Bonmarche Reveals Top 10 Celebrity Fashion Icons

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For UK fashion retailer Bonmarche, the target demographic is the woman over the age of 45. To determine which women inspire their customers, they have conducted their own study into celebrity fashion icons. In so doing, they have set themselves apart from the many other studies, which look exclusively at younger women. They can now reveal that, consistently across the United Kingdom and all age groups over 45, the top four women (in no particular order) are Meryl Streep, Joanna Lumley, Helen Mirren, and Jennifer Anniston.

Numerous studies are conducted every year into celebrity fashion styles and how these influence consumer behavior. However, these studies look almost exclusively at younger women, with celebrities such as Katy Perry and Lilly Allen always scoring high. These women, however, are unlikely to be inspirations for women over the age of 45, which is the target demographic for UK retailer Bonmarche.

To address this, Bonmarche has recently completed its own study into the top celebrity fashion inspirations for their consumers. They looked at three age categories (45 to 54, 55 to 64, and 65 and over), across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The study revealed some interesting results, which are now helping to drive the new Bonmarche collections.

Looking firstly at the age category of 45 to 54, Bonmarche found full consistency across all four of the geographical areas, with women listing the same top 10. The overall top 10, therefore, became

For women aged 45 to 54, the top 10 celebrity style icons were revealed to be:

1. Helen Mirren, with 19.2% of the votes.
2. Jennifer Anniston, with 16.3% of the votes.
3. Meryl Streep, with 14.5% of the votes.
4. Joanna Lumley, with 13.5% of the votes.
5. Nicole Kidman, with 10.3% of the votes.
6. Elle McPherson, with 10% of the votes.
7. Julie Walters, with 8.1% of the votes.
8. Jane McDonald, with 5.9% of the votes.
9. Salma Hayek, with 5.4% of the votes.
10. Ruth Langsford, with 4.8% of the votes.

They then looked at the age category of 55 to 64, and found the same top 10 women, in the same order. What did change, however, was that a larger proportion of women looked up to Helen Mirren, who received 20% of the votes, but a smaller proportion of women looked up to Jennifer Anniston, who received 15.5% of the votes. Meryl Streep stayed in third place, and Joanna Lumley stayed in fourth. Again, there were no differences related to geographical location.

Looking lastly at the category of women aged 65 and over, there were some notable differences. This category was the first in which the order of the top four changed, and where there was a difference between England, Wales, and Northern Ireland on one side, and Scotland on the other. For the countries except Scotland, Helen Mirren stayed in first place, receiving 28.4% of the votes. Jennifer Anniston, meanwhile, dropped to fourth position. In Scotland, by contrast, it was Jennifer Anniston who climbed to first position, receiving 27.8% of the votes.

The company also asked what it was that inspired their clientele so much about the top four women. Consistently, they loved the sophistication in Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, and Joanna Lumley. Jennifer Anniston, meanwhile, was seen as inspiration for her glossy hair, glowing tan, and commitment to healthy living. This suggest that, once a woman turns 45, she cares not just about outer beauty but also inner beauty.

“As women grow older, their tastes and influences change, but one thing remains constant: a desire to look great,” says Bonmarche’s online marketing manager.