You can’t stop ageing. Regardless of what you wear or what you inject your face with, growing older will happen. What we can control is how we feel about it and how we express ourselves. You’re never too old for print, colour or change. I always go out fully made up – you won’t catch me without my eyeshadow and lipstick – and I’ll never shy away from the clothes I love because of a mad idea that I should become boring now I’m 83. Old age hasn’t stopped me from wearing anything; it has just changed how I wear it. For example, I probably wouldn’t wear a miniskirt with bare legs any more, but I would wear one over trousers. Glamour, adventure and style look great at every age.
I still wear make-up to bed
I wear make-up and clothes that some people might find extreme: clashing colours, bright blue eyeshadow and dramatic prints. I also continue to wear my make-up to bed, despite being told repeatedly that I shouldn’t. A signature look can help you feel more prepared for the day ahead and more confident to take on what’s in front of you. Old age throws up a lot of challenges, and fashion has always helped me to have a route back to myself. I never think about good taste.
Never stop experimenting
Experimenting with what you wear is a form of creativity, and why would growing older stop you from exercising that muscle? My hair has been cut into the same bob for years, but recently I was inspired to have the fringe cut into a point. Some of my favourite designs were showcased as part of a major fashion exhibition at Blenheim Palace, where the fringes of the mannequin wigs were cut into a deep V pointing towards the nose. I loved the way it looked and did the same. Knowing what looks good doesn’t mean experimentation is over. I surround myself with young people, which helps: their enthusiasm, curiosity and energy is contagious.
I love my necklaces
I wear this statement necklace [above] every day. I bought it with my friend, sculptor Andrew Logan, during a trip to India. It’s made of knobbly metal lumps, each separated with a little black knot; it looks like a string of silver new potatoes, and it works with everything. I had another necklace made from teeth that my friend, the unforgettable performance artist and actor Divine, gave me. I think they were goat’s teeth, but I never thought to find out!
Pink keeps me young
I have been dyeing my hair pink since 1980 and I have no intention of stopping because I’m in my 80s. My hair is naturally dark brown, but pink is a much more uplifting colour. It sets the tone for the day and has become a useful form of recognition. Before my hair was pink, it was green, sometimes with blue tips, and before that it was streaked with purple. I liked pink immediately; it feels jolly and is easy to maintain. Once, to appease a conservative boyfriend, I dyed it brown, but I felt terribly boring and not like me at all. You are never too old to dye your hair a bright colour. Old is a concept. I only realise I’m old when I catch myself in the mirror and my back looks a bit hunched, but when that happens, I just stand up straighter and face the front.
Botox? No thanks!
Cosmetic surgery doesn’t make you look younger; it just makes you look different. Having lived in America for decades, I watched the people around me change their faces with the aim of disguising their age. Accept your wrinkles, they’re a part of the life you’ve lived. Be proud of them if you can, and if you’re not proud then there are things you can do to mask them – I have a fringe that conceals the wrinkles on my forehead. I use extra make-up round my eyes and wear extra jewellery that distracts. There’s no point fighting these things too much, though; there’s only so much rearranging one can do.
Iconic: My Life in Fashion in 50 Objects by Zandra Rhodes with Ella Alexander is published by Bantam, £25. To order a copy for £21.25 until 11 August, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.
