Why Amanda Holden and Davina McCall are still the face of fashion as stars in their 50s outshine Millennials
AT an age once considered past it, supermodel Helena Christensen has launched a collection of partywear with Karen Millen.
Toned, tanned and oozing confidence, the 53-year-old could sell a tatty paper bag if she was wearing it.
But the Dane is not the only “golden girl” returning to the front of fashion. Carla Bruni, 54, walked the catwalk for Balmain last year and Naomi Campbell, 51, recently appeared on Vogue’s cover.
And some of our telly favourites are bagging deals with big brands. Davina McCall, 54, and Amanda Holden, 51, have released collections for JD Williams, Tess Daly, 53, for Diva at House of Fraser and Andrea McLean, 52, for Bonmarche.
A few years ago, these women would not have got a look in against models in their teens and twenties.
So what has changed? Why did 50 become fashionable?
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‘MARGINS FOR PROFIT ARE MUCH GREATER’
Fifty-to-60-year-olds spend nearly four times as much on fashion as those in their twenties, according to market research company Euromonitor.
So retailers would be unwise to ignore them.
And people over 55 are more likely to have the most savings, too — with an average of around £20,000 stashed away, according to financiallyhappy.ltd.
“People in their 50s have more disposable income and want to buy quality clothes which are more expensive than, say, Boohoo or In The Style,” says brand and style expert Nick Ede.
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“It means that the margins for profit are much greater.
“Women in their 50s want to look and feel good and fashion is a great way to do that.”
Rather than looking for inspiration among the 20-something Kendall Jenners and Bella Hadids of this world, Nick says consumers want women their own age.
He says: “Women look at film stars and models they’ve grown up with and want to emulate their looks.
“People like Sharon Stone, Tess Daly and Davina McCall.”
Research from JD Williams’ 2022 Womankind report shows almost half of women aged over 45 believe they are in their prime.
Now these women can see famous faces of a similar age looking fashionable and confident.
Sex And The City’s Carrie Bradshaw returned last year in reboot And Just Like That.
Now in her mid-fifties with greying hair, the Manolo Blahnik fan played by Sarah Jessica Parker, still has a wardrobe to die for.
Elsewhere, H&M has collaborated with centenarian fashion icon Iris Apfel, and on social media there has been a sharp increase in middle-aged influencers.
However, Melissa Abbott, who has more than 40,000 followers on her @backofthewardrobe70 Insta account, thinks that more needs to change.
She says: “Brands very often have an idea of what they think 50s women are and it doesn’t resonate with me or many women like me.
“They’re missing out on a huge portion of the market who feel ignored and still are interested in fashion.”
Dr Amna Khan, senior lecturer in consumer behaviour at Manchester Met University, says: “Despite the over-50s being a huge market, not a lot of brands target them well.”
OLD TRENDS
Karen Millen, which was bought by Boohoo in 2019 for £18.2million, is one brand that has got it right.
Hiring original 1990s supermodel Helena to front a sexy, luxury collection will appeal to the brand’s core shoppers, while also drawing the attention of Boohoo’s 18-30 customers, who love old Nineties trends.
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TU at Sainsbury’s, White Stuff and John Lewis now have a better range of models than ever before, too, so every generation could see themselves shopping there.
Hopefully, it will only be a matter of time before more brands follow suit.
