Style at any age

Fashion has always been fixated with youth. The pressure to stay eternally young is what inspired me to start That's Not My Age in the first place. The need to see more older models, more wrinkles, more diversity and less ageism in fashion. I know I'm not alone, there are tons of fabulous bloggers of a certain age out there (you can find a fair few in my Blog Roll) and by promoting older models and using photos of ourselves and other mid-lifers, I'd like to think we're doing our bit to help shift attitudes.

I love this photo of Joan Burstein by The Sartorialist. Scott Schuman has the ability to beautifully capture stylish people of any age:



And, ta- dah! This morning, I opened the newspaper and found two age-related articles that helped take the edge off my hangover. One on the fact that grey haired, natural chic is on the up - I'm not going to be the one to say I told you so - with a great quote from Caryn Franklin, journalist and co-founder of All Walks on the Catwalk:



"Our culture is fearful of ageing," said Franklin, "and especially ageing women. I say, 'Stop apologising for getting older. Embrace it.' I want young women to see that beauty ages beautifully and there is no need to feel that getting older is something that has to be medicated, managed with surgery or be obsessed about."

And the other on the need to see more middle-aged women on telly. Chairman of the BBC Trust, Chris Patten, says he'd like to see more mature women presenting programmes:

"First of all, I'm 67, for heaven's sake, and I'm married to a charming and beautiful 66-year-old, and I would be delighted if she was the face of anything on television."

And I don't think the former Conservative Party chairman was using his position at the BBC to find his wife a job. There are over 20 million Britons over 50 - let's hope that this is a watershed, not a fad.


Quotes: The Observer

The Big Issue

That's Not My Age strongly believes that you don't have to have youth to have style. Which you've probably gathered already, as I spend my mid-life banging on about individuality in the over-forties. I always try to use inspirational imagery, friendly language and give realistic advice. My place in the blogosphere may be the size of a newly-formed follicle on Wayne Rooney's pate, but one small step for womankind and all that. Over at Graduate Fashion Week yesterday, age, race and size were on the agenda as the very first educational Centre for Diversity was launched by the Minister for Equalities, Lynne Featherstone. Hooray! This latest project from All Walks Beyond The Catwalk reaches designers at the start of their careers and encourages them to embrace diversity by designing for ordinary bodies rather than the usual size 8 mannequins or skinny young models.



All Walks was founded back in 2009 by fashion commentator Caryn Franklin, PR expert Debra Bourne and model Erin O'Connor. The team that inspired knitwear designer Mark Fast to use size 12-14 catwalk models (causing the stylist to walk out and the spring 2010 collection to sell out) and worked with Rankin on the Snapped exhibition, at the National Portrait Gallery earlier this year, has created the Centre for Diversity in conjunction with the fashion department at Edinburgh College of Art (ECA). In order to 'Celebrate & Educate,' second year students have been paired up with 'icons,' or real women in a range of different ages, sizes and shapes. Course leader, Mal Burkinshaw gave a heartfelt talk on how the experience had deeply affected the students, how once they got to know their real-life models he saw behaviour and attitudes change. Realising that the people they were designing for had needs and feelings, the ECA students gradually became 'emotionally considerate' and by the time it came to the catwalk show, were treating their icons like family.

More colleges are expected to follow, and Anne Chaisty from the Arts University College Bournemouth and Philip Clarke at Southampton Solent University have already incorporated body shape projects into the curriculum.



After today's presentation, I had a very quick chat with Caryn Franklin, and asked her how ageism in fashion could be properly addressed, when really we still only see Twiggy and a couple of other older models in the media:

'Research from Cambridge University PhD student, Ben Berry - who monitors female consumer responses to fashion - says that when women see adverts with models who are similar to themselves, they buy. So accountants and CEOs for the major retailers will take notice because by doing this they'll improve their profits and improve customer wellbeing at the same time. It's a win-win situation.'



And what about the latest cover of Italian Vogue isn't showing plus size models in their underwear a bit of a cop-out?

'It's great as long as it's not tokenism - though obviously if the models aren't wearing clothes, maybe there weren't any samples available?! The magazine needs to tell designers that they want to run another cover in three months time, and that they need to make some larger size samples. That's what we do.'


Franca Sozzani, take note.








What are your thoughts on diversity in the fashion industry?

Photos from All Walks and How to Look Good

The Style List

Breaking news, people! Today Debenhams launch their latest campaign featuring older models, from left to right: Caroline Josling, 52, Valerie Pain, 66, and Maxine Smith, 41. In collaboration with fashion commentator, Caryn Franklin, the high street retailer plans to 'give ongoing solutions, advice and guidance on how 40+ women can achieve any desired look.' The project called The Style List will be delivered in stores, online and through photography.

Franklin says, 'It’s been really fulfilling to create shots that celebrate the wonder of getting older. It’s important to challenge what we see in our media with a broader reflection of beauty. Enjoy the magic of these women, their confidence, their attitudes and their allure. These wonderful faces express the joy of getting older - not something we see enough of.'




All commendable stuff but the accompanying press release claiming that DEBENHAMS TARGETS ‘FORGOTTEN WOMEN’ WITH GROUND BREAKING CAMPAIGN (dare I mention Levi's, Gap, Twiggy for Marks & Spencer and Dove?) is poorly conceived and tactless. Debenhams are right to take action, I just wish they'd asked Caryn Franklin to write the press release.


Read more about the project here

Glad to be grey

Grey hair had a bit of a fashion moment earlier this year when the likes of Tavi, Pixie Geldof and Kate Moss joined the blue rinse brigade. Actually, word on the blogosphere was that Kate Moss had been over doing it with the dry shampoo but that's another story. And now the fad for young whippersnappers to tint their follicles has passed, it's up to the grown-ups to keep it real. Praise then to Kristen McMenamy who stopped dyeing her hair six years ago and says, 'You can get older and still be rock 'n' roll.' The 46-year-old silver fox and TNMA pin-up looks beyond amazing in this photo shoot for Vogue.

Anyway, enough about her, let's talk about me. That's Not My Age has a Caryn Franklin-style grey streak. It appeared during my late twenties and I subsequently spent years and a fair amount of hard-earned cash paying someone to dye over it. Until one day, a new hairdresser told me they liked it, that I should grow it out and make a statement. So I did. Fast-forward to summer 2010 and er, grey is the new black. Why, even Tom Jones has ditched the dye and gone au naturel.



On the rocks: That's Not My Age keeping it real.



That's not me, that's fashion broadcaster, Caryn Franklin.




The lovely Daphne Selfe, 81, models Sykes and a grey barnet, at London Fashion Week.



Jewellery designer, Sheila Teague, 57, loves platinum and silver.



Textile designer, Charlene Mullen, 46, shows off her handiwork and her silver-streaked hair.



The fabulously talented, Wendy Dagworthy, 60, head of the school of fashion and textiles at the Royal College of Art says, 'I think it adds character. Grey hair looks good - it's all about accepting your age and what you are.'


So, is grey here to stay? What do you think?


Photos

Kristen McMenamy and Caryn Franklin: Vogue
Daphne Selfe: Catwalking
Kristen McMenamy quote: Vogue

And I'd like to say a special thanks to blogger Charlotte OC for drawing my attention to Kristen McMenamy's platinum do.