Why 55-year-old Dame Helen Mirren still clicks among fashionistas

London -  Nine out of ten women believe that women over 55 years of age are more stylish than ever- to the extent that older celebrities have now become fashion role models for the younger generation, according to a survey

A third of women aged 18 to 25 have forsaken former trendsetters such as TV’s Cheryl Cole and turned to showbiz stars in their 50s, 60s and even 70s for fashion tips.

66-year-old Dame Helen Mirren was the top icon in a survey, with Twiggy, 62, the runner-up, and 66-year-old Joanna Lumley in third place.

63 year-old Lulu, Felicity Kendal, 65, Judi Dench, 77, and former ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ judge Arlene Phillips, 69, were also embraced as Stylish Over Fifty-Fives, or “Soffs”, the Daily Express reported.

1 in 4 older women felt that there was no age limit to what to wear. Nearly 6 in 10 regularly wore sexy lingerie, as compared to just 43 per cent of those aged 25 to 35.

A quarter of 55 plus still wore a little black dress, more than half had designer jeans, and a fifth regularly donned pencil skirts.

Nearly half had trainers and tunic tops while one in four wore combat trousers and a fifth had a hooded parka.

However, the only item that more mature women felt had a shelf life was the mini-skirt, which they said should be packed away when you hit 29.

But a third of the found that high-street retailers had not kept up with them and the clothes on the racks were too dowdy.

More than 35 per cent said they would dress even more adventurously if they were solicited better in-store advice.

 â€œThe Soffs are here to stay. Mature women today have lived through decades of changing fashion and we’re delighted to hear they don’t see age as a barrier to dressing stylishly,” said Jackie Lewis, spokeswoman for the survey by online retailer isme.com.