All ages?
— by Alyson Walsh
As you know, That’s Not My Age is a champion of fashion for the over-forties – I can happily look at older models with wrinkles, grey hair and bunions, all day long. Except when it comes to the All Ages fashion line-up in The Guardian weekend magazine. I know I’ve said this before but I think it’s worth repeating: the styling on the older models is just plain lazy – in fact, I doubt the stylist has even taken the age-factor into consideration. The grown-up ladies are dressed in the same way as the younger girls, often the clothes don’t fit properly – take a look at the black puffa jacket/trousers above – the older models aren’t properly groomed and the overall impression is one of tokenism. These images are same-y and uninspiring – and nobody wants to look like they’ve just escaped from a care home. So, please can someone tell Alan Rusbridger to stop peddling this patronising rubbish.
As Jim Royal would say, all ages, my arse!
Discussion (20 Comments)
No way would I wear any of that crap. Ugh.
- Helene says:
OMG – they have done that older model such a buffet of disservices. I'm 57 and if I had the stylist, hair stylist and makeup artist here, I'd say, "Would you do this to your Mom? To your grandmother? Of course you would not! You should be ashamed!"
From top to toe:
Hair – Beautiful silver hair – but the style makes her look as if she's just gotten out of bed from a sleepless night. Tie it back with some height in the front.
Makeup – This lady has very pale skin and given the color of her hair was probably pretty fair in her youth, which means that with age, her issue is that she tends to look washed out. Put a little warmth in the color on her face – nothing harsh but a little bit warm. Between the skin color and the hair color, the entire top of her body is disappearing. Which of course is probably what the sylists actually wanted.
Clothing: The older we get, the more structure we need and frankly the more 'elegant taste' we need. This woman has the height and the figure to carry both off but the stylist put her in the worst stuff. They definitely wanted to call attention to the young models and have the viewers' eyes, move quickly away from her. Shame on them. And probably one of the issues here is that the average age of the stylist, hair stylist and the make up artist was about 25 – in their world, old and not thin might as well be under the heading, "Glue Horse". - Make Do Style says:
LOL! I so want to get my hands on it – the styling is very uninspiring – it isn't really styled just plonked!
- smudgetikka says:
I have to say that the styling on these pages always looks uninspired whether its for the younger models or older.
I don't think its an attempt to make the older model disappear, I think its just bad full stop. Totally agree. I wouldn't be inspired to look like that at 70 let alone 40 odd!
- Crafty Crone says:
Oh dear, oh dear. The poor love. Has her grand-daughter got her out for the day? She looks utterly lost in that otherwise rather fab suede jacket in the first pic. And just adore the Norah Batty skinnies in shot two. These pictures are disquieting – sent an icy shiver down my osteoporotic spine. Do I look 'mutton' too? Am off to buy more Crimplene as we speak…
- Tish Jett says:
I think the stylist/stylists should pop over to Paris, walk around the streets a bit and get some inspiration.
Also, why do they look like they're on their way to prison? A teeny smile wouldn't hurt in one picture.
Agree with you completely, not very inspired.
Well done (on your part).
- coz says:
smudgetikka has a point – I think it is all quite hideous!
- That's Not My Age says:
Thank you all for your comments – and to Helene for the great advice.
Crafty Crone – please don't buy any more Crimplene!
Coz & S-tikka – you have a point, the styling is pretty poor all-round which frankly is unacceptable in a national newspaper, but I still think more care & consideration should be paid to the older model.
- Beautifully50 says:
seriously! You need to send your post to the editor. It's like the older woman is in there for what NOT to wear. agree with you completely!
- Le Club Du Style says:
I agree with Tish Jet, the whole spread looks like a police line up. This does disservice to all the models. I wonder how a woman of any age would be inspired by this.
- enc says:
The proportions on that puffer jacket/pants combo in the second-to-last photo are all wrong. Dang. I agree that the styling just stopped at age 50 in this layout.
- see you there! says:
All three look awful. The older woman looks so fragile/scrawny and vague/confused I'd be compelled to ask her if she needed help if I saw her wandering the streets alone (and I'm sure I'm older than she is!)
Darla
- Metropolitan Mum says:
What? The 'just escaped the care home look' is not en vogue in 2010? Damn it, I just spent all my pocket money on boring, illfitting, sack-like garments.
PS: Have to say kind of loved the 'granny does punk chick' outfit. I mean, seriously: WTH?!
- That's Not My Age says:
Beautifully50 – I may do just that. The styling just isn't good enough, is it?
LCDS & Darla – you're right, they all look awful but the way the older model has been styled is tragic.
MM – sorry the escaped from the care home is so over, those ill-fitting garments have to go back!
- oneglove says:
You're absolutely spot on with this. I've recently stopped buying the Saturday Guardian – not just because of the All Ages feature (called 'Nu Rave Nana' in our house) but because their fashion and interiors coverage is just so poor. Seems to only involve Hadley Freeman being funny-but-sneery about a celebrity or one of the other ones banging on about 'treggings' or some such. There's very rarely anything considered, intelligent or celebratory about it. Telegraph mag on saturday is much better.
- That's Not My Age says:
Oneglove – hello and thanks for leaving a comment. Think we agree that The Guardian's fashion/style/interiors coverage is pretty poor. The Telegraph and The Times are much better.
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OMG – so agree… Especially the first two photographs and I afraid that coat in the first photograph looks rather shapeless to say the least! Think you should email Mr Rusbridger – you def. have CLOUT – maybe they would ask you to do them instead. Now… that WOULD be good.