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Mirren's sexy swirl! So flirty. So slimming. The cunning skirt swoosh that helps Dame Helen dazzle

• The actress has perfected the move which takes decades off her age 
• Almost every time she wears a full skirt on red carpet, she swooshes it up  
• Swirl sculpts Dame Helen’s figure better than any shapewear underneath
• Also helps show off her shapely and toned arms, writes ALYSON WALSH 

As Helen Mirren stood surrounded by swirling plumes of chiffon on the red carpet this week, she showed off more than her shapely ankles and winning smile.

For the actress also revealed her secret red carpet formula, which knocks decades off her age, shaves inches off her hips and shows off designer gowns to their best advantage: the skirt swirl.

For when Dame Helen lifted the hem of her chiffon Dolce & Gabbana gown, causing the floral fabric to billow out beautifully, it was no spur-of-the-moment decision. Rather, it was a tried-and-tested move which the actress has used for years. 

NOVEMBER 2015: Whoosh! Up goes Mirren’s white Dolce & Gabbana gown, revealing its delicate accordion pleats — and grabbing photographers’ attention at an LA awards bash. The high neckline and lace sleeves keep the look demure

OCTOBER 2015: Just a week after her Tokyo outing, she’s at it again at an LA premiere. Hidden netting gives the skirt extra volume, slimming her middle and ankles

As our photographs here prove, almost every time she’s worn a dress with a full skirt, the 70- year-old has swooshed it up for the cameras.

It’s a brilliant move — and one she can pull off only with a raft of hidden tricks, from secret pleats to concealed hooks.

In order to master this technique — which is more often seen on the dancefloor than the red carpet —Dame Helen favours gowns in fluid silks and chiffons, which are light as air and move with the body.

Some may also be fitted with concealed hooks near the hem, allowing her to slide her finger through and pick up the skirt with ease — a trick often used by wedding dress designers, with that vital first dance in mind. As the author of Style Forever, I know such tricks well!

The skirt swirl also sculpts Dame Helen’s figure better than any uncomfortable shapewear worn underneath. Hidden pleats at the waistband of her gowns trim the mid-section and provide acres of fabric for swirling.

Swooshing out her skirt creates an optical illusion, making Mirren’s already-slim waist look tiny in contrast to the voluminous skirts and reveals her shapely ankles. And Dame Helen does love a statement shoe!

This week: At the Critics’ Choice Awards in Los Angeles, 70-year-old Helen’s skirt flick shows off this floaty, chiffon Dolce & Gabbana creation — and her own enviable figure

OCTOBER 2015: Tiered silk means that this incredible Badgley Mischka design is light as air, while subtle pleats make Helen’s waist look slender — and provide plenty of extra fabric for swooshing at the Tokyo Film Festival

Stretching out the material of her dress with one hand is also a canny move which shows off her shapely arms and well- toned shoulders.

Dame Helen is famous for her allure, and this coquettish pose does nothing to diminish it — for the rustle of a skirt is undeniably sexy, reminiscent of French can‑can girls and Argentinian tango dancers.

What better way to show that at 70, you’ve still got attitude, that you’re still a trailblazer, that you’re still vibrant, than to practically dance down the red carpet?

SEPTEMBER 2006: Fluid layers of silk and chiffon mean this cobalt-blue number moves like a dream at the Golden Lion Awards in Venice

FEBRUARY 2013: Channelling the Strictly spirit at the Baftas, Helen's pink hair, Nicholas Oakwell dress and vivacious moves take 20 years off her

Younger stars grab attention by wearing very little. Dame Helen could easily do the same — she’s got a fantastic figure — but she’s far too chic. She’s elegant, and elegant women cover up.

The flick of the skirt rather than a flash of the skin shows she is brimming with confidence, as well she might.

Just don’t go pulling the skirt swirl in your holiday snaps. This is one move which can be pulled off only on the red carpet.