Talking point
And long may it continue, says Wendy Rigg, charting the rise of midlife fashion
Midlifers and baby boomers are in style like never before. We are the new It Girls. The biggest brands are pandering to us – and that’s the way it should be.
In February, Dame Mary Berry, then 88, was one of the faces of Burberry’s celebration to mark the 175th anniversary of Harrods, alongside Dame Joanna Lumley, 77, and Naomi Campbell, 53. Charlotte Rampling, 78, and Dame Maggie Smith, 89, appeared in campaigns for Massimo Dutti and Loewe, and Balmain featured older models in its Autumn/ Winter 24/25 catwalk show in February. Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, 50, is wowing on the red carpet in edgy looks. Madonna and Debbie Harry recently embarked on gruelling tours, and the irrepressible Carol Vorderman is maintaining a high-profile career at 63.
We are part of something incredibly powerful. Older women are at last gaining the respect we deserve, and are very much to be celebrated. I am in my 60s and have worked in fashion all my life, yet I feel that I have never had so much choice when it comes to shopping for clothes. I see older women in the street dressing in a way that’s edgy and cool, wearing stuff that wouldn’t look out of place on a younger person. I love my Converse high-tops and chunky Chelsea boots. I wear shorts with opaque tights in winter. My 15-year-old granddaughter Layla nicks my T-shirts and wears my dresses from the 90s.
Boden, Baukjen, Autograph at M&S, Mint Velvet, Albaray, Me+Em, Toast, Jigsaw, The White Company, Whistles, Anthropologie and Wyse vie for space in our wardrobes. Modelling these clothes are stunning models who represent our demographic. We might not act it or feel any different to how we did in our teens, but it’s finally OK to own our age.
Let’s face it, silver hair looks sensational.
Ad candy
London-based casting director Camilla Arthur backs this up. ‘There is an ever-growing demand for older women in ads. Casting briefs used to ask for “age range: 20-30”. Now I see briefs from clothing brands asking for 20-60.’
Arguably, luxury label Celine started the trend for using older women in its campaigns. In 2015, its advertising billboards featured Joan Didion, then 80, in sunglasses and black polo neck, getting across the message that ageing did not mean irrelevance.
We’re working for longer, looking after ourselves better and we want to be the best version of ourselves. We buy better and wear for longer. We like beautiful, luxurious fabrics, figureflattering tailoring, comfort and practicality without compromising on style. We can and do spend more.
