BAZAAR

TRADITIONALLY,RIGHT around the crossroadsof age 50 and menopause,women are supposed todisappear, to fade away intoa sea of other women dressedwith similar decorum: Short,nondescript hair; sad, sensibleshoes; and plain clothing thatcovers as many body partsas possible.But while theunenlightened are stilldebating whether womenover 50 should be allowed towear miniskirts, nothing shortof a fashion revolution hasbeen taking place on the redcarpet. Think about JaneFonda’s stunning appearanceat the Emmys last fall ina loor-length fuchsia BrandonMaxwell gown witha scooped back and a longblonde ponytail. The fact thata woman of 79 would appear in public in garb generally deemedappropriate for a woman much younger felt rebellious. And thenthere was this year’s Oscars: Fonda, again lexing her right to wearwhatever she wanted, in a perfect white Balmain column dress;Rita Moreno, 86, in the same black-and-gold dress she’d worn tothe Academy Awards six decades before; and Eva Marie Saint, 93,presenting an award in a timeless black dress complete with ruled-cuf sleeves. This is what fashion is about right now: Breaking therules about age-appropriate dressing for women ‘of a certain age.’And it’s not just happening on the red carpet.Women over 50 today look and feel younger than the womenof their mothers’ generation did when they were that age.For them, the 50-plus years aren’t about sliding into retirementbut about reinvention and new opportunities. Perhaps that’s whyI can’t think of anyone I know who ‘dresses her age’. My friendsand I still wear bikinis and miniskirts. We show our cleavage andour upper arms. We wear yoga pants. I see a lot of women, freed``````from marriages and theirchild-rearing days, embracinga teenage, hippie-style look.One friend has even takento wearing her still-long hairin braids.These days, when it comesto fashion, it’s often womenof a certain age who aretaking some of the biggestrisks. When I go into Gucciand see a loral bomber jacketemblazoned with tiger faces,and I say to the salesperson,“It’s fabulous, but who onearth would wear this?”The answer, inevitably, is anolder woman. Case in point:The 89-year-old directorAgnès Varda wearing Gucciloral silk pajamas to collecther Oscar at this year’sceremony. A stroll downMadison Avenue gives furthercredence to this theory. I’veseen women in light blue leggings and matching platform sneakers,head-to-toe black leather, and neon tracksuits. They are womenwith hair dyed pink and blue halfway down their backs. If youdidn’t see their faces, you might mistake them for women muchyounger. Maybe that’s why there’s always a certain deiance in theirattitude. Which is understandable.It’s hard to break free from all the negative messages we’veabsorbed about fashion and age, as I discovered recently whendebating whether or not to buy a pair of gorgeous hot-pinkneoprene boots. Twenty years ago, I would have snapped themup. But now? The old-fashioned voice in my head told me thathot-pink boots were not appropriate for a woman of my age.They were too showy. Too attention-grabbing. I thought thatpeople would look at the shoes and all they’d see was a 60-year-old woman. And then I remembered Jane Fonda. She broke therules because she had the guts to be seen. She didn’t blend in;she didn’t disappear. Needless to say, I bought the boots. ■AT EVERY AGESTYLEGREAT(From left) Candace Bushnell in a Manrico Cashmere dress; Rita Moreno invintage Pitoy Moreno; and Jane Fonda in Balmain``````Celebrated author Candace Bushnell on the over-50 fashion revolution``````“This is what fashion is about right now:Breaking the rules about age-appropriate dressingfor women ‘of a certain age’.”``````CLINT SPAULDING/``````WWD``````/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK; STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE; KEVIN MAZUR/WIREIMAGEBazaarSTYLE