Fashion blogs for fabulously 40 and up; slide sandals, hot or not

Women can be attractive over 25 (or 50 or 75)? Don't be ridiculous. We should see only images of nubile, impossibly perfect girls. Just kidding. The most stylish woman I know is 75 years old. It's absurd that older beauty is so rarely represented in fashion. Especially when you consider Anna Wintour, who puts out Vogue's Age Issue every August, is in her 60s. So is Diane von Furstenberg. Hong Kong's own Joyce Ma is in her 70s. Iris Apfel, who featured in Kate Spade's latest spring-summer ad campaign, is in her 90s. Ines de la Fressange is fifty-something and blogs (lalettredines.com), so does veteran fashion critic Diane Pernet (ashadedviewonfashion.com), who is almost 70. Age-appropriate blogs are out there, but not all of them are as well designed as Advanced Style, by New York-based photographer Ari Seth Cohen (advancedstyle.blogspot.hk). Cohen features a regular cast of grey-haired characters over 60 years old, often rather eccentric in style. That included the ever so chic Zelda Kaplan, who passed away at 95, rather appropriately, while sat in the front row of a runway show during New York Fashion Week in 2012. Others you might like: accidentalicon.com, notdeadyetstyle.blogspot.hk, ladyofstyle.com and unefemme.net.

Slides are open-toed, backless shoes with one or more straps across the front but none at the ankle. Think of MSGM's white beaded version (HK$3,290; Harvey Nichols), or cheaper ones like Pedder Red's white soles with a black band of flower appliqués (HK$790; Lab Concept, Queensway Plaza, Admiralty, tel: 2118 3559). They literally slide on and off the foot. Said style may be in fashion for spring-summer 2015, but may not necessarily be for you. Do you have ugly toes, need more support, or prefer a securing ankle strap? If so, then don't follow the trend. But if you are still keen, there's the Adidas by Raf Simons two-tone Adilette in different combos (HK$1,514 per pair; shopbop.com) and Céline's luxified Birkenstock-inspired designs (HK$7,300 and up). Part sporty "athleisure", part 90s, this season's slides come with chunkier soles. Many of them have criss-crossing straps, too, such as Pedro Garcia's Analis "X" slide in crystal-studded dark or light grey (HK$4,490; On Pedder). H&M has created a hybrid with a pink upper, cork middle and chunky white tread sole for its Coachella collection (HK$249). FitFlops has been doing them for years (HK$1,090). I see you smirking. Do you really think there's much difference? Think again. Whatever you choose, show you understand the concept by dressing them up not down. Skip the sweatpants and put on a dress.