"You can be stylish, creative and vital at any age."
These are the words Ari Seth Cohen, lives by.
In 2008, Ari – an author and photographer – started a blog called Advanced Style in honour of his late grandmother, who was also his best friend.
"My grandmother always encouraged me to express myself through style. I would pour over her old photo albums which were filled with photographs of her and her friends living in New York in the '40s," he said to Mamamia.
When his grandmother passed away, Ari decided to move to New York City where he began chronicling senior style on the streets – introducing himself to random people going about their day, and asking if he could photograph them and their outfit. He started the blog as a passion project. Little did he know it would morph into something much bigger.
Advanced Style has helped shift the perception of how women should live, dress and age. It provides a different depiction of ageing compared to the constant churn of products and marketing that pressures us all to turn back time.
Ari - who is in his 40s - now has written multiple books including Advanced Style: Older & Wiser and Advanced Love, as well as a documentary, also called Advanced Style. And his blog and Instagram page have continued to flourish, being featured by the New York Times, the New Yorker, Vogue, Forbes and Vogue Australia.
And throughout all of this, Ari has continued doing what he loves most – photographing older women, capturing their fashion and style and sharing their stories.
When it comes to the commonalities these women share, Ari puts it down to a few key factors. Five shared ideals or 'style rules', if you will.
1. Dopamine dressing is what makes you stand out.
Ari has always gravitated towards women who use fashion to bring joy into their lives. Because joy is one hell of an infectious feeling.
Ari Seth Cohen, along with one of the women he has photographed, Lana Turner. Image: Advanced Style.
It's not about the specific clothes that the woman wears. It's about what she emulates and chooses to wear – things that make her feel unique, happy and confident. A stance that now has a dedicated phrase: Dopamine dressing.
Ari said: "Often I'll be photographing a random woman on the street and afterwards ask her where she's going all dressed up. And often they reply 'I'm going to the grocery store'. It's all about wearing what you want to wear.
"You can feel a person's energy from the clothes they wear and how they carry themselves walking down a street. There is also joy for the viewer as well to see someone expressing themselves through fashion."
So often, you will hear someone say 'that is my special occasion dress' or 'that's my nice going-out outfit'. But if we've learned anything from the pandemic and being confined to our homes with little social interaction, it's time to wear the nice outfit. To embrace the bold and wear what makes you feel happy.
2. It doesn't matter how much you spend – it's a personal sense of style that matters.
When we look at the glossy covers of magazines, more often than not the model shows zero signs of ageing, is unachievably slim and wearing clothes that would cost an arm and a leg. It's an image that is then projected onto the rest of society – and those who do not comply are made to feel less than or invisible.
It's images like these that Ari says he has never connected with.
"There's not one particular style that I'm looking for when photographing – it's just about what draws your attention. That could be someone dressed head to toe in designer labels, or it could be someone who shopped at a thrift store and put together a look themselves," Ari explained.
Because it's not about the money spent on an outfit or the trendy brand.
"It's the personal sense of style. I really appreciate creativity, regardless of the price tag associated with the clothes."
Image: Advanced Style.
3. Dressing 'age appropriate' is complete bulls**t.
For years, women over 50 have been encouraged to dress in a certain way. Safe colours. Shapeless fits. Practical lengths. Modest necklines. Nothing loud. Notice a pattern here?
It's all these norms that are bulls**t. And that's a message Ari wants everyone to hear.
"We have this perception that with ageing we become less silly as we get older – mostly due to expectations put on us by society. But seeing these women in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s being playful, adventurous and open – that's enticing."
The women Ari photographs are confronting ageism every day, providing a positive blueprint for living rich and authentic lives regardless of age. And it's our social obsession with ageing that makes Ari feel uncomfortable.
"I saw this TikTok the other day from a young girl who introduced herself by saying 'I am 24 years young'. What? Are we scared of the word 'old' now? Yes, representation is changing slowly in fashion and marketing but we've got a long way to go, especially on how we talk about ageing."
Image: Advanced Style.
4. Have fun with the craft behind choosing an outfit.
For the women Ari photographs, who are mostly in the 70 to 90 age bracket, they are either retired or have fewer commitments compared to when they were younger. With this comes more 'free' time. And for some, there can be a sense of loss and a lack of purpose.
72-year-old Annette told Mamamia that for her, she loves to structure her mornings by mapping out her outfit for the day – turning the radio on and listening to good music, mixing and matching certain pieces together before landing on the end outfit. For her, it brings happiness but also means she now makes greater use of her wardrobe – which includes items she hadn't previously touched for 20 years.
It's the process that brings her joy. And a process that was inspired by the imagery she saw from Ari's Instagram page.
As Ari said: "All these women I've met love the craft behind how they dress – I guess for them it's sort of like a meditation. There are rituals behind it, and that process can bring comfort and excitement – they choose an outfit that will lift their mood or to even play a different character.
"It takes them back to when they were younger and could experiment with dress-ups. It's an act of play."
Image: Advanced Style.
5. Don't dress for anyone else – dress for yourself and your gaze only.
For all the older women that Ari photographs, they have one thing in common. They aren't dressing for other people – they are truly dressing for themselves.
"Often these women – and even myself – we dress in a way that will inherently draw attention," Ari said.
"And when you explain to someone that you are not actually after attention, they don't believe you. But the truth is: no – it's not about anyone else. As I once had to say to someone, 'I didn't think about you when I was dressing myself this morning!' There is a sense of bravery to be yourself and wear whatever you want to wear."
These women have become role models not only to Ari but for those who adore Advanced Style.
Not only does it give Ari a sense of optimism about ageing in the future, but it's also taught him a number of life lessons. One being to embrace who you are not just when you're older, but ideally when you're younger too.
Image: Advanced Style.
"They've taught me not to worry about what others think. With ageing many have said they now care less about outside judgement. Learning to love yourself is a process – but it's one I hope a lot of people can embark on sooner rather than later," Ari said.
"We learn so much from one another – we need more intergenerational relationships in this world."
In the 14 years that Ari has been photographing older women, there are many encounters that have stuck with him.
He has a particular love for his friends who are over 60 in Australia. Women like Sarah Jane Adams, Tutti Bennett and also Aussie fashion designer Jenny Kee.
Back closer to Ari's home, there's one woman in particular – Ilona Royce Smithkin – that Ari looks back on fondly.
Ilona was born in Poland, managed to escape World War II and immigrated to America. She made a living making hats and selling them while working at a movie theatre, before becoming an artist and doing cabaret. It wasn't until she was 80 that she became fully confident in herself.
Ilona Royce Smithkin. Image: Advanced Style.
"When I was younger, I was insecure and tried anything unusual to be noticed. Now, with perspective, I can wear anything and be comfortable in my skin," Ilona said to Ari. Ilona passed away last year aged 101.
For Ari, it's seeing how women like Ilona change the way we look at ageing that makes him love doing what he does.
"I often have older women telling me they feel a sense of freedom when they see women I photograph who are expressing themselves to their heart's content."
As Ilona used to say: "Allow yourself to play and live in full colour!"
You can follow Ari Seth Cohen and Advanced Style's Instagram here, you can find the Advanced Style blog here, and you can find a copy of Ari Seth Cohen's books here.
Feature Image: Advanced Style.
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