40+ Style is specifically designed for women over 40, and many of our readers really appreciate that! However, some do get frustrated when they see a lot of young and thin models featured.
I totally get where you’re coming from, but the reality is that I rely heavily on the images available to me. If I want to showcase new trends or items in stores, I mostly have to use pictures from fashion shows or brands, and these often feature younger models.
It’s still quite rare for brands to use 40+ models in their campaigns, which is a shame. I would love to create my own shoots with great photographers and 40+ models, but I don’t have the budget of a big magazine like Vogue. Plus, I’ve found that big brands are hesitant to work with older bloggers. Even though many of their customers are women over 40, these brands don’t seem to want to align themselves with this age group. Without the support and revenue from major brands, it’s really tough to put together a team to produce our own fashion content.
That said, I do my best to feature women over 40 whenever I can! I’ve had many of you in my style interviews, like Stephanie, highlighted street fashion of 40+ women, and encouraged you to submit your own photos for style challenges, like Ana did for the “how to wear white” challenge. You can find fabulous 40+ women in the “What You Wear” section of the site, and you’re always welcome to share your photos or post them on our Facebook page.
The issue is, I can’t just use any image from the internet due to copyright laws, so I rely on my own photography or the pictures you send in. I always welcome great pictures from stylish 40+ women!
I will continue to use images of younger models to showcase certain trends, suggest buying options, or highlight specific styles. I can’t limit myself to just a few brands that use older models or are aimed at women over 40.
I hope you’ll look past the younger models and see how many of these styles can work for our age group too. I’ll keep trying to feature a diverse range of women, especially those over 40!
Can you adapt fashion shown on younger models to suit your own style?