Camden street style #19: Over 70s special

Monday, 14th July 2014

Joyce Dods, 79, from Camden, who used to work in a cafeteria before she retired, is wearing a patterned white top, a long flowery skirt from BHS, and a beaded necklace from Topshop and a matching bracelet. Joyce, who has been helping out in the kitchen at the Age UK centre today, said she thinks that people should just wear whatever they feel like.

Georgina Bottley, 80, from King's Cross, who is a retired laboratory technician said she loves to find a good bargain and tells us that she bought most of her outfit from Inverness Street market. She is wearing white shoes with flowers cut-outs, a bright pink top, a pair of jeans, a bow in her hair and lots of lovely necklaces. Georgina said she made the black woven necklace at the Age UK centre herself: “They teach us all sorts of things here… we are doing silk-printing now.” She added that she used to wear lots of skirts and dresses, and loved dressing up for parties.

Megan O'Brien, 92, who used to be a nurse in Wales, but moved to the capital after marrying a Londoner, is wearing a bright pink top with a pair of smart black trousers. She has accessorised with a pink handbag some pink and gold jewellery including a chunky beaded necklace, some zebra-print glasses and even some pink nail polish to complete the look. The former nurse, who is at the Age UK centre in King's Cross enjoying a game of bingo and celebrating some friends' birthdays at, said she loves bright colours in her outfits.

Taylor Love Taylor, 72, originally from Barnet but currently living in Tottenham, has a story behind nearly every item of clothing. She bought her black trousers from George at ASDA to wear when she was an Olympic ambassador at the London 2012 games. Her patchwork waistcoat comes from a shop in Covent Garden called Neal Street East that no longer exists. As for her yellow shirt from Ben Sherman, Taylor said: “I love this colour so much that I bought three. If you find something you like buy more than one of it.” Taylor, who used to work as book-seller before retiring, said that she never goes out without a hat – today's one was bought about 30 years ago from a shop in Lancaster that specialised in recycled materials. She said: “I do like bright colours, I can't abide all this going about in black and grey. I like to wear things that cheer people up.” But she added she doesn't like “frills or flounces” at all, as her mother used to make her wear them as a little girl. Taylor's eclectic jewellery includes a skull bracelet that she wears as a “memento mori” to remind her that life is short and to make the most of it.

Brian Seaton, 84, from Hampstead used to work as a teacher in London, before emigrating to Venezuela where he taught English. Brian is wearing a vintage brown jacket with brown shoes, red trousers and a blue striped shirt from Marks and Spencer. Brian feels his style may have been inspired by his travels to tropical lands, and tells us he particularly likes bright colours.

David Mitchell, from Hampstead, is wearing brown shoes from Ecco, beige trousers from Marks and Spencer, a chequered Brooks Brothers Shirt from a charity shop, and a smart grey jacket that he bought in Paris. David, a print maker who specialises in etchings, said he likes clothes a lot, particularly good quality old garments that he finds in charity shops. The stylish 83-year-old says he is always being told he has the same name as the actor, but he assures us: “I got there first”.