What to wear for Granny Day Care (with added flair)
If, like so many women, you tend to stick to the brands you know and trust, and rarely follow your gut or veer into new territory, then today’s column is for you. This week, I’ve enlisted the modelling services of Amanda Service, a family friend who took me under her wing when we first moved out of London. The kind of lady who unknowingly emailed me at crisis point one day, three years ago, to say “Come over with the girls for a cup of tea and some cake”. As a mother of three and grandmother of one, 63-year-old Amanda probably shares a lot in common with many of you.
By this, I mean she heads to London once a week to help her beauty editor daughter, Katie, and son-in-law Aaron, with childcare. I know many friends who lean on their parents and in-laws for help, myself included, so I would like to say a big thank you on behalf of my generation. The childcare conundrum is a minefield, and an expensive one at that. To see a league of grandparents stepping in to occasionally take up the mantle is undoubtedly going to be the making of our little ones, and for that we are extremely grateful.
With the evolution of Granny Day Care comes the deliberation of what to wear for the 60 to 75-year-old female consumer.
The “look” needs to be able to camouflage spit, sick and purée. It needs to allow for buggy manoeuvring, car-seat fixing, swimming class viewing from the (sweltering) gallery… and all with a bit of flair.
For today’s column, I’ve led Amanda to try a pair of trousers by Arket – a brand I am very fond of, but which feels like it might not always reach the audience it should.
It tends not to advertise, it has its flagship on Regent Street and then just five other stores around the country. It is owned by H&M, but Arket can feel like the slightly cooler, more discerning older sister of your best friend that you looked up to and were hugely intimidated by for so many years. The stores are super Scandinavian, the homeware concept is stunning, and the whole feel is crisp and very modern.
These wide-leg, cropped trousers would never have called out to her from the website, or from the hanger, but they have a great “fall” to them, and an elasticated waist that naturally deems them as casual, therefore a nice alternative to denim or chinos.
Likewise, on a computer screen, the denim shirt might have faded into being “just another denim shirt” leaving the online shopper debating the exact feel of the denim, pondering if it would hang or hug, would it be too hot and rigid or floppy and lifeless? The trainers, I’m pleased to say, are Amanda’s own. Superga is a brand I am particularly fond of and it should be on everyone’s Christmas wishlist. It is a great first step for anyone wanting to branch out and try their hand at a more casual look. The shoes come in sensible shades (white, grey) or great pastels and metallics. A neat plimsoll for any age.
For warmth on Amanda’s journey to London, I picked out this gorgeous blue wool coat from Sézane – it really made her blue eyes pop. Again, this is a brand that you need to rifle through and make an effort to navigate online, if you can’t get to the London store. The brand is very Parisian in feel, and I know many women who are firm friends with Sézane for life.
Lastly, I want to illustrate how you might wear the cropped wide leg trouser look with a more “at home” feel when Peppa Pig and Petits Filous are swapped for a gin and tonic with friends. You can still wear the trousers, but instead smarten them up with a velvet slipper or elegant ballet pump – and yes, it’s OK to wear a nude, knee-high pop-sock! Aim to match the looseness of the trousers with a great shirt your tummy can “relax” in, such as this embroidered silk piece from Beulah. The cuff details, now a trademark of this brand, are stunning. Even more importantly, this is a shirt you simply can’t do the washing up in. So sit back, relax and put your feet up. You deserve it.