Fashion – a Rubix cube of frustration to some, a feast of texture and colour to others. Fortunately I found my personal style early on, and as I’ve gotten older, learnt what works for me and invest in clothes accordingly – pieces that aside from bringing joy, make me feel confident and of course comfortable. However, I’m acutely aware that for some individuals it’s still terrifying territory and getting older just makes it more of a minefield, not just in style to suit your age, but to suit your size too. With this in mind I’ve been following a handful of influencers on Instagram who specialise in creatively and stylishly catering to an older market. There’s a strong message to be served to the bulk of fashion retailers who constantly bypass a 40 plus demographic in favour of young models and forget that there’s a deeper purse and more commitment to quality to be had if they’d just up their marketing ante. Interesting stuff, and to be fair, as someone who has spent her career creating imagery for young women’s magazines, it’s made me stop and take note.
Meet Alyson Walsh, talented author, influencer and creator of the hugely successful website www.thatsnotmyage.com . A fellow ex-magazine fashion creative, Alyson has both the wealth of experience learnt after years working in the industry and the insight into what women really want. If you yearn to buy into a casual glamour and grown up style – she’s nailed it. Here we chat to Alyson about her inspirations, fashion loves and latest book – Know Your Style.
The Stylish Stuff – tell us a little about yourself and what led you to create That’s Not My Age …
“I started That’s Not My Age nine years ago – because I felt that women over-40 were being ignored by the fashion industry. All the emphasis was on youth and being young and yet I was seeing all these wonderful, older people everyday. After working as a magazine fashion editor and having to write all those prescriptive style rules, I just wanted to talk to women in the way that I talk to my friends. I hope That’s Not My Age is empowering and fun and offers style advice in a down-to-earth way. I’m lucky to have a loyal following who I am eternally grateful to because without them my book(s) wouldn’t exist. I have always believed that it’s not about age, it’s about style. I’ve worked in the fashion industry and the fashion media industry – online and on women’s magazines for many years. I’m now a freelance fashion journalist, I write for the Financial Times, the Telegraph and the Guardian – and one of my recent highlights was being described by the Daily Telegraph as one of the ‘women over 40 influencing the internet’. When I left to go freelance in my early 40s, I thought that with my knowledge and experience I would find tons of work, but it just wasn’t like that. The fashion industry is obsessed with youth and so I felt completely overlooked. Fortunately, this was around the time the internet was taking off and so I started writing as That’s Not My Age. Both the site and my books have had a lot of media attention and brands are increasingly interested in having me as an ambassador or spokesperson – but it has taken time and a shift in attitudes within the fashion industry to get to this point. That’s Not My Age is for every woman who refuses to be invisible.
Alyson’s second book ‘Know Your Style, illustrated beautifully throughout by Ayumi Takahashi.
The Stylish Stuff – Alyson, could you walk us through your wardrobe failsafes…
“The jumpsuit has become a bit of an obsession – once you start you can’t stop! I have a proper work wear version by the French brand Vetra that I call the Industrial Onesie, a chambray version from H&M’s Conscious Collection, a black summer style from Hush that’s good for riding my bike in and this super-sized khaki one from Bliss & Mischief (the Military Onesie), is my absolute favourite. I tend to wear it belted over a stripy t-shirt in winter as it gets a bit drafty.”
(Khaki boiler suit, Bliss & Mischief; striped organic tee, Gudrun Sjoden; belt, APC.)
Alyson has a ‘less is more’ approach to accessorising – perfectly chosen pieces to complement her look. Shown here, a favourite turquoise ring.
“I love velvet for daywear. Like leopard print and Lurex, it’s become a style essential. This navy tuxedo jacket is from Jigsaw, I was asked to be in conversation (to talk about Christmas style) at their King’s Road store. Juxtaposed with denim and a stripy t-shirt, velvet adds a sprinkling of decadent luxury to an everyday outfit.”
(velvet blazer and striped tee, both Jigsaw (currently available); black waxed jeans, Eileen Fisher)
“The velvet ankle boots are Jil Sander, I bought them in the sale at Fenwick (I’m a bit of a bargain hunter). They’re ace with jeans for day or evening, though not so good in the rain…” (jeans, MiH)
“These lovely cashmere sweaters are M&S, I tend to go up a size or two so that I can wear them a bit looser. To me, feeling comfortable and confident is the most important thing and I think it helps to buy good quality fabrics.”
“Colour, print and texture…I love all of those and if I find something, usually vintage, that has all three, then I can get overexcited. It’s not because designers now don’t embrace those things – they do and it’s wonderful, but I think I tend to buy plainer things from contemporary designers so that I don’t see them so much everywhere. I guess I’m a bit of a snob like that.” Lucinda Chambers, ex Fashion Director of Vogue UK interviewed for Know Your Style.
“My ideal outfit is a combination of day and eveningwear, effortless style with a little embellishment. Like this posh sweatshirt, from Jaeger London (about five or six years old), jeans and mid-heeled ankle boots. It’s a relaxed look that goes everywhere – or what I like to refer to as Casual Glamour.”
“At this time of year I’m forever in black jeans. This straight-leg, coated style are from Eileen Fisher and they’re about four or five years old, now. They go with a slouchy cashmere sweater and work a treat with ankle boots. I’m such a Denim Lover; I really do live in jeans. Other favourite styles are the MiH Phoebe boyfriend jeans (another sale bargain) and I’m currently wearing my Levis 501’s again: the original and the best.
(cashmere sweater, M&S; jeans, Eileen Fisher; trainers, Vans; scarf, Gary James McQueen.)
As a sporty kid I spent my life kicking around in trainers, and I’m still a fan of this laid-back look. Whether they’re in fashion or not, to me, a pair of trainers teamed with a tailored jacket and slim or slouchy pants are an essential part of dressed down daywear.”
“I like an outstanding coat – this leopard print number is from Grace & Ted, a designer resale shop in Bath. It’s By Malene Birger and looks great over the Military Onesie. Look around at the train station in winter and you will notice two things: everyone’s on their smart phones (they’ll get Tech Neck) and everyone’s wearing black winter coats. Go for something a little livelier and dazzle your fellow commuters.”
(coat, Malene Birger; cashmere sweater, M&S; striped tee, Jigsaw; scarf, Eileen Fisher; jeans, Levi’s 501)
The Stylish Stuff – Alyson, what do you think most women get wrong when approaching a stylish yet more age appropriate wardrobe?
“I think fit is the most important thing. It’s important to spend time finding clothes that fit properly and feel comfortable. The older I get the less I want to faff around with clothes in the morning – or any other time of the day for that matter. Bra straps that fall off shoulders, trousers that go up yer bum; I don’t want to spend all day hitching and hoicking – I want to put clothes on and forget about them. If it doesn’t fit right, it doesn’t sit right. End of.”
The Stylish Stuff – your second book is a veritable bible of advice for the grown up and fashionably minded – what prompted you to write it and is there another one where that came from?
“Over my 30-year career in fashion, from magazine reader makeovers to meeting women at various events and online, or simply chatting to friends (even the ones who seem confident, comfortable and chic) – I have regularly been asked questions about style. And this often comes down to establishing ‘what goes with what.’ What accessories complement a favourite outfit, what colours coordinate well – or make the perfect mismatch, what to wear for a special occasion without spending loads of money or ending up looking like Barbara Cartland? This is the key question I wanted to answer in Know Your Style – read it to find many style solutions! This is my second book, my first book Style Forever was published in 2015 and so at this rate there’ll be another one in 2019. Watch this space…”
“The Timeless Tuxedo – it’s always been my dream to own a tuxedo to look as slick as a Parisian woman wearing Yves Saint Laurent. To make like Anjelica Huston in the 1970s (The Jack Years) in a super-cool burgundy trouser suit and matching silk blouse.” – excerpt from Know Your Style.
The Stylish Stuff – What do you think is the key message of the book and who do you think will benefit from it?
“For my second book, the aim was to talk less about age and more about style. To try to figure out what goes with what (and that was the tentative title of the book at commissioning stage). How do we know what to buy when our lifestyles are constantly changing – today more people work remotely from home than ever before – and there’s so much on offer? How to colour match or mismatch? How to wear flat shoes? I hope that women of all ages will benefit from reading Know Your Style. My conclusion is that with a little bit of practice, any woman can be stylish. That looking good is not about buying loads of new stuff but spending time figuring out what makes you feel chic and comfortable. I enjoyed gathering thoughts and style tips from the women who inspire me, including: Lucinda Chambers, Caroline Issa, Linda Rodin, Pat Cleveland, Lyn Slater (Accidental Icon), Michelle Ogundehin (ex-editor-in-chief Elle Decoration) and many more.”
Follow Alyson on Instagram. Here’s a taster of her posts…
Photographs and interview by Shelly Vella
A big thank you to Kim Blake
Photographed on location at Regents University london www.regents.ac.uk
Assisted by Karla Morales