Stylin’ Into Old Age by Patricia Forsythe

Recently, I ran across a blog called ‘Advanced Style’ (http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/) written by a young man named Ari Seth Cohen who wanders the streets of New York looking for fabulously dressed older women, and some men, to photograph, interview, and feature on his blog.  He also now has a book and a documentary by the same name.   After watching the documentary and reading his blog, I feel like I’ve found my peeps. 

These women, many of them eighty or better in age, dress beautifully, and sometimes a bit outrageously – leopard prints seem to be a particular favorite.  They wear hats, scarves, beads, feathers, and sequins, usually at the same time.  These items are never simply thrown on, but arranged, tweaked, and accessorized to perfection.  Some of them embrace their gray hair and some dye theirs red, purple, or multi-colors.  One lady in the documentary has hair striped like carnival cotton candy.  These ladies haunt vintage clothing stores, thrift stores, and flea markets looking for the perfect accessory, often spending years (yes, years!) putting together the perfect outfit. 

What I love about these women is their absolute self-confidence, the way they embrace their style, their energy, their age -- even revel in it.  I love their happy, positive outlook on life, and their rich social lives.  They aren't pampered women.  Many have overcome crippling tragedies and challenges.  Their style comes from the way they've overcome these circumstances. 

In some ways, they remind me of my mother who made almost all of her own clothes her entire life, as well as most of the clothes my sisters and I wore growing up.  She could put colors and fabrics together artistically and, when sewing for others, could often simply look at someone and create a garment to fit them beautifully.  That’s how she expressed the artist in her. 

Some people are simply born with style and those who weren’t can learn to create it.  I’m not sure that I was born with the kind of over-the-top style that the Advanced Style ladies have, but I can certainly learn it.  I think I’ll start by putting pink or blue highlights in my hair.

How about you?  What can you do to pump up your style? 


Patricia Forsythe is the author of many print and e-published romances.  You can find her ebooks at all the major retailers and her next traditionally published romance, Her Lone Cowboy, will be a Harlequin Heartwarming, available in June 2015.