Most Australian men give up on being fashionable past the age of 50. The Lanvin gets swapped out for Lowes and you suddenly develop an interest in things like Ridge Wallets and flip-up sunglasses.
But some men maintain that sartorial muscle well into their 50s and beyond. Last month, we discussed how Lionel Richie – the perenially popular singer, famous for hits like Hello and Endless Love – seems to defy the aging process, in no small part thanks to his impeccable dress sense. The man’s 71 but he barely looks 40.
We thought that was impressive, but then we came across this paparazzi shot of Tony Bennett. Relaxing in New York’s Central Park, the 94-year-old crooner looks crisp as hell, pairing a brown moleskin jacket with an Adidas Beckenbauer tracksuit and a colourful seersucker shirt. Like a Brooklyn hipster, without any of the piercings.
It’s a decent fit, made even more impressive by the fact he’s nearly pushing 100. And you only have to take a quick dive into his Instagram (does your grandpa have an IG?) to see that Bennett’s the real ‘dressing over 50’ champion of all time.
From casual suiting numbers to rocking a bright red turtleneck better than a Gen Z arts major, it’s clear that the only thing more velvety than his voice is his fashion sense. Bennett hasn’t let his age – or the onset of Alzheimer’s – dull his shine one bit.
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A contemporary of Frank Sinatra who has worked with everyone from Nat King Cole to Amy Winehouse, Bennett is one of the most famous singers of all time. Best known for his signature song, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, his most notable recent work was his Grammy Award-winning collaborative album with Lady Gaga, 2014’s Cheek to Cheek.
He’s also an accomplished painter – you know, because being a musical and style icon wasn’t enough.
Now that we think of it, both Bennett and Richie have stayed consistently stylish and youthful… Maybe you just need to become a golden-voiced crooner in order to stay fashionable past one’s mid-life crisis?