Is there 'a cloak of invisibility' which overcomes women over the age of 50?

I think invisibility is an internal construct. If you act confidently and with quiet assertiveness, then age, height, looks, hair colour are irrelevant.

I had an uncle, who throughout his life always expected to be ignored and missed out and for everything to always go wrong and acted accordingly - and generally life lived down to his expectations, mind you if anything did go right he never noticed.

One of the distinct bonuses of age for me is that I can strike up a conversation with anybody without any fear of appearing to be chatting them up!
Although I have had an increased sense of vulnerability since Paw died - silly really and clearly in my own mind as even while he was alive I often went to theatres etc on my own and spent years of my life travelling to and from London during his many hospital visits.

No, I don't feel invisible at all. I don't know if I come across as a sweet little old lady, but I get smiled at a lot, and cars stop so I can cross the road. I'm 70 but still fit and healthy so don't really need fussing over, but it is nice.

Not invisible but since I stopped dying my hair and embraced the silver, I've been called "sweetheart" several times either at the supermarket or worse, the hospital. Nope, I'm not a sweetheart. It feels weird, especially as I'm not small!