Forget your trim best friend who’s always attracted admiring glances. Discount, too, that glamorous next-door neighbour who flirts with your husband. In the war of attrition over which woman really is the fairest of them all, there’s only one female rival who counts: your sister.

And if your sibling is drop-dead gorgeous while you are — well — a bit of a Plain Jane? You might think such a situation can only unleash a seething mass of resentment and jealousy. But can they ever get on? SAMANTHA BRICK speaks to three Plain Janes and their glamorous sisters ...

I WISH SHE WOULD RELAX ABOUT HER APPEARANCE

Teacher Kim Meaden, 34, lives in Shropshire, and is a single mum to her four-year-old son. She is the Plain Jane to her younger, more glamorous sister Georgina. Kim says:

My hair is streaked with grey, I have a couple of chins and I wear size 16 clothes. I’m used to people calling me butch. They’re always surprised when they find out Georgina and I are related.

The standing joke in our family is that she must be the milkman’s daughter. But I’m happy like this. I see no need to resort to lotions and potions, and I’m probably more content than my sister.’

I don’t care what other people think. At home, I wear tracksuit bottoms and Converse trainers. In the summer, it’s shorts. If I want to make an effort, I’ll do it for me — not anyone else.

Teacher Kim Meaden (left), 34, lives in Shropshire, and is a single mum to her four-year-old son. She is the Plain Jane to her younger, more glamorous sister Georgina (right)

Men stopped looking at me years ago — although I did get chatted up recently. But that’s rare. Men look at my sister all the time.

Am I jealous? Not at all. I’m the life and soul of any social occasion, and as I get older I recognise that having confidence is more important than looks.

It’s the same with make-up. I won’t get drawn into the superficial side of society. I’ve got a tub of lip balm that I’ve had for years — and that’s it! My sister would go shopping every week if she could.

Despite our differences, we both served in the armed forces — I spent eight years as a chef with the Royal Logistics Corps, while Georgina worked for three-and-a-half years in personnel support for the Adjutant General’s Corps.

I can’t help but pick up on the irony that, while the Army made me even more averse to indulging in vain behaviour, my sister remains as devoted to her appearance as ever.

We’ve had the same life experiences. After serving in Afghanistan, I’ve seen the ugly brutalities of life and I really can’t get hung up on what’s in fashion this season. Does it really matter?

I take the same approach to the idea of a beauty regime. When someone asks me if I exfoliate, I can only look at them blankly.

I’d love Georgina to relax about how she looks. The world won’t stop turning if she wears something casual, but she never will. If I could, I’d gently tell her to put the cleavage away, too. It’s really not necessary all the time. We’re so different, people do struggle to understand our relationship, yet we remain incredibly close. As sisters, we say it as we see it to each other. There was a time a few years ago when we used to bicker, but thankfully that doesn’t happen any more.

The older we get, the more accepting we are of our differences. I’m happy as I am, and don’t worry about what greets me in the mirror each day as I grow older. I just hope Georgina comes round to my way of thinking eventually.

WHY CAN’T SHE MAKE AN EFFORT?

Georgina Robson (right), 32, is an employment specialist and mother to two children, who also lives in Shropshire

Georgina Robson, 32, is an employment specialist and mother to two children, who also lives in Shropshire. Georgina says:

I really can’t understand why Kim isn’t interested in her appearance. I’m a glamorous girl and a total perfectionist. I rarely step out of the front door without a full face of make-up. I have a personal trainer to maintain my size 8 figure, I practise yoga, go to the gym and take immense pride in my appearance.

I do get chatted up all the time. My partner jokes when we go out and men take a second — or sometimes third or fourth — glance at me that ‘you’ve got your fan club again, Georgina!’

While I certainly don’t crave constant male attention, I don’t mind it. What woman does? That’s why I don’t understand why Kim doesn’t make more of an effort.

Kim has always been a tomboy. Mum used to have a knitting machine and loved to make clothes for us. She dressed us in pretty, girly frocks, which Kim hated. She’d rebel and wear trainers and tracksuits — the exact opposite of what Mum wanted us to wear. I was always the girly one.

Today, I work hard to stay in shape. After I’d had my children, I was a size 16 and hated it. That’s why I go to the gym every single morning. When I get home afterwards, I’ll do my hair and make-up, using all sorts of lotions, potions and primers to prepare my face for the world.

I must spend thousands on my beauty products and procedures each year. Kim’s one concession to cosmetics is perfume — otherwise she’s happy with a bar of soap. She can’t spend more than £50 during a whole year! If I’m going out in the evening it takes an hour-and-a-half to get ready. I’ll go out of my way to wear something different — sleek, structured dresses suit me best.

I know I look good — people tell me so. I’m always getting compliments, along the lines of ‘You look stunning’ or ‘You have amazing tiger-coloured eyes’. Yes, I’ve been accused of being superficial, but my appearance makes me happy. I enjoy how I look and the confidence it gives me. I’ve been fat and unhappy and never want to feel like that again.

But I don’t judge other women, and I certainly don’t judge my own sister. That said, I’d love to get my hands on her and make her more feminine. I can’t understand why she isn’t interested in being the best version of herself.

MY CONFIDENCE MAKES ME SEXY

Lucy Spacey, 45, lives in Long Eaton, Derbys. She has four children and works in catering. She is the Plain Jane to her sister, Sandra. Lucy says:

Sandra has always been known as ‘the pretty one’. I’m very dark, while she has perfect, milky skin. Sandra inherited Mum’s good looks, while Dad passed his genes on to me.

People are always surprised to hear we’re sisters. I’m happiest in casual clothes, while Sandra loves to dress up. The last time I wore make-up was two years ago.

Sandra takes after our mum, who was very glamorous: she always wore stilettoes and had picture-perfect make-up. We’d watch her getting ready, and Sandra would be mesmerised.

Lucy Spacey (right), 45, lives in Long Eaton, Derbys. She has four children and works in catering. She is the Plain Jane to her sister, Sandra (left)

But everything changed when Mum and Dad divorced. I was 16 and Sandra was only eight. I had to be more responsible. I no longer had time to sit with Mum and watch her get ready. I had chores to do around the home. Meanwhile Sandra, being that much younger, remained the beautiful little doll with waist-long hair.

The joke in the family is I got the brains and she got the beauty. And yes, I was academic and loved physics, chemistry and biology, and sailed through school.

Knowing I am reasonably intelligent has always given me the confidence to walk into a room, safe in the knowledge that I can talk to anyone.

No, men don’t fall off their bar stools when they see me, but they find me good company, sexy and funny. I wouldn’t swap that for a pretty face and beautiful wardrobe any day.

STRANGERS THINK MY SISTER’S MY MUM

Sandra, 37, lives in Bromley, South London, and works in retail. She says:

Sandra (left), 37, lives in Bromley, South London, and works in retail

I spent my teens obsessed with my image. When I had my first boyfriend at 18, he never once saw me without make-up.

Today, my devotion to my looks remains the same. My eyebrows are finely arched, my hair constantly coiffed and I have never left the house without make-up. It was a year before I let my partner see me barefaced.

I’m forever checking my reflection in the car or in shop windows. The joke at work is that I’m constantly asking everyone: ‘Does my lipstick look all right?’

We have two older brothers who are in their late 40s, and when we all met up for a drink once, the barmaid asked if I’d brought my mum and dad along, referring to Lucy and one of our brothers. Fortunately we have a sense of humour, but I don’t think I would have taken it as well as Lucy did.

I accept what Lucy says about my appearance being my armour. I look in the mirror and see a woman who isn’t in possession of the confidence Lucy has.

My sister is very happy because she’s so at ease in her own skin.

I SIMPLY DON’T HAVE TIME TO BE VAIN

Pamela Ashton is a 52-year-old actress from Skelmersdale, Lancs. She’s married to Paul, and has two grown-up children. She is the Plain Jane to sister Caroline. Pamela says:

I’d love someone to wave a magic wand so I could be as beautiful as my younger sister. I certainly couldn’t be bothered to put in the effort she does!

With an elderly mother and an autistic daughter to look after, plus my hormones all over the place with the menopause, my appearance is the last of my priorities.

I’d describe myself as pleasantly plump. I’m perfectly well aware my sister has an extraordinary figure, but obviously, being the plain, plump one doesn’t bother me, or I’d do something about it.

Pamela Ashton (right) is a 52-year-old actress from Skelmersdale, Lancs. She is the Plain Jane to sister Caroline (left)

I have been married 23 years, and Paul has loved me thin, fat, young and old. That’s what marriage is, it goes deeper than the superficial.

I just don’t have the time or inclination to keep up with the latest trends. I must spend about £75 a year on beauty products. I do my roots myself and use whatever make-up I have lying around.

Since Caroline turned 40, I’ve noticed her appearance has become more important to her, and that’s a slippery slope. At least I won’t have anything to miss, whereas she has a huge fight with the ravages of time ahead of her!

That said, sometimes I look at her in a beautiful new dress, and would love to spend a day living in that body. But then the feeling passes. I’m happy being me.

I COULDN’T GO OUT WITHOUT MAKE-UP

Caroline Stewart, 43, a sports and fitness coach at a college, has two grown-up children and lives with her partner, Andy, in Skelmersdale. She says:

I’m the type of person who believes you should do what makes you feel good. I don’t like to go out without make-up. I was a dancer in my teens and I like to look nice.

I’m regularly told I don’t look my age, and everyone says I remind them of Amanda Holden. Andy is always complimenting me, and I love making him feel proud when we walk into a room.

I’ve been getting professional fake tans for around 30 years. I was spending around £1,000 a year on them. When Andy realised how much it was costing us, he put his foot down.

So I bought a spray tan machine to use at home. The machine was just £60 and the liquid is £40. While it has stopped Andy moaning, it does mean I’ve had to teach him how to spray me while I stand there in the all-together!

When I told Pamela about it, she didn’t seem shocked at all. She told me that when it comes to my appearance, nothing surprises her any more.