Are Those Two Senior Women Models We Spy?

We forget (uh,oh) exactly how we arrived at England’s The Guardian today, but nevertheless, it’s a favored publication. After reading an article on why older women are paying more for car insurance because of a higher number of claims, we migrated to thoughts of making a soufflé and then this:

Fashion for all ages: The one must-have item for all occasions

No apologies for those two older women, no explanations as to why they were part of the content and even more important, no pats on the back for including them … such as a special AGE issue that reluctantly includes a few very glamorous models and super-successful women in pricey outfits. Or a special section of the old dames, segregated in the ghetto of ‘oh well, guess we have to include some over-the-hill (fashionwise) women.’

If older women are part of editorial fashion content, they’re usually on the cusp of old age and heaven forbid, if they were ever referred to as … gasp!… elderly. We like that they’re fashionably dressed from top to high-heeled toe or smart flats, with attractive jackets. They look as smart as the younger women they’re surrounded by. Perhaps US fashion editors might take a tip from their British counterparts.

And look at some of the brands: Urban Outfitters (which in the US includes Anthropologie), Gap and Banana Republic, Clarks for shoes, American Apparel and Top Shop, now in the US.

It’s marvelous to see Carmen Dell’Orifice and Lauren Hutton on display, but recognizable models who have aged well aren’t necessary; show us a goodly number of models of this age, modeling clothes we can buy in many different sizes. Now that editorial content is reminding people to a nauseating degree that the ‘boomers are coming’ (could we lose that overworked expression), why are we not seeing more older women in clothing, hairstyle and makeup layouts?

And speaking for ourselves, if you have white hair, black does look great with those white shirts in The Guardian.