Ageless Style: this week

Have you seen Blue Jasmine yet? Cate Blanchett gives a superb, Oscar-worthy performance as a Manhattan Socialite on the verge. Blanchett's uptown wardrobe is pretty special too: Chanel jacket, Hérmes Birkin, Roger Vivier shoes and a stack of Louis Vuitton luggage. The 44-year-old actor worked with the film's costume designer to put together Jasmine's wardrobe, and told British Vogue that Woody Allen had given her this responsibility because he had, 'No interest in the character's aesthetic,' and 'has been wearing the same Ralph Lauren sweatpants and t-shirt for the last 20 years and doesn't understand why anyone would change their wardrobe according to their mood, or how they present themselves. He just doesn't get it.' Ahem.

I'm always pleased to see older faces in ad campaigns, and this will hardly come as news to my American followers but footwear brand Cole Haan is celebrating its 85th birthday with a series of photos of 85-year-olds. I know, I know, late adopter and proud. The Born in 1928 campaign images show four icons who are all the same age as Cole Haan: Maya Angelou, model China Machado, photographer Elliott Erwitt and Apollo commander Captain Jim Lovell. Lovely.

I received an email from a reader yesterday asking what my post on knitwear had to do with older women, adding, 'I signed up for That's Not My Age thinking it was a site that inspired, created, supported the image of women growing older in a positive way instead of the negative aspects that society have about it.' Surprised, I explained that I do aim to represent style at every age and provide fashion inspiration for all. Whilst my main theme has always been 'style begins at forty' and I do try to be inclusive as possible, sometimes the model photos used (particularly for freelance work - and this was a link to my FT How To Spend It blog post) are slightly younger. Believe me, I'm doing my best to celebrate older models  - and Kate Moss will be 40 in January, after all.

Anyhow.  After our brief email conversation, I received another email this morning with a link to a video from Rick Owens' recent spring/summer 2014 show in Paris (thanks Christina). The designer explains that for the show he worked with 'stepping' teams (which according to Tim Blanks is type of dance that ' evolved in African-American colleges as a hybrid of step dancing, cheerleading, and military drill') of all shapes and sizes rather than real models and points out, 'Instead of creating an exclusive fashion world, I try make it as inclusive as I can .'







Amen to that.