Week 38

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple with a red hat which doesn’t go.

The beginning of a very famous poem about the aging process. Well I don’t want to wear purple etc but there is no need to sink into oblivion. I am sixty three and that’s that! I can’t alter that fact even with Botox or a face lift ( which I don’t fancy doing anyway).Dressing appropriately doesn’t mean we have to look frumpy, dull and invisible. There are plenty of role models out there who haven’t reverted to potions or surgery who look their age, but look great too.

Closer to home too, there are those I know who have succeeded in growing old and always looked amazing. My friend Karen’s mum Betty was one of those. Always immaculate even in her 90s stylish to the end. I also have a friend in Spain who still worked running a jewellery shop at the age of 80 till Covid hit and forced her to give it. She has always looked classically elegant, and stylish and I’m sure is continuing to do so even in retirement ( though sadly I haven’t seen her for awhile).

Sadly in the uk, fashion is mostly aimed at the young , slim and beautiful , although there has been a small shift towards the older generation as we have such an aging population. But it’s still more tricky to buy casual everyday clothes from Uk shops which are fun, and of course there is a sizing issue. Uk manufacturers generally seem to imagine that growing older also involves growing taller as well as broader! And as for Marks and Spencer the least said! Twiggy seems to be the only person who can bring life into their range of clothes!

Generally I have bought my everyday wear from H and M, Zara and Massimo Dutti. Aside from the huge issues of environment and slave labour, is it that the Swedish and Spanish don’t have the same views about age as we do in the Uk ?. Which returns me to those hazy Summer days people watching those ladies of a certain age dressed up and lunching together in Spain!