Let me tell you about the older couple I met today

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... having coffee in town.

They looked absolutely fantastic.

Both probably in their 80s. The wife was wearing a navy blue suit with cropped trousers, a full sort of frilly white blouse and a bolero hat with a large brooch on it Her makeup was perfect. She wore navy suede gloves and had a fake fur stole also in navy blue.

Her husband was wearing a grey tweed three piece suit with a rose button hole, a black beret, a dark grey silk scarf and had on very large black rimmed glasses.

They looked absolutely wonderful and I was completely inspired. They were dressing for themselves, with clearly pleasure in what they wore and I felt that I could take some pointers in dressing not according to fashion but according to what you loved and suited you.

Me- in contrast- I was wearing boyfriend jeans, converse and a blue shirt. (I'm 50).

I think this marks a new phase in my life- not just wearing something that fits and is vaguely inoffensive- but wearing clothes that I love for the sheer happiness of it.

It's certainly a welcome change from a week of threads about granny shoes and Auntie-Mabel-in-the-care-home-slippers.

I agree, there are plenty of octogenarians around with a great sense of enduring style and taste. Always worth listening to their opinions, heeding their advice in order to avoid fashion blunders and fads.

Good grief… if the OP was ridiculing or complaining about this couple, then THAT would have been patronizing. Comparing them more favourably to her own stylistic efforts and stating that they were inspiring is absolutely NOT patronizing. It is open admiration.

I don't see that OP was being patronising at all. I saw a very elderly, stylish couple in Helensburgh a couple of months ago and was similarly struck by how cool they looked.

I love this thread, thanks OP. It’s inspired me to remember what I love about clothes

It's not patronising to admire and comment on someones style.
My late nan was beautiful , she had an amazing complexion and high cheekbones , she was always well groomed and dressed stylishly , she wouldn't have felt patronised if someone had complimented her .
Good for them i hope i have an ounce of their fabulousness at that age.

The previous owner of our home was 102 and still hair and make up with a style of her own I heard... Gives me inspiration I tell you.

Admiring someone older than you is not patronising 🙄 those that assumed the poster was being patronising, well it says more about you and your views on older people really 🤷‍♀️
If a younger person compliments my outfit, I take it for what it is, a compliment, I didn't realise they were patronising me!!
The couple sound super stylish! And it is inspiring! I'm totally guilty of choosing comfort over style day to day, but if I make an effort I do feel better for it, more together and ready to take on the day. I'm far too lazy to make the effort everyday though 😬

Yes. Really.

FFS this is ridiculous. Accused of being patronising now being accused of lying.

Bolero hats and berets are for sale you know. Someone must be buying them.

This is quite patronising.

I agree. And ageist.

I.e. Older people need to look frumpy.

OP is saying the opposite of that.

Just because you didn’t mean to be patronising, doesn’t mean you weren’t. Perfectly capable adults put on some nice clothes and get fawned over like they’re cute toddlers. It’s patronising.

Fine. I am a patronising bitch for observing people looking fantastic and being inspired by that and posting about how inspired I was because I actually a frump who looks like she has come in from mucking out the horses (my style for the past 15 years or so).

I get it.

I'll bow out now. This is my first time ever posting on S&B since being on MN since 2011.

I will concede that this is not my place and thank you so much for pointing out what a ghastly person I am.

(A more genuine thanks to the people who understood what I meant. )

I think you may be over reacting.

That's a bit patronising of you.

Ignore the people who say it's patronising. They are the same people who probably never complement anyone and generally go through life miserable.

It's lovely to hear about different people and your experiences op.

It makes my day, too, OP, when I see some real style & pleasure in attire rather than the shapeless - or minimal, skintight, uniform, often borderline obscene, outfits on both sexes & all ages.
Your joy & motivation to enjoy dressing is exactly what style & beauty should exult in. I enjoy silk dresses, even have specific indoor silks the cats can sit on.
Hope you share your renaissance!

OP you're welcome here. It's the haters who aren't. Unfortunately there's quite a lot of them!

It's always lovely when you see anyone making an effort these days. We seem to be in an era of competitive under-dressing and it's sooooo dull. Like people's only criteria when getting dressed is what bits of fabric will cover their nakedness today whilst being warm and comfortable. Anyone having fun with clothes or making a statement is ridiculed as too try-hard.

If you admire someone else you're either drunk, mentally ill or a big ol' bitch. Or all 3. Like it's a heinous crime that's not allowed, punishable by death.

I wonder if a new fashion will develop for some sort of tweekment whereby the haters can have their upper lip permanently pinned up at the side/middle? So they can go through life sneering at everyone 24/7 without using any of their facial muscles 😆

They sound fabulous, and I love seeing couples like that.

However, at 64 I'm still dressing much as you are OP, and can't see that ever changing. I can admire the well dressed, but I don't actually want to join them.

OP - those posters are completely ridiculous. You've done nothing wrong. You're not patronising or ageist. I don't know what's wrong with those posters. You posted a completely innocent and lovely post which inspired me.

I've been googling 'bolero hat' because I'd not heard of that ...

I enjoy seeing people who've obviously taken great care choosing their clothes 🙂 And as someone who would rather be glamorous and elegant (I'm not, but I try!) than 'on trend', this couple sound fabulous!

I like watching 60s tv just for the fashions. So interesting to see how things have changed.

I have some jackets in the wardrobe that would make me look smarter - somehow don’t bother as raincoat covers all eventualities but also because no one else bothers -I must try harder.

My late father was a fantastic and eccentric dresser. I always felt I needed to up my game when I saw him.

Now fear he would be horribly disappointed with my tired-mum-working-from-home look!

I think I’ll try harder again in his honour. Thanks OP for the prompt.