At 67, I'm Still Proud to Be a Fashionista

The voluminous jacket is to my ankles, bright orange, collarless, with wide bell sleeves, ablaze with alternating pink and magenta stripes neck to toe. I ordered it on sale (under $40) from a global fashion site. It is so red-carpet worthy that I may host a party just to debut it. Or I will wear it over jeans and go to the grocery store.

At 67, I am not a fashion victim. I consider myself a fashion victor. Within a budget, I buy stylish outfits online, in department stores, boutique clearance sections and vintage stores, applauding myself for each expressively artistic look scored at a great price. I relish a gorgeous item discounted up to 80%. And I keep it for a long time.

Most women are not slaves to fashion and don’t go into debt for their clothes. Women in this country aged 16 and older, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, spend an average of $655 a year on apparel and $208 a year on footwear. Altogether, all women spend 2.5% of their income on apparel; men spend 1.83%.

For women over 50, who account for $15 trillion in annual consumer spending, “87% of Boomer women use their incomes as a tool to fulfill a personal purpose,” according to CustomerThink. That purpose could be feeling great in what they wear.

“Your clothing is a visual representation that speaks before you do,” says Jennefer Witter, 64, CEO and founder of The Boreland Group Inc., based in New York.

An author, public speaker and business communications strategist, Witter says she wears vintage jewelry that makes her stand out, as it is part of her personal brand. “Wear bright colors and whatever you can do to make yourself memorable,” says Witter. She stresses your clothes must always be comfortable “because your body language will communicate that discomfort.”

Swati Saxena, 50, a Chicagoland realtor, agrees. “When I'm putting together pieces from my wardrobe and using thoughtful accessories, I'm also showcasing my unique style, which feeds into my confidence.” She adds, “The perception is that if I care enough about my own presentation, I will care enough about the clients as well. People treat a well-dressed person with more respect too; I'm taken more seriously in the world.”

In her new book, The Look, former First Lady Michelle Obama writes about her shift in how she presents herself after turning 60. “I’m grateful that I’ve reached the stage in my life in which I feel empowered and free to do what I want and wear what I want. And the clothes I wear continue to help support those messages, now in even more bold and powerful ways.”

Do I feel more powerful in my bright yellow maxi skirt with large red flowers? Yes. I am not surrendering to what is prescribed for women my age in clothes that seem predictable, dull.

I am not imitating younger women prancing about in performative clothes that are not authentic to who I am. I wear what fits my shape and lets me move, eat, work and dance.

Comfort, not conformity, is key.