\n<\/p>\n
The shift to opulence extends to jewelry and accessories. Jean Prounis, founder and designer of Prounis Jewelry, says her clients are now wearing high-carat diamonds casually, instead of reserving their best pieces for events. One client, newly separated from her husband, recently approached her with a seven-carat diamond engagement ring, which Prounis re-set as a necklace. Another has been wearing her \u201cmuseum-quality\u201d Tahitian pearls on the daily. \u201cThat client was a very subtle jewelry wearer, but this is a big gold and pearl chain necklace now. And she\u2019s like, \u2018I love wearing it just to get coffee,\u2019\u201d says Prounis.<\/p>\n
Statement jewelry is up 42% among key influencers, according to Trendalytics, which points \u201cto a return to glamour that feels bold rather than delicate\u201d, says Khan.<\/p>\n
Stylus content director Emily Gordon-Smith calls Gen X the \u201cthe most lucrative and reliable customer segment growth opportunity that exists.\u201d However, the demographic remains underserved. \u201cFashion brands keep chasing these consumers who are the most cash strapped,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The key to capturing this consumer, according to Gordon-Smith, is a stylistic emphasis on \u201cfeeling young at heart\u201d. It\u2019s worth noting that \u201cMatthieu-mania\u201d \u2014 the tagline for consumer frenzy for Matthieu Blazy\u2019s Chanel \u2014 is in part driven by enthusiasm for the joyful \u201clightness\u201d of the garments<\/a>. Gordon-Smith used the rise of 50-plus clubbing as another telltale sign that youthfulness is \u2018in\u2019, as well as the festivals filled with \u201cold-school ravers who don\u2019t want to hang up their dancing shoes\u201d. A great example, for Gordon-Smith, of this young at heart merchandising is Burberry\u2019s 2025 summer festival campaign, which featured 59-year-old jungle music star Goldie<\/a>, as well as 52-year-old Liam Gallagher<\/a> with his adult children.<\/p>\n \u201cThe greatest missed opportunity in retail right now,\u201d says Corrigan, \u201cis the failure to realize that the mature customer isn\u2019t only interested in \u2018age-appropriate\u2019 clothing.\u201d<\/p>\n Brands might choose to look to Sylvie Grateau, the fictional marketing boss in Netflix\u2019s Emily in Paris<\/em><\/a>, as inspiration for dressing the hot divorc\u00e9e. Bornstein\u2019s clients, in particular, are requesting her style. Others who came up: Elsa Peretti, Zo\u00eb Kravitz in flats and oversized diamonds, and pre-Kennedy-era Carolyn Bessette.<\/p>\n \u201cMany of these consumers are navigating divorce, menopause, dating later in life, or post-parenthood identity shifts, and fashion is increasingly being used as a tool of celebration rather than correction,\u201d says Maggioni. Self-gifting, she adds, is one growing signal in this demographic, as is a rising focus on buying pieces that mark life transitions beyond traditional weddings or engagements. \u201cAlt-celebrations\u201d (which include divorce parties) fit naturally into the cultural landscape that includes aspirational midlife and fashion-over-50 creators.<\/p>\n The \u201cfashion as celebration\u201d narrative is why the maximalism we\u2019re celebrating now comes with softer, comfort-led undertones. For Maggioni, this aesthetic inherently has adaptability and body confidence in mind \u2014 think fluidity and draping as opposed to restrictive tailoring, and self-assured embellishment as opposed to the nihilistic \u2018boom boom\u2019 aesthetic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Embracing post-divorce life in a louder way aligns with the call for fashion to see generations older than the next young thing. Ram\u00edrez recalls a trend report segment at a recent industry panel, in which \u201can older woman said, \u2018Why don\u2019t you talk about me? I have money. I\u2019ll give you my money, but give me something.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n