You Wear It Well…But
The woman is standing in front of a mirror (speaking to a camera really), assessing how she looks in a dress she has chosen to wear to a company function. The fabric looks to be of a velvet blend, the style is form fitting and suits the woman, accentuating her figure. The colour is a deep shade of green, what I would call hunter green. This woman is over the age of 50. All the women in these ads are over 50. Target market.
Suddenly another woman appears in a split screen telling her that the dress she is wearing is all wrong for her. It doesn’t suit her. And she’s there to tell her why and that she can provide the solution to her problem. Problem.
I have seen this ad on Instagram more times than I care to. I’ve only watched it once, which was my first mistake because now that insidious algorithm knows where I am. But I’m not unhappy that I watched it because it’s given me much to think about regarding marketing and messaging and what it does to us psychologically. There has been a great deal of much needed, important discussion about social media and the ill effects, often tragic, it poses to young people. Adults are not immune.
There are multiple “commercials” created for this app and the scripts are used verbatim. In two separate ads that I have seen, a woman tells another woman how since she started dressing for her “type” her life has changed. Dramatically so. As she was walking down the street a man approached her and asked her the time – and he was holding a phone. Message? All it takes for you to be “seen” and noticed past the age of 50 is dressing for your type and suddenly men will be dropping like flies at your feet. Yes, my eyes have been doing some serious rolling.
The ad I’m talking about is for an app that tells a woman what style type she is and what clothing best suits her “archetype” right down to offering to put a wardrobe together for each woman – from wait for it – Amazon. Could be worse. Could be Shein.
A quiz is provided and upon completion (I completed the quiz for purposes of research but didn’t send it – hence being targeted now by the algorithm) you will be shown the light. As I didn’t send the form I have no idea which of these archetype categories I would have been slotted into. There are from what I have seen 5 archetypes (there might be more): Sage (which sounds like crone to me); Mother (I doubt aprons are involved but what do I know); Huntress (hopefully no quiver with a bow and arrow); Lover (Fredericks of Hollywood comes to mind); and Queen (slay!). I think they forgot to add Dupe.
Here we are in 2026 and there are and will be enough women who succumb to this ad to keep the app going. Women who lack confidence and are easily swayed by influencers for instance. You can still have a great deal of confidence and be swayed by an influencer – I attest to that myself (instant bronzing lotion comes to mind).
There are women who dress in ways that do not suit their bodies. But who is making that judgement? And if it’s me or you, why are we judging another woman for her choice of attire? If a woman feels that she looks good in what she is wearing and is dressing for herself – let her be. The only person anyone should ever dress for is herself – or himself. You have a favourite colour? Wear it. You like a particular fabric? Wear it. You like a certain style? Wear it. If you’re dressing to impress someone else – have another look in the mirror. People don’t gravitate to you because of what you’re wearing – they gravitate to confidence, charisma, a friendly smile and authenticity.
How you look in what you wear, how you carry yourself, how you feel about your body – that shines through in the confidence you exude. What you wear is an expression of who you are and following those guidelines is authentic.
If you feel you need advice on what looks good or what suits and there isn’t a good friend or relative to shop with you – find a store that has a personal shopper. They can help to bring out the best in you. But what you choose to buy is your choice and never just trust someone else’s opinion. At the end of the day the one who knows you best – is you. Not a personal shopper, certainly not an app, not a friend who might have ulterior motives (maybe you rock a really sexy dress and they wish they could but can’t because they lack confidence so they tell you that you can’t either – come to think of it, maybe that person isn’t such a good friend – don’t shop with that friend).
Back to where I started, with the woman in the hunter green dress. She was slaying in that dress. If she’d smiled and known in her soul that she looked good, maybe that other nosy ad rep actress would have kept her opinion to herself. The only good influencer lives inside you. Trust yourself.
Final words of advice. Make sure you can sit down comfortably in whatever you’re wearing. Walk around the store in a pair of shoes before buying – make sure they don’t pinch – you’ll be glad you did. If in the end your clothing choice passes your road test – take it for a spin. With a smile.