How To Help An Older Relative Unlock Their Mature Style

It may sometimes seem that as we age, style becomes less and less ‘for us.’ The idea of sitting around in warming cardigans is not necessarily a bad one, but it’s also important to remember that age is but a number, and how you feel internally is more of an indication of the kind of person you are.

As such, one of the best ways you can help anyone who feels ‘their time is past’ is to help them unlock their style and begin enjoying fashion again – determining what this means to them. Of course, this is a discovery process and dictating what our relative or friend might wish to wear is definitely not the best way forward.

But if they’ve trusted you to help sort their estate or even purchase installations from Memorials.com, why can’t you be trusted to help them with their style? Your rejuvenated and inspired perspective could probably do the person you care about a world of good. So, in this post, we’ll discuss how to help an older relative unlock their style, and the degree to which that may be possible going forward:

Educate Them In Designers, Labels & Fashion Brands

Now, there’s no reason as to why someone who may be in their golden years would wish to keep up with the latest designer trends. But the truth is that designers add much texture, color, and general fun to the practice of great fashion.

As such, they tend to curate high-quality garments and goods, and some of these can be appropriate for them to focus on. If they know who’s operating right now, where the popular focus is, and designers who have managed to keep their offering fresh despite operating for decades, they can feel more confident when making buying decisions and know where to find value.

You can also augment this by showcasing a few stores you believe are worth their time, taste and budget permitting. Some of the best brands for women over 50, for example, are Madewell, Nordstrom, casual outlets like Nic+Zoe, and more.

Go On A Shopping Trip!

Fashion is fun when it’s shared. As such, bringing your friend along to one of your own fashion store shops can be a good idea, and here you can tell them your own perspective on what you wear and how you decide on which clothes are worth it.

Helping them feel ‘current,’ as well as letting them know there’s no such thing as a ‘stupid question,’ can help them ease back into the fun of fashion. A shopping trip can also pre-date a large event such as a family gathering, or perhaps a more unique occasion like a wedding. 

Help Them Sort Through Their Wardrobe

It can be harder to organize your household affairs as you get older, and so it might be that your relative has a large wardrobe stuffed with clothes that are begging to be sorted through

You may organize these into worthwhile folded piles – perhaps some that could be sold online through an app like DePop or an auction site like eBay. Others, you may donate to charity stores, doing some good and finding a forward opportunity for the garment itself – you never know how may find value in it.

Then, you can neatly bring together a few lovely outfits that they can wear at all times of the day or when they hope to go out or stay in. Then, you can also decide on what needs to change, such as opting for a nicer winter coat if the current one is somewhat tatty and shabby.

Now, your friend is unlikely to be totally helpless – they may have some wonderful skills like sewing or knitting. So, it might be worth going through which garments could use a touch-up. It’s quite amazing to see the value in a well-curated, static wardrobe, many of the garments may have come back into fashion again.

Help Them Gain ‘A Touch Up’

Provided it’s completely voluntary and consensual on their part, it can be nice to help your older relative find themselves anew through a makeover or treatments that help them feel more themselves. It may have been some time since they had their hair attended to outside of a simple trim – and so perhaps taking them along with you to a coloring session (if they genuinely want it and their hair can support it) can be nice.

Note that it’s important not to make them feel as if they’re incomplete without that kind of treatment, but it can be a nice thing to offer them should you have a treatment of your own. In some cases, this touch up could mean helping them have certain clothes fitted once more – especially items they love. A nice gesture may help them have an accessory like a ring resized, which can be lovely if they haven’t been able to wear it for some time.

Bodies change in both size and shape as we age and go through life, and so helping them to unlock their style via correctly-fitting clothes and accessories is very worthwhile and helpful.

Let Them Dictate The Pace

Of course, offering to help your older friend with their style again doesn’t mean dictating all of your knowledge on their behalf, or ignoring their own desires so you can put your ideas forward.

It might just be that they’re more than happy to dress simply or from cheaper brands, and that’s fine too. They may be secure in who they are and just want to dress up more nicely for the fun of it.

There’s a big difference in telling someone how to look their best self, and inviting them to find that themselves alongside you, even if your priorities are different. If you love fashion (as we do), then sharing some of that enthusiasm can be engaging and inspiring no matter where they fall on that spectrum.

Sometimes – it could be providing them with a nice gift, like a hat or a brooch could mean everything to them. So – this is a bonding process first and foremost.

With this advice, you’re sure to help an older relative unlock their style.