Former British Vogue editor-in-chief says women over 40 shouldn’t wear frills and bows

IT’S no-frills advice — quite literally. And it’s served with a side of sneering. A former Vogue editor-in-chief has revealed women over 40 look “completely unacceptable”, even “frightful” in certain designs but Aussie fashion experts have hit back. POLL

IT’S no-frills advice — quite literally. And it’s served with a side of sneering.

Women over 40 look “completely unacceptable”, even “frightful”, in frills and should avoid them at all costs.

That’s the controversial view of ex-British Vogue editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman. But Australian fashion experts and social commentators disagree, saying it’s “unfair” because age is “just a number”.

Ms Shulman, who edited British Vogue for 25 years, said frills, flounces and bows were “completely unacceptable” for the over-40s.

Former Editor-in-chief of British Vogue Alexandra Shulman says women over 40 shouldn’t wear frills, flounces and bows. Picture: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images

“The one thing that looks frightful as you age is a swamp of frilly fabric ... Tiers, flounces and bows are possibly the only things that I regard as completely unacceptable in ageless style, not working for most people past the age of two — and over the age of 40, ” the 60-year-old wrote in The Sunday Telegraph’s Stellar magazine.

Clearly two of our most stylish women haven’t heard the advice.

Nicole Kidman, 50, looked stunning and earned widespread acclaim for her Armani Privé gown at the Oscars this year — complete with a big bow.

And Kylie Minogue, 49, had jaws dropping when she donned a frilly Temperley frock at the world premiere of her film Swinging Safari in 2017.

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Nicole Kidman was one of the standouts at The Oscar’s this year in a Armani Privé gown that had a big bow on the front. Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

While Kylie Minogue wore this frilly Temperley frock at the premiere of Swining Safari. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Fashion stylist Donny Galella said he “fundamentally” disagreed with Ms Shulman, noting frills were on-trend.

“If you look at frills over the 28 runways recently — Givenchy, Giambattista Valli — there were so many frills. So it’s a huge trend,” he said.

“If you find a dress that’s got frills and you wear it and you feel amazing, then buy it because that’s what fashion is all about — looking good and feeling good.

“Frills are really feminine, they feel flirty, they feel fun.”

Stylist Donny Galella disagreed with the views from the former British editor-in-chief. Picture: Supplied

Social researcher Mark McCrindle said Ms Shulman’s comments were “unhelpful and unfair”. He said the fashion world had entered into a “post-category era”.

“To take a category of fashion and a category of age group and say, ‘These two don’t mix’ is quite strange to the Australian psyche,” he said.

“We’re in an era where age really is just a number — people are redefining the life stages ... so to be prescriptive around what age groups should wear or not wear is unhelpful.” And he said Australian women were not afraid to make fashion their own.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER FASHION TIPS? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS.

Originally published as Former British Vogue editor-in-chief says women over 40 shouldn’t wear frills and bows