Did you know this Coastal Grandmother Fashion was a thing? I’d never heard of it until recently, and it looks like fun!
It’s fun when something in the elder age bracket can burst forth into a new ‘style’ or way of being in the world that others take notice of and that is celebrated. Usually that attention rests with the younger generations.
Indeed, there won’t be any runway exposure that is touted in fashion magazines or appearing in the latest design stores, but it’s nice to see a style can be associated with a group normally considered fuddy duddy-ish at best.
What is it exactly?
So, what is coastal grandmother fashion/style and how does one get it?
While many of us at this age are beyond turning our heads towards one fashion style or another, it is interesting to learn about this millennial trend borrowed from wealthy middle-aged women. I said it was ‘interesting,’ not something we need to snap up and turn our lives around making it happen.
Coastal grandmother fashion and style have been described as that “breezy beige feel” by one celebrity. Think Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give or Meryl Streep in It’s Complicated. It’s a grandmother aesthetic that includes shopping at the farmers’ market, oceanfront properties, clean cocktails (another thing I don’t know about??), wearing cashmere and linen (nope … too wrinkly, like me), and, basically, classy but comfortable apparel.
Check out this link from Good Morning America showing some of the clothes that belong in this fashion trend. Look here to see not only the clothes associated with the coastal grandmother style but the home décor and accessories that speak to this trend as well.
Here is a list of items that gives more detailed examples of this lifestyle:
~Yoga or pilates, taking your dog for a walk; in general, get moving early in the day
~Straw hats
~Antiquing
~Pottery class
~Chardonnay
~Capri pants
~clogs
~getting together with friends for wine or dinner
~bubble baths
~Fresh pasta, fresh lemonade and whatever’s fresh at the market
~Ina Garten
~Handwritten notes
~Jane Austen books
~A color palette of white, ivory, cream in both apparel and home furnishings
~Scented candles like White Shores or Crisp Linen
~Gausy window coverings
~Lots of natural light
This trend is about a feeling, a mindset of comfort with class, relaxed yet refined.
Is It For You?
Incorporating some of these characteristics or styles into your life might be entertaining. Remember, however, you’re just peachy fine the way you are. Making any of these style changes won’t significantly alter your life, but they can be an enjoyable. At the very least, this can be a new topic of conversation.
When everything can seem negative and boring, taking interest in a new subject can be fun and funny to share with your friends. And wasn’t time with friends on the list? See, you’re already further along to being hip than you know. So, join the hype and soak up some new ideas and lots of natural light!
I know this woman well! She inhabits many places in San Diego’s wealthy communities. I look upon them with envy for the “style”, and the little girl who never belonged among them still feels intimidated by them. But I don’t have the lifestyle or the energy to even try to “pass.” Kohl’s, here I come!
Ha!
Ha! indeed! I’m with you, Christine. Plus, there’s not much room in my all-black wardrobe for the complete overhaul that’d be required … but still, it’s fun to see what others may strive for. To each her own.