Debenhams Reveals Women Remain 'Age Defiant' Till Their Seventies and Beyond

LONDON, January 10, 2011 - Debenhams has revealed that image-conscious women don't 'dress their age'
until they are 70 years old.

According to new research carried out by the retailer, an overwhelming
89% of women aspire to dress younger than their years with 55% citing 70 as
the age they felt they would be, or had been happy to dress their age.

However, 45% of women said that their seventies would be no barrier to
dressing and looking younger.

Debenhams asked customers if they had ever dressed their age following
revelations from personal shoppers that 95% of female clients aim to look
more youthful.

Carie Barkhuizen, Spokesperson for Debenhams, said: "You only have to
look at celebrity examples like Elle Macpherson and Sophia Loren to see that
women are looking younger than ever.

"So it's no surprise that our customers are also dressing for how they
feel, rather than what it says on their drivers licence - and we want to
encourage them.

"Thanks to the access women have to fashion and beauty advice, it's now
much easier to project a younger look than ever before."

However, it's not always about looking younger. Over 70% of women said
they styled themselves to look older in their teens to impress older boys or
get into pubs and bars.

Women's twenties also emerged as a decade for dressing older, with nearly
80% giving career progression as the reason.

Most women felt that their thirties and forties were torn between
dressing frumpier when adjusting to demands of babies and small children and
a growing concern with looking younger.

Over 50% said they started to dress younger in their thirties and 90%
admitted they had started to dress younger by their mid-forties.

One 80 year old participant said that her fashion strategy was still to
look young and trendy.

Alain Mehada, Debenhams Personal Shopper, said: "Age defiance is about
dressing for your shape and size, rather than dressing like a 20 year old.
Wearing clothes that suit your body will make you feel confident and
instantly take years off."

The top five items suggested by customers for feeling and looking younger
were; well-fitted, supportive underwear, such as shapewear
(www.debenhams.com/lingerie/shapewear-control-lingerie), trendy
accessories, high heels, fitted jackets and contemporary make-up
(www.debenhams.com/beauty/make-up).

In stark contrast, only 12% of men said they had ever thought about
dressing to look younger.

About Debenhams:

Debenhams is a leading department stores group, and has a strong presence
in key product categories including children's wear, womens clothes
(www.debenhams.com/women), with day dresses, shoes
(www.debenhams.com/women/shoes-boots), bikinis, jeans, men's clothing,
home ware, make-up, health and beauty, accessories, perfume and lingerie with
dd+ bras and matching bra and underwear sets.

    PR Contact:

    Carie Barkhuizen
    Debenhams Press Office
    33 Wigmore Street
    London
    W1U 1QX
    +44(0)20-7529-0236
    www.debenhams.com

PR Contact: Carie Barkhuizen, Debenhams Press Office, 33 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 1QX, +44(0)20-7529-0236