The Fashion of Ageing: Why Are We Still So Afraid of Growing Older?

Is ageing fashion's best kept secret? Let's discuss...

Let’s face it: fashion and ageing have never been the best of friends. For an industry built on creativity and reinvention, it clings uncomfortably to the idea that youth equals beauty, relevance, and value. Scroll through most campaigns, and you’ll see teenagers selling anti-ageing creams or twenty-somethings stomping the runway in clothes designed for women with decades more life experience.

Currently as I write this I’m in my mid-to-late thirties, and I’ve found myself rethinking what ageing means—not just physically but how it shapes my relationship with style. There’s a confidence that comes with time, an understanding of what works for me, but also a frustration with how the industry continues to idealise youth at the expense of growth, individuality, experience and even profits.

And while there’s been some progress—hello, Helen Mirren for L’Oréal—there’s still a long way to go before the industry stops treating ageing as a dirty word.

But why is fashion so terrified of growing older? And more importantly, why are we?

Helen Mirren & Andie McDowell | Iris Apfel

Youthfulness as Currency

The obsession with youth isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about power. Youth has long been the currency of the fashion world, and anything that disrupts its shiny, wrinkle-free facade feels threatening.

Think about the messaging behind “anti-ageing” products: not celebrating the process of growing older but fighting it like a war to be won. Even the language surrounding older women in fashion leans heavily on qualifiers: “still beautiful,” “stylish for her age,” or “timeless elegance,” as if their value needs justification.

This isn’t just shortsighted—it’s limiting. It tells women that their worth diminishes over time unless they work tirelessly to preserve some semblance of youth. But what if the real power in fashion lay not in chasing youth but in embracing the unique, layered beauty that comes with experience?

Image via Pinterest

Style Rules That Need to Die

The idea that certain styles are “off-limits” as you age is as outdated as low-rise jeans (thankfully). Who decided that women over 40 or 50 shouldn’t wear leather jackets, bold patterns, or mini skirts? These arbitrary rules feel less like guidance and more like restrictions—a way to shrink women’s options as their age increases.

Take Iris Apfel, for example. At over 100 years old, she’s a style icon not because she plays by the rules but because she ignores them completely. Her bold, unapologetic wardrobe is proof that personal style doesn’t have an expiration date.

And yet, for every Iris, there are countless women who feel pressure to tone things down, to “dress their age,” or to avoid being labelled “mutton dressed as lamb.” These judgements aren’t just boring—they’re outdated. They rob women of the joy and creativity that fashion is meant to inspire.

The Ageing Woman: A Vanishing Act

There’s an unwritten rule in fashion: as you age, your wardrobe should shrink—both literally and figuratively. Hemlines must lengthen, colours should “mature,” and anything too loud or fun is deemed “inappropriate.” Think about the cultural policing of women like Madonna, criticised for dressing provocatively in her sixties, or the endless praise for celebrities who “age gracefully” (read: quietly and without upsetting anyone).

But although fashion has long been captivated by the allure of youth, times are changing. Women “of a certain age” have historically been overlooked in campaigns, editorials, and even the design process itself. Yet, there’s a growing recognition that style doesn’t have an expiration date. Rather than wondering where they’d wear that gorgeous gown—or if the industry even considered them—older women are increasingly claiming their space in fashion. And for good reason: as the majority of luxury spending, their influence is impossible to ignore.

Timeless legends - images via Pinterest

The Silver Lining: A Slow Shift

It’s not all doom and gloom. The fashion industry is starting to wake up to the power of older women. Luxury brands like Céline, Gucci, and The Row have embraced more mature faces in campaigns, proving that elegance and edge aren’t confined to the under-30 crowd. And the numbers don’t lie—Baby Boomers and Generation X together make up around 75% of the global luxury market, with Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers combined accounting for a staggering 90% of luxury spending. This makes it clear: catering to older consumers isn’t just about inclusivity—it’s good business.

And let’s not forget the rise of influencers like Grece Ghanem, Lyn Slater (The Accidental Icon), and Carmen Dell’Orefice, who are redefining what it means to be stylish at any age. The challenge is for fashion to stop treating older women as niche icons or anomalies and embrace them as central to its narrative. After all, the future of luxury isn’t just youthful—it’s experienced, confident, and dynamic.

Grace Ghanem & Lyn Slater - images via Pinterest

Why This Matters (and What Needs to Change)

Fashion’s fear of ageing isn’t just a reflection of industry trends—it’s a mirror for broader societal discomfort with getting older, something that will inevitably happen whether we like it or not. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Imagine a fashion world that celebrates all stages of life, where style evolves with you rather than excluding you.

Here’s how we can start shifting the narrative:

• Vote with your Dollar: Support brands that feature women of all ages—not as token figures but as an integral part of their storytelling.

• Break the Rules: Dress for yourself and wear what you love, regardless of what society says you should wear at your 'age'.

• Celebrate Experience: Shift the focus from “looking young” to embracing the confidence, wisdom, and perspective that come with growing older.

Fashion Has No Expiration Date

Ageing isn’t something to fear—it’s something to embrace and wear with pride. The lines on your face, the laugh lines around your eyes, the shifts in your wardrobe over the years—they’re not signs of loss but markers of a life well-lived, rich with stories and experiences. In a society obsessed with trends and sameness, we often forget the value of individuality that deepens with age.

So, let’s rewrite the narrative. Let’s call for a fashion industry that doesn’t just tolerate ageing as an exception but celebrates it as the rule. Growing older isn’t a fashion faux pas—it’s a privilege, a testament to resilience, and the ultimate act of authenticity. Because no matter what age you are, style isn’t about youth—it’s about being unapologetically yourself. And that’s always timeless.