AGE SHOULDN’T DICTATE STYLE

Many years ago, as I waited at the baggage carousel in Arrecife airport in Lanzarote, I had that sinking feeling. You know that kind of sixth sense that something is wrong? As the bags went around and people grabbed their cases and set off to begin their holiday, my sense of dread grew as my little black trolley bag failed to appear. When all the bags had been removed and the carousel stopped turning, it was time to face facts: mine wasn’t going to arrive. We reported it to our rep and the relevant airport authorities and set off for our hotel. It was myself, my mam, my aunt and uncle, and we were there for a week. I was in my early 20s at the time, my mam in her late 40s, my aunt in her early 40s. In my head, the non-appearance of my bag gave me licence to go shopping, especially as I knew I could claim it back on my insurance. But in the end I bought very little because I found all I needed in their two cases. Some of them I wore slightly differently – cinched in with a waist belt or with the top of the skirt rolled up to shorten it somewhat, but for the most part, I just wore the outfits as they would. Fashion may be based on trends, but style certainly isn’t and I abhor any suggestion that you can’t wear something simply because of your age. My sense of fashion has been greatly influenced by my mam. She was and still is incredibly stylish. When she was younger she made many of her own clothes and still has the ability to tweak an outfit to change the look or alter the fit. Now in my early 40s, my mam in her mid-60s, I’d go so far as to say that should my suitcase ever go missing again, I’d be happy enough that I could raid hers to get me through. On page 24 of today’s issue, we take a look at the women who prove you can wear anything you want, no matter your age. I hate the idea of fashion ‘rules’ – there are enough rules in our lives without there being ones that tell us what we supposedly can and can’t wear. My only fashion rule is that I’m comfortable in what I wear because if you’re not, it will be noticeable and will detract from any outfit. We’ve featured Eileen Smith, the 80-year-old presenter of RTÉ’s Style Counsellors, and Celia Holman Lee, the 70-year-old model agent, several times in this magazine and they always looks stunning. Their styles are very different but they both always look effortlessly put together – a feat which is not easy to achieve. There are many things that should influence what you wear – your shape, your colouring, your style – but age should never be one of them. I can proudly say that I hope I look just like my mam when I grow up.

Enjoy the issue.