When we think fashion, we think fresh-faced models who are considered past their prime once they’ve hit 25. Some of the biggest names in fashion, however, are testing out a new approach... with some older names.
Céline, Kate Spade, and Saint Laurent are among those who have featured women over the age of 60 in recent print advertisements. While this might seem out of the blue, it makes solid economic sense. The “baby boom” generation as a whole is spending, on average, twice as much per day as they were back in 2009, and they account for a whopping 60 percent of overall consumer spending. According to Gallup, many of the older members of the baby boom cohort are specifically spending more on what’s called “discretionary” spending, aka spending money on fun things like leisure activities rather than just the necessities. It only makes sense, therefore, that luxury brands would take note and consider targeting this age demographic.
The question that remains to be seen is whether brands are able to reach out to multiple audiences at once. Can a brand that features older women still attract a young crowd? Will our generation dream of being silver-haired divas? It remains to be seen whether this is a passing trend or a marketing strategy that is here to stay. All we know? Those ladies look chicer than we ever will!
What do you think, collegiettes? Would you be less likely to shop somewhere that focuses on older women in its advertisements?