Of all the people you might expect to be hailed as having “won the Met Gala” this year, an 81-year-old might not have sprung to mind. I am, of course, talking about Diana Ross and her 18-foot train, embroidered with the names of her children and grandchildren, and reportedly so heavy that several willing chaps had to help her up the stairs on Fifth Avenue. Who said that older women were invisible, eh?
A clip of Zendaya moving gently out of the spotlight, as Ross—her monumental Ugo Mozie gown decorated with feathers and crystals—had a moment in front of the cameras, has gone viral for a reason. This year’s gala theme might have been “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” but, unofficially, it was the night that women over 50 triumphed on the blue carpet.
I’m not usually one to judge anyone purely on what they wore, rather than what they said, but when it comes to the Met Gala, the outfits undoubtedly do the talking. And for the assembled “women of a certain age”, the message, loud and clear, was one of confidence and being comfortable in their own skin. From a demographic that has traditionally been sidelined in favour of bright young things, it was refreshing—proof that fashion has gone beyond being an industry obsessed with youth to one that can celebrate some of the hardest- and longest-working women in showbiz. Those who, rather than being branded “embarrassing” for wearing an 18-inch train are heralded for having earned the right.
In previous years, a singular older woman—usually Helen Mirren—might merit special mention for managing to scrub up OK, and would be praised for wearing “age appropriate” long sleeves. Bless her. Now? The best-dressed lists are peppered with more mature female stars.
There’s something in the air. Already this year, fashion’s front rows have been filled with more women in their 60s and 70s, from Glenn Close to Juliette Binoche and Kristin Scott Thomas. The Golden Globes red carpet was a showcase of mature talent. So, fashion’s biggest night was always going to up the ante.
Take Pamela Anderson, who has endured an entire career of people thinking they have a say over her body, whether drooling over or damning it. Since 2023, the 57-year-old has made a habit of turning up to major events without make-up (was “bare faced revenge” ever so literal?) and this year’s gala felt like the culmination: some of the best minimalist make-up I’ve ever seen and a new short bob with a mini fringe which stole the show.
No, it shouldn’t be considered “radical” not to wear a face full of warpaint. But, the fact that a woman approaching 60 can be one of the chicest people at fashion’s most dramatic event by being deliberately understated, is inspirational to those of us who need reminding that it’s fine to unapologetically be yourself. That making less effort doesn’t mean that you’ve “let yourself go”. That ageing doesn’t have to be about fading into the background gracefully if what you really want is to embrace something new. Standards, they are a-changin’. (Though, a special shout-out to the unenlightened publication that labeled Anderson’s Tory Burch dress “frumpy” and so “different to her Baywatch days”, because, of course, women must remain exactly as they were in their 20s).
I’m also in awe of how Madonna carried off her cream satin Tom Ford suit. Having been criticised for showing too much middle-aged flesh and refusing to hide the sexuality we find so disgusting in older women (Piers Morgan once called her “50 Shades of Granny”), it’s hardly surprising that the 66-year-old singer would seem confident wearing a mere tux. But she looked, well, perfect—just how every woman, I think, would want to appear in a so-called power suit. However many two-pieces I’ve worn to events (admittedly, none as grand as the Met Gala), I always end up feeling as though I’m a child putting on my parent’s clothes from the dressing-up box. What I realise now is that the missing element might be the passage of time, the power of experience, a stogie and a 29-year-old boyfriend, with apologies to my husband.
The list goes on. Demi Moore, 62, in black and white sculptural Thom Browne. Nicole Kidman, 57, in striking Balenciaga. Heidi Klum, 51, in a Vetements column. Lauryn Hill, who unbelievably turns 50 this month, in a covetable butter yellow suit. Mary J Blige, 54, wearing white tailoring designed by her friend Stella McCartney. The brief? “I have to go to the Met looking like Mary J Blige,” the singer said. How many of the younger stars, I wonder, feel so comfortable in their own skin that they actively sought to rock up looking exactly like themselves?
Of course, the caveat is that most of us don’t and will never look this way. Let’s be honest, at 81, Diana Ross has better skin, hair, everything than I do now, at 41. All this can seem out of reach for those of us without access to the best designers, make-up artists and stylists. But simply seeing older women dressing boldly and refusing to be ignored does something positive for how we perceive ageing; who can undergo a rebirth and when. At least I’ve got four decades to work on my 18-foot train.
This story was originally published on British Vogue.
