The fashion world has a blind spot, and it's getting harder to ignore. While runways flaunt youth and marketing campaigns chase Gen Z and Millennial dollars, an entire generation of style-conscious consumers remains largely invisible. Dr. Carolyn Mair, cognitive neuroscientist and fashion psychology pioneer, argues this needs to change.
In her newly updated book,
The Psychology of Fashion, Mair challenges the industry's outdated assumptions about age and style. "Like younger consumers, [older adults] want to look good, express their identity and be part of the fashion zeitgeist," she explains. Yet brands continue treating the over-55 demographic as a monolithic group of fashion disengagers rather than the diverse, active consumers they actually are.
This disconnect isn't just bad business—it reflects deeper psychological biases around ageing that impact how older women see themselves. When marketing strategies fixate on youth, they create a feedback loop where mature consumers feel increasingly marginalised.