Photo credit: Susan Blakely/Une Femme d’une Certain Age. Susan styling her boyfriend jeans.
Fashion is a personal choice, yet it is no surprise that high street shops have an impact on what people consider stylish. Susan Blakey, the woman behind Une Femme d’une Certain Age, told us how to make your own fashion rules after 50.
The newest JD Williams survey found that only 20% of British women over 50 believe that big fashion retailers serve them well. And more than 60% of them feel forgotten by big brands. Not only is this a case in the products that they offer but also in the visual representation of these age groups. But maybe it is all about the attitude?
For Susan Blakely, 63, fashion is all about the person who wears it. “I think that people should wear whatever makes them feel good, radiant, and confident - whether that's wearing all black or a big rainbow print,” she says.
Photo credit: Susan Blakely/Une Femme d’une Certain Age. Susan “adding some fun to a simple outfit”.
In 2007, when she had just turned 50, Susan realised there were no resources online that could help with her style. “I have always kind of felt excluded by fashion because I
didn’t have a big budget and I didn’t live in that world,” she admits. Her answer to that was simple - starting one of the first fashion blogs specifically for over 50s, to help them overcome the problems she once faced.
Photo credit: Susan Blakely/Une Femme d’une Certain Age. “How to wear a silk scarf casually” blog post.
“We had it drilled into us for so long about neutral fashion staples and rules like not wearing black in the summer or white in the winter. But it is much more important to dress in alignment with your personality and taste,” she says.
Susan shows that after 50 you can still wear whatever you want, not what the shop displays suggest you should wear: “It is the attitude that I call a dressing room - you put something on and it just feels like a party.”
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