Over 50s influencers

[ComeBackPeterComeBackPaul]

Inspired by the over 30s thread I would love some recommendations for some over 50s influencers. Nothing too dressy - I have two dogs and two teenage children and a full time job.

It does sound awfully tiresome for you.

I'm surprised you had the energy to type a post.

I fit the age range but the very word 'influencer' makes me squirm.

Wear your OWN ideas- no someone else's!

If you are desperate, book a personal shopper or stylist at J Lewis and get loads of help trying stuff on that you wouldn't normally choose.

We're not necessarily 'desparate' thanks.

Just like looking at fashion ideas.

Why is this board so unpleasant now??

Are the tiresome, squirm desperate comments necessary?

You could just ignore.

I don't want something way out, or batshit crazy, but I wish there was more true, individual style. Something that doesn't look like a perpetual advert reel for the tired, uk, high cost high street

I’ve followed a few of these names and they’re very middle of the road… you know they’re going to be wearing blazers and a striped jumper somewhere on their grid. They really push fast fashion too and although they seem nice on a personal level I find that troublesome. An exception is Cathi Rae who looks very different to all of them. There’s also a Japanese lady I like called Naito-Saori who looks nothing like me but wears very diverse looks. Good if you’re not feeling very brave. My third recommendation is Style in the Stix although I presume they’re in their 40’s Other than that I follow a few accounts of menders, thrifters and vintage wearers because I’m not that interested in the age more the style.

I'm not being nasty @MalagaNights

I offered another idea like going to a store and asking the help of a personal shopper.

Many of the posts here are actually very negative (about influencers) saying they are head to toe Hush or Boden, or are slimmer/ taller/whatever than the OP or other women.

'Influencers' are just people who have put themselves on social media to get followers. Why would anyone want to copy them?

Just like looking at fashion ideas

I like looking at fashion ideas too…Particularly if it involves digging out something I already have or styling my own clothes. Sadly so much of it is about new purchases now… the more I read about fast fashion the sicker I feel about the waste.

No it's not.

Lot's of people doing ethical fashion. The one I linked to only does this.

Lots only doing second hand.

Lots doing shop your wardrobe, don't buy more.

You can find whatever you're interested in.

We're not copying them.
We're looking for inspiration.

I'm finding this criticism of women who like to look at other women's fashion online tiresome.

But why would anyone want to trawl the web looking at how 'other women' dress? They aren't you.

One thing that hits me now about clothes for older women is there are no boundaries - we can wear what we like.

Not that long ago, women over 50 would head for Country Casuals, Jaegar, Alexon, Austin Reed etc.

Now, you can wear Hush whether you are 30 or 65. It's just knowing what suits you for your shape and size and lifestyle.

I know Isthistooyoungforme in rl, she is lovely and exactly as she comes across, very stylish and friendly.

I think the absolute best thing about Instagram is that it will show you (in your main feed) exactly what you want to see. So if you want plus size women in their 60s, or people who only shop second hand, or cats, or gardens, or fitness, it’s all there for you. If you don’t like what you see, don’t just scroll by, unfollow, and build the community you want to be part of.

My feed is a lovely mix of style, pets, and interiors, but I am not shy about getting rid of anyone who no longer appeals! It’s not like Facebook where people are obliged to remain friends with their mother’s cousin in case she gets offended.

JinglingHellsBells
But why would anyone want to trawl the web looking at how 'other women' dress? They aren't you

Women have always looked at other women's fashion for inspiration!!

Whether it's magazines, tv, or on the street.

Instagram is just another platform for this. And a great one as anyone can do it, and you can find whatever you're interested in.

@Pheasantlysurprised

Everyone seems to look the same, with slight variations, like some mass, agreed upon contemporary 'look', especially the hair and general vibe. I tire of this production line shit too easily. I don't want something way out, or batshit crazy, but I wish there was more true, individual style. Something that doesn't look like a perpetual advert reel for the tired, uk, high cost high street.

I kind of agree with this to some extent. A lot of the paid influencers just look....boring in all honesty. They have no imagination and look like they just stepped straight out of the catalogue the brand they're wearing came from. My favourite Instagram pages and YouTubers are anywhere from 20s to 50s, but they all have an individual or alternative style and they're not afraid to try something different or pair things you would never think of. Also, a lot of them wear thrifted clothes, and what's not to love about a charity shop bargain?!

@quirkychick

I know Isthistooyoungforme in rl, she is lovely and exactly as she comes across, very stylish and friendly.

Aww I love her. She comes across as very genuine. I'm her height (and shape if I was a stone lighter!) I'm taking a break from insta as I'm too easily 'influenced' I popped on the other day to look at something , saw a kimono she was wearing and that was me £45 lighter She always replies too if you comment/ask her something.

@JinglingHellsBells

But why would anyone want to trawl the web looking at how 'other women' dress? They aren't you.

One thing that hits me now about clothes for older women is there are no boundaries - we can wear what we like.

Not that long ago, women over 50 would head for Country Casuals, Jaegar, Alexon, Austin Reed etc.

Now, you can wear Hush whether you are 30 or 65. It's just knowing what suits you for your shape and size and lifestyle.

I agree with wearing what we like. It’s important to know our own style. Not only what suits us, but what suits our personality too, so that we feel authentic in our clothes.

I don’t spend a great deal of time looking at fashion bloggers, but I do look from time to time. This is not to be shown what to wear, but to see more of what is out there. I don’t look much at high street shops (although I have very recently found I surprisingly like some stuff from H&M). I watched a YouTube fashion blog yesterday and saw a faux shearling (I won’t buy the real thing) sleeveless coat that is so me. It’s from River Island. If I hadn’t watched the blog, I wouldn’t have known of it’s existence. I ordered it when the video finished!

Interesting read. I don't use any social media (other than MN), and have always found the whole influencer thing rather baffling. There are some fantastic suggestions on here of fabulous women though so I may venture on to Instagram.

I like fashion as fantasy, I love traditional editorials and the shows, the whole, 'Who could you be?' is very seductive, and wonderful to look at. I want to see beautiful women in fantastical creations and locations.

To me fashion is aspirational and inspirational, captures the wearer's mood and is a creative outlet.

I don't get the entirely regular woman wearing entirely regular clothes and schilling like crazy with 250k+ followers.

I. Do. Not. Get. It.

@ShrikeAttack I love a good fashion mag! The difference for me is even seeing a spread on high street fashion in Grazia or whatever, I don’t get much idea of how it will look on me - I’m 5ft 6 and a size 10, in my 40s, so not exactly model material. Seeing the clothes on someone more like me works much better, particularly now so many of the shops in my city have shut for good after lockdown.

Initially going back to when Instagram started influencers were “people like us”, and “trusted friends”. Now they are business people, so their recommendations (for me) hold much less weight. But while I am less likely to actually shell out based on shilling, I still like to look.

@Judystilldreamsofhorses my comments were not in response to yours. I think they all need to earn money and mostly disclose when they are but sometimes it feels a bit much but that's when I scroll on.I think WMM is doing too many paid posts for my liking but I still love her Saturday night blog. It's their job. I don't mind. Beth goodrham used to be good but she too sends too many sign up for paid content ( IMO) and I've unfollowed her. She does seem 'normal' though. But I do read any and everything. I love looking at Red and Grazia too

I can see that @Judystilldreamsofhorses, I was a very early adopter of online clothes shopping, was shopping with Net-A-Porter in 2001 when I was living on the west coast of Ireland with only the occasional trip to Brown Thomas in Cork to salve my fashion needs. Their edit was always brilliant (although I prefer Matches these days as it's tighter), they presented outfits with each piece, links to other pieces and editorials, it was an interactive and immediately purchasable fash mag! Marvellous!

So when Insta and influencers came along I was already very 'plugged in' when it came to online shopping and inspiration, I'd been doing it for a decade!

That's probably why it doesn't have much resonance for me, I don't find much value in seeing 'women like me', I've got a very clear idea of what I want to look like and what I want and I know where I can find it and if It doesn't work I can send it back very easily.

Having said that, I absolutely adore some of the Instagramers that have been suggested and will be following them. They're not the influencer ones though.

My friend @welshtomboy on Instagram is not an influencer as such, but she has bags of style and looks amazing for her age (62)

Your friend is beautiful @emsiewill, she's on my list!

That's the kind of thing I'd like to see!

She really is, isn't she? Beautiful inside and out.

I don't get the entirely regular woman wearing entirely regular clothes and schilling like crazy with 250k+ followers.

Presumably it's because not everybody does see fashion as fantasy. People want ideas of what they could and would actually wear, and therefore it's useful to see a range of non-eccentric clothes on normal-shaped, non-ethereal women. Clothes they might not spot in the shops or think of buying when they see them on the hanger, or are just a bit different from what they normally wear, especially if they've got stuck in a rut.

@ShrikeAttack I teach marketing/digital marketing as a job, so I think I am pretty plugged in too. But I still like to see clothes worn by “women like me”. A good example right now is the new John Lewis “Any day” range (I think you and I might have quite different budgets!) which is popping up all over the place online and in magazines at the moment. Our John Lewis remained closed after the winter lockdown, and ordering/returning speculatively is a pain in the arse - but I have seen a dress I like worn by two people on Instagram who are a similar dress size/height to me, which makes me feel confident it will suit me. I find it really useful when I know a person is eg a size 10 (like me) but they say something comes up small and to go up a size. That saves me a trip to the My Hermes drop off point!

But why would anyone want to trawl the web looking at how 'other women' dress? They aren't you.

Because seeing a range of clothes on actual normal people (rather than a hanger or a model) helps you decide what you like and what might suit you. You don't have to be the same as another woman to wear some similar items of clothing.