What exactly is ageless dressing? Is it self-hating to worry about the size of my bum in denims? Viv Groskop (almost 50) navigates the difficult world of midlife fashionWhen I was maturing in the 1970s, I would not have given much thought to style for the over-50s and what I may use if I had the good luck to live to see such obscene decrepitude. However if I had, I would have imagined wearing what my late granny called “slacks” (elasticated-waist pants), long-line ribbed cardigans with large ornate buttons and comfortable shoes from Clarks.My grandma, Vera– who was 52 when I was born– liked to be what she described “smart”, however certainly adhered to standards of what was “appropriate” at the time. She bought many of her clothing from charity stores or Marks & & Spencer. The charity store dream was to discover secondhand items from Jaeger, Windsmoor, Planet or– the holy grail– Dannimac.She did have an individual style and periodically wore very loud earrings. But she understood what she was “supposed” or “permitted” to use and which brand names would supply it. Clothes were a pleasure.On the verge of 50 myself, I understood recently that all those trustworthy “grandma labels” have either disappeared or only exist in some other incarnation: BHS (tanked in 2016), Debenhams (folded into Boohoo.com after liquidation in 2021), C&A (still running in Europe however the last UK stores closed in 2001), Jaeger (now on sale at M&S). House of Fraser closed 31 of its 59 stories in 2018 and was bought out by Sports Direct (it has a new flagship store in Wolverhampton called Frasers). Even Dannimac was dissolved as a standalone company in 2018, although the trademark name lives on at JD Williams. I was surprised to discover they currently have a cushioned dark khaki gilet for ₤ 76, which I am tempted to purchase in honour of my granny. (Trinny Woodall, 59 and with 1.2 million Instagram fans hanging on every morsel of her closet suggestions, states everybody needs a gilet.) So what are you “expected” to wear when you turn 50? Does that group still even exist as a retail idea? Hope Fashion is among the only brand names particularly focused on women over 50: it was introduced in 2015 by Nayna McIntosh, former head of store environment at M&S. Hope just recently looked for crowdfunding from its 20,000 customers after 2 investors pulled out. McIntosh stated it was “tough to draw in financing from predominantly male investors”. Lots of brand names which have emerged as effective competitors for the post-midlife-crisis market seldom trumpet their group, aiming rather for the recommendation of an ageless client: Boden, Autograph at M&S, Mint Velvet, Me+ Em, Toast, Sosandar, Jigsaw, Anthropologie.Trinny Woodall regularly champions the concept of “ageless” beauty and fashion, which is undoubtedly extremely appealing to an aging female population who do not desire to feel as if they ever have to “provide up”. My impulse, though, is that most brand names hardly ever speak with older customers straight because nobody wants to be advised that they are an older customer.However, I likewise hear a lot of angst from ladies about blended cultural messages. On the one hand, over 50s wants to feel they can use whatever they pick. On the other, they wish to feel assured that their group is “unique”. And they are terrified that if they use whatever they want it will be “wrong”. Its as if being older is concurrently totally meaningless (” Were all ageless now!”) and profoundly significant (” So much empowering knowledge!”). Its confusing.Overwhelm has actually taken the enjoyment out of clothes shopping. There is an avalanche of style suggestions on social networks, many new brands, so much marketing, so many ways to go shopping– online versus bricks and mortar, renting versus pre-owned– and worry of ridicule looms large. Many of the sobs for assistance on web stylist forums reflect this. “Can I really get away with wearing a tangerine trouser suit?” “Is this much leopard print too Bet Lynch?” “Am I too old for pleather?” People now have too much self-awareness to discuss “mutton dressed as lamb”, but this concept has never quite gone away– its just been rephrased. Likewise, its nearly 30 years considering that Arabella Weirs character in The Fast Show asked “Does my bottom look big in this?”. We understand we are not expected to ask this question anymore, and that its self-hatred and body-shaming– but somehow the concern is still here.Natasha Musson is a 48-year-old Somerset-based stylist who works with females in their 50s, 60s and 70s who are cleaning out their wardrobes. If they have absolutely nothing to wear– and then feel guilty about it, they are frequently ladies who have a lot of clothes however feel as. Their primary problem, she says, is that looking for clothes has ended up being tiring and difficult.” Gone are the days when you d simply take a day out, waltz about, discover something brand-new and get back feeling satisfied. We have seen it all on social media and are being talked the time what to use and how to use it … This includes to the pressure of being a bit older and attempting to keep everything together.” She sees her primary task as lowering what she calls her customers “overload”– a lot of clothing, insufficient storage area, the pressure to purchase more. She gets individuals to choose the clothes they already own that imply the most to them and after that she works around that. If you are going to purchase anything, purchase “better basics”. Its pretty simple, she says: “If youre not comfy, you wont be stylish.” Karen Arthur, a teacher turned stylist, activist and host of the podcast Menopause Whilst Black, says: “I get more compliments on my design as a female in my 60s than I did in my 20s or 30s.” Ten years ago she ended a 30-year profession in teaching and her beloved aunt died. She began recording the link in between her psychological health and her sense of design on social media: “I was identified with stress and anxiety and anxiety– and I understood I was menopausal.” As she cleared out her aunts flat, she discovered that the only thing that cheered her up was hanging on to her aunts favourite clothing.” She wasnt into style however she enjoyed good clothing. She had this St Michael maxi skirt and a C&A pleated skirt that I actually required to. At the time, many days I didnt even seem like getting dressed but those were the things I would grab since I missed her. I started talking about that under the hashtag #wearyourhappy.” She states it took her “about another 7 or 8 years” before she genuinely, correctly understood that she just didnt “care what other individuals think” and started to wear whatever she felt like. At that point she handed out 95% of her wardrobe to charity.In the run-up to a 50th birthday, a great deal of nervous ideas loom large for many individuals: the volume of “things” youve built up over your adult life; the ecological cost of all that things; and the awareness that these things dont really matter when countless people are using food banks. These concerns are not specific to the over-50s, however the older you get, the heavier they can weigh. In spite of austerity and the economic after-effects of the pandemic, the average UK buyer will still be buying 27 brand-new items a year by 2030, according to sustainability thinktank the Hot Or Cool Institute. (By its reckoning, the optimum should be nine brand-new products a year.) Register to Inside SaturdayThe only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Register to get the within story from our top authors along with all the must-read posts and columns, provided to your inbox every weekend.after newsletter promotionLucinda Chambers, creator of digital shopping platform Collagerie, and formerly fashion director of Vogue for 25 years, says: “There is a cravings for discovering this one thing– whether that thing is ultra-luxe or very economical– since otherwise the choice is frustrating. That is what makes shopping so unpleasurable now.” True value, she says, lies in a great edit of both designer brands and the high street– which is what she and her co-founder Serena Hood do at Collagerie. Hood is also ex-Vogue and in her 30s. They curate online collections of style and house items regularly. Their choice might consist of a ₤ 2,850 Raya sequined dress and a ₤ 1,950 Burberry trench (grandmother would pass out) alongside things you may actually buy, such as a Zara stripe knit for ₤ 26 or suspiciously similar ₤ 39 trenchcoat from H&M. Chambers states her own design has actually not altered in 30 years. “When I started at Vogue at 18, I made all my own clothes and used vintage. Everyone else remained in Chanel, or lookalike Chanel. I always felt not in style.” She remembers her own grandmother using “a Jaeger stretch pant in olive green and coordinating crew neck”. (My grandmother would have eliminated to discover this in a charity shop.) She sees women in their 60s and 70s in the street and believes, “Oh! She is getting so much satisfaction from getting dressed every morning!” These women are unique, she includes, because theyve exercised what matches them and they dress solely for themselves– not for the approval of others. Style is worth troubling with, she states, since “it is so life-enhancing”. What if you feel “too old” to wear something? “Thats in your head,” Chambers says.Her own tricks? Discover a product from a brand that really fits you and fits you and persevere. (” Toast do the only trousers that fit me.”) Discover colours that match you (for Chambers thats khaki and navy, purple and not pink). “If I purchase something now I have to think, yes, however will I enjoy this when I am 80?” Marielle Wyse started her brand name Wyse London 8 years back when she was 49. “Im nearly 60 however in terms of what Im wearing and my design, I truly dont notice much difference to a years ago,” Wyse says. “I believe design is totally and absolutely ageless. I simply call it smart dressing– boosting your finest bits and covering your not-so-great bits. Thats something that needs to happen at any age. Fashion will come along and state, You must use a miniskirt! And I believe, who states I must?” Wyse says that a few of the most stylish females she sees are in their 70s and 80s: “They frame themselves, they tailor themselves … Your shoulders droop when you grow older so you just frame your shoulders better.” This is among Trinnys tricks, too: utilize shoulder pads and/or pay close attention to how padded the shoulders are on a jacket.To which Wyse includes: “Quality material. Buy less. Purchase much better. Thats constantly going to look fantastic.” Her brand name does sometimes acknowledge a trend: “For example, 3 years ago I would have said, No I am not going to wear mustard. Now we have a mustard scarf. You do nod at these things carefully.” (It is a ₤ 150 cashmere headscarf in “ochre”.) Shopping on Instagram is typically frustrating because an item of clothing hardly ever looks as great as in a picture. Plus, a great deal of the looks are marketed at possible Love Island participants. However it is still the finest place for over-50s stylists, for vintage and secondhand pieces, and for inspiration.Women over 40 can pay for to pay more for clothes, Wyse says: “Its a huge and effective market. They might still buy black pants and a white shirt at Zara, but they likewise desire a stunning print, cut and material for a special-occasion purchase.” Most importantly, that doesnt mean that the clothing are “for the older lady”. “We have a lot of mother-and-daughter customers. The mother purchases it, the daughter borrows it. They style and wear it in a different way.” Karen Arthur adds that while its challenging to overlook the avalanche of inconsistent marketing mottos, its worth the effort: “I see all these guidelines on social media posts that I find bonkers. You cant reveal your boobs and your legs at the very same time. You cant use black leggings with white stilettos. Heres what to use if youre over 40. I imply, fuck off. Those guidelines do not serve humans. They only serve individuals who wish to make money out of us.” Her own rules? “Look at what you enjoy. Ensure that the very first thing you put next to your skin– your underclothing– is something that makes you feel terrific. Have another appearance in your closet. Dont keep things for finest. Weve just been through an international pandemic. We ought to dress every day like were partying due to the fact that were grateful to be alive.” Stylists assistant: Rosalind Donoghue. Hair: Rom Sartipi using Oribe. Makeup: Sophie Higginson using Noble Panacea + Tom Ford charm. Designs: Evelyn, Kelly and Susan, all at Mrs Robinsonsource
On the one hand, over 50s wants to feel they can wear whatever they select. They are frequently females who have a lot of clothes but feel as if they have absolutely nothing to use– and then feel guilty about it. We have seen it all on social media and are being told all the time what to wear and how to wear it … This includes to the pressure of being a little bit older and attempting to keep it all together.” She says it took her “about another seven or 8 years” prior to she really, effectively understood that she just didnt “care what other people believe” and began to wear whatever she felt like. “Im nearly 60 but in terms of what Im wearing and my style, I truly do not discover much difference to a decade earlier,” Wyse says.
