It's time for another Street Style selection and I want you to spare a thought for Beatrix Blaise, our lovely young photographer. She's been out in all weathers this month hoping to spot enough stylish older women to create this feature. Sometimes she is out all day in the cold and rain and will only manage to take four or five photos. I realise that some of you are reading this in Australia or South Africa or some other part of the world where it's currently hot and sunny, but here in the UK we are in the deepest, darkest part of our winter. So all credit to Bea for her perseverance in the face of the elements this month. As you will see below, she has captured some wonderful characters.
I lived in Sweden for a couple of years in the late 1980s. I arrived in January, so my first experience was the country at its most inhospitable. The hardest to bear was the lack of daylight, with at most four hours of grey light from 10am until 2pm. No wonder the Swedes celebrate St Lucia's Day as a festival of light on December 13th! There is a saying in Sweden 'there is no bad weather, only bad clothes' - so I quickly learned not to complain about my numb fingers and toes, painful ears and streaming eyes. And I learned fast from the very stylish and sophisticated women in Stockholm that the solution was to wear hats, gloves, boots and coats which were impermeable to the cold and searing wind. So this month I salute all the women in this feature who have made the effort to look stylish and interesting despite the foul and inclement weather.
I want to make a special mention of two of the women in this month's selection. I think we may have found our very own Iris Apfel! Norma (above) is the oldest person we have photographed at 90 and how fantastic she looks in her leopard print fur coat, yellow cross body bag and jeans tucked into some sensible fur lined suede boots. I love the way that she wears her hat and those bold glasses suit her perfectly. I think the Swedes would approve! They'd also approve of 87 year old Joyce (above), who proudly told Bea that she's the mother of 10. Like Norma, Joyce has chosen fur (albeit fake), a neat cap and stout black patent boots and matching bag. The dark and cold have made me feel rather low this week, but I have been enormously cheered by these two photographs in particular. They show indisputably that 90 can be stylish, confident, cheeky and fun. Norma and Joyce are two bright rays of sunshine. Maybe turning 70 next week is not so bad after all!
Do tell us which of these styles appeal to you. No negative comments please as these women have not volunteered to be criticised. Thank you! And if you are in need of a fillip for the festive season we have a lippie offer for you (see below).
What Do You Think?
Comments 47
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16 Feb 2018
I've been quite quite pragmatic about my age for the last 20+ years. I worried and fret about turning 30 from 26 onwards, the night before my 30th birthday I sat and cried. The next morning I realised that I neither felt nor looked any older and that I had got myself worked up for nothing. I was still the same person and that 'turning 30' was nothing to be feared. It was quite a revelation and I've not looked back...until now. I am now 55 and I must admit that that same feelings have started to creep in. 60 is looming ever closer and I've suddenly started to ask myself "where have all the years gone? I'll soon be an OAP". I will admit to feeling slightly scared. I came across your website accidentally via a Facebook article. WOW! I've been looking through the articles and pictures of all the beautiful and stunning women and they have inspired me. I cannot believe some of the ages mentioned. They are utterly gorgeous. Age really is a matter of 'all in the mind'. I'm still slightly nervous of the encroaching years, but I'm now feeling more confident about meeting them head-on and continuing to 'just be myself'. THANK YOU LADIES.
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5 Jan 2018
Amazing! Where can I buy that hat?
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19 Dec 2017
They all look lovely and I especially liked Elizabeth with her gorgeous red boots. Age is certainly not a barrier to looking fabulous!
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19 Dec 2017
I think they all look fabulous, I'm so proud to be a 'woman of a certain age'
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18 Dec 2017
You know how years ago you were given advice by older women on various issues. Two particular pearls of wisdom I have taken on board one is if you are worrying about something ask yourself "would I worry about this matter in a years time". If the answer is no then it is not worth worrying about. The other piece of advice relates to coats. A friend's mom always used to say that the most important item of clothing is a coat because you are seen more in a coat than any other item of clothing, I have really taken this on board and I have a penchant for coats. I have quite a collection in most colours with the exception of winter white and purple, I have my eye on a purple coat and will wait to see if it appears in the sales. Winter white is difficult because of dry cleaning but I may knit a coat in winter white. I did particularly like Meghan's coat that she wore for the engagement photographs. Best wishes Tricia for your birthday.