Fashion’s Grey Area

Are women over the age of 50 forgotten in fashion?

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, ‘beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.’ One could argue that Eleanor herself was one of those ‘beautiful old people’ she spoke about so tenderly; an older lady who grew more beautiful with age. Jump forward to the 21^st century, and women over the age of 50 seem to be culturally invisible when it comes to fashion.From magazine front covers and fashion trends to advertising campaigns and the high street, rarely do older women appear in mainstream fashion. So, are women over the age of 50 past their sell-by date?

There is of course the ridiculous notion that women over 50 spend their lives like a Real Housewife of Beverly Hills, keeping themselves busy running pointless errands - hardly women interested in fashion. Fashion designer Donatella Versace is in agreement when it comes to her typical older customers, “You think old people - ladies who stay at home all day and drink tea. It’s not at all like this.” And she is right. According to a recent study by The Daily Mirror, the over 50s market spend a staggering £6.7 billion a year on womenswear, and are now the fastest growing fashion sector in the country. Yet they are practically ignored when it comes to the great British high street.

For example, very rarely do you find an older women shopping for a pair of jeans in stores such as H&M, Topshop and Urban Outfitters. These shops cater to a much younger, stylish customer and targeting an older category would just spoil their image. Marks and Spencer is one of the few major high street stores which champions the older women, not only with their clothes but also through their savvy TV commercials and stylish ad campaigns, usually featuring Twiggy, aimed at women of any ages.

Yet, fashion did not always exclude mature women. For the first half of the 20^th century, older woman were considered the most fashionable set in society. It was ladies, aged 40 and over who brought Haute Couture from the finest fashion houses, and never left their homes without a matching hat and gloves. Society women such as Marella Agnelli and Jackie Onassis were the style icons of their day - their age not even a consideration in terms of fashion. However, much has changed since the glory days of couture, with current fashion houses such as Elie Saab and Giambattista Valli, aiming their collections at a significantly younger customer. Even the traditional customers of couture have been dropped in favour of a younger woman.

The invisibility of women over 50 doesn’t only apply to fashion, but other aspects of our culture too. For example the never ending quest of Hollywood actresses to discover the sacred fountain of youth. Influential women, with huge media followings such as Nicole Kidman, Demi Moore, Cher and Madonna, who can you believe is almost 60, have all gone to extreme lengths, involving extensive Botox and cosmetic surgery, to literally 'turn back time' and look like their 20 year old selves again. But is there really anything to be ashamed of in growing old gracefully?

The elegant ladies who featured in the heart warming 2014 fashion documentary, ‘Advanced Style’ certainly don’t think so. Iris Apfel, 94, Jacquie Murdock aged 85 and Joyce Carpati, 83, were just some of the colourful characters from the successful documentary, which proved that you can still look and feel quintessentially stylish and beautiful at any age -  without the ‘help’ of a cosmetic surgeon.

Even Instagram, a social media platform normally associated with the selfie mad younger generation, has a number of older users who have made quite a name for themselves through their street style posts. Dorrie Jacobson, who runs the @SeniorStyleBible has amassed a huge following with her quirky sense of fashion as has Judith, who posts images of her impressive wardrobe on her page @StyleCrone. It comes as an afterthought that both of these women are in their 70s. There are also plenty of strong women working in the fashion industry now. Editors such as Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfeld are both in their 60s and yet have such a formidable voice in society, while entrepreneurs like Natalie Massenet, 50, show no signs of slowing down.

Nevertheless, psychologist Dr Lauren Rosewarne discovered in a study at the University of Melbourne, that less than 4% of women on advertising billboards are aged over 30.A shocking statistic which is not that difficult to disbelieve.It seems farcical that in 1992, Isabella Rossellini, who had just turned 40, was dropped by Lancome for being ‘too old,’ when today actresses Helen Mirren,70, and Andie MacDowell,57, are celebrated L’Oreal ambassadors, regardless of their age.

Yet this year, the charming older women was celebrated rather than squandered amongst designers. Celine featured the 80 year old writer Joan Didion for their spring/summer 2015 campaign, sending out a strong message that beauty is indeed eternal. Dolce and Gabbana featured a group of beautiful grandmothers in their summer campaign while legendary folk singer Joni Mitchell, 71, was the striking face of Saint Laurent Paris. A couple of years ago it would have been out of the question to make model Monica Bellucci a 'Bond Girl' at the grand old age of 51. But now it has been embraced as something totally new and inspiring for the James Bond film franchise.

Perhaps, the fashion industry is finally setting out to challenge that awkward ‘grey area’ that has until now been an ignored and cleverly avoided issue. Let me know your views.