Okay, I'm all for female empowerment but I'm not feeling the love from the barrage of "positive fashion role models of a certain age" that I am being fed through Social media at the moment. "Silver Style", "Advance Styling", or the Pantomime Dames that are Iris Apfel wannabes.
Am I meant to feel encouraged that I can "have it all" at 50, 60, still be considered "hot" at 70 , or feel obliged to dress myself up like a Christmas Tree to still be visible at that age ?
I'm NOT buying it literally !
We see Iris Apfel as an amazingly energetic and vibrant woman who clearly loves fashion. She has devoted her entire life to it, she was never meant to be viewed as an aspirational figure. Something that we need to attain or compare ourselves to. To achieve that "explosion in Accessorise" look requires and extensive wardrobe with many props. There are hair dyes, bracelets, designer glasses all to be bought - she is a marketeers wet dream !
We then come to the "dark night of the soul" bit ... Grannies bombarded with "positive role models" ! Just when they thought they had skipped away from the glare of self image and attractiveness, the spotlight is back on them again. This target group is not some random neutrons firing type brain wave, it's a pointed attack. These women have pensions, their mortgages paid off, no dependants they possibly have more disposable income than your average working family !
It may be a kindness to simply sneak in to their house and rob them of their stash. Rather than the insidious undermining messages of never being enough.
So while I solute Iris and her eccentric devotion to the great Fashion Goddess, I implore all the recent converts who want to similarly "do" old age to look behind the curtain ! Where is the energy coming from ? Fear of the invisibility of old age or a genuine love of glitter encrusted cowboy hats ? Until we know for sure which one it is, only then we will know how to act appropriately x