Youthful Models on Many Retail Websites Have Lost My Money for the Stores

Youthful Models on Many Retail Websites Have Lost My Money for the Stores

I am a woman of a certain age, part of the Baby Boomer generation, and I have disposable income.  I do not look my age. I love wearing fashionable clothes and shoes.  I am the consumer that many higher end retail establishments covet.

However, this weekend, I realized why I am not enamored by the offerings on many websites – in particular I noted Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom.  It is not that the models are too skinny. Many do have the look of an anorexic – a condition with which I am abundantly familiar from my youth. No, it is the fact that the women wearing the clothes look like children. As a woman who has lived a dynamic life and plans to continue living a full life for years to come, I am turned off by the visages of 19-year--old models trying to market to me. I cannot fathom wearing anything that looks abominable on a scrawny waif.

And let’s be honest, a 19 year old does not “rock” Eileen Fisher, Johnnie Was, Indikka, Misook, Joan Vass or Lafayette 148.  While I understand that for decades the target demographic for sales has been women under 35, there has been a significant shift in the demographics of the buying public.  Those of us who fall within the Baby Boomer generation have always been and want to continue to be marketed to. We are used to it. And seeing these models that don’t reflect what we see in the mirror – vibrant, diverse, fashionable women who have changed the world-  we will look elsewhere to shop.