Sofia Coppola at Cannes

The fabulous Bill Murray karaoke scene in Lost in Translation is reason enough to love Sofia Coppola. Who didn't want to swap places with Scarlett Johansson for a go on the mike? And, I know it's a bit of a cliché to bang on about how chic this scion of Hollywood royalty is, but for grown-up style inspiration, her low-key look on La Croisette has been second to none. Largely Louis Vuitton - she is mates with Marc Jacobs after all - the 42-year-old's look is very modern, very pared-down Parisian. Or a bit like Alexa Chung without the quirk.

Photos: Getty.

Down with frou-frou...

Where are all the women over 50?

Harriet Harman photo: Getty

Let's have a big round of applause for my local MP (and Labour's deputy leader and shadow culture secretary) Harriet Harman. On the day when UK broadcasters and the Older Women's Commission were meeting to discuss discrimination against female TV presenters over the age of 50, Harman remarked:

'Broadcasters behave as though the viewing public have to be protected from the sight of an older woman and that's just rude. There is nothing wrong with being an older woman. We've got to fight back against this sense that older women are less valuable, whereas men accumulate wisdom authority and experience as they age.'

Hear, hear. Now, you've probably seen this already but I think the front page of today's Guardian - highlighting the statistics from a new study - is worth another look:

And now for my two pennies worth... I'm so bored with the media's unhealthy obsession with youth. And the fact that to remain in the limelight, talented women are expected not to show any signs of ageing, to dye their hair and pump their faces full of Botox and fillers and what have you. Whilst male counterparts are left to go grey and wrinkly, in peace. It's just not on. And it's really shocking that such blatant ageism and sexism is allowed within these big corporations. Julie Walters, 63, was spot on. Where is Anna Ford? Why can't she be on the news? Why can't fantastic women like Joan Bakewell, 79, be on TV more often? She was brilliant on Have I Got News For You.

Anna Ford, aged 69.

Joan Bakewell wearing the thinking woman's earrings.

As fashion broadcaster and co-founder of All Walks Beyond The Catwalk Caryn Franklin, 54, said on Woman's Hour today (there was a brilliant feature on older models with Franklin and the fabulous, 84-year-old model Daphne Selfe), 'It's not just about older women seeing older models, it's about younger women seeing older women too.'

Caryn Franklin. Photo: Getty.

I love chandelier earrings

Isn't this the epitome of Casual Glamour? That's my signature look, in case anyone needs reminding. You'll often find me in jeans and a t-shirt and a big pair of chandelier earrings. I have a big head and a long neck so this works for me - and I like to liven up a low-key outfit with a sprinkling of glitz. It's the Blackpool in me. This photograph is from Toast, where you can buy the lovely striped Breton top but unfortunately not the earrings - they're vintage and have sold out. I know, tragic. Should you be wanting to create a similar effect, here are a couple of eye-catching alternatives.

Tom Binns painted Swarovski Crystal.

Tom Binns chandelier earrings.

Miguel Ases blue quartz earrings for Astley Clarke.

If, like me, you have prefer your jewellery on the trashy side - how about this pair from ASOS for a tenner?

How do you like to dress up a simple outfit?

The Audience with Helen Mirren

I loved Helen Mirren's offstage outburst this week, it certainly added a frisson to our trip to see The Audience, last night. Not wanting to disturb the Dame, I nervously checked and double-checked my mobile phone beforehand to make sure that it was switched to silent. Mirren is fantastic as Her Maj and adeptly portrays the Queen over the decades. Accurately capturing the changes in both demeanour and voice. The outfits are fabulous too. From a 1950s nipped-in waist frock to the Queen's boxy dresses of today - and the swift costume changes are cleverly worked, with the help of courtiers. Of course. On stage, as in life, some of the prime ministers are much better than others. Harold Wilson is particularly good, as is John Major, but David Cameron is instantly forgettable. I found the scenes where the Queen chats to her younger self unconvincing and unnecessary, but (SPOILER ALERT) liked that the script has been niftily updated to include Thatcher's funeral and Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. My favourite moment comes when the real life corgis run across the stage - that and nipping out Mirren-like at the interval for a Gelupo ice cream.

Photos: Telegraph.

Four steps to the perfect wardrobe

That's Not My Wardrobe. It's an image taken from a Closet Control feature I've written for M&S' Style Edit: advice on how to create the perfect wardrobe in four easy steps, and potentially the biggest case of 'do as I say, not as I do' in fashion history.