worth every penny of the 20 pounds paid. I got the Chanel suit home from the Red Cross shop in Acocks Green, carefully removed all the beautifully hand crafted logo gold buttons and used them to tart up an old Zara black wool box jacket, hey presto!

I quickly and cheaply reinvented an old look into something chic, slick and undetectable to anyone, even looking at the closer detail, the buttons speak volumes and immediately screams out “the real McCoy”.  Finding a well-known French designer label inside a LBD, hidden away in The Heart Foundation, Hinckley a few years ago I was in smug heaven, especially when I put it on and it fit me like a glove.

This was the perfect little black dress for a real body, covering curves with enough stretch and comfort to mould and flatter, making me look thinner and not fatter, always a problem with off the peg fashion pieces. The dress cost 8 pounds and I wore it to death, until eventually it needed a place in the clothes I loved and lost cemetery, better known as landfill.  My VCLBD was inspired by the gap left after my French designer treasure was no more and it is made from the same amazing fabric used for the PBL.