“If you’re over 50 and pick up a copy of Vogue magazine, don’t expect to see someone like you peering back from the cover,” writes Stephanie Pappas for a Today Show article highlighting the failure (or refusal) of women’s magazines to portray images of women that reflect their actual readerships, or that portion of their readerships that is post-20 years of age. I’ve been saying the same thing for years, and I wouldn’t limit my complaint to age-discrimination in print. Try maintaining your sense of fashion post-50 without dressing like a teeny-bopper. Not easy, but the issue is so much more than narrow concepts of a fashionable age. Try maintaining your sense of fashion post-hair, now that’s a fashion challenge.
I’d like to rewrite Pappas opening statement slightly. Here goes… If you are [over 50, greater than size 2, shorter than 5′10″, browner than vanilla ice cream, have anything less than long, luscious, straight and thick locks of hair, and have any human flaws what-so-ever] don’t expect to see someone like you peering back from the cover. Who doesn’t know that? After all, the whole point is to sub-consciously convince us a) that we need to look like their chosen models to be happy, whole, and worthy of love, and b) if we purchase all the goods advertised between front and back cover, we will magically transform into those magically perfect people. Really, whose buying it? No one, and then again, everyone.
While I don’t expect the marketing images will change in any substantial ways, I do think it’s realistic to think that the fashion items marketed to us with those unattainable images might one day reflect who we really are . So while I expect that the very occasional “mature” female model will be perpetually photoshopped, airbrushed, wrinkle and gray free, with a body that typically only comes with a personal trainer, I also believe that speaking our post-50 (greater than size 2, shorter than 5′10″, browner than vanilla ice cream, balder than a pencil eraser) minds can and will impact fashion because when it comes to sales, we vote with our money. I don’t know about you, but I have a lot more fashion dollars to vote with now than I did as a 30-yr-old with three young sons to care for and I am not voting for mini skirts, baby doll wear, 5 inch heels OR frumpy, matronly, over-sized polyester for that matter. As a fashion designer myself, I am pleased to announce that there are a lot of women of all ages voting for my fashion-forward head scarves because despite the prevailing perception, women don’t need to surrender their style with their hair.
You don’t need to be over 20 or bald to feel excluded from the fashion world. What physical attributes do you wish were included in mainstream images of fashion and beauty?
Susan Beausang, 4Women.com
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That's sweet of you! My mom has been one chic 89-yr-old, never leaving home without a stylish outfit and wonderful jewelry, never looking frumpy, let-go or overly senior, but also never pretentious - just colorful, classy, and even a bit earthy with her collection of turquoise jewelry. I'd be honored to walk in her footsteps!
June 14, 2011 - 11:10amYou're clearly going to be a classy dresser through-out your decades.
Best to you!
Susan
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Hello Susan,
Wow, thanks for the very thoughtful comment! I don't know if others will find it controversial, but I surely don't. I think you misunderstood me a wee bit though, as I believe we agree entirely.
I was pointing out a Today Show piece blaming the media for not showcasing images of older women. I was then pointing out that the same complaints are made for every other topic category (weight, color, height). I for one am surely sensitive to the fact that all media images of women would lead one to believe that you have to have thick, long, perfect hair to count as "beautiful". But my main point was that we're wasting oxygen griping about it because those images have one purpose - to sell products, and so they're never going to use regular, real looking people.
So, my concluding point is we don't need real people images, we just need real people clothes options. As a post-60-yr-old who does love fashion, does love dressing up, does like to express myself with clothes, I sometimes resent that the majority of fashion options (at least latest styles, not talking vintage here) are styled, shaped, sized for 16-20-yr-olds. I want to be fashionable, but 5-inch heels, major cleavage revealing necklines, miniskirts, etc, just are not flattering on a 60-yr-old woman. I want to be hip at 60+, but not a teeny-bopper look-alike.
In support of my call for fashion that includes those of us who don't approximate the magazine cover girls, I then point out that hey, I have way more disposable fashion-shopping income now that I'm older, without dependents, then I did at magazine covergirl age, and so, if there's others who think like me, lets vote with our dollars and we're bound to see change, as THAT is what a capitalist democracy listens to - money.
I respect anyone no matter what floats their boat - if it's walking about in pj's, fine by me. If it's emulating the dignity of women who hustle their fruits on the streets of Africa, fabulous. If it's the style of the day on NYC's runways, that's my taste. Afterall, fashion design runs in my veins. I just want to voice the request that when I go to boutiques and malls, someone present me with some options that reflect where I am the zillions of other post-30 women are at in this country.
Thanks for writing! I love the topic!
June 14, 2011 - 9:49amSusan
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Hi Maryann,
June 14, 2011 - 6:36amI'm just happy to have something to vote on. I recall a few years back when there was essentially nothing a classy, dignified and fashion-conscious woman post-50 could purchase and wear without looking like a teeny-bopper wannabe. I had a hard time casting my fashion votes then.
Thanks for reading!
Susan
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Hi Susan,
June 13, 2011 - 4:08pmI agree with every point that you make. But, I most applaud your comment about voting with our fashion dollars. The older I get, the more comfortable I feel in "my own skin", feel fabulous at 50 something and do not buy into the fashion model look. Thanks again for a great share!
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