J. Crew embraces style at every age

Now, this is the kind of campaign I like. J. Crew has embraced Style At Every Age in a simple, contemporary way with a range of models including Pia Groning, 65, representing the over-50s beautifully. This isn't the first time a brand has used a broader range of ages to advertise their product - both Gap and Eileen Fisher have done this in the past and more recently designers Céline, Dolce & Gabbana and Saint Laurent Paris have joined the fashion fray. So, I was very surprised yesterday to hear that a company I work with regularly is targeting a younger audience, when the rest of the fashion world is, thankfully, moving in the opposite direction...

Collection trench coat, £298, available HERE and striped pocket tee, £39.50, available HERE

Dulci printed kitten heels, £228, available HERE and stretch matchstick jeans, £115, available HERE

When magazines do this kind of age categorisation thing, I always find it a bit annoying. But J.Crew's Jenna Lyons, 46, has the magic touch. The super-talented creative director brought Casual Glamour to the masses and has reinvented the way women dress today. Lyons explains that style is ageless, that in her 20s she wore a roll neck with shorts, and now 20 years later she just wears it differently. And there's the rub: wardrobe essentials like the trench, stripy t-shirt, jeans and fancy kitten heels can be worn at any age. Some of the items that the 20/30/40 year-old models are wearing, I'd wear too. What J.Crew does so well is to style outfits in a fresh and exciting way that makes women at every age look modern. And that's what we want.