Picture this: You're walking down the street when a remarkably well-dressed older woman captures your eye. Every detail, from the antique brooch on her lapel to her patent leather loafers, feels purposeful. It's evident she knows exactly who she is—and wants the world to know it.
These are the stylish women over 60 that Ari Seth Cohen photographs for Advanced Style, his blog, documentary, and book series dedicated to the sartorial senior set. "I'm drawn to unique personal style that's developed over time," Cohen tells Marie Claire over the phone. "Most importantly, the women I photograph dress for themselves more than anything else."
Initially started as a love letter to Cohen's grandmother and best friend, Bluma, Advanced Style has grown into a worldwide celebration of sexagenarian-plus fashion fans (and their furry friends in Cohen's latest book, Advanced Pets). You may also have seen his fabulous muses on Cohen's TikTok, where their fashion hot takes and 'fit checks regularly hit the multi-million viewer mark.
As the photographer notes, there's a subversion in spotlighting the fashion of women over 60, a demographic that society typically shoves into the shadows. "Showing these stylish women in their seventies, eighties, and nineties living vibrant lives focuses on the freedom and creativity of aging that's not shown in the media or popular culture," Cohen says. "Many of these women feel and are treated as invisible, but seeing them dressed in vibrant colors and making such statements with their clothing is an antidote to the isolation forced upon them. There's a confidence and power in that—their style is a form of rebellion."
We spoke to eight of Cohen's style mavens about why there is no such thing as 'age-appropriate' outfits for women over 60 and the importance of following intuition over fashion trends. Because with age comes wisdom—and a distinct, refined, and highly personal sense of style.
Lana Turner
Age: 75
Location: Harlem, Upper Manhattan
How she puts outfits together: I dress the way I do for me. There are things about my outfits that only I would know, that only tickle me, and won't be obvious to others. Because building what I look like has everything to do with the art of the moment—of what I'm doing at that moment, how I'm living and thinking, and who I am at that moment.
When inspiration strikes: Pieces just get lodged in my mind. It's sort of like when you're thinking, 'Oh, when I get home tonight, I'll have tuna tartare for dinner.' And you're so excited; you can't wait because you can picture it so clearly. It's the same with my outfits. I've actually gotten dressed for church, left my house, gotten a block away, but then said, 'Ah, I know exactly what the hat should be!' So, I turned right around, went back home, and put on the right hat. Of course, I was late for church—they were already saying amen when I got there—but I was perfectly happy the rest of the day.
Advice on honing a personal style: Most people are trying to blend in. I don't want to stand out. I want to be like her or him. I want to be this fabulous, be this sexy. But who would you be if you never saw any of those people? If you never knew what other people did, how would you dress? Strip all of that away, come up with who you are, and find confidence in the ability just to be yourself.
Joyce Carpati
Age: 92
Location: Turtle Bay, Manhattan
Her fashion journey: I developed my style when I was very young. I went to study voice in Milan, Italy, when I was 17. Most Americans had not been to Europe because it was not long after the Second World War, so this was my first time. I couldn't take my eyes off the Italian women with their beautiful suits, suede Oxford shoes, leather gloves, handbags, and pearls—these women just looked magnificent in their simplicity.
You didn't really see this style in America back then, so I thought, "Oh, my! This is who I want to be." I got myself a tweed suit, suede Oxfords, leather gloves, a sweater, and pearls, and when I came back to New York as a young girl, people looked at me. Nobody in America dressed that way then, so it really was something.
Italian style has never left me. It's simple, but to me, it is true elegance.
On simplicity as a statement: I've always felt that less is more, but you need some wonderful pieces for that less. For me, every day, that’s a pair of slacks, a scarf, and my pearls. My pearls are a part of me. Oh, and I adore my Chanel suits. They never go out of style.
Praise for her personal style: People on the street notice me by the clothes I wear and tell me they like my style, which makes me feel very good. The other day, I went out and got a lovely compliment from a very pretty young woman who lives nearby. We stopped to speak for a minute, and she said, "You always look so terrific." “Even at 92?” I asked. And she said yes!
Arlinda McIntosh
Age: 67
Location: Montclair, New Jersey
On following her fashion instincts: Aging through over six and a half decades of fashion has allowed me to play the field when it comes to clothing, from menswear to women's, mini to maxi, sheer and opaque. If it's of interest to me, I wear it. No fiber is off-limits—clothing is all just fabric waiting to be played with. And I've always felt that way. As a young girl, I took my mom's kitchen curtains down and wore them because I liked the color. (They were a checkerboard print with these little roosters on them.) I would take the sheets off my bed, put a belt on, and wear them as a skirt around the house. I got in trouble for that one, though.
The value of authentic self-expression: Our garments and outfits are silent conversations with the onlooker. Of course, that conversation is subject to opinion, but I don't really value what anyone else is thinking. The only conversation I’m interested in having, the only person I’m interested in impressing, is the one I see in the mirror. That's it. I don't know how to not be who I was born to be. After all, what value am I if I follow another's fashion rules as they relate to ageism, sexism, and all the other isms?
Alice Carey
Age: 77
Location: Chelsea, Manhattan
Her uniform: Mine's a men's tweed jacket (I realized I look good in a man's jacket a long time ago and haven’t stopped wearing them), black chinos, Doc Martens, and a big, fabulous brooch. And earrings—always, always earrings.
Her commitment to secondhand clothing: I don't buy anything new. It's a mission I'm on, so to speak. And I love wearing the clothes of somebody I love who has died. Some people don't get that and think it’s creepy. But, no, it's not. If you loved somebody in life—if, when you’d have a drink with them or they'd come over for dinner, they always wore a certain blazer or what have you—you can love them in death, too, by wearing their clothes. It makes all the difference.
Why expressive style is essential: As you grow older—I don't say growing old, as we don't grow old; We grow older—you know you're going to die sooner. You just do. And what happens is that a lot of people give up their style. They think, "We don't fuck anymore. We don't have babies anymore. My husband's left me; my next husband's left me." And with all that dreary thought, you'll resort to a big black puffer coat where no one will see who you are. I find that very sad.
The thing about me is that you see me coming down the street and think, "Gee, I can take a look at her. She's interesting looking." But that'll only last so long, and I'm aware of it. Try as you may and be as spiffy-looking as you can for as long as you can.
Terri Wong
Her clothing isAge: 69
Location: San Francisco, California
The oldest item in her closet: A Chinese robe with a beautiful rooster embroidered on the front and back that dates back to the late 1880s.
Homage to her heritage through clothing: I am Chinese American, but I was born [in America]. The only way I know about Chinese customs, clothing, or any of that stuff is what I've taught myself. Because when my family came here, there wasn't a whole lot they could bring with them. And, of course, old textiles and fabric were not something my grandparents would bring when fleeing the communists in China. As a consequence, I don't have any antique clothing from my family. The pieces I do have are what I've collected on my own.
The outfit she felt the happiest in: Oh, yes, that's a story. I'm a former opera singer, and when I left the opera chorus, I went on to make knitwear and restore antique clothing. I found this antique embroidered Chinese coat in a beautiful deep cranberry-burgundy color and lined with rabbit fur. It was in pretty good condition, except the collar and cuffs were damaged. So, I used four different kinds of wool so the texture would look like fur and made new cuffs and a collar. The first time I wore that coat was to the opening night at the opera here in San Francisco. I wore it with a pair of very simple black cigarette pants and a Western-inspired pillbox hat in the same burgundy color. I felt like a little princess.
Linda Rodin
Age: 75
Location: Chelsea, Manhattan
Her ideal outfit: Flared bell bottoms and a denim shirt from my denim line, Linda Hopp. I’ve just always loved denim; I remember wearing Levi's at age five!
On her fashion identity: I like to be simple, clean, and modern, but always with a twist. I don't like severely plain clothes—I need them to have some personality. But I have no penchant for wearing something outrageous just to get noticed on the street. I'm never dressing up for anybody; I just want to be comfortable in my own skin and wear clothes that please me.
Debunking the myth of age-appropriate dressing: I don't dress by decade, and I never feel I have to dress age-appropriately. In fact, my style has always stayed the same. I look at pictures from when I was 20, and I even remember what I wore in seventh grade, and I'd wear all those outfits today. I haven't ever changed! Of course, I've gotten older, but I've never defined myself by a decade or a trend or thought, "Okay, I'm 40 now. I better not wear that!" What difference does it make?
Marsha Music
Age: 70
Location: Detroit, Michigan
On fashion representing identity: You become carved out of the material of life as you have more experiences, both positive and painful. So, for those of us who enjoy dressing, that material can present itself through our clothing. And since you become more aware of yourself as you mature, that presentation becomes an expression of your real self.
The story of her style: The way I dress is a collection of my life experiences, from when I was a teenager to being a young woman in nightclubs to maturing into a professional woman. Over time, my look has assimilated elements of my past lives into what has congealed into my style today—which could be described as ethnic, Afrocentric, or Eastern, but mostly comfortable.
Balancing internal and external validation: I've come to increasingly dress how I want to, regardless of what others think. On the other hand, I greatly enjoy the affirmation that comes from people enjoying how I dress. So it's a synthesis of both. It's being able to say, 'To thine own self be true,' But, at the same time, knowing that you are also dressing to please others; to be pleasing to the eye, to have other women be proud of the way you look, to go into an atmosphere and enhance the space because of how you have obviously taken the care to adorn yourself.
Beatrix Ost
Age: 85
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
How her love of fashion began: I grew up in the war-torn city of Munich in the 1950s. There was not much clothing to buy or choose from. So I started making my own [clothes] but then hired a seamstress to make what I designed instead. People always asked me to become a fashion designer, but I just didn’t like the business. And I needed to paint, sculpt, and act; I was one of those very versatile young biests!
Her favorite item in her wardrobe: My tie-up boots that I use for tango dancing! I enjoy tango–it’s very much a silent conversation with your body. But it also has room for your own movement, for your own questions and answers with a partner.
The happiness of getting dressed: I always dress for my own joy—when I’m at home as well as going to my studio, the town, or out for the night. I am thoroughly amused by my so-called style; It is my second skin that I carry with me.
