Body confidence comes with age, new survey shows

When it comes to body confidence, middle-aged women come top, with those over 55 rating their looks higher than their younger counterparts in a new survey.

Around 44 per cent of women in this group rated their physical appearance as seven out of ten or higher, and 60 per cent said they only dress to please themselves, according to the research which was conducted by TU at Sainsbury's.

In comparison, across all age groups, 41 per cent of women would rate happiness with their appearance as more than seven out of ten, while just 35 per cent of women dressed for themselves.

The vast majority of women think that men prefer a curvy figure, with 80 per cent believing this.

Gok Wan, who designs a range for TU, commented: "It's great that the nation's women are embracing their curves and feeling confident about their figures. Women today no longer need to feel like they must hide behind draping fabrics and are choosing to show off their wonderful shapes."