Stylish Grans.

We associate 'old age' with our parents generation, as mentioned before, tight perms, elasticated waists, crimplene. As our generation ages, what we wear will also become regarded as how 'old' people dress. I've noticed many older ladies (including me) have a sharp bob - very few younger peeps do so I reckon it is becoming an older woman's style. However I think our style is a vast improvement on the past, & I was really flattered the other day when my daughter was staying, ran out of clothes & asked to borrow a top of mine she liked. That would NEVER have happened when I was young!

busylizzie I was diagnosed diabetic in March. I went on the Low Carb, High Fat diet and because I lost the weight I have reversed the diabetes. The diet was surprisingly easy. There is a thread on GN concerned with it.

Yes Anya I know,what you mean, summer can be very unkind to some people. It shows every fault off. I think start with a good haircut and makeup and know your good and bad points. Whatever you say everyone has good points. I always take my time buying clothes these days, if I am in any doubt then I don't buy it. I read that you should only buy clothes that make you feel like doing a little dance. Buy the best you can afford, a good basic and you can dress with scarfs, jewellery, bags, shoes etc. Always look at the back view as well when you buy something, and never, never buy something that is too tight because it won't look right and you won't enjoy wearing it.

I have a great neoprene hooded coat with a bonded fleece inner. Fantastic; light, very warm and washable.

I'm not sure if it's crimpilene you are seeing in the shops, it's probably neoprene or scuba which feels a bit similar. I made a skirt out of scuba and it's incredibly easy to sew, it's quite light as well. I'm not a huge fan of synthetics , so I won't be wearing it, my DD loves it though!

Sorry that should be back to my 7.5 stone weight. That was too skinny for my liking!

Bbbevan. good for you. I'm nearly 72 and I'd love to lose that much weight. My resolve is rock solid in the morning but crumbles by the evening. Oh how I'd love to be lighter and slimmer again - though not back to my 8.5 stone weight - especially in this hot weather ! How did you do it?

Do not try to control your inner-hippy Stansgran

As I'm termpoarliy disabled with two broken arms, I'm doing a lot of people watching when DH drags me out of the house and plonks me down in open-air cafes. I was a Hatton Country World yesterday, a favourite haunt of 'our generation' and I've never had such an urge to call the Fashion Police.

Tight T-shirts enclosing roll upon roll of fat like a large Cumberland sausages. Too short skirts showing off white, dimply legs and varicose veins or cropped trousers enclosing large posteriors. Red faces, sweating in the heat, With the emphasis on beige. Boring.

Then a 70 year old hippy-type grandmother came into view. She too had a more 'mature' figure, but her long skirt and floaty top not only disguised her wobbly bits but made her look cool and colourful and exotic.

So go for it stansgran

A lot of us hate the latest Crimplene because we remember it first time round and to us it's just old-fashioned. M & S are on a hiding to nothing because this applies to their core customer base. But to the young 'uns it's vintage, and it does look great on them.

There's a great clearance sale on at Boden at the moment, if anyone's interested. I shouldn't have looked last night, but fortunately they do free returns....

Penstimmoni always loved Alistair and Christaltips.?spelling?

I never seem to have the time to shop. I have an every day collection of denim skirts and chino skirts. I'm tall but sadly shrinking and I like long skirts. I'm trying to control my inner hippy.i love flowery tops and sadly CC/ Viyella closed here. I could order on line and pick up in the shop as I went past.. M&S seem to have crimplene in an amazing array of truly awful clothes this year. The sale racks are full and have remained full for a while now. You can walk in the store and see people going through the racks with puzzled looks on their faces. Yes who on earth thought anyone would buy this stuff.

When I asked my hairdresser for a blue rinse she nearly fell over in surprise, laughed her head off and suggested white streaks. I complied and love my whiter hair - but now she has suggested a shampoo that "keep the white bright". Guess what? A purple rinse by any other name!

Don't wear trousers because my bum is too thin these days, but try to look neat. I do wear plain skirt and patterned top or vice versa. One lady said she looked forward to seeing DH [who wears his clothes wonderfully] and me in church - she calls us the most handsome and well dressed couple. being tall helps for stylishness, but not for getting clothes.

i have recently started going to a charity shop where i get "disposable clothes". If I don't like it after all, I return it to the shop to be sold a second time.

I like a liberty print, and polka dots and Missoni type zig zags ( not together though!). You don't have to stick to plain colours to be stylish. It's the way you put an outfit together.

Penstemmon
Cornergran I like florals too. I've got flowered dresses from Coast, Toast, Jigsaw and Boden and I feel great in them. They'd have gone to the charity shop or been sold on Ebay if I didn't.

That's the secret, I think. If you feel good in something, you probably look good too

Penstemmon - where did you get that picture of me?

Narrowboarnan to be frank, all is lost if you think Pru looks 'stylish'. She doesn't , she looks like a 'bag lady' . She even wears the bag lady hat.

My hair goes frizzy in hot weather & wet weather and I find it hard to look 'groomed' as my curls go crazy despite gallons of Argan oil etc!

Yes yes yes - no more old lady perms. But PLEASE tell me what to do with hair that curls up 10 minutes after leaving the salon with smooth and straight stylish hair.

jalima, I have the same hair problem. I emerge from the hairdresser looking immaculate but my hair has been the despair of hair dressers for half a century - it has a mind of its own. In humid weather it goes curly and wavy; in frosty weather it stands on end. I use plenty of conditioner, mousse and hairspray, but still it finds its own way! Now I am looking like my granny who had soft, curly silver hair.

Well done Bijou it's great to hear from someone in their 90s who takes care with their appearance.

My late mum always looked well turned out and I was proud of her.

I wear jewellery, make up and perfume every day.

When I worked at M&S we had a lovely customer who was over 90 and always beautifully dressed and made up. During the last year of her life she was confined to a wheel chair but still looked immaculate.

and hulahoop I start out with blow-dried straightish hair but end up on a hot day looking as if I have had a perm

I think I'm well-groomed, but never seem to look stylish
where am I going wrong .....

I am 93 but still wear makeup and dress smartly (not trousers) And believe in being well groomed. Am often complemented on my appearance and people do not believe my age.

Well I am nearly 72, and have just lost 2 and a half stone. So I bought myself some skinny jeans. I love them and DH is keen also. DD said I had legs like I used to have when she was little.
Am I too old? Who cares, I'm happy