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The Style Stories Podcast · Personal Stylist Lisa Gillbe

Is Fashion Still Ageist? How to tap into style throughout life

·46 min·3 clips
"I Look My Age" had over 45 million views in 2023.
What are brands really saying about age? Lisa starts with one of the frustrations behind the podcast: women being told after 40 that parts of their wardrobe are suddenly off-limits. Jacinthe brings in her work with Ageism is Never in Style, linking fashion, longevity, age inclusivity, and the choices brands make about who gets seen. The tone is friendly, but it has teeth. Lisa and Jacinthe push back on the tidy style rules that can make midlife dressing feel smaller, duller, or apologetic. Representation gets a hard look. Are older women on catwalks a sign that fashion is changing, or is age being treated like a trend? That question sits beside the industry's uneven handling of size diversity. Lisa points to a move from more plus-size models on runways to a red-carpet moment that looked skinnier than ever, which makes the commitment feel shaky. Jacinthe also challenges the excuse that younger shoppers tune out when older models appear, saying research is starting to push against it. Still, they do not treat visibility as a magic fix. Trends like grandma core and coastal grandma come under fire when they turn older women into a cute idea instead of showing real people getting dressed through life. Shoppers have a part in this too. Jacinthe says brands can be pushed, but customers also have to support better choices when they show up. Lisa keeps returning to the wardrobe itself: not dressing younger, not fading politely, but staying in touch with personal style as your life, body, and instincts change. The close turns practical, with Lisa pointing listeners to her personal style work, the Style Power newsletter, and her spring jackets and age-dressing notes. It feels more like a nudge than a lecture. Stop letting brands, media, or trend names tell you what aging should look like in your closet.

As heard by us

A sharp rebuttal to fashion's habit of treating age like a wardrobe rule.

Fashion here is treated less as shopping and more as a social filter. Lisa Gilbey presses on the age rules that still shape women's wardrobes, while Jacinthe Bassett, who founded Ageism is Never in Style, brings fashion experience, consultancy work, and a clear interest in age…

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Why you'd press play

For when you want a direct talk about ageism, style, and who fashion leaves out.

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