This one menopause side-effect no one talks about meant I had to throw out half my wardrobe... and no, I didn't go up a dress size!

As I driblet different point connected to nan chamber floor, my daughter, Sophie, fixes maine pinch a quizzical look. We're sorting done my cupboards, truthful I tin person a clear-out and she tin measure if there's thing worthy trading online.

Sophie's intelligibly perplexed by nan sheer measurement of items being discarded. 'You really want to get free of each of these things?' she muses pinch disbelief, arsenic she holds up a size 10 lilac-coloured number from Reiss which I bought respective years ago. Memorably (for me, anyway), I wore it for my inaugural quality connected Question Time.

It's not nan only outfit to beryllium jettisoned during this ruthless cull — from nan royal bluish Max Mara dress, accessorised pinch a gilt star-shaped belt, that I wore to a family wedding, to a yellowish button-down frock sprigged pinch achromatic roses and which, though only a fewer years old, would still spot maine done plentifulness of summertime parties.

It's moreover clip to opportunity goodbye to Diane von Furstenberg — namely, a navy checked DVF garment dress — contempt nan truth it was a gift from my hubby Martin.

Now don't get maine started connected my tops. I'm peculiarly sorry to spot a powder bluish sweater deed nan decks, since it's my favourite colour.

In short, this has been a full-scale blitz. Why? Put simply, my expanding midlife bust nary longer fits into them.

You see, successful nan past 5 years, my bra size has accrued from a neat C cup to a alternatively unwelcome E, moreover though my hips and waist person remained unchanged.

Cramming myself into these outfits whitethorn put anyone adjacent successful mortal threat from a stray fastener flying into their eye.

Having a booming, Jessica Rabbit-style bosom whitethorn service Kim Kardashian well, but I look a small excessively adjacent to Les Dawson dressed arsenic a woman, complete pinch a thorax that you could service supper from.

Fortunately, for my ain sanity, I'm not nan only one. Plenty of women testified that having erstwhile been successful proportion, they're hitting their precocious 40s and abruptly uncovering themselves forced to springiness up their wisps of lingerie for bras that tin double arsenic hammocks.

A caller study revealed that 1 successful 5 women knowledgeable an summation successful bosom size aft menopause. Yes, breasts do alteration pinch The Change. 

When oestrogen levels drop, bosom insubstantial becomes little dense and much fatty. This is compounded by nan truth breasts are much delicate to weight summation arsenic we get older, since dormant beverage ducts shrink and are replaced by fat.

If that's not challenging enough, bigger midlife busts are much prone to sagging arsenic nan tegument loses elasticity and sag-preventing collagen quickly diminishes.

This droopiness moreover has a aesculapian name. Hello, bosom ptosis! Apparently, a female pinch dense breasts whitethorn spot her nipples driblet by 4 inches. Yes, you publication that correctly. If this isn't depressing enough, bosom fat is highly resistant to fare and exercise: erstwhile it's there, it ain't budging. Or astatine nan very slightest it's very difficult to get free of.

All of this goes immoderate measurement to explaining why galore fifty-something women commencement storing fat up apical erstwhile they haven't before.

As acold arsenic I'm concerned, abruptly sprouting a heaving cleavage astatine my life shape comes pinch superior challenges. In a younger female it whitethorn good beryllium seen arsenic sexy, but I conscionable look matronly.

One bully friend, who now has a alternatively magnificent embonpoint, really struggles pinch nan unwanted attraction it brings. 'I'm 54 and I don't want to find that group are looking astatine my boobs because they're conscionable truthful 'out there'. It's awful.'

And now that summer's here, nan business is only much embarrassing since rising temperatures mean each those classical camouflaging sweaters aliases jackets person to beryllium abandoned.

Just nan different day, I was looking astatine immoderate pictures from a blissful travel to Greece. The countryside looks exquisite against a peerless bluish sky. Yet each I could spot was nan shade of Carry On prima Hattie Jacques arsenic I posed for nan camera successful my pinkish T-shirt dress.

Even if I effort to disregard my hefty midlife thorax I'm reminded of it by seeing, astatine a caller wedding, an arsenic bouncy friend.

My pal, who's not nan look-at-me type, was wearing a gorgeous dress pinch pleated skirt and flattering sculpted arms. Unfortunately, from nan waist up, nan position was inescapably Himalayan. Even I couldn't thief but stare.

So what americium I going to do astir it? Certainly, it's a costly business since bully supportive bras aren't cheap. I've conscionable splashed retired astir £100 astatine a master shop aft many times asking nan income adjunct for thing which could clasp me.

Her response: 'We tin springiness you a amended shape, but size is size.' Nice.

So I've decided that nan only measurement guardant is to distract and compromise. I'm not considering surgery. This is not a judgement connected others, but I could ne'er voluntarily spell nether nan knife.

(Plenty do, though. According to nan British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, procedures to alteration size now dress up 40 per cent of each bosom operations, up by much than a 4th successful 3 years.)

Otherwise, location are exercises that attraction connected strengthening nan thorax and backmost muscles. This will, alternatively than trim size, thief to amended posture, supply amended support for nan breasts, and alleviate immoderate discomfort.

Of course, I could do arsenic manner designer Amanda Wakeley recommends and clasp my curves. One apical style tip: opt for scoop aliases V-necks, showing much of nan cervix and elongating your proportion. 'Emphasise those curves, don't hide them,' says Amanda. 'Most importantly, bask your assets pinch confidence!'

So, I revisit nan heap of discarded apparel connected nan floor, earlier yet handing them complete to my girl for her online sale.

Time to glory successful my assets? My courageousness fails me. I determine I'd alternatively judge nan caller reality of my midlife thorax and spell for flowing tops and baggy shirts. I fig that I tin still execute groomed and trendy without looking for illustration a tattoo connected a sailor's arm.

Let's dream each those buyers connected Vinted aliases eBay bask nan waste and cherish my erstwhile prized purchases — while they still can. No booby prizes allowed.