An Ilkley resident who has watched fashion come and go for over a century is still keeping a hand in with her dressmaking talents.

Centenarian Nora Oakes continues to impress other residents of Carnegie Court with her stylish attire, thanks to her own sewing skills.

She has altered clothes herself and made several two-piece outfits since she moved to the retirement apartments complex seven years ago, relying on a small sewing machine and her own fashion knowledge.

Miss Oakes, who celebrated her 100th birthday earlier this year, began working in fashion at the age of 18. She used to be a buyer for Bradford department store Brown & Muff, and Schofields department store in Leeds, specialising in childrenswear.

She later worked as a childrenswear buyer for home shopping company Grattan.

The main reason she has kept up her sewing skills, she said, is that she is not a standard clothing size, and has to either make or alter garments to fit properly.

Smart coats usually proved to be too long for her, so she had to take them up a few inches, and came up with a use for the spare fabric – making her own hats.

“I haven’t bought a hat since 1950,” she said.

Her perfectly matching coat and hat sets attracted attention over the years from other followers of fashion.

Once she heard a woman on a bus asking how others managed to get hats that were a perfect match to their coat, having obviously seen her matching outfit.

“I didn’t say anything,” Miss Oakes said.

Clothing has changed greatly since she first got into fashion, including childrens- wear. At one time, said Miss Oakes, parents would expect a boy’s outfit to include a cap.

Born in Ossett, near Wakefield, she later lived in Shipley and then Bingley, before she moved to Ilkley’s Carnegie Court retirement apartments, Springs Lane, seven years ago. She was educated at Wheelwright Grammar School in Dewsbury.

When she was young, it was commonplace for people to make their own clothes, and her mother and grandmother both did so.

During the Second World War, she was a driver for the RAF, based in Wakefield – a job she says she particularly enjoyed.

“I love driving,” she said.

The task involved delivering supplies to RAF staff. She was later made a welfare officer in Carlisle, and sadly, her four wheels were swapped for the two of a bicycle.

Despite enjoying being behind the wheel, she never owned a car herself – but she did enjoy hiring a car to drive on holidays to Scotland and other scenic destinations.