On Friday evening as I was watching my eldest son play field hockey I became involved in some friendly banter with the team manager, as we stood mildly freezing on the side line. Mr X, the team manager, a British gentleman, over the course of our humorous conversation remarked he was old, but not as old as I! This of course got me thinking about age and style. So here goes my thoughts on growing older in style.
The Style journey
To my mind, the look of a fabulously stylish older person is one that has been carefully curated through a life of experiences and an understanding of what works and what doesn’t. This does not of course mean that younger people are not stylish, it just means that younger people are at the beginning of the never ending style journey. You can’t buy style, although it is clear that some people think that it comes in Gucci or Louis Vuitton head to toe, which of course it does not.
My personal style is one that has evolved over many years. There was definitely a period when I was caught between a classic British style and a more modern look, heavily influenced by Prada amongst others. Those were my younger days and I once recall buying a Prada tracksuit-style top, then promptly returning it a few days later. Another time I recall phoning the Prada store in Milan in search of some fur lined loafers. Thank goodness none of these items ever took up a permanent space in my wardrobe. However, it does show that the style journey is an evolving one.
A friend asked the other day how old I was. To be honest, I wasn’t sure. It took a while, however right now I am 52 soon to be 53. Is that old? Well it’s older than 25, however I believe that I am definitely cooler than when I was 25 and I can still probably beat my 14 year old son in a running race. I must say that I am very content with being 53, in fact I actually look forward to being 60. I can’t wait to see how my wardrobe might look in seven years’ time. I think that as I’ve gotten older my style has become more defined, I know what works and what doesn’t. The idea of fur lined loafers is long gone. If you are a younger person reading this, don’t fear if you haven’t yet found your style. That is ok, your time will come! I know this because I believe my time is now, yes, at 53 almost. I look forward to many fabulous years to come of tweeds, double breasted suits, loafers, cigars and fine fragrance.
What to wear if you are older than 25.
By the time you are older than 25, it is most likely that you will have an idea of what works for you. In an earlier post I talked about the importance of dressing for yourself and believing that you looked fabulous. This is still the case when you are older. I think that problems can arise when a gentleman perhaps dresses in a way that is not who he is, forgetting that style is a journey. Instead of applying what he has learnt across his life, he opts to hit the reset button. Pause the evolving style journey and let’s start again!
We’ve all seen the super skinny jeans and hip trainers really rocking on younger guys, however I’m not a fan of this look on older men. In pursuing this look the older man is, in my opinion, sending a clear message that he has not found his style and has therefore looked to return to an earlier stage of the style journey. I think this is also reflected through the ever increasing trend right now of cosmetic modification in order to achieve that younger look. I think this reflects the misinformed view that older people don’t look great. Well, they do, some of the most stylish men on the planet are older and cooler. These gentleman have recognized that great style is not about trying to appear younger, great style is the product of a journey, an ongoing journey.
Whilst I don’t want to get in to the women’s style debate, I also believe that this concept applies to very stylish women. Some of my most stylish female friends are older, in fact much older. However, rather than trying to stop the journey they have curated a look that is so outstanding. These ladies looks’ are punctuated by classic and timeless pieces (bangles, scarves, fragrance and hairstyles that ooze appeal and style) and are worn with confidence. If you know me on a personal level and you are wondering, “is it me?” Well the answer is invariably yes, you know who you are!
The looks of these ladies are truly beautiful and a clear example that beauty is ever-growing and not an age thing. I am not one of those people that simply suggest that older people are attractive simply because they are wise and experienced. Whilst this may be true, I am however a visual person and to me the style that older people exhibit is a look that I very much admire and aspire to.
I entitled this paragraph, what to wear if you are older than 25, yet to provide a generic list of items would in my view not be consistent with the thought that everyone is different and therefore everyone has a style. The answer lies in unlocking and discovering what your particular style is. You should therefore wear what suits you and what makes you feel great, rather than simply following a stero-type that an advertiser is promoting.
Older style.
I wanted to share on this post, some photographs of people who are older than 25 and whom I think their style is second to none. I find these people very inspirational and their influence has been fundamental to my own style journey. I’ve also included photographs of women whom I find particularly stylish. Just for good measure of course! Enjoy.
If you can’t do it in style, don’t do it!
Gianni Agnelli 
Carlos Castillo 
Alessasndro Squarzi 
Robert Rabensteiner 
Grece Ghanem 
Grece Ghanem 
The Global Style Pilot 