Designing & construction of clothing for women of 65 - 85 years of age

Population figures and forecasts suggest that the youth market is shrinking. Therefore adults aged over 60, the so-called ‘grey market’, have been the focus of several pieces of research. As the vigorous older population becomes more influential at the polls and in the market-place, we are continuously witnessing changes in government programs, housing, new products and media attention. The World Health Organization (WHO) is promoting a broad approach to aging that goes beyond the prevention and treatment of disease. WHO's "active aging" policies seek to extend healthy life expectancy, increase productivity and improve the quality of life among older people. But no systematic work has been done regarding the clothing preferences of elderly which indirectly boost their social and psychological life. Clothing preferences and problems of this age group have not received the consideration and study given to other age levels. Clothing designed especially for the elderly is non-existent inspite of the fact that every day a large number of men and women pass their sixty-fifth birthday and move into the great fraternity of the young olds.