How to dress in middle age? Look to Lenny Kravitz

Men are often the silent victims of ageism in fashion but with his red carpet Grammys outfit musician Lenny Kravitz spoke up, offering an alternative to tucking your Seniors Card into a puffy vest, worn over a navy jumper, check shirt and corduroy trousers.

In skintight Saint Laurent leather pants and a chain mail top from designer Natalia Fedner, who has dressed Beyonce, Shakira and Doja Cat, the 57-year-old exuded greater sex appeal than the combined forces of 28-year-old Justin Bieber in an oversized Balenciaga suit and 25-year-old BTS member V in a Louis Vuitton suit with cascading corsage.

Equally at ease with showing moisturised skin on the red carpet was 50-year-old House Of Gucci actor Jared Leto, wearing an embellished metallic top from Gucci with a plunging neckline, showcasing a toned chest and layered necklaces.

Like their female equivalents Helen Mirren, 76, Jane Fonda, 84, and Sandra Bullock, 57, both celebrities are gifted with trim figures that can accommodate sample-sized requests from stylists but Nicholas Huxley, the 67-year-old former head of the TAFE NSW Fashion Design Studio, says dressing up on the other side of 50 is as much about attitude as a commitment to aerobics.

“I can never understand why men of a certain age feel as though they have to look conservative and businesslike,” Huxley says. “I’m convinced that they’re worried about being thought of as mutton dressed up as SPAM but to me, they’re missing out on all the fun of fashion.”

Huxley who, trained and mentored many of the country’s leading designers including Akira Isogawa, Alex Perry, Nicky Zimmermann, Bianca Spender and Dion Lee, continues to craft unique designs from thrift store finds and enjoys people’s varied reactions.

“I’m not doing it to try and generate comment, like men in dresses for shock value or Justin Bieber in his oversized suit. I’m dressing to express my attitude. For me, it’s about feeling confident, expressing yourself and not being afraid of what people think. I’m getting ready to turn 68, so I want to dress the way that I want.”

The fashion world is filled with inspiration for men who prefer to flaunt, rather than hide dad – and grandad-bods. Vivienne Westwood’s husband Andreas Kronthaler, 56, is the creative director of her sex-infused label, and looks at ease in ripped T-shirts, parachute pants and combat boots.