Just saw a 60 plus woman looking great.

[randomer]

in a dropped waist black dress, black boots, chunky but not ridiculous nice scarf( not frumpy), short funky grey hair. Cross body bag.

I have lost it, if indeed I ever had it and look like a sag of spuds. Yes a sag of spuds. Just that.

And it was laughably irrelevant.

@Annasgirl, thats an interesting and kind post. Interesting that you remember the gold buckle!

Another one that stands out to me was a couple of years ago in the grounds of a hospital in a bleak Northern Outpost. A striking woman about tall and sort of size 16 ish ( for reference) She was wearing grey cashmere, a checked black and white poncho and an orange scarf. It sounds sort of odd on paper, but it looked amazing.

Also the women on the plane infront on me on the way to Lanzarote, dressed entierly in drapey, interesting while cotton pieces. Such a contrast to the tracky bottoms and a tee shirt!

@randomer - yes I still remember the complete look exactly as if it was yesterday.

I tried to emulate her style and failed as it was not really "me". I am way more casual. But as I have gotten older I have realised that you can be stylish whatever your favourite type of clothes by putting it together well.

I use Pinterest as an inspiration and I type in the look I want to put together (so black leggings, winter look; black leggings, hiking boots; rain jacket and boots etc, etc). I can now manage to style even jogging bottoms with flair, thanks to the worldwide tribe of women who post what they are wearing to Pinterest via Instagram (I find Instagram too overwhelming).

Love what you say also Holly, and the stories generally.

Sadly, I am rarely "wowed" in the UK by any women's dress men even less so. Perhaps its the English 'character' not to bother after a certain age (say, 22?) . I live in an area of expensive housing - I don't know how people even afford it - but no-one seems to give much of a how they look.

So agree, you really notice it when someone does look good! To me, its almost like adding beauty to the planet.

I think with age, comes more individuality, so at 60 maybe you've worked out your style a bit more? Maybe you have a bit more time (and money if you're lucky?).

Being slimmer helps, but its not defining. Having more money (or time - one or the other) helps. But ultimately I think its about individual style at the end of the day. I could see a woman wearing loads of fussy nonsense that I wouldn't wear in a million years - but somehow I might think she looks good!!

I think the "fitness" and skinny thing is a bit of a red herring. I see alot of older fitness fanatic and slim women who look particularly unstylish and even at death's door! haha sour grapes me!

yes random I also love the random interesting/good look too.

Oh I have remembered another one! A woman perhaps in her 80's dressed in black , loose clothing sitting in a cafe in France. So far, so ordinary but she had very large rings made from fine beads in stripes of orange, red and green. Looked amazing.

Here's one.

This is a bit off kilter story though. You've reminded me Random.

Majorca. A swanky kind of town square. Lots of affluent older Europeans. I detected lots of botox and diets and (uncomfortable) expensive-looking clothes.

I spot a fat Spanish grandmother (in her early 70s?) all dressed in black. She was playing by the fountain with a young child (her grandchild). She was the one I admired and wanted to be (with). Not strictly "style" I guess, but kinda about life. I think why I like the Dolce & Gabbana advertisements - they always have this kind of attitude ...

I agree @MinxyMay

I have time, money (within reason) and I'm not tall but very slim and overall am ok to look at but I lack motivation when it comes down to it.

Love reading these threads / planning to make more effort but day to day, I'm too lazy. And that's the crux of it

@randomer You know what they say..'when in a hole....'

Your posts are very different to the subject line you chose.
Basically, it was wide of the mark. If you wanted to say you feel frumpish, or the woman was a good example of how you'd love to look, that's very different to making a comment about her age.

But it was ageist and you ought to own that and stop digging.

Yet the English are renowned for their very beautiful gardens? I thought this walking through my suburbia last night, how much effort must have gone into all these trimmed hedges and flower beds and so forth. Maybe its a cultural, general "thing" to be understated and less interested re. personal dress and style. But I liked the suggestion earlier in thread that dressing in your style is not only enjoyable, it can be part of taking your place in the world ...

Sometimes thread titles don't always get the nuance of what the poster was trying to say, I speak from experience, and people take offence when none meant. Often creates interesting threads too ....

Can one ever be stylish with thick legs?!

Ime an 80-year-old will look more stylish than a 20-year-old if the former has a “gamine” type look and the latter is more, er, squat. I don’t mean weight, but basic shape. I am not fat, but if I wore the leggings and flat shoes thing I’d look like a pig tripping about on trotters.

@JinglingHellsBells, yes of course you are entirely correct. My musings on a woman whom I found stylish, interesting and possibly even a little inspirational were borne out of a deep seated prejudice.

How lucky I am , to have your good self in all your size 8/10 glory to point me in the direction of the correct way to write and express a whim.

@ Irma, trousers can be such a nightmare! So many to choose from. I wonder if a slim fit with the same coloured footwear with a small wedge heel might work? Sort of elevates and elongates at the same time.

My auntie is 60 and no way would you catch her in a dropped waist dress. Way too frumpy. She’s always been very fashionable and that hasn’t changed with age. I was in awe of her outfits as child - I particularly remember some hot pink suede slouchy boots she had in about 1985.

@Circusoflove

My auntie is 60 and no way would you catch her in a dropped waist dress. Way too frumpy. She’s always been very fashionable and that hasn’t changed with age. I was in awe of her outfits as child - I particularly remember some hot pink suede slouchy boots she had in about 1985.

A drop waist dress is not automatically frumpy!

@Circusoflove

My auntie is 60 and no way would you catch her in a dropped waist dress. Way too frumpy. She’s always been very fashionable and that hasn’t changed with age. I was in awe of her outfits as child - I particularly remember some hot pink suede slouchy boots she had in about 1985.

My auntie is 60 and no way would you catch her in a dropped waist dress. Way too frumpy.

So much for the 1920s and the flappers. I always think of them as very stylish in a dropped waist dress kind of way...

@KatharinaRosalie exactly this, I was just coming on to say keep up walking, fitness weights, doesn't matter if you're tall, short . You'll feel fit, walk stronger, be mobile and active. Regardless of clothes this is what sets women apart, it's muscle tone.

apart from jellies I guess?

I’m late 50s and often wear the ‘flying squirrel’ jumpsuits that were discussed a lot on here a couple of years ago. IMO they aren’t stylish or flattering at all (especially because I am short with big boobs, not a stylish shape) but they are comfortable, especially when travelling. On holiday in Canada last year I was approached three times by people saying how chic /smart I looked and asking did I buy them in Europe as they couldn’t get anything like that there. I put it down to national eccentricity but something similar happened in Morocco. There’s no accounting for taste.

I'm 63, tall slim very short silver hair, wear cool clothes when I'm not walking the dog.

God I miss being out and about in the world, spotting interestingly-dressed people. One of my favourite things BC.

@joystir59, please share.
@Thecobwebsarewinning, likewise
@thedevilinablackdress....sorry, sounds awful for you.

Thanks @randomer , it's not that I can't go out, bit with WFH, Sainsbury's delivery and Zoom yoga, there are few places I need to go.

There’s a woman on our street that DH and I refer to as ‘Killing It Woman’, because whenever we see her out walking her dog she is just killing it.

Steel grey hair in a sort of wedge style, amazing clothes, tanned, signature red lipstick, excellent scarves...she’s even got a stylish dog, a little dachshund. I think she’s late 50s/early 60s.

We’ve both got a bit of a crush.