Fashion For Women Over 50

I had never given this range much thought apart from thinking "that's not for me" until I read a brilliant book called 'Fashion and Age: Dress, the Body and Later Life' by Julia Twigg. In the final chapter of the book she considers:

"...how the high street imagines the older customer, and how it designs for her, though in doing so I also address the view that it fails to do so adequately."

As a result of what Christine and Julia Twigg wrote, this afternoon I went to the large local branch of Marks and Spencer to take a look at the Classics range which Twigg says is the only brand which is specifically targeted at women over 65 (me then, as I am 67).

The M&S Approach To Fashion For Women Over 50

When interviewed by Twigg, the M&S Head of Womenswear described the Classics range as conservative and feminine with a certain pristine look, with non-crease fabrics. She also described the cut as body conscious; but not in the sense normally used in the fashion trade, meaning cut close to the body, but "...conscious of the body and desiring to hide the signs associated with age. Tunics are popular and length is very important. Dresses needed zips as she doesn't want to pull anything over her head. Cut is important Because the body has changed significantly by this time."

When we did our last photo shoot Zena, 87 (pictured above) arrived for her Look Fabulous Forever makeover wearing a beautiful silk blouse and a raspberry pink woollen jacket with a straight skirt, which was just below the knee. (See her Before photos here.) She looked perfectly age appropriate as well as elegant and classic (but definitely not in the M&S sense). Her look was definitely one I would aspire to in twenty years time. Unlike the M&S classic range which, like Christine I hope I never to have to resort to.

What Women Over 50 Really Want

So, if I had any influence over the fashion industry (which of course I don't), this is what I would tell them:

• Sleeves: Older arms are best covered. Helen Mirren NEVER shows her arms, yet always looks wonderful in her red carpet gowns. So please make all tops and dresses with a long sleeved version for the over 60's
• Bust darts: Older breasts are lower and bigger than younger breasts. Please cut tops, jackets and blouses in a way that takes account of this fact
• Find a way to accommodate thicker waists and round tummies without resorting to gathered elasticated waistbands. We can get a man on the moon - surely this is possible somehow
• We don't want nasty synthetic materials which might be 'easy wash and wear', but which look cheap and nasty (like the dreaded crimplene) and drape badly.
• Put zips in the side seam rather than at the back. I can no longer reach to do up clothes with zips all the way up the back. I live alone - so how do I get in and out of clothes zipped on the back centre seam? I have actually resorted to feeding garden wire through the hole in the zip so that I can undress!
• Flowery patterns whether large or small are ageing and old-fashioned.
• Colours: we don't want clothes in soft pastel shades - lemon, lilac, pale pink, baby blue or pale green. Keep these for human beings between the age of 0-12 months. We don't revert to infancy as we age so we still need adult clothes!
• Make clothes in a fabric weight which hangs and drapes beautifully without clinging to all the lumps and bumps. Line everything whenever possible for the same reason.
• Don't be afraid of  adding some colourful elements as long as they are colours that grown ups wear rather than babies.
• And finally, Dear High St, when you are designing fashion for women over 50, please think in terms of stylish, well cut and fabulous rather than safe, easy-wear and frumpy.

I have more or less stopped buying any clothes in Marks and Spencer and like Christine I will never be old enough for their Classics range even if I live to get my telegram from the Queen.

I often see quite exciting clothes from M&S featured in magazines, but these amazing items are NEVER available in my local store.

In the photo above I am wearing 2 items of clothing from another High Street store - the Spanish clothing chain Zara. The trousers were £39.99 and the top £29.99. They are both size Large which in Zara is a standard UK size 14 - they do an XL which is size 16. I have washed both the top and trousers and they are in fabrics which are great quality for the price and are also well made. However Zara is not so ubiquitous as M&S, so I really do wish they would (in Twigg's words) re-imagine the older customer.

As ever - I welcome your thoughts. Anything you would add to my list of requirements from the fashion industry?

Main image by Simon Songhurst.