What fashion for my age?
Lately I have been asked by a few readers and clients to do a post about how to dress when you are older.
And I have been postponing and postponing the writing.
Why is that?
First because, the women who asked the question have different ages. Some are 50, some are 60 or more and some are even 40 which is very young isn’t it? . And even though they are 30 years apart, they come up with the same question: how to dress my age? Meaning they feel they cannot follow the same fashion advices as younger women.
So, there is no general “older women” category but a lot of different women every age who worry about “dressing their age”.
Second, because those women don’t look the same. Some have slender figures thanks to a life dedicated to exercise, some others don’t for many reasons, and I do not judge but the way you dress depends also on your body. Make the best of what you have. If you have toned arms at 60, then why cover them?
And third because not every woman “a certain age” has a style that has anything to do with her age nowaday.
You can be rock and sexy like Carine Roitfeld (60yo), you can be boho like Jane Birkin (68yo), you can be crazy funky like Anna dello Russo (well well, even though, erm, not often my style), you can be ladylike like Franca Sozzani (65 yo), you can be fashionable and hype like Linda Rodin (70 yo), etc.
You can just be yourself. Which is amazing.
But does “be yourself” mean you can wear everything?
For me, it means you can wear every style, and style it according to how you look in terms of age and bodytype.
Therefore, I advice to stop wearing “little girls things” when you look too much of a grown-up. Like pigtails or cute hairclips. And when you don’t look youthful anymore, Peter pan collars and high socks can have a very strange effect too.
Regarding to the body, you shall judge what you can still and cannot wear anymore. Great legs? Show them like Carine Roitfeld, but know when to stop and when too short is too short…
And, last but not least, getting older doesn’t mean you have to dress as what you think an older lady should look like. Their are no older ladies (as Jane Fonda said too). Therefore wearing twin sets cardigans, pearls, flower prints, even though they can be stylish, shall be done in a modern way, otherwise it will make you look older than you really are. When you want to dress young, avoid anything that Queen Elisabeth would wear (god bless her and she is a super cute and elegant granny).
That are the three only rules Id’ give.
Otherwise you can wear anything you fancy if it suits you body and style.
Leathers perfectos, and bikers boots are perfectly fine if you feel your soul belongs to rock and roll forever.
So now get inspired by those ladies, often much older than 50, who look fab and are the best proof style has nothing to do with age.
Franca Sozzani, by the Sartorialist. Always very feminine.
Boho detail on advanced style
Edgy minimalist on And Other stories website
Boyish on the sartorialist
Super fashionable Linda Rodin on the sartorialist
Eccentric accessories on black canvas
Minimal elegance on Carmen Dell Orefice
Classic with modern color pops at J Crew
Modern cuts and funky details on Linda Fargo
I leave you with 92yo, erm 13 yo, Tavi to show you that age is in the way to dress. Dare dress young, you’ll be forever.
And you? Do you think dressing your age makes sense? Or it belongs to the past?
bonjour, j’ai besoin d’un petit conseil de mode. je cherche à habiller correctement une femme de 68 ans pesant 68 kilos et mesurant 1m55. Merci d’Avance
Bonjour Eva, la question est trop vaste pour y répondre dans un lookmaker ou dans un commentaire.
Par contre, vous pouvez me contacter pour une consultation de stylisme à distance privée.
Bonjour. Taille 36 jusqu’à 40 ans, puis 38/40 jusqu’à 70. Sauf en maillot, un corps parfaitement équilibré.
Après 70 ans jusqu’aujourd’hui, j’ai pris 14 kg de ventre , d’estomac et de dos! Une catastrophe, une baleine, une toupie.
J’ai toujours porté des jeans, depuis plus de 60 ans ( je les achetais dans les magasins de surplus américains)
J’ai toujours joué avec les coupes, les tissus, les matières, les couleurs, les accessoires, mais des JEANS!
Aujourd’hui, je ne trouve plus rien qui m’aille: longs, courts, larges, skynni, ,boyish. Rien. Pour le bas, je ne supporte plus les taons donc j’ai de agnifiques baskets Santoni. Pour les hauts, d’amples cachemeere, des tuniques chinoises en soie, pas de souci de choix. Mais mes JEANS? Que choisir?
Merci. Je suis bien heureuse d’avoir découvert votre blog!
Bonjour Denise, En fait vous faites plus face à un problème de manque de choix dans les boutiques qu’à un problème de style. Avez vous essayé de regarder chez Balsamik? Ils font des coupes adaptées aux différentes morphologies. Je n’ai pas encore testé mais ça vaut le coup de tenter non?
Bienvenue sur le blog en tous cas 🙂
Fabulous article! One correction: the photo caption “Eccentric accessories on black canvas” should read “Eccentric accessories on BLUE canvas”, she is wearing navy blue, which is a great alternative to the aging properties of black.
Is she? I am not sure so I’ll stick with black. Thanks a lot for caring 🙂
Aloïs, you are very wise.
Never thought I’d be called wise one day 🙂 I feel very proud!
I just discovered your blog, and I love it already! Perfect taste, useful points. I do so love Peter Pan collars, though. I don’t know that I will ever give them up completely. I’m 38 now… maybe just once in a blue moon?
38 is young dear!
Thank you so very much, Alois, for taking time to write this inspiring post. I very much appreciate it! I always love your fashion “rules” and my main three take aways from this are 1) don’t wear little girl things 2) respect when its time for us to stop showing off body parts that are no longer helping us look fabulous and 3) (my favorite) we can wear what we like if we do it with confidence, and if we choose to wear something traditionally associated with being old, wear it in new ways! I just love your posts! Merci!
Thanks for the inspiring post! I’m 47 this year and have never felt so empowered, sexy, fit and healthy thanks to a new lease of life. 10 years ago, I looked older (but with less wrinkles), frumpy and I was unhealthy but thanks to articles like this, I’ve retaught myself how to look good and now I feel great! Love your blog Alois 🙂 Thank you for all the advice. x
Bonjour,
Bravo pour cet article !
A l’aube de mes 50 ans, je ne me pose pas de questions, pour ma part. Mes vingtaine et trentaine ont été classiques et très influencées par “ce qui se porte ou pas à ton âge”, et puis il faut faire ses preuves et obtenir ce qu’on souhaite à ces âges, donc un peu de normalité est de bon aloi.
Mais depuis mes 40 JE ME FAIS PLAISIR. Une grand marque parle de “gym créative” et je peux confirmer que plus on s’entraine, plus on est performant, et plus de plaisir on éprouve à s’habiller, et plus les autres en ont à votre contact, ne serait-ce que parce que c’est joli à regarder et tous les jours nouveau.
Bravo pour la galerie de photos, ces femmes sont : 1°- belles et originales, 2° – elles ont l’air heureux et sont resplendissantes.
Quoi de mieux pour entretenir la vie, la bonne humeur et son ouverture aux autres que de se faire belle tous les jours ?
Se faire plaisir, c’est le plus important 🙂
Hi, i am a happy 40-something and have a teenage daughter. I believe dressing your age doesn’t make sense for anyone. Enjoy creativity! A women who dresses so lovely (whatever her age is:) is Linda from http://www.lindavwright.com. She is the absolute example that age doesn’t count if it’s about fashion and above all: style.
Thanks for the post!
You are welcome 🙂
Merci d’avoir répondu à mes voeux !
Vous me confortez dans l’idée que je fais juste 🙂
j’adore la galerie de portraits finale, qui me donne de l’espoir
Merci Fabienne 🙂