The world of Mrs Exeter: The older woman of fashion in mid-twentieth-century America

In the summer of 1948, the American edition of Vogue magazine invented a fictional character named Mrs Exeter. Her purpose was to provide fashion advice to women aged 50 and beyond. Articles focusing on Mrs Exeter were a repeating feature in the magazine until 1962, giving unusual attention to the clothing needs of older women. The figure of Mrs Exeter had considerable influence, spreading to British Vogue, newspaper advertisements and the home sewing network. Using Vogue publications, contemporary newspapers and memoirs, this article traces how the United States’ premier fashion magazine envisioned the well-off older woman. While the fictional Mrs Exeter was white and privileged, she nonetheless provided a way to address changes in all women’s bodies as they age. This is something that contemporary discussions of fashion for older women often ignore.