50 looks as many different ways as there are women, so why don't we see them?

I dream of a world in which older women who are larger than a size 10 are allowed out of the house in daylight!

Nicole Kidman on the cover of Vanity Fair in miu miu

You might remember a few months ago "the internet" went briefly nuts over a cover of Vanity Fair. It wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. This time, though, the internet jury couldn’t seem to decide what annoyed it most about VF’s cover of Nicole Kidman. 55 next week, she adorned newsstands wearing a miu miu micro mini and bra top, calf length socks and loafers that put Britney to shame. She was infantilised! She was airbrushed! WTF did she think she was doing leaving the house dressed like that at her age?! Why didn’t someone stage an intervention?!

As the backlash swirled, it occurred to me it was that last point that was the crux. Yes, the outfit wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. (OK, it was problematic to say the least.) Yes, I detected a bit of airbrushing. But, really, what offe…