Care home residents share their timeless styling tips for London Fashion Week

To celebrate London Fashion Week 2025 Online Care Finder Lottie has partnered with four inspiring care home residents, to prove that age and dementia are no barriers to creativity, confidence, and self-expression.

During a glamorous day out, residents arrived at Eagles Mount Care Home in Poole (operated by Luxury Care) in a black cab, where they were welcomed with a red carpet entrance.

Each resident enjoyed a pamper session, complete with manicures and hairstyling in the home's beauty salon, before styling their own outfits and stepping in front of the camera.

With an average age of 90, Luxury Care’s residents have watched fashion trends come and go over the years and have lots of advice to share with younger generations - especially when it comes to feeling confident.

Timeless fashion tips

93-year-old Shirley Cousins said: “Never judge fashion choices; it is up to the person who wears the clothes.”

Former ballroom dancer, Yvonne Ryder, 86 said: “Choose outfits that you feel good in, not what everyone else is wearing.”

96-year-old former dancer Peggy Howe said: “Wear clothes that make you feel free.”

Hannah Karim, Lead Care Expert at Lottie, shares the importance of reminiscing for those living with dementia: "Our photoshoot proves that age is no barrier to fashion and self-expression. Reminiscing is a powerful tool for those living with dementia, sparking joy and reconnecting them with cherished memories. With a 200% rise in demand for dementia care, it’s more important than ever to highlight the impact of creative activities like this in care homes."

Fashion stories

93-year-old Shirley Cousins, a former fashion lecturer and lifelong style enthusiast, whose love for fashion began when she studied sewing and tailoring after the war. She has always worn her custom-designed outfits, including her wedding dress inspired by Vogue patterns.

As a fashion lecturer, Shirley passed on her knowledge to younger generations and was known for “making sewing look easy”.

Reminiscing, Shirley shared, “fashion mattered very much to me.” She has always favoured graceful dresses over trends like miniskirts. Shirley shared that it’s important to “never judge fashion choices; it is up to the person who wears the clothes.”

Dancing shoes

Former dancer Peggy Howe, 96, knows the true meaning of what feeling good in an outfit can do for your confidence, and shared that the fashion shoot was “a fun experience”.

Peggy favours outfits like dresses and miniskirts that allow for freedom of movement because they are better for dancing.

Reflecting on fashion trends over the decades, Peggy admires the timeless appeal of dresses but was “never a fan of heavy makeup”. Her fashion styles were influenced by 1930s Hollywood films, and she was particularly fond of films with Tyrone Powers.

Fellow resident Yvonne Caldwell, 88, was also a keen dancer, and proudly shared “I was a ballroom dancer, and I made dresses for the other dancers to make a bit of extra money.”

When Yvonne wasn’t dancing, she worked in a popular fashion house, staying on top of the latest trends and fashion brands.

Legs for days

Yvonne Ryder, also 86, shares the importance of inclusivity in fashion, “I’m 6ft and have always struggled to find clothes that fit me. My favourite fashion trend was when it was cool to wear long flared trousers.”

Yvonne has enjoyed seeing fashion trends change throughout the years and “loves all the bright colours and jumpers” you can now find in modern fashion. She shares that it’s important to dress for yourself and “not what everyone else is wearing.”