Stylish Grans.

Patterned fabric is better for hiding bulges sometimes.My hair is thin and awful and I can't wear many shoes [even Hotter sandals hurt my feet]so I have to have a style that looks stylish when wearing trainers and, if possible, a hat#noteasy

Great advice. I love Joules and have quite a few of their Breton tops, I love that gilet and as I have a birthday coming up, think I know what I will be asking for. Not so keen on florals personally, but do have one top , again a J one !

Totally agree , a good haircut is the best starting point together with a good bra.

I am almost....... at the age of the Beatles song, "will you still need me, will you still feed me " etc but I still wear jeans and leggings tucked into boots in the winter with tunic tops. I love White Stuff, Mint Velvet, Hobbs and Joules . Its a matter of sifting through and finding things that are age appropriate without being dowdy.

No hope for me, then, I love flowery things............

Vogue centenary issue in May had photographs of 100 year old Bo Gilbert. (Try googling her and the YouTube pix something like Looking Good at Eighty. ) As suggested by many of you, Bo was wearing plain colours, smart tailored white trousers, black blouse or sweater and a wonderful pink silk coat thing on top. She looks super.

Oh heck according to most of posters hair most important mine looks like I've had a perm but it's chemo curl and is unstylable at moment but hey I'm alive so who cares

Just a thought about those shoe sizes ....I had a neighbour here in France using my computer (she doesn't have one) to search for large sizes .....she found some in 43 on Amazon .fr, one pair, I think, in the Daxon catalogue website, and several pairs up to a size 48 ...two sites, one was cendriyon.com and the other sacapuce.fr ...don't know how much they were, some I think were cheaper and some very expensive ! Have a look ...you might find something ! (some styles we laughed over, like that chap on the UK ad wears when swaggering down the road .....but other styles were pretty normal ! I know she bought some flats, a pair of sandals and some lovely silver and grey boots ! She had a size 43 (not sure what that is in UK sizes ...I know my size varies from different manufacturers here in France, I have from a 38 up to a 41 in my shoe cupboard !) Good luck !

Do you think she's stylish I thought she looked a bit of a mess on the programme where they were in Amsterdam

Sometimes, but only fleetingly, I wish to be stylish. But somehow don't think it would work shinning up and down the lock ladders on the rivers and canals. Mind you, Pru (of Pru and Tim) manages it somehow when they're out boating

Thanks Lewlew - yes , didn't like to contradict Raf but 8 = 42 and 8.5 = 42.5.
As I said, French shops stop at 41 so have to rely on the internet. Previously Hotter (great fittings) but now the old feet have spread plus dodgy toe, have difficulty in finding anything fashionable: 1" heel and a decent shape . Tried ballerinas but they tend to flop off.
Shouldn't really grumble when I read some of the mobility difficulties some of you are facing. At least i can buy "granny" shoes and I still have reasonable walking capacity.
Other moan is the lack of smart dresses and tops with short sleeves and a decent length. If I ever win the Lottery (very rarely buy a ticket so not much chance) would order a few capsule classic clothes couture from a top designer : dream on!

Good shoes, good hair cut and style and also a well fitted bra is really important. After that I agree block colours and good accessories and would steer clear of florals, fabrics that are not natural, anything tight and anything too revealing of boobs, upper arms and varicose veins. The most popular no no that I see is the short sleeved t-shirt top with elastic waist trousers - ladies look at your back view. Elastic waist trousers are ok but need to be worn with a tunic top that covers the bum.

Dharma and RAF.... see below. I am a UK 7.5 and need a 41. I often buy my shoes when visiting the US as I can find the larger sizes there. I also have narrow feet and UK widths tend to be too loose, especially Marks & Sparks shoes.

UK = European
7.5 = 41
8 = 42
8.5 = 42.5

Nice to see crimple gone, also the blue rinse
I haven't seen crimplene or blue rinses for years and years!!
Although some of the thick fabrics I saw last year and this year reminded me of crimplene - and some little girls' dresses were made of it too.
I saw a young mum looking at them in M&S, saying 'this is lovely' and I thought surely not.

I am not very stylish but would never ever have a 'granny perm'!

Dharmacat, perhaps try continental sized shoes, a 40 is equivalent to an 8 1/2?
I take a 39 which is nearly a 6 so I don't think a 40 can be 8.5?
And have to wear very clumpy shoes for medical reasons - so how can I look stylish?

Thanks RAF - have not found continental sizes much success but to be honest sizing does vary between brands and just sometimes German shoes e.g. Gabor , depending on the style, do fit. My problem is that living in France it is very expensive shopping over the internet and having to return shoes as local shops cater for French ladies with smaller feet.

Dharmacat, perhaps try continental sized shoes, a 40 is equivalent to an 8 1/2?

I find I can't bear wearing heels any more, strictly for special occasions, and kick them off under the table as soon as I am sitting down. But I do like to look smart, no longer working, but use up my office wardrobe when volunteering, and do get compliments, which is nice!

I wear what I like and what I feel comfortable wearing. After all, I'm dresseing for me, not to impress anyone. However, I feel under-dressed without earrings and have far too many.

I don't have much momey to spend on myself but I try to steer clear of wearing crimplene, beige and things called 'slacks'. I dye my hair and wear a little make-up. I'm blessed with good genes so I don't look my age and am slightly chubby, which means I'm not too wrinkled. My cousin is 75 and she is amazing. She wears clothes that really suit her slim figure, she is still a blonde and always has a lovely smile on her face. I think if you try to feel young inside then this comes out in the way you look and present yourself. I wouldn't mind losing a few pounds and wish that home hair dyes lasted longer but thats about all. I always ask my daughter what she thinks about my clothes and now and again she will go through my wardrobe with me, give me ideas of what to wear with what, and tells me what to throw out.

... should have been one "n" in Chanel !

I don't think many people of my age have given up Daisy!

I agree with TINYTWO - basic block colours and bright accessories are more of a "wow" factor,, think it was Channel who said there were only two colours: black and white (not strictly a colour) with an accent of red. Think I go beyond that now but do find that flowery clothes make me feel older and dowdy.
Fortunate genetically to be tall and fairly slim so can wear maxi dresses and skirts which can be stylish.
Not all good news: feet/shoes a major problem as I was always a size 8 and now spread to an 8.5 and cannot source this size in anything ; even Hotter do not stock 8.5. Consequently an size 8 pinches and I flop around in a size 9!

Agree with the other posts that a good haircut becomes more important as one ages - coloured or natural white is immaterial : just well cut and groomed.

Thinking young is the answer. Not mutton dressed as lamb young, but not thinking I'm an 'old' person therefore should look old. Keeping slimmish helps too, plus keeping active, if you can. Personally, I don't like grey hair and keep mine brown with blonde highlights, but that's not to say that grey can't look good on others.

At present, I have to say that I feel a hundred, having just had a spinal operational that has curtailed my mobility, although I was asked in hospital if I had been a model in my younger days, which gave me a boost!!

Has anyone seen the car advert with the very colourful lady of 93? She's wearing clothes that a teenager could wear and huge round glasses. She looks fabulous, but she's got the presence to carry it off, and I think that's the secret if style.

May I put in a plug for ARCHE SHOES. Comfort shoes made in France, They come in wonderful jewel colours and last for years. Websites as follows;
The Natural Shoe Company
The Shoe Garden
Shoon
Macmillan shoes

agreed re haircut. also shoes! i take direction from my daughters when shoe shopping - if the nose crinkles up I know they're too old fashioned having said that, i do always manage to get comfortable ones

this is such a refreshing post....yes i am 60 ++ and like to look smart,
Don't have pots of money, but lucky enough to be able to revamp my clothes
as this was my trade.
But very often i feel i am the odd one out as i know a lot of older people has just given up.

I spend a lot of time sorting myself out! Always have good hair-cut and colour and always buy good shoes. I spend hours getting the clothes right for my age and figure, and I am very good at sniffing out bargains. Always in black or navy with pops of bright colours. Never wear patterns. Thank God for internet shopping! Much taken with a couple of jumpsuits I got for a song. Only problem is, you have to be quick off the mark when needing the loo as you practically have to strip off, so I always wear a little tena pad, just in case, and find a clean toilet floor.