Avedon thought Tree was \u2018perfect\u2019, and her new life was one of Vogue covers in New York and photoshoots in Paris. She became David Bailey\u2019s muse and lover in London<\/a>, and was transformed \u2013 along with Edie Sedgwick, Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy<\/a> \u2013 into an It-girl of the era. In London\u2019s swinging 60s, she became known for her vibrant presence at parties, her social circle comprising artists and musicians, including such figures as Cecil Beaton and Edna O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n More than half a century later, Tree looks back on her extraordinary life and what it has taught her.<\/p>\n Blouse, \u00a31,300, and trousers, \u00a3675, both zimmermann.com. Leather belt, \u00a336, freepeople.com. Chain belt, stylist\u2019s own<\/p>\n Model highs and lows<\/p>\n \u2018In the 60s, men had all the power. That\u2019s why I feel models who have other interests are better off,\u2019 says Tree. \u2018Being multifaceted is key.\u2019<\/p>\n Tree\u2019s own modelling career ground to a halt in her early 20s due to late-onset acne, and in 1972 she was arrested for cocaine possession. \u2018It was all an amazing adventure \u2013 until it wasn\u2019t,\u2019 she says. \u2018I may have been a top model, but I also felt like a bit of a fraud. There wasn\u2019t therapy in those days. Nobody would talk about my skin outbreak, which affected my confidence. The fashion industry wasn\u2019t equipped to help me when I arrived from boarding school with anxiety and anorexia. But I\u2019m grateful I didn\u2019t grow up with Instagram like today\u2019s young, and the pressure it puts on their appearance.\u2019<\/p>\n With her modelling career derailed, Tree switched her focus to charity work and Buddhism. Over the years she has also written for American Vogue, British Vogue, Harper\u2019s Bazaar UK and the Financial Times on modelling, the fashion industry and style.<\/p>\n Although admired in the 60s for her quirky beauty, ageing suits Tree. Fashion\u2019s appetite for mature models has surged in the past decade, and she was in her 70s when she walked the fashion-week runways of Fendi in Milan and Richard Quinn in London.<\/p>\n Dress, \u00a369, Laura Ashley, next.co.uk. Cap, \u00a335.99, zara.com. Necklace, \u00a31,180, giovanniraspini.com. Bangles, \u00a360 each, karenmillen.com. Sandals, \u00a3180, reiss.com<\/p>\n From Bailey to babies<\/p>\n \u2018The moment I met David Bailey was like putting my finger into a light socket \u2013 electrifying!\u2019 says Tree. \u2018He was way too charismatic for his own good. The reason his charm was so compelling was he appeared vulnerable at the same time. He was\/is very funny, too, which always helps.\u2019<\/p>\n In 1974 Bailey ended their relationship. Tree left London and went travelling. She married musician Ricky Fataar, in 1978 in Los Angeles, and they moved to Sydney three years later. They have a daughter, Paloma, now 45. Tree also has a son, Michael, aged 35, from her later relationship with psychoanalyst Stuart MacFarlane. Today, Tree and Bailey, now 87, remain close and she is godmother to his son, Fenton, aged 37.<\/p>\n Penelope Tree, Adut Akech and Linda Evangelista for Zara, celebrating 50 years of the high-street store<\/p>\n Ageing and Botox<\/p>\n \u2018Obviously I\u2019m not beautiful like a 20-odd- year-old any more, but I shouldn\u2019t be. And nowadays I feel more interested in what\u2019s going on. I didn\u2019t notice before because I was so obsessed with how I appeared.\u2019<\/p>\n Tree doesn\u2019t do Botox or filler injectables. \u2018I\u2019m not trying to prove anything,\u2019 she says. \u2018You just have to accept the inevitability of ageing. I don\u2019t really see what\u2019s wrong with it.\u2019<\/p>\n Tree\u2019s elder peers left their faces alone, too. \u2018Mrs Vreeland wore a lot of make-up, but she didn\u2019t go under the knife,\u2019 says Tree. \u2018She was just such incredibly good company. You never thought, \u201cGosh, isn\u2019t she looking a bit saggy!\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n While some celebrities deny ageing \u2013 Mariah Carey has recently made headlines for her refusal to celebrate her birthdays altogether \u2013 Tree embraces the process. \u2018Denial isn\u2019t just a clich\u00e9 in divaland. I was thinking that embalmers must be thrilled by the anti-age obsession. Most of their work is done for them before their clients even bite the dust! I do understand it may be harder for performers, but if you google anyone, the first thing that comes up is their age. Who are we fooling? Plus Patti Smith, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Ross and Chrissie Hynde are all still out there performing in their 70s and 80s, and they\u2019re fabulous. In my 40s I hated birthdays and the thought of getting older. Now I am so happy to have made it through another year.\u2019<\/p>\n Penelope Tree, photographed by David Bailey for Vogue, 1968.<\/p>\n Plastic surgery<\/p>\n The idea of \u2018Mar-a-Lago face\u2019 surgery and treatments (see Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos, Kristi Noem and Melania Trump) is not for Tree.<\/p>\n \u2018I have friends who say, \u201cDarling, come on, let\u2019s do the jawline now!\u201d\u2019 She playfully brushes her chin and then her neck as though to smooth it. \u2018But I don\u2019t like hospitals or the idea of being fiddled with in a surgical way.\u2019<\/p>\n Hollywood\u2019s older stars are noting the rise of facial changes even among the young. Jamie Lee Curtis recently remarked, \u2018There\u2019s a disfigurement of generations of women.\u2019<\/p>\n Tree believes it must be down to a lack of confidence. \u2018\u201cDisfigurement\u201d is a harsh word, but repeated plastic surgery does tend to make people look like replicants. There are so many reasons why people get plastic surgery and if it\u2019s a subtle refresh that makes people feel better about themselves, then great. But in my opinion, insecurity usually stems from a deeper place in the psyche, and changing the exterior to address an existential problem is not likely to make it go away.\u2019<\/p>\n With her father in their Heron Bay home, Barbados, photographed by Patrick Lichfield, 1968.<\/p>\n Best beauty hacks<\/p>\n \u2018I use Charlotte Tilbury\u2019s Magic Cream more regularly than most and lately I have discovered Trinny London\u2019s The Elevator cream for the jawline and neck. It\u2019s subtle, but I think it\u2019s making a difference, though perhaps this is my wishful thinking!\u2019 she says. \u2018In my 20s my currency was my beauty. Now my currency is being alive, interested and curious. I just leave it to the hairdressers and the make-up artists to make me look as good as I can, which isn\u2019t easy!\u2019<\/p>\n Tree is, however, partial to non-invasive face tapes, which can temporarily give the look of a facelift. The old-school film-star hack that\u2019s now a TikTok craze works by attaching adhesive pads to clear strings that are discreetly threaded around the head under the hair to pull back the skin. Joan Collins, Bella Hadid and the Kardashians are fans.<\/p>\n How to fake a tweakment<\/p>\n \u2018I noticed when I was much younger that statement jewellery on older people looks fabulous,\u2019 Tree explains. \u2018A great necklace, chunky earrings, pearls or precious stones really bring out personality \u2013 sometimes even more so than with younger people.\u2019<\/p>\n 60s It-couple Tree and David Bailey, 1970.<\/p>\n Ozempic and eating disorders<\/p>\n \u2018I think Ozempic only causes trouble. It\u2019s all about degree, isn\u2019t it?\u2019 says Tree. \u2018You look at some skinny people and you know it\u2019s natural for them. And then you look at other girls and you think, \u201cThey\u2019ve starved themselves or they\u2019re on the jab,\u201d and it\u2019s not a great look.\u2019<\/p>\n Tree\u2019s concerns are that for teenagers starting out in her industry, it will cause them problems later. \u2018Model agents, especially in this Ozempic age, need to be very discerning with their girls. It took me a long time to resolve my own eating disorders,\u2019 she explains.<\/p>\n Tree suffered with anorexia from the age of 14, and with bulimia in her modelling years. \u2018I\u2019ve learnt to find the balanced middle way and that seems to work for pretty much everything. I used to be so extreme as a young person; about food, everything \u2013 even love. Becoming a mother in my 30s helped me greatly, along with therapy.<\/p>\n \u2018What\u2019s good for you when you\u2019re 45 isn\u2019t always particularly good for you at 75. Whether it\u2019s love, clothes or your weight. Instinctively, I feel better and stronger if I have a little bit of weight on me at this age.\u2019<\/p>\n Tree photographed by John Cowan for Vogue, 1969<\/p>\n Love and dating<\/p>\n Single life suits Tree. \u2018I\u2019ve been living on my own for 12 years now and treasure my independence. The idea of dating or batting my eyelashes at anyone fills me with horror. That horse bolted a long time ago. It\u2019s so great not to have to answer to anyone and to make my own choices regarding what I do with my time \u2013 although I have had to learn how to sit with loneliness. I now see loneliness as more of an impediment to staying present than an actual longing to be with someone for the sake of not being alone,\u2019 she adds.<\/p>\n \u2018People of my age \u2013 especially men \u2013 often want a partner so they can be looked after in their old age. It\u2019s the older man\/ younger woman scenario. Well, good luck to them! I cannot imagine enduring the whole getting-to-know-you routine again. Honestly. the only time I miss having a partner is at parties. It would be nice to have a familiar someone to enter and leave with, but as I rarely go to parties, it\u2019s not a big deal.\u2019<\/p>\n Shopping then and now<\/p>\n Tree spent her 20s riffling through the racks of Vern Lambert\u2019s vintage haute-couture haven in Chelsea. Zara is now her favourite store. \u2018Well, it is just so affordable and actually quite fabulous,\u2019 she says. \u2018I wear an orange Zara suit every summer and it\u2019s the most complimented outfit I\u2019ve ever worn in my life.\u2019<\/p>\n Tree likens Zara shopping to her days spent browsing the rails at Biba, Barbara Hulanicki\u2019s iconic Kensington boutique of the 60s and 70s, a bolthole for fashionistas of the time. \u2018People were elbowing you out of the way to grab whatever was in your hands. If you put anything down, that was it. The changing rooms were wonderfully chaotic. Feather boas, jewellery and clothes flying. And it stank of BO. The lust for the clothes there was next level.\u2019<\/p>\n Boho style has made another resurgence to become one of this summer\u2019s biggest trends. In Tree\u2019s day, it came with a much smaller price tag. \u2018It was fabulous because you could get a whole outfit \u2013 I swear to god nobody believes it now \u2013 for \u00a35 in Biba. I can\u2019t afford designer, who can? It\u2019s ridiculous today. If you look at magazines, it\u2019s all aspirational rather than affordable. Everything is \u00a32,000.\u2019<\/p>\n Her only investment is denim: \u2018If there\u2019s one thing I have learnt as I have aged, it\u2019s to spend money on jeans. I love Mother denim. I\u2019ve worn the same pair for the past three years and they\u2019re as good as new. Thick, quality, rigid denim is the most flattering on older figures.<\/p>\n \u2018Whatever you wear, you don\u2019t want to be mutton dressed as lamb,\u2019 she concludes. \u2018You also don\u2019t want to go flouncy or too Little House On The Prairie.\u2019<\/p>\n Coat, \u00a3395, charlottesimone.com. Cardigan, \u00a375, Selected Femme at anthropologie.com. Trousers, \u00a345, asos.com. Scarf, \u00a318, nobodyschild.com<\/p>\n Keeping fit at 75<\/p>\n \u2018There are so many things that interest me: exhibitions, art galleries, reading, movies, theatre,\u2019 says Tree. \u2018I think it keeps you going: loving art and loving beauty and being alive. That\u2019s the secret, especially when what\u2019s going on in the world is really difficult.\u2019<\/p>\n That, and kundalini yoga. Tree discovered Buddhism in her 40s. \u2018When I met His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New York I felt a deep connection with him,\u2019 she says. She practises yoga at least an hour every day. Her other at-home fix is the Five Tibetan Rites. \u2018It takes 15 minutes and there are five exercises and you do 21 repetitions of each one each day. They\u2019re amazing for older bodies. If you feel tired or run down, they reset your system.\u2019<\/p>\n Tree is also the kind of mum who makes manifestation boards with her family each Christmas. \u2018We cut out things we like the look of. It\u2019s about listening to the unconscious. And we check them at the end of the next year to see if they\u2019ve crossed over with our lives.\u2019<\/p>\n Writing books<\/p>\n Will there be another book? \u2018I\u2019d like to write one that is not about me, me, me,\u2019 she says. Tree\u2019s debut novel, 2024\u2019s Piece Of My Heart, was inspired by her early modelling days and received rave reviews. \u2018Writing it was cathartic as there were so many traumas during that time of my life,\u2019 she says. \u2018Now I\u2019m interested in writing fiction from a different point of view, maybe from a male perspective. I find it incredibly difficult to think like a man and I want to explore that further.\u2019<\/p>\n Hair: Tim Crespin at Arlington Artists for Neil Moodie Studio.\u00a0<\/p>\n Make-up: Carol Sullivan at Arlington Artists using Erborian Korean Skin Therapy.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It is a testament to the enduring power of Penelope Tree that she was recently seen dancing to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":347177,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3940],"tags":[4080,92,77,1444,16,15,1445],"class_list":{"0":"post-347176","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-celebrities","8":"tag-celebrities","9":"tag-dailymail","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-home","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-you"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115034190388913416","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347176"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347176\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Blouse,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101108787-0-Blouse_1_300_and_trousers_675_both_zimmermann_com_Leather_belt_3-a-82_1754917721678.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Dress,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101108773-14989911-Dress_69_Laura_Ashley_next_co_uk_Cap_35_99_zara_com_Necklace_1_1-a-4_175525824178.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Penelope](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101108781-14989911-Penelope_Tree_Adut_Akech_and_Linda_Evangelista_for_Zara_celebrat-a-1_175525824139.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Penelope](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101108785-14989911-Penelope_Tree_photographed_by_David_Bailey_for_Vogue_1968_-a-3_1755258241415.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"With](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101108779-0-image-a-87_1754917822644.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"60s](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101108775-0-image-a-88_1754917847071.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Tree](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101108777-14989911-Tree_photographed_by_John_Cowan_for_Vogue_1969-a-2_1755258241393.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Coat,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101108783-0-Coat_395_charlottesimone_com_Cardigan_75_Selected_Femme_at_anthr-a-91_1754917911939.jpg\")
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