Great article from The Washington Times called Boomers Fault Fashion by Anne D'Innocenzio (Associated Press).

It addresses the disconnect between the the fashion needs of the young-minded active 50- and 60-year old and what she sees in the store. After my recent bathing suit search I'd like to add 40+ to that list.

The fashion industry is missing a huge opportunity to reach out to fashion conscious Baby Boomers who want something in between the flimsy, spaghetti straped tops and size 0 skinny jeans  marketed to teenagers and the tropical floral rayon shifts and elastic-waist knit pants marketed to the over 21 crowd.

In descrbing the women interviewed for the story D'Innocenzio says "While their bodies may be aging, their spirits are not."

AMEN!

True story- bathing suit department in JC Penney's 12 hours before I leave for vacation in Florida- I had been to every other store in the mall. Every bathing suit over size 10 was a large floral print in the worst color combinations I have ever seen. No linings, skinny straps or just wide blousy expanses of fabrics. Nothing priced at under $115. Very demoralizing. I turn the corner and come across a woman about my age and size crying , right there in the middle of the bathing suit department in Penney's! I stopped and asked her if she was Ok. She said she was just so embarrassed that she couldn't find a good bathing suit and that she felt so ugly and hopeless. She didn't want an old lady bathing suit. She said she'd pay anything to find something a simple well-fitting bathing suit. Anything!

I gave her a tissue and told her to go home and pull up the Land's End website.

Here is a demographic that has money to spend and nobody can figure out what they need. More likely nobody wants to figure it out. I would imagine it is difficult making fashion that has broad appeal and fits a range of body parts with pooches and folds where they didn't exist 30 years ago. Even the much-touted Chicos has stumbled a bit.

Difficulty finding interesting, fashion forward clothes may be driving women back to sewing. At the very least it is driving women towards purchasing younger-looking accessories (handbags, shoes, belts, jewelry) because they are easier to find or make.

Another opportunity is embellished fashion. Plenty of clothing items with simple lines and fabrics can be found. Craft stores can help consumers take these basic looks to a designer level. Trust me on this- go to a really chic fashion boutique- especially if you are travelling in Las Vegas- and you will see that the silhouettes are basic. It's the glitz on the top that makes the wow.

If I were to give advice to a fashion manufacturer on how to appeal to this "difficult customer." I'd say: try better fabrics and construction, tone down on the oversized floral prints, explore some shaping and decorative seaming. Create pieces that coordinate without being matchy-matchy. Add a decorative detail here or there. It's really not that complicated.

Don't we all want clothes that make us feel good?--Beth