“With age grows wisdom, and so does style” — with this belief, New York-based Ari Seth Cohen launched ‘Advanced Style’, a unique blog which features stylish older people. It’s a treat to see stylish, silver-haired women in their impeccably hip outfits making style statements of their own.
When we think of senior citizens we might not think of style, but Ari believes that these women really know what they are doing: “They dress for themselves and are having the time of their lives. Style has no age limit and these women don’t let their age stop them from being who they are.”
Inspired by his stylish grandmothers, Ari always harboured appreciation for older people. When he moved from San Diego to New York, his job at the museum exposed him to strikingly dressed men and women whom he would photograph. Since he noticed a complete absence of older people in the fashion system and blogs, he started this pet project in 2008.
The women featured on the blog are totally unselfconscious older models who pose confidently, share interesting details about their lives and give their style tips. They feel dressing is an exercise in creativity and have their own idea of chic.
Their personal style is artistic, individualistic, dramatic, and elegant. With their leopard prints, capes, tall hats and OTT accessories, they love playing with looks.
Everyone grows old, but these women are getting there in style: they go for Pilates, have new careers, teach and create a vibrant world for themselves.
It’s not just their style, but also their attitude that inspires Cohen and the millions of others who visit the blog.
Advanced Style is also a book which has a collection of portraits of women aged 60 to 103, with their inspirational quotes, and an interview with Dita Von Teese. High off his recent documentary theatre release which follows the lives of seven women from his blog, Ari shares his excitement,
“We interviewed them over the course of four years and followed their adventures after they met me; being featured on the blog made them quite famous.
The film really explores how they deal with age and what their life philosophies are, going beyond just fashion.”
Many of these women are his friends now, and he says they have taught him the importance of being creative and taking joy in expressing himself. “For instance, 94-year-old Ilona Royce Smithkin taught me that you shouldn’t strive to be perfect, but only to be YOU.
They have been dressing up their whole lives and they feel that being creative and looking and feeling good enhances their mood.
I see how much energy and passion all of them have and it makes me hopeful for the future. They have more fun than I do!”
In a world where the fear of ageing plagues many, these innovators reveal that true beauty rises above age and challenges the conventional ideas of fashion and beauty. They endorse ageing as a positive thing, a fresh take on the youth-obsessed mentality. Ari learns of the change from his blog’s viewers:
“I hear from young women all the time telling me that the ladies on my blog have made them look forward to growing old. Older women have said that they feel they have permission to dress up and feel good and no longer feel invisible.
Hearing how my photos have impacted people's perspective on aging is the most rewarding thing.”
