Beauty+: Given Hope

I’m feeling distinctly nervous about the forthcoming clothing line from a former M&S director for women over 40 called Hope. It’s got backing from Sir Stuart Rose, a former M&S marketing director and the former chief executive of the Jacques Vert Group.

Is Hope not just about the worst name for a 40+ clothing line? I’m still seething about ‘gran bod’ so combine that with ‘hope’ and it’s just a hot mess of insulting words to describe the older woman. The one picture I’ve seen of the line does look very cool indeed; kind of Zara-esq (boucle, leather, black) – but we already have Zara which is one of my true happy places when it comes to clothes. You can wander into Zara whether you are 7 months or 77 and still come out with something that you like, so with prices from Hope indicated as starting at £55 for a top and scaling to £695 for a cape, I’m really thinking, some hope.

That’s another myth about the ‘desperate’ older woman – that we’re all rolling in money. If I had a spare £700 the chances of spending it on a cape designed for a mature woman (being over 40 and all that) is nil. No hope. Hope to me sounds like a rest home. I wonder what the thinking behind Hope was? That we’re given hope? That we hope we can all look like this? I just can’t fathom it.

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Back in the day when our mums followed a much more clearly defined fashion path connected with age (I never remember my grandmas looking trendy, and my mum was absolutely thrilled to be thought of as Jaeger appropriate) much as they did an ageing path (cauliflower perm acceptable at 60), everything has changed for the older demographic now. I have never bought anything from Windsmoor, for example, and still think of it as a range for my mum (76) and probably always will – I can’t really see how it relates to me because it’s tied so intrinsically with my mother. We have choice in abundance from stores like Mango, Zara, Jigsaw, Boden and Whistles – even M&S – I’m really not sure that I’m embracing specific ranges for specific ages – surely one of the benefits of being a contemporary 40 or 50 is that you can pretty much dress as you please and nobody’s going to turn a hair.

I think also that Hope is going to be sold through home shopping parties – I’d honestly rather go to a Tupperware party because you can’t get that at Zara and kitchen storage is not age related, or Ann Summers, just because I never have.

 

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Jane Cunningham

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27 responses to “Beauty+: Given Hope”

  1. vickiaday

    I agree one 100% I think the main problem is most fashion companies have no idea what a 40+ woman is and do masses of assuming and we all know what happens when you assume

    Reply
    1. Amy

      It’s funny, isn’t it? There probably more access to the voices of these women now than ever before. Yet, there’s this boundary they won’t see through.

      Reply
  2. cafemakeup

    OMG I love the way you write. “If I had a spare £700 the chances of spending it on a cape designed for a mature woman (being over 40 and all that) is nil. No hope. Hope to me sounds like a rest home.” It really does!

    Reply
  3. IsabelleI_VG

    Hope… OMG. Who the heck comes up with this and thinks it’s a good idea? And how many other people sat there and nodded their assent? Did they ever speak to an actual woman? Sorry but my head is spinning. And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to grab my cape and wooooshhh over their little heads. I’ll see you shortly, ladies.

    Reply
  4. Glowology

    Agree – why do we have to have separate ranges depending on age? And why the name Hope? Oh dear. That name. Is it meant as ‘If we are over 40 and we buy clothing from this range, we will still have some Hope of looking okay?’ It makes me feel as if it thinks that it’s whole purpose is to give us ‘Hope’ because we need it – being 40 plus, obvs! OMG. I hope NOT! x

    Reply
  5. Claire L

    Ugh, that’s such a dated view of women over 40. I’m nearing 40 and am so glad that women are no longer expected to dress dowdily. Why launch a collection specifically aimed at “the over 40’s”? That would put anyone off! My inspiration is my Grannie who wore Bermuda shorts, in her sixties, on the beach in the 80’s and lived to 91!

    Reply
  6. FiMacD

    I’m sorry “prices STARTING at £55 for a top and £700 for a cape” – even IF I had £700 there is no way I’d be dropping it at M&S no matter how much I liked it – I’m in the ahem over 50 group(and work full time) I suspect they would like to be attracting but £700 is designer/boutique pricing!! No doubt they will send samples of it to various and any day now I suspect I will be seeing it featured everywhere (£200 must have ubiquitous suede skirt anyone!) as the “seasons must have”. Don’t get me wrong I love M&S for so many things -I recently bought a 3/4 sleeved denim coat that people continually ask me if it’s from COS – but I get the impression when you DO mange to find something it’s as though it’s a complete fluke it actually made it to the shop floor at all. I loved so many things in their Best of British or whatever they called it a year or so ago, BUT…it was SO expensive! Autograph has been going for years but I remember when it started and I LOVED it, but ironically now I’m a bit older I very rarely like any of it – I still use the two tote bags that Orla Keily designed as part of the range Orla Keily for Autograph clearly branded inside (not one her petal prints), also a beautiful jacket that was another designer collab and again it was ??? for Autograph (sorry at work and having brain freeze re the name!). My new shopping mantra is “would Iris Apfel wear it?” and if the answer is “Not in a million years” then I’m not even trying it on!:)

    Reply
    1. Jane

      It’s not a range for M&S.. it’s a range made by ex-M&S employees.. but hear what you’re saying!

      Reply
  7. Rosie

    Ye gods, £700 for a cape?! Hopeless, more like! I do think there’s a gap in the market for stylish, affordable clothing for older women. I don’t count 40s as older, though. In my 40s I’d shop at Zara and other high street stores without giving it a thought.

    But when you hit that post-menopausal oestrogen drop, that’s when you really need sleeves, longer hemlines, looser waistlines, higher necklines etc. Because even if you exercise and keep the weight off, which many of us do, once your body shape and skin texture changes, it isn’t flattered by being squeezed into clothes meant for a younger body.

    Plus your priorities change. Personally, I’m not that bothered about looking ‘hot stuff’ any more – I want to look good, confident, happy in my skin (without resorting to lairy patterned bodycon, yes Per Una I’m looking at you)… and definitely NOT desperate for Hope!

    Reply
    1. Jane

      I agree that taste changes, and the clothes do look pretty great, I have to say, but I think brands have to be so careful about undermining older women by suggesting that there’s something wrong with the ageing process and that covering up is a must. Everyone has their own limit and style taste, and options are good, but looking good should be an age neutral term and not with the ‘for your age’ coming right after it!

      Reply
  8. Troo

    Oof. If I had £700 to drop I’d just go the whole hog, throw an extra £200 on, and pick up the Tom Ford Trousseau set from Selfridges!

    Reply
  9. FiMacD

    Ooops!

    Reply
  10. Debbie

    Well, it’s one brand this 40+ woman will not be buying from. How condescending, and party-plan selling too. The whole concept makes me cringe!

    Reply
  11. Pudrijera blog

    From such experienced experts in marketing and sale, I’d expect more. Hope? Really? Is that the best they’ve got? Just off of top of my head I can think of 10 different words to name a brand aimed at 40 women (which BTW I do not consider old, older, ,,at certain age” – 40 today, even 60 is as young as one feels!).
    I’m sure some people will buy it and if they get in with blogging community they might have a chance (people will buy crocs if their beloved fashion blogger wore them).

    Reply
    1. Jane

      The thing is, the clothes look fabulous. It’s just let down so badly by the name and the suggestion that anyone over 40 needs a different set of clothing to the rest of the world.x

      Reply
  12. EV

    Talking about names that companies give to product lines targeted at older women, Shiseido launched a skin care line in Japan for women 50 and over, and it is called Prior.

    Reply
    1. Jane

      Prior…. is that good or not good? I can’t really see how it relates to time or to skin!

      Reply
  13. Michelle

    My mum gets a bit cheesed off with me because i occasionally buy her clothes from shops she seems to young for her. Then when she eventually after much arguing wears them people always give complements.

    We went to a wedding and she decided to look for an outfit in jacques vert – because she felt it was right the shop for a dress for a woman of her age. In the end after a lot of persuading she brought a dress from ted baker and look 100% better.

    It makes me feel sad that she feels because she is in her 50s she can only go to certain shops 🙁

    Reply
  14. Helen Miller

    It sounds like a “no hoper” to me.
    My 85 year old mum bought two tops in the Next sale last week – categorising fashion by age is something you grow out of at the same time as you grow out of Mothercare.

    Reply
  15. Tiffany

    How patronising. It get the No Hope vote from me….

    Reply
  16. Chris

    I’m in my 60s and hardly ever buy clothing from M&S and Windsmoor would never cross my mind. Usually try Whistles, Jigsaw, Zara and Mint Velvet. I think much depends on your size and also your income. Far easier to look good if you have the means to pay. I have no idea what M&S are thinking about calling this new line Hope. Totally patronising.

    Reply
    1. Jane

      Yes, they’re all great shops with plenty of age neutral clothes to choose from.. just to point out though it’s not an M&S range, but a range by a former M&S employee x

      Reply
  17. irinamazurik

    i am 37 🙂 basically, what they are trying to say is that when i turn 40 – there is still hope? and if i wear their clothes, the hope is closer on my horizon? bugagaga….

    thanks, Jane, for this post 🙂

    Reply
  18. Amy

    How bizarre that they picked 40 as the “starting age” for a mature collection. I mean, ignoring how bizarre a ‘mature’ collection is in the first place these days.

    I can understand the value of a range with things like longer sleeves, lower hems and looser fits, which would probably happen to appeal more to ‘mature’ ladies. But even then, I’m thinking late 50s like my mother, not 40! And that’s more tied to discontent with their bodies rather than their age, something I can relate to at 25.

    I’m really struggling to think of any outfits that a woman of 50 couldn’t wear that a 30 year old could. I can think of plenty that are “teenager or student, late 20s in summer/at a festival” (bralets, leggings as trousers, shorts your bum hangs out of), but none that are acceptable streetwear for late 20s/early 30s but not 40 year olds.

    It just seems so weird that this ‘mature’ line didn’t choose a “ladies who like more classic cut pieces” angle, as opposed to a “41 year old ladies, there is hope for you yet!” one. Very poor branding, surely?

    Reply
  19. Natalie green

    I am 48 and i still find lovely clothes in brands such as topshop, warehouse alongside the reiss and whistles and zara . I think ‘hope’ sounds terrible as a name for a more mature clothing line ,and i certainly dont have and shant pay more money just because its assumed we have more as we get older.its all about dressing to feel good about yourself and not dressing to conform to our age and i certainly shall be still finding pieces in brands aimed towards the younger woman for years to come.

    Reply
  20. Pip Lee

    I am 47 and had a hysterectomy at 36 so I am definitely post menopausal and my body shape has changed. I spent most of my 30s and some of my 40s trying to feel confident in what I wore. I found the transition from young free and single to mum a real challenge in the clothing department, I just didn’t feel confident in finding a style that suited my new life. Now, however, I am beginning to really enjoy clothes again and that has a lot to do with my confidence in myself and accepting how i look. I shop in loads of different shops and all that matters to me is that I feel good in the clothes I wear. I don’t think there is a gap in the market particularly for 40+ clothes, what is missing are 40+ models showing how the clothes could look on us. I love jigsaw, mint velvet, cos etc but sometimes I would like some inspiration and encouragement that the clothes will look good on me. I don’t need ‘Hope’ as me and all my friends are the happiest we have ever been, and we all intend to carry on growing older with pride and the same kick ass attitude we had in our 20’s.

    Reply
  21. Annette

    I’m 45 in a few weeks and this sounds like utter bullshit to me. I’ll carry wearing my Converse trainers, jeans, and hoodies thanks!

    Reply

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