Of An Age: What Women Really Want

A recent article in the Guardian about the lack of clothes available for women over thirty on the high street raises some very poignant issues. A case of what women want versus what is available could possibly be a fashion dilemma for an older woman who wants to be fashion fabulous but cannot relate to high street manufacturing and does not want to pay designer prices.

While sexy clothes sell - and they do look terrific on models on the cover of Vogue - the average woman is not suited to wear spaghetti strapped tops, slip dresses, mini skirts and spiked heels. High street conglomerates such as Hennes & Mauritz, Top Shop and Miss Selfridge sell to the younger jean-embroidered, logo-printed tank-loving teenager. She's probably born somewhere around the late eighties and is in the early stages of puberty. Hence everything that sells as being fashionable on the high street will fit her perfectly. What is noticeable, however, is that while the high street aims to emulate the designer market in very quick turnaround, the fashion that makes it from catwalk to high street tends to be very young and trend-led. H&M may copy a jacket or two (it would be rude to miss the Chanel trend this season) but the majority of clothes remain sexy young outfits suitable only for sexy young girls.

So what is the alternative on the high street if the Marc Jacobs replica jackets are too tight in the arms and the trousers cut so low your builder would be too embarrassed to where them? Truth be told, the offers are slimmer then your teenage daughter. A Topshop for grown-ups, unfortunately, does not exist and at present the high street seems to be one of two extremes. Either it caters for a juvenile fashion market or it is so frumpy you would be dressing a generation older. And let's face it, nobody wants to look old.

Those stores that do have older customers in mind, seem to not be listening to what they want. The Dorothy Perkins, Next and Marks & Spencer fashion offer is probably not so interesting to a discerning 35 year-old. There is nothing fashionable about frumpy tweed skirts, dowdy blouses and square cut tees even with some animal print thrown in for fun. Just because you're over thirty doesn't mean you have to dress like your grandmother. Both the drastic extremes on offer mean the choice is either a flimsy jersey dress cut for Jordan or boxy satin jackets with newsreader appeal. Ultimately what women really want, regardless of age, is to look good and feel good about themselves. That is the real trend that needs to hit the high street.