Question about Outlook Express

I'm talking emails here. Got a problem and it is this:

I once use to have the full range of facilities, able

to select font size, font style, underline, italic, all that kind

of stuff when writing emails but now, suddenly, nothing.

I have an email lay-out page, able enter subject and addressee,

but that's all. The font size (unchangable) is a miserable size 8.

I need to get back to the same kind of email lay-out everyone

else on this planet uses. I have no idea where this economy

stricken lay-out has come from and even more surprised that

it exists. 

Would surely appreciate some expertise help.