Senior Fashionistas

Are you familiar with these senior fashionistas such as Daphne Selfe, Baroness Trumpington, Bridget Sojourner, Sue Kreitzman, and the icons Iris Apfel, Helen Mirren and Judi Dench?  There are so many more in the real world awaiting to be acknowledged and found, if not by Ari Seth Cohen, who brought us a new TV documentary about being fashion-forward and life-affirming. 

I could never imagined myself as 'old' in my prime years when the world was my oyster. Unfortunately the ageing process spares no-one and it could be quite unforgiving to a certain extent. Health concerns, financial restraints. becoming dependent on others (or even a burden) are only a few of the nightmares which only to be triggered by a cold or a nasty fall. It certainly takes a lot of guts and courage to join the party and become a senior with dignity. There is no such thing as security and it is all so easy to give up as we lose our confidence in our body. Our body no longer functions as well, not dissimilar to a machine turned rusty. I am 46, considered to be 'young' among the seniors, but already feeling the challenges which are depressing, a beacon to evaluate my core values and beliefs. I am not a particularly reflective person but after all I have reached a point when I am forced to pause, take a deeper look at who I am and who I will be in my final years. The notion of death doesn't worry me as it will take care of itself.

The senior fashionistas show us that the ageing process doesn't have to be grim. I have been reading about some of them in blogs and news clippings, and there are a few things which I agree with. It is important to know yourself and find your style. I can still look chic without a body of a 20 year-old. I like to stand out so wearing colour is a must. I have never been a slave to trends but stay true to what I believe look good on me. I invest a lot on my bags and shoes, avoiding heels at all costs. I am constantly learning, which suits my scanner personality to the T. I am always working and retirement is not in my dictionary. I am still taking risks but more calculated these days. I like to be bold in the way I dress and the way I live. There is no reason to play small. Ideally I want to age gracefully without the botox and any surgery. Death is looming but I understand there is no point of thinking about it as it can happen so suddenly. 

Of course there are some of the things which I can't seem to care enough in the process of ageing. I have yet to find a role model whom I can adopt. I still haven't learnt the art of sewing and dress-making (or alteration for that matter) which is important for anyone into fashion. I must admit I find the young people rather annoying instead of inspiring, which is probably jealousy playing up on my psyche. I have no motivation to exercise or watching my diet at this point. I need to be more curious before I give up on life in its entirety. I can't say I love life but I do exist; as my old soul is telling me that nothing excites me anymore. It is hard not to think of my age when all I can see are families and friends ageing before my eyes. I can't lie to myself and pretend everything is pretty, can I?

To be frank, I have never been interested in fashion and I only flip through fashion magazines at the GP's office. My decision to be a Personal Stylist has changed everything and at midlife, my personal style has evolved with age. My skills and knowledge from the training certainly help but it has open my eyes to the fashion world with a new perspective never known to me before. Fashion is so much harder on women as they age as opposed to men but being a Personal Stylist, I can help older women to be visible again, if not head turning. I have been getting compliments lately about how I am looking younger everyday, thanks to my training, I know who I am and what suits me. I might be one of them who age into my beauty! 

As a Personal Stylist, I want to help older women to style themselves and not give up. I want them to feel good in their own skin. I want my clients to go through their days with determination and new found enthusiasm. It is important to engage the world with their aesthetics, wit, and honesty, be bold about it and refuse to apologize. I want to see the confidence seeping out of their pores in every way they present themselves. Like Apfel who refuses to be ignored and bullied out of fashion, I think it is mandatory to use our time to define ourselves, to maintain our sense of style, and to express our personality through our uniqueness. I too would like to be one of the senior citizens who look and feel good about themselves everyday, who actively participate in society and who is timeless. 

I would highly recommend the book 'Fashion and age' for those who are interested in diving a bit deeper in this subject. 

What are your thoughts on ageing and fashion?

How does age influence your choice of garments?

Why do you think women tone down their style as they age?

Share your opinions!

Social Madness

Summer has arrived much earlier than expected and here I am, sweating like a pig in Hong Kong, trying to get my name out for my small business as a Personal Stylist. I was a social butterfly 2 decades back but I become more withdrawn and introverted as I get older. I only possess my first android phone (it's actually a tab as I need a bigger screen to see clearly) in Nov last year and social media is definitely not my thing before then. I do agree that technological advancement has its perks and they are air out of water for many, I personally don't rely on it much unless it is work related.

For the past few months, I have been pushing myself out of my comfort zone trying my hands on using different social media platforms for marketing my business www.style-proud.com, a consultancy business where I offer colour analysis, style consultation, wardrobe management and personal shopping to women who wish to be beautiful everyday. Having a very limited budget and without a network of friends, I must resort to using Facebook and Twitter (minimum) to gain exposure in the virtual world. I have also used about.me, vertical response for email marketing, and considering other ways of selling both my products and services. Gosh, that is a lot of work involved in front of my screen and to make the process even more off-putting, there is an incessant amount of email coming into my inbox raving about the new / latest applications which they are convincing me to have, and that is overwhelming for someone like me who prefers a better use of time than installing apps and gadgets.

Meanwhile, I have been contacting potential businesses to work in collaboration, going to a lot of bazaars and fairs to network, and contemplating about joining some organizations for an annual fee to widen my social circle. I also have a few appointments in the coming weeks lined up for a tour of work spaces at a reasonable monthly fee. Who says it's easy to start-up? Hence, before I get to the stage of burning out, I must take a long hard look at the way I work on my business, participating in events of priorities, cut out the social situations which require me to spend money and unworthy of my effort of travelling in the scorching heat.

I know deep in my heart that partnering up with people of similar interests and values is paramount to my success. My target clients are those who sincerely want to build up their confidence through the way they dress everyday, who are willing to pay to get themselves organised, and to feel good in their own skin by acknowledging themselves as beautiful. I am constantly upgrading myself with knowledge in my field from 'experts' on a daily basis as there is so much that I don't know the more I delve in the subject of fashion / style which is my passion for the time being. Hence I am taking e-courses and reading power blogs to becoming better at what I do everyday. Yes, it takes a lot of curiosity, self-motivation and self-discipline but when you are working on something you love, it is not even an issue to worry about. Do I miss teaching? No and it is actually one of the reasons I decided to pursue my new career path of an Image Consultant. My 12 years of teaching has taken a toll on me and changing life direction seems to be right thing to do if I follow my heart.