Fabulous Fashionistas

“Beige is the colour of death!” declares one of the spirited and colourful characters in Fabulous Fashionistas, a British documentary that examines the colourful lives of six senior women, average age 80, who challenge popular notions of old age and style.

The 45-minute documentary, which airs in Canada on Jan. 20 on VisionTV at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. ET, is an inspiring look – for anyone at any age – about these women’s refusal to give in to the aging process – without surgery or Botox – and to not only look good and feel good about themselves but also their love of life in their advanced ages.

But the title might be a bit misleading. It’s not just about these women and their wardrobes.

It also examines how they cope with other aspects of their lives. For instance, when Jean Woods’s husband died after 56 years of marriage, she decided to return to the work force in an effort to deal with the loneliness. At 70, she applied for a job at Gap and got it – only to quit after a year for another job at a more trendy boutique across the street.

“If you don’t make a move to go on with your life, you’ll only remember the sad parts,” she says of her husband passing away and her decision to go out and look for a job.

Another, at 90, a former mayor, is a peer in the House of Lords and continues to attend sessions regularly and displays a whip sharp wit and intelligence.

When asked what keeps her going, she remarks, “An interest in life.”

These women break all sorts of boundaries and society’s expectations on what it means to grow old, as one of the other women says, “One wants to inspire people that getting older is not a bad thing.”

And after watching this 45-minute documentary, you will be inspired to view the aging process as a little less daunting.