The "Over 50 Shades of Grey" underwear range and its accompanying ad campaign comes in response to a recent YouGov survey that suggests as many as three in five British women over the age of 50 feel underrepresented in the media.
“We can expect to be bombarded with images of young women looking luscious in lingerie at this time of year, but what about the more mature woman?" asked Carie Barkhuizen, a spokesperson for JD Williams.
"Interestingly, our research also discovered that 52 percent of UK women feel most confident aged 45+, so what better way to showcase that confidence by featuring mature models aged 50+ looking just as fantastic – and sexy — in lingerie as their younger counterparts?' Barkhuizen added. "Age is just a number and I think our campaign proves that you can good in lingerie at any age!”
Over 50 Shades of Grey campaign
The ads feature models over 50, with undyed grey hair in simple yet elegant, flattering shapewear. An increasing number of mature women are being featured in major fashion campaigns, including Joan Didion for Céline and Joni Mitchell for Saint Laurent.
More: The surprising rise of moms who are giving birth after 50
The young women of the U.K. are amongst the biggest fans of over 50s style, it seems. JD Williams recently polled young British mothers who say they often raid their own mother's wardrobes, and over half of them cite their mums are their biggest style influence.
"Few women now regard age as a barrier to being at the forefront of fashion," said Barkhuizen. "The era when British women marked their 50th birthday by suddenly having a blue rinse and changing into clothes which made everyone look like Barbara Woodhouse have gone."
And why shouldn't that style start with the undies?
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