It was a sad year for this Column. (In fact, it’s never been very good.) Not only is it terribly off-base and insulting to women in their 50′s, 60′s, and 70′s, (forget 80′s or 90′s because if you live this long you can’t wear designer clothes because you don’t exist) but the choices for the 30′s, and 40′s are pretty bad as well. (when you are in your 20′s you can wear just about anything, or nothing, and get away with it.) A recap of some of their choices:  

The photo to the RIGHT is recommended for women in their ’30′s

Of ALLLLL the clothes that must be out there, WHAT is this? I understand wanting to be trendy, but REALLY?

The photo to the right is recommended for women in their ’40′s

When you are in your ’40′s, according to Bazaar you are still old enough to have fun. Just barely, because no one over 30 is ever in the magazine. But, they can’t possibly think women in their 20′s and their 30′s can afford all these designer clothes, I hope. Anyway, I get the hint that floral prints were big, but this dress couldn’t be any more unflattering. Again, of ALLLLLL the clothes that are out there, couldn’t they have found something a bit more enticing? (However,Tory Birch, on the left, doesn’t look as bad as their usual choices.)

The picture to the right is recommended for women in their 50′s. (I don’t know who that is to the left, and I guess that I should, but whoever she is, she is a mess. You can’t tell what is going on the outfit is so busy. To me, she is not a good representative of how to dress in your 50′s)

Well, at least Bazaar is thinking that a woman in her 50′s has a little life left in her. Color is also a really good thing for any age. But, ALL RED? You would have to be six feet tall in order not to be mistaken for a fireman in this outfit. This with black pants that had a red trim or a subdued red print, would be so much better. Of ALLLLLL the designer clothes out there, couldn’t they have put a bit more thought into this? (I do love the jacket.)

This outfit on the right is recommended for women in their ’60′s

First off, I don’t care who designed Catherine Deneuve’s dress, but it looks like a tent. It has no shape and it makes her look heavy. (Actually, this dress is by Lanvin and I know that Alber Elbaz would not like this on her either.) Again,to wear this outfit on the right in your ’60′s you would have to be 6 feet tall AND anorexic. Again, too much color and not enough thought. Those shoes are also very risky. How do you think Catherine Deneuve, one of the most beautiful women in the world, would look in that outfit? Something like a Christmas tree? Of ALLLLLL the clothes out there, it is so obvious that zero thought went in to this selection. The photograph is also of terrible quality.

This outfit on the left is also recommended for women in their 60′s

Marrisa Berenson, on the left actually looks pretty good for Bazaar. Last year, there were so many worse selections for women in their ’60′s but I couldn’t find them on the internet to share for your delight. Instead, I am putting two mediocre to poor choices for women in their ’60′s. Believe me, there are some real doozies out there too. So, they finally get it that you need to break up the color. But, if I didn’t see the face of this model, I would think it was someone’s grandmother wearing fishnet hose with open-toed sandals. ( How does one do that without ripping the fishnets?) This outfit isn’t terrble, but it is just drab. I also think you need to be very tall to wear things cut on the bias. Of ALLLLLL the clothes out there…, come on. Go on to Style.com and go through the Designer’s shows. It will take about one hour to find at least five things better than this.

The outfit on the right is recommended for women in their ’70′s + (plus), which I guess means ’80′s and 90′s? The model on the left is China Machado.

China Machado is in her 80′s and she looks very stylish and age appropriate. Leather pants on an 80 year old woman are hard to pull off (no pun intended) too!! Need I say anything about the dress on the right? And, with bare legs and gladiator sandals. for women in their 70′s, plus? Of ALLLLL the clothes out there…PLEASE BAZAAR, you may think you are doing the trendy thing, but you are not helping the self-esteem or dignity of women as they age. Couldn’t you at least hire a model the appropriate age to model the clothes? The women over 40 are the ones that can afford your designer clothes, so couldn’t you be a little more considerate about what you put in your “Fabulous At Every Age” Feature? My website is about helping women to feel “less invisible” and more self-esteem as they cross that age barrier you will not cross. You are working against all of the good that I am trying to do!! I think Isabella Rossellini said it best when she was fired by Lancome for being “too old” at 42. “ If you ask any woman, even a young woman, they’re resentful of it. Because when you’re twenty you know that one day you’re going to be forty or fifty. And the fact that beauty is never represented at those ages … it’s offensive and scary. If you’re young, it’s scary. If you’re old, it’s offensive. So all the way through it’s bad news.”