As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been a bit of a skinny runt.
My best friend at primary school was a lad called Andrew, and even to this very day, I can picture his face as though I was playing conkers and swapping Italia ’90 stickers with him just yesterday. He always had dead rosy cheeks, and these long, thin lips that always seemed to be smiling. His bright blonde hair was almost Scandinavian-like, and most distinctively of all ...he towered above me.
I also remember thinking that his parents were proper Jurassic. Don’t get me wrong …my own mum and dad were young and only in their mid-twenties, so most of my friends parents seemed old by comparison. But Andrew’s parents were particularly old, and were at least 20 years older than my grandparents were at the time! Nevertheless, Andrew’s dad was still a fit, active (and very tall!) man, and both he and Andrew were very keen swimmers.
Perhaps all that healthy swimming was the reason Andrew always had rosy red cheeks? …and perhaps why he’d already grown so much taller and so much stronger than me!
In contrast to Andrew’s parents, my Mum was tall and slim and my dad was quite simply an older version of what I am today: Small and unfortunately, a bit scrawny!
Over the years then, I often bemoaned my weedy disposition and all-round lack of muscular definition, but have grown to learn that despite the amount of effort and hours one puts in at the gym, you are ultimately the size and shape you were born to be.
In fact, I recall speaking to my Granddad about my puny frame a number of times over the years and that's where my story starts today.
You see, My Granddad always assured me that by the time I reached the age of 30, I’d “start to fill out”.
Grandparents really are a fountain of knowledge aren’t they?! …Because, just as my Granddad predicted, I started to “fill out” pretty much from the moment I left my twenty ninth year behind! It seemed I’d barely blown out the 30 candles on my very large (and very tasty!) cake, and instantaneously, a Homer Simpson-esque belly had begun to form!
By this time, I was unable to continue playing football twice-a-week due to a knee injury, so as my little pot-belly began to grow, the rest of my rather svelte frame pretty much remained the same and the unfortunate silhouette of a slightly pregnant man had begun to develop!
Without delay then, it was time to ramp up the jogging routine in an attempt to lose the bun in my oven! In the many miles that have followed since, I've seen some interesting characters on my travels, and some of them got me thinking…
Like the old man on the canal...
So, I'm casually jogging down the canal path, when this gentlemanly old chap comes walking towards me. As our paths cross, he throws me a respectful wink and an "alreet cocker" and I gladly return the compliment. As I continued-on along the toe-path, I got to thinking about the gentleman's attire: He was dressed smartly in 'proper' trousers, a checked shirt and a cosy woolen jumper, teamed of course, with the obligatory flat-cap!
Now, I don't know about you, but it seems to me that the uniform of the 'old man' has been the same since the beginning of time! For example, back in the 80's when I was but a young whippersnapper, I'm pretty sure that any old man walking down a canal would have wearing pretty much the exact same thread?
So I'm wondering when is it exactly, that a person passes the threshold of being a slave to fashion, and begins to dress in the uniform of the senior citizen?
Do we get to the point where we think "Stuff this ...I'm not bothered about what the cool kids are wearing. I want something that's versatile and comfortable"! Or is it more a generational thing?
History teaches us that up until the 1960's there were only two phases in life: You were either a child, or an adult. And perhaps within those phases, there might have been the wardrobe options of Sunday Best, formal wear or work wear to choose from. But once childhood was over, one assumed the identity of an adult - and dressed as such.
Another standout clothing feature throughout the early part of the century, was the wearing of hats. It seemed it was etiquette for a gent to wear hats of various styles and shapes throughout the decades, and perhaps this is the reason we see so many older people wearing hats today?
With the swinging sixties though, came the eclectic fusion of music and fashion to popular culture and now, teenagers were beginning to assume their own identities, and with the breaking of old traditions, I guess fashion trends as we know them today, had been born.
So this takes me back to the gentleman on the canal. A fella in his mid-70's, it seems that the old man may have already formulated his style by the time the 60's were in full swing ...and perhaps he's been dressed in his formal gentry attire ever since? ...But what of the next generation of senior citizens? ...
Having grown-up in a more image-conscious culture, are they likely to stick with what they know best and wear the clothes that they feel the most comfortable in, or are they more likely to keep a keen eye on modern-day looks and adopt current trends?
Are we likely to see boho-chic grannies queuing up for their pensions, because they embraced the hippie culture the first time round, (and have been responsible for reinventing it ever since!)? ...Are we likely to see Granddad's who felt comfortable wearing Naf Naf jackets and Eclipse jeans in the mid-90's continue with an equally shambolic lack of style in twenty years time?
It's an interesting thought because, back in the 60's, it was the teenagers who ruled the roost, and made their mark on the world forever. But now, as the average-age of the country continues to grow older, the landscape is being painted by a very different crowd.
Teenagers and young adults are struggling to make ends meet these days and perhaps don't have the expendable income that their counterparts enjoyed. And that's why at the moment, it's those that are in their 50's that are having the biggest impact on modern day marketing.
Many of those who are in their 50's at present are fortunate enough to have paid off their mortgages and are embarking on second careers, in technological and forward-thinking fields. Their children will already be grown-ups and they also had the handy benefit of seeing them through University education, without having to pay the astronomical tuition fees we see today.
The 50 to 60 age-group are likely to have more spare money than any of us young chumps, and are the number one buyers of CD's, DVD's and modern-day gadgetry such as flat-screen TV's and iPods. And because a large percentage of people in their 20's, 30's and 40's are currently saddled with high mortgages and debt, who else do you think is currently spending the big bucks on the likes of Prada in Harvey Nic's??
That's right ...it certainly isn't us!
On average, the 50 to 60 age group eat out more than their younger counterparts and they holiday more than any other age group in the UK.
Whats more, in the last three months alone, the 50 to 60 age group have been the highest new recruits to Facebook ...so they're no mugs when it comes to modern technology. In fact, when all is said and done ...these were the guys that actually invented all the platforms we're all using today anyway!
So be afraid young people ...be very afraid. Take a look at what your nearest 50 year old and pay particular attention to what they're wearing...
Because in the future, much more marketing is going to be geared towards them and what they want to do with their expendable cash. And what they're dressed in today, could just be what we're all going to be wearing in the near future!
Until next time, many blessings!
Now, I don't know about you, but it seems to me that the uniform of the 'old man' has been the same since the beginning of time! For example, back in the 80's when I was but a young whippersnapper, I'm pretty sure that any old man walking down a canal would have wearing pretty much the exact same thread?
So I'm wondering when is it exactly, that a person passes the threshold of being a slave to fashion, and begins to dress in the uniform of the senior citizen?
Do we get to the point where we think "Stuff this ...I'm not bothered about what the cool kids are wearing. I want something that's versatile and comfortable"! Or is it more a generational thing?
History teaches us that up until the 1960's there were only two phases in life: You were either a child, or an adult. And perhaps within those phases, there might have been the wardrobe options of Sunday Best, formal wear or work wear to choose from. But once childhood was over, one assumed the identity of an adult - and dressed as such.
Another standout clothing feature throughout the early part of the century, was the wearing of hats. It seemed it was etiquette for a gent to wear hats of various styles and shapes throughout the decades, and perhaps this is the reason we see so many older people wearing hats today?
With the swinging sixties though, came the eclectic fusion of music and fashion to popular culture and now, teenagers were beginning to assume their own identities, and with the breaking of old traditions, I guess fashion trends as we know them today, had been born.
So this takes me back to the gentleman on the canal. A fella in his mid-70's, it seems that the old man may have already formulated his style by the time the 60's were in full swing ...and perhaps he's been dressed in his formal gentry attire ever since? ...But what of the next generation of senior citizens? ...
Having grown-up in a more image-conscious culture, are they likely to stick with what they know best and wear the clothes that they feel the most comfortable in, or are they more likely to keep a keen eye on modern-day looks and adopt current trends?
Are we likely to see boho-chic grannies queuing up for their pensions, because they embraced the hippie culture the first time round, (and have been responsible for reinventing it ever since!)? ...Are we likely to see Granddad's who felt comfortable wearing Naf Naf jackets and Eclipse jeans in the mid-90's continue with an equally shambolic lack of style in twenty years time?
It's an interesting thought because, back in the 60's, it was the teenagers who ruled the roost, and made their mark on the world forever. But now, as the average-age of the country continues to grow older, the landscape is being painted by a very different crowd.
Teenagers and young adults are struggling to make ends meet these days and perhaps don't have the expendable income that their counterparts enjoyed. And that's why at the moment, it's those that are in their 50's that are having the biggest impact on modern day marketing.
Many of those who are in their 50's at present are fortunate enough to have paid off their mortgages and are embarking on second careers, in technological and forward-thinking fields. Their children will already be grown-ups and they also had the handy benefit of seeing them through University education, without having to pay the astronomical tuition fees we see today.
The 50 to 60 age-group are likely to have more spare money than any of us young chumps, and are the number one buyers of CD's, DVD's and modern-day gadgetry such as flat-screen TV's and iPods. And because a large percentage of people in their 20's, 30's and 40's are currently saddled with high mortgages and debt, who else do you think is currently spending the big bucks on the likes of Prada in Harvey Nic's??
That's right ...it certainly isn't us!
On average, the 50 to 60 age group eat out more than their younger counterparts and they holiday more than any other age group in the UK.
Whats more, in the last three months alone, the 50 to 60 age group have been the highest new recruits to Facebook ...so they're no mugs when it comes to modern technology. In fact, when all is said and done ...these were the guys that actually invented all the platforms we're all using today anyway!
So be afraid young people ...be very afraid. Take a look at what your nearest 50 year old and pay particular attention to what they're wearing...
Because in the future, much more marketing is going to be geared towards them and what they want to do with their expendable cash. And what they're dressed in today, could just be what we're all going to be wearing in the near future!
Until next time, many blessings!
