Ageing gracefully is not straightforward right now. You may hear, for instance, that 60 is the new 50, while 50 is the new 40 and 40 is the new 30.
So should 50-year-olds dress as if they were 40, which means copying the style of a 30-year-old?
And where does that leave Iris Apfel, the 100-year old fashion icon, who recently celebrated her birthday with a collaboration with hip Swedish retailer H&M, to be released early next year? Clearly, many of her 2.1 million followers on social media platform, Instagram, believe that Iris Apfel is timeless.
You could be too, especially if you take heed of the message on her page: More is more & less is a bore.
For those of us over 50 this means, don’t discard your favourite, youthful clothes, as you just might wear them again. It’s all about getting the balance right.
Influencers’ Social Media Pages Are The New Fashion Bibles
In the past, some of us relied on fashion magazines to set our style. But that’s all changed now with a fast-growing breed of mature influencers who are out to prove that when it comes to dressing, anything goes as long as you have the confidence to pull it off.
In Milan, Italy, Giampaolo Alliata, now in his 60s, is attached to the smart men’s fashion label, Isaia. But he’s often snapped on his @Giampaolo_Alliata Instagram page, rolling up his perfectly tailored sleeves to show off his tattoos with more bracelets on his wrists than a Romanian gypsy or a rock star. Giampaolo Alliata is completely reframing grandpa style.
When it comes to couples dressing, well-seasoned Japanese influencers, @Bonpon511 with 845k followers, look as though they’re permanently on a fashion runway and turn heads for all the right reasons.
Relaxed Downsizing Style
Closer to home, two friends from the Gold Coast, Linda & Leanne, are now fashion influencers, thanks to their popular Instagram page @thiswiththis (119k followers). These two women epitomise mature age, resort glamour at a price point that’s attainable for retirees. They believe that “style is accessible at any age and style isn't a price tag”.
Meanwhile, in Sydney, 60-something fashion agent Marilyn Bracks (@marilynbracks) , has an Instagram feed that shows off her eclectic way of dressing in a mix of sport luxe, soft pretty dresses and classic silhouettes. Her sneakers and boots are frequently edgy but her best accessory is her sunny personality, which wafts from her feed with its 14.6k followers.
Embracing Youthful Energy Is The New Facelift
Older women are more visible in the media now and they’re keeping it real. Jewellery designer, Sarah Jane Adams, 66 (@saramaijewels) and her flowing white hair, jumped generations as a runner-up on Big Brother this year. And the element that her 47k followers seem to love the most about her is her total lack of artifice, her yoga poses and her eccentric, vibrant but ageless wardrobe.
There’s a buzz around being natural at present, especially as many were restricted from visiting the hairdresser and beautician through Covid lockdowns. Many people loved the freedom of letting go of the regular maintenance demands. Melbourne model, Violeta Zuvela, 56 (@Violeta.Zuvela, A Stylish Age, 30.3k followers), is a mother of five and a grandmother, who has been rejoicing in her grey regrowth. She also celebrates her skin, which is not air-brushed. Violeta is the queen of layering and shows how to put her affordable fashion looks together in a series of live feeds.
Over 50s Media Stars Show The Way.
TV personalities including Jessica Rowe, 51 (161k followers) and Amanda Rose Keller, 59 (146k followers) debunk the unattainable glamour of their high profile careers and revel in their original style.
Jessica Rowe has a penchant for pink or blue hair and is not afraid to wear a hat made from nachos or laugh at herself in a donut dress. Far from making us believe that she’s a superwoman with immaculate style, Jessica Rowe admits that she is not a gifted cook. In fact, she calls herself A Crap Housewife. Meanwhile, her penchant for pared-back catsuits and trouser suits, has many of us trying to copy her looks.
Radio & TV Queen, Amanda Keller, also has a relatable fashion style and does not look as if she spent hours in the makeup chair, She dresses the way she always has throughout her career and loves to show off her collection of cute brooches. When it comes to dressing for your age, it’s really just about being happy in your own skin.
The new fashion rules are that there are no rules, as the magic ingredient that mature age influencers exhibit, is authenticity. And all of us can own that.
