Meet Amelia, the stylish powerhouse who proves that age is just a number. She is about to celebrate her 80th birthday on the 14th of October, and when asked about it, she laughs and says, “I’m old but I’m young at heart.” Life has thrown plenty her way, including ovarian cancer at 30, breast cancer at 69, scoliosis, and alopecia, but she has not let any of it slow her down. With a good pain management routine and a joyful, spirited approach to life, Amelia greets every day ready to dress to impress. While she has had to swap stilettos for flats, she takes it all in her stride and still makes Cork city her catwalk.
Amelia gets up bright and early every morning and makes it her mission to head into town dressed up to the nines. Clothes are her armour, her hobby, and her joy, and she takes real pride in styling herself from head to toe. When she is not curating her own wardrobe, she models for Born and Michael Guiney, proving once again that style has no expiry date.
She takes her daily inspiration from fashion icons Celia Holman Lee and Mandy Maher, who inspire her choices when browsing her favourite Cork shops, including Dunes, Born, Pennys, and Carraig Donn. When asked what her favourite shop of all is, she says with a grin, “Pennys girl.” But she recently could not resist a gorgeous wine trench coat from Carraig Donn to see her through the autumn season, which she is already loving.
Amelia’s fashion choices are unapologetically modern. “I would never wear old-fashioned clothes,” she insists. “It has to be anything modern and colourful.” Royal blue, red, orange, pink, and wine are some of her favourite shades. She loves matching colours together and finding accessories in the same tone to create a perfectly coordinated look, often opting for a monochrome finish. When asked which song best describes her wardrobe, she sang without hesitation, “Lucky lucky lucky,” a fitting anthem for her joyful and vibrant style.
Style has always been Amelia’s thing. Back in the 60s, she was even mistaken for Twiggy, a fun memory that still makes her smile. Over the years, her wardrobe has seen everything from glamorous splurges to affordable gems. She laughs when she remembers her most expensive outfit. “It has to be the outfit I wore for my daughter’s wedding,” she says. “I got it in Brown Thomas and paid about €400 at the time for a skirt, top, and jacket. I would not be caught wearing it now though, it is very dated., because I bought it over twenty years ago” On the other end of the spectrum, she proudly points out one of her newest and cheapest pieces, a knitted royal blue dress with pearls down the front from Shein, which she is going to wear to the next Your Best Life Event in the Rochestown Park Hotel in November, proving that style is just as much about personality as it is about price.
There are, of course, some things she simply will not wear. “Tracksuits are a no for me,” she says firmly. “I would wear jeans or dressy pants even in bright colours, but definitely not a tracksuit.”
Amelia is a reminder that style is not about age, it is about joy, confidence, and the little details that make you feel amazing every day. Even with the ups and downs life has thrown at her, she wakes up every morning ready to face the world in colour, comfort, and full of energy.
Follow Amelia on instagram @ameliastylelovah
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