If Demi Moore can wear a ribbon in her hair, why can’t you?
If you refuse to play along with the idea that clothes have age limits, the possibilities are endless. Bows have taken to the runways, so why shouldn’t this 62-year-old acting legend be wearing her own hair ribbon?
What do you wear when after years of being dismissed as, say, a “popcorn actress”, you finally get your flowers? For Demi Moore, 62, it’s an enormous (and enormously girlish) hair ribbon tied in a bow. The kind one might have associated with school picture day, or perhaps Anne of Green Gables.
Moore wore the bow with a slick black suit to the Palm Springs International Film Festival just days before she gave her Golden Globes best actress acceptance speech, in which she talked of never feeling like enough. She concluded with this: “But you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.” This is serious mature-age wisdom - and at the same time, why not wear a hair ribbon when you’re 62? If you refuse to play along with the idea that clothes have age limits, the possibilities are endless. My editor sent me important updates from the ground in Paris and London over the holidays to say everyone seemed to be wearing ribbons in their hair. Sure enough, bows have taken to the runways too, from the recent Chanel haute couture show to Irish designer Simone Rocha, who is known for her romantic collections shot through with a certain darkness.
Celebrities such as Elle Fanning and Cardi B have worn them – the former to the recent National Board of Review Gala in New York City with a tiered Valentino dress. Recent micro-trends decreed on social media include “Ballet-core”, with sweet wraps and ribbons, and “Regency-core” (a result of the Bridgerton effect), with corsets, bows, empire waistlines and opera gloves.
Perhaps there’s something more contrarian at play, though. After-all, girlishness is best served with some spike and lived experience. One such contrarian is Miuccia Prada, 75, who has long subverted girlishness at Prada, and especially at “little sister” brand Miu Miu. In an interview with The New York Times last year, Prada said the appeal of the Miu Miu girl is that she, like all women, contains multitudes. “There is a strength, and a tenderness,” she said. “You can want to be beautiful and gentle but also intelligent, political. She isn’t unknowable, because she is present in all of us.”
Or as Prada mused to reporters backstage ahead of her recent runway collection, “You know, it’s strange – every morning when I wake up, I have to decide whether I am a 15-year-old girl or an old lady nearing death.”
Oh, same Miuccia Prada. And both look perfect in a hair ribbon.
Trends: Hats
From the striking wide-brim number worn by Melania Trump at her husband’s inauguration to the return of neat little pillbox hats at luxury brands such as The Row, it’s never been a better time to be a hat person.
Right now though, in Australian high summer, all you need is a chic straw sun hat. It’s a must, actually.
Q&A with Cushla Whiting, jewellery designer
Describe a perfect Valentine’s Day date... I suppose I’m old fashioned, but dinner and a movie. A dark and moody wine bar is always romantic as well.
Best advice for choosing an engagement ring? Try not to follow trends. Choose something that feels true to your personal style as you will have it for a long time (hopefully!)
Most treasured piece of jewellery? A diamond brooch my grandmother had designed for herself. She was a very stylish and modern woman for her time and it inspires me to be the same.
Personal style icon? Tilda Swinton. She’s the epitome of cool: she never conforms to trends, takes risks, and embraces androgyny while always looking elegant. She’s also my hair idol.
Favourite era for jewellery design? The Art Deco period, particularly the work of Suzanne Belperron, which has been a major source of inspiration. I’m drawn to the bold and graphic aesthetic of the era, a sensibility reflected in designs like our ‘Cog Ring,’ which reimagines the 1920s spirit through deep blue sapphires and 9 karat yellow gold. There is something about this era that feels both modern and timeless.
Most worn piece of clothing in your wardrobe? Anything a bit masculine and oversized. My Alain Paul wide leg jeans with a stretchy waistband are currently on high rotation. I also have an Ann Demeulemeester white shirt which I have worn to death.
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