Style Forever: Is It A Fairy Tale?

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Refreshing breezes blew in this weekend…don’t you just love it when the wind begins to cool off those hot summer days?  Also refreshing is some of the advice in Alyson Walsh’s new book, Style Forever.  Yes, another style book for our generation, but, as I wrote last week, we can glean bits and pieces of wisdom from them all.

I have enjoyed reading Walsh’s blog, That’s Not My Age, for a long time and she is a forthright UK fashion journalist, really on a mission to see the fashion industry weaned from their fascination with youth.   “We are finally seeing more gorgeous, grown up women in advertisements, online and in the media.  Hallelujah. The over-50s are having a bit of a fashion moment.  Pass the Menoforse.  I think I am having a hot flush.”  You can see the English have a different language for some things, but the meaning is the same.  Finally, the industry is opening eyes to midlife ladies and beyond.  Walsh reports, “ Harper’s Bazaar editor, Justine Picardie concurs, ‘This is not just a passing trend; brands have done detailed research, and realized that their key consumers are women over the age of 40 – in many cases over the age of 50- who are affluent, financially independent, sophisticated, and who do not want to be patronized with inappropriate advertising campaigns.’”

She also calls us out to raise awareness of women in our prime that this should be the visibility age and not a time of invisibility.  “I strongly believe we need to fight back against this invisibility thing,” she writes, “because it is rude and ridiculous and older women deserve respect.”  Hear! Hear! The majority of the pages are designated to interviews with inspiring women and full of quotes you will want to bookmark and remember.  For example, Teruko Burrell of Santa Monica became a model in her mid-40s and said, “Wisdom comes with age; now I confidently accept my body shape and my big grey hair. This is who I am and what I look like.”  On Burrell’s style, Walsh reports she loves the style of Diane Keaton; wears minimal makeup; and is very low maintenance.

On the top of Walsh’s fashion advice is “Every outfit needs one showbiz item.  A standout piece to perk things up. Something that you will want to wear until it falls apart.  Think maximum impact and minimum effort.”  Come back next week to hear some more, and in the meantime, pick up the read.  The size of her book is perfect and I would buy it alone for the illustrations by Leo Greenfield…so much fun!

Now, lovely readers, what do you think?  Has the fashion industry finally turned around to market for our age groups…or do you think they need to keep turning?

See you next week in The Joy Boutique!