OLDER AND BOLDER: The mood-boosting benefits of wearing bright clothes
Lisou founder & creative director, Rene Macdonald. Photo via Instagram
“A yellow T-shirt?” I remember the surprise in a colleague’s voice when he asked me what I’d bought in the charity shop. He was used to seeing me in navy blue, black and grey and had never seen me in yellow. And to be fair, nor had I. Not for around thirty years anyway (as a fashion student, I owned a pair of brazen yellow trousers).
That seemingly random purchase on a dull afternoon in Shepherd’s Bush close to my 50th birthday, heralded a new relationship with colour. I still wear the yellow T-shirt and over the years, more bright clothes have arrived: a marshmallow pink riding coat, pillar box red trousers, a fuchsia pink shirt, a capsule collection of peppermint green.
Previously, I would only permit myself a flourish: a multi-coloured scarf here, some ‘accent’ gloves there, but I find myself increasingly gravitating towards the brighter end of the spectrum. While practical neutrals remain dominant (I’ve been accumulating them for decades) the colour component grows. But why should older mean bolder?
Emmanuelle Morgan The Designerist
TIME TO PLAY…AGAIN
There are some theories that with age, we enter a second childhood. I’m not talking about the dribbling, drooling bit, but the playful, free element that permits us to explore life in an unhampered way. In the nineties, Middle Youth became a marketing term, a more appealing label to consumers than middle age. It referred to baby boomers and beyond who refused to adopt ‘older’ ways but retained a youthful sensibility throughout life. Our wardrobes and colour can be seen as one example of this deferred play.
FORTY SHADES OF DOPAMINE
There’s no escaping the long, dark winter ahead when self-care will become especially important. The phrase Dopamine Dressing has gained traction in the last few years. Clothing not only covers our backs and keeps us warm but can bring joy to daily lives. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter used by our nervous system to send messages between nerve cells is involved in feelings of reward, motivation, memory, and attention. When released, it causes feelings of pleasure. The phrase “en-clothed cognition” means if we associate bright, cheerful clothes with happiness, then we embody that feeling.
SEE ME ROAR
It takes a certain confidence to be seen. Bright colours mean no discrete blending into the crowd. Arguably age brings the confidence to wear what we choose and less concern about pleasing others. Perhaps this offsets societal expectations that older women should quietly fade away. Anna Wintour and Nicola Sturgeon are two women who have become bolder with years. Late Queen Elizabeth II wore memorably vivid outfits for her walkabouts so she could be seen from a distance and in large crowds. While wearing bright colour can’t fix societal discrimination, it does ensure women make some sartorial noise and are seen.
BECAUSE YOU CAN
Ditching an institutional uniform becomes possible as circumstances change and women move into retirement, part-time work, self-employment or running their own businesses. Working in corporate institutions may have included specific types of professional ‘uniform’ actual or expected. Toeing the line, being one of a team and effectively, a human extension of ‘the brand’ is all part of the working contract. But, the joy of being able to shrug off the vice like grip of corporate dress and wear whatever we wish is liberating and another reason colourful dress might make an appearance.
CREATE YOUR OWN SPOTLIGHT
As we grow older, we change. Our skin, hair and bodies all change. Dark colours can become draining as we lose colour from our hair and skin while brighter tones or vivid hues can create a highlight, lifting our skin tone and hair. Going grey was the style catalyst for Alyson to start experimenting more with colour. “Grey hair acts as a neutral backdrop, creating a dramatic contrast, so why not use the opportunity to experiment with a host of colours?”
NOT DEAD YET
“Colour can raise the dead” wrote Iris Apfel, now 101 years old. This unforgettable style icon clashes her clothes like an artist and clearly derives great joy from her kaleidoscopic adventures that she gaily shares with her social media following. It’s only when closer to death than birth, we can appreciate every day of physical health and sound mind is a special occasion. To wear colour is a celebration in itself, a proclamation of life, positivity and optimism.
Nilgin Yusuf is a freelance writer. You can find her on Twitter @Nilgin and Instagram @nilgin_yusuf. And, subscribers don’t miss our interview with Emmanuelle Morgan The Designerist (pictured above), HERE.
Are you feeling older and bolder?
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Discussion (24 Comments)
Ann Marie says:
I LOVE the coats ! Will definitely search out that pop of color in a coat this fall/winter. Have a friend who has a great coat she nicknamed “Poppy”… we smile every time she wears it, now we know why !
bev says:
Yes, yes and thrice YES!!!! As I hit my sixties and started to look ‘dusty’ (fusty/musty!!) I braved colour and now, despite being no beauty whatsoever, I get compliments. No colour is out of bounds – find pink a bit tricky – but I feel so much more ‘there’ in my yellow linen shirt than I did in a tasteful navy one. Just bought a Jaegar mega blue coat in charity shop and it SINGS!
Karen says:
Why are all the models so young looking? It bugs me when I see pictures targeting an older demographic, and the models are so young.
Susanna Singer says:
Karen, that was my first thought – not about the two pictures in the article, but all those with the great ideas following it. I have to work so much harder to imagine myself in those delectable clothes because the models are all young, tall, and slender. I am a British size 14 or 16 (US 12), which I believe is considered average. Why doesn’t the fashion industry realize how helpful it would be to start portraying women more realistically, in a greater diversity of sizes and shapes? Having said all that, I love the article itself, and do find myself creeping into color as I get older – the lightening hair needs it.
Good point, Karen. The lack of older/ more diverse models is something I have written about many times. There has definitely been a shift since I started That’s Not My Age 14 years ago, but unless brands use a range of women throughout their websites and campaigns, it does feel like tokenism. Both the women in the photos I’ve used are over-50 and amazing – we need to see more of this!
Blythe Bauer says:
Yes, expressing yourself with color is fun and uplifting. I am 68 and have noticed most people wear black and gray in my yoga class. Half the fun of going to class is the colorful athletic apparel I can wear! It gives me energy! I look forward to experimenting with more color and textures as I age.
I’ve been wearing bright colors all my life, haven’t changed at 76, and don’t intend to! So many wonderful possibilities out there! It’s more interesting anyway — and though I concede (to others) the comfort/convenience of black, I feel down when I wear black next to face. Creation is full of beauty and color, let’s honor it!
Sigrid Graf says:
YES to color!!! It lets me feel vibrant and alive. Women my age (70) wore only dark colors many years ago. They were basically invisible, like in mourning. We came a long way and I love it!
Jane says:
YES!
I agree with this so much. Since allowing my hair to gradually go a bright grey (was dark blonde) I’ve found a few v strong colours near my face work really well. The Jaeger green jumper you’ve shown is my happy colour that works with my skin, hair and temperament. I have several vivid green items (vintage jaeger cotton shirt, £10 eBay!, Freight roll-neck boxy sweater, lovely boxy sweatshirt – can’t remember the brand)..
these items make me happy, stop me fading into a background – my dread – and often make other people smile too; strangers stop me in the street with lovely comments. I never wear black now (v draining for me) and navy is my new neutral. I wish yellow worked for me, but it most definitely doesn’t!Frankie says:
Hi Jane
There is a shade/tone/hue of every colour which will suit everyone. Highly recommend Trinny Woodall’s Closet Confessions on this very subject. Totally agree with you regarding black.Frankie
Thanks for the recommendation! I will take a look. This is a topic close to my heart. The right colours make a BIG difference .. somehow I only realised this recently (mid 50s)
Elizabeth says:
Love love love jewel tones. Definitely part of my new season dressing philosophy. I have recently taken up sewing again after a 30 year gap and have bought some beautiful jade green fabric to make a fabulous blouse from!
I’m wearing bright red jeans today, but that’s about as bold as I get!
Judith Diment MBE says:
I agree with all of this and I have a lot of bright colours especially red and fushia. This summer I bought a beautiful Max Mara cotton short coat in a stunning black and white design with bright blues and green, definitely not for shrinking violets!
* charity shop purchases are always a good way to experiment with a colour you don’t normally wear although I always love a charity shop! eBay a great source of vintage Jaegar.
Mrs Tonia says:
Yes absolutely to older and bolder. So well put throughout this post Nilgin.
Our eyes have adjusted to these highlighter shades. First for me was the chartreuse, then orange, mauve, then pinks. I’ve always born greens and teal. After the dreary lockdowns there’s been a definite move away from tasteful, non-flamboyant, office appropriate neutral colours. Less black and navy and grey more sunflower and citrus hues.
Like others writing above I started with the accessories in colours. Then came the pullovers. And recently I ordered a shocking pink cashmere jumper from the Ines de la Fressange collaboration with Uniqlo. My eye has adjusted. My confidence in wearing brighter hues is enhanced. Plus they work wonders for the complexion if worn on the top half near the face. Grey hair and dulled skin is improved by rouge and brighter garments.
I noted on the morning Boris Johnson and Carrie quit Downing Street she emerged from number 10 wearing a shocking pink patterned silk evening dress. Go out with a bang. Why not feel good as you quit the scene.Sierra says:
I so agree with all those above who have commented on wearing jewel colours. These have always been my go to colours with tops.. Pastels have never suited me, although I do occasionally wear a pale lemon coloured t-shirt. When I finely decide that I’m ready to transition from my natural (now dyed brown) to grey/silver hair, it will be interesting to see if the same jewel colours suit me; turquoise, cobalt blue, fuschia pink, orange and emerald green.
Our beautiful Queen Elizabeth II always suited pastel colours when she was younger, but looking at more recent photos the jewel colours suited her so very well. Especially vivid pink, it really bought out the colour in her cheeks. In that gorgeous emerald green she wore on the balcony, at the platinum jubilee celebrations, she looked stunning. She will be so very missed. May she rest in peace.Boadicea says:
Sierra, you’re so right about Queen Elizabeth’s wardrobe. Her colours were always chosen to make her visible in crowds. No melting into the background for her! People often travelled long distances to see her, especially on her overseas tours, and trying to spot her diminutive figure amongst tall grey men would have been difficult but in her bright outfits, no trouble at all! Bless her, she will indeed be missed and she certainly does deserve to rest in peace.
I definitely didn’t want to be beige once I hit 50 and was scared of fading into the background. I have been drawn to coral and orange since then and am desperate for a bright green trouser suit and bright pink shirt!
These colours make my heart sing and I want more. The green boden embroidered dress has peeked my interest too. I just wish I’d discovered colour sooner!
Deb Chowney says:
Yes to colour and the brighter (not dayglo though for me) the better. Makes my very recent purchase, of the orange velvet paisley pattern coat, from Boden seem very apt (that’s my autumn clothing budget blown). I do have a black dress, but the dress is simply a canvas for some very bright and oversized costume jewellery and scarves, so I get away with the black sucking the colour from my skin. Interestingly, Mango have an older model on their website at the moment, with great grey hair, so the message is getting out there, albeit slowly.
Lorraine Hardy says:
I have vowed to not wear black anywhere near my face this winter, I have recently purchased a new coat, in a vibrant red. I am almost looking forward to cold weather.
Please don’t get me started about young models advertising products for the over 50’s,it devalues the companies involved.Nicky Chrascina says:
I started an activewear brand because I couldn’t find any running/sports skorts that came in bright colours. As an almost 60 year old I get so many compliments when wearing bright cheerful colour when out running or taking part in running events.
Don’t hide behind black!!!!
Cindy Leave a Reply
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I am in my 70s and love bright colours, which most of my friends find reason for comment. I see it as a sort of rebellion that started in my 40s when I was working in a mainly man’s world. At first I wore the same uniform as them dark suits, white or neutral blouses. Then a light bulb moment! If I am going to be the only woman in the room stand out so bright colours entered my life. I still had to wear suits, but now they were orange and purple etc.