The Chic List: My poster girl for style and substance

The Chic List: My poster girl for style and substance

  • Jennifer Aniston revealed that she secretly struggled to have a baby through IVF
  • Joanne Hegarty comments that Aniston speaks her mind and won’t be knocked
  • UK-based fashion expert comments on what makes the 53-year-old so admired 

For years, Jennifer Aniston secretly struggled to have a baby through IVF while the world speculated about when she was finally going to become a mum. How painful that must have been. The 53-year-old’s revelation in Allure magazine this month is a powerful reminder that we never truly know what’s going on beneath the surface in someone’s life. In an age of carefully curated images it’s easy to forget that no human, no matter how successful, is untouched by pain: my younger brother was killed in a road accident three years ago. 

I like Aniston. She seems to know who she is, speaks her mind and refuses to be knocked down by her haters. Yes, she lives in a mansion in the Hollywood Hills but, as she told Allure, she can’t have children, yearns to have a partner to come home to and had an unhappy childhood. 

Joanne Hegarty (pictured) sporting her own version of the festive secret weapon: an lbd from 16Arlington.co.uk

Of her battle to conceive, she said: ‘It was a challenging road. I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas… I would’ve given anything if someone had said to me “freeze your eggs”. You just don’t think it. So here I am. The ship has sailed. 

‘Never say never, but I don’t have any interest in marrying again. I’d love a relationship. It would be wonderful to come home, fall into somebody’s arms and say, “That was a tough day.”’ 

Jennifer Aniston (pictured) revealed that she secretly struggled to have a baby through IVF. Joanne Hegarty comments that Aniston speaks her mind and won't be knocked

Jennifer Aniston (pictured) revealed that she secretly struggled to have a baby through IVF. Joanne Hegarty comments that Aniston speaks her mind and won’t be knocked

As a woman, I admire Aniston’s combination of strength, vulnerability and honesty. As a fashion, writer I also love her sleek, pared-back style which, rather than change over the years, she seems to have grown into even more. The LBD, a favourite in the 90s and noughties, is her secret weapon: she still chooses black for some of her most high-profile appearances. 

Another Aniston signature is minimalist knitwear – she’s a big fan of the black rollneck, often teamed with tailored trousers or straight-leg jeans. At home with the dogs at the weekend she hangs out in white T-shirts and jeans. And, like me, she loves a blazer to add polish to a casual trouser combination. 

I admire Aniston’s vulnerability and honesty

For accessories, she’ll layer gold necklaces of different lengths over a simple top and add a grown-up handbag from Celine, Chanel, Louis Vuitton or Valextra. 

A woman of more substance in her couldn’t-care-less 50s, with a strong sense of her personal style: Aniston has come a long way since Central Perk.

Check mates 

Thanks to Kate Moss’s turn at the Bottega Veneta S/S 23 catwalk show in a blue flannel shirt and jeans, the utility classic looks set to be big next year

Thanks to Kate Moss’s turn at the Bottega Veneta S/S 23 catwalk show in a blue flannel shirt and jeans, the utility classic looks set to be big next year

Thanks to Kate Moss’s turn at the Bottega Veneta S/S 23 catwalk show in a blue flannel shirt and jeans, the utility classic looks set to be big next year. Add gold jewellery and a tuxedo suit for immediate elevation. Make mine blue, too. 

Sleek on the slope 

After suffering style envy in the ski-lift queue, Tamsin Burford decided to start her own online skiwear company

After suffering style envy in the ski-lift queue, Tamsin Burford decided to start her own online skiwear company

After suffering style envy in the ski-lift queue, Tamsin Burford decided to start her own online skiwear company. ‘I always felt inspired by the designs I saw when I was in the mountains but couldn’t find what I wanted in the UK,’ she says. So winternational.co.uk was born, offering women skiers all they need to look pukka on the pistes (and après-ski), from a range of designer brands; for example, these cute boots by Inuikii (£198). 

Cool as a cucumber 

Feel like you’re spending too much on beauty products? A cheap new skincare trend has taken TikTok by storm. Simply cut a cucumber in half, freeze it, then rub it on your face. A regular going-over helps with undereye puffiness and reduces fine lines. I’m off to try it – bye! 

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk