Blogger Ari Seth Cohen was inspired by his stylish grandmother to go on to the streets of New York to photograph stylish older women. The result was his book, Advanced Style.

That inspired Sue Bourne to make Fabulous Fashionistas, a Channel 4 documentary about stylish older women in London. And that, in turn, has inspired me to go out and find stylish older women (aged 75+) in Oxfordshire.

Former personnel officer Beryl Pearson, 82, of Banbury, describes herself as “a classic dresser’’ and enjoys shopping in boutiques. She says: “I like the one-to-one service which you don’t get in big stores and, in any case, many of them are too old fashioned for me. I think if you buy good quality it lasts. I also like charity shops.” Beryl remembers being called “a right little madam” because she was always particular about her appearance. “I like lots of colour, and my hair to look good – years ago I modelled for Mr Teasy-Weasy, the celebrity hairdresser, it stems from that.”

Always a keen dancer, with bronze and silver medals under her belt, Beryl still likes nothing better than to put on the glitz and strut her stuff. She says: “Nowadays it’s strictly ballroom but in my younger days it was bobby socks and over-the-shoulder rock ‘n’ roll. I can’t do that anymore, but do keep active – yoga every day, a swim once a week and gardening, and I regularly visit elderly friends who are struggling.

“My clothes always get me noticed, and I like that. I still love to flirt – but it’s not so easy when you’re going deaf and have to keep asking, ‘What did you say?’ ”

Bee Knight puts her love of clothes down to two things: living in Paris in the 50s – working as an au pair for the Chilean ambassador – and her love of glamorous film stars like Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor.

In the 60s she moved back to London working for a fashion photographer in Soho as a receptionist and stand-in model.

“In those days I wore hot pants and long skirts – everyone did.”

Bee met her husband Derrick, a filmmaker, and they set up their own documentary film company, doing a lot of work in third world countries for Christian Aid.

Now aged 77, Bee, of Banbury, has been a Samaritan volunteer for 13 years.

She still loves clothes, but laments not having enough opportunities to get dressed up – only dinner parties, the Proms, holidays and when they go to France.

Bee describes her style as smart casual. She enjoys shopping trips to London where she makes a beeline for Fenwicks, John Lewis and Jaegar in Regent Street.

Nearer to home she goes to Wallis and Next for trousers but believes many shops have ‘lost the plot’ with older women.

She says: “They seem to think we have morphed into something different.

“But scratch the surface and you’ll still find that fun loving woman – minus the hot pants but not the long, dangly earrings – they’re a constant.”

She loves clothes exchanges and good charity shops in up-market areas where she has found some real bargains including a cashmere camel coat, originally £200 and a snip at £40 and what she calls her chain mail top for £20.

Alderman Margaret Ferriman, 78, was delighted to be awarded an MBE because, she says: “It was an opportunity to buy a new outfit.”

Formerly Principal Pharmacist at The Horton Hospital, Margaret also worked at the Radcliffe, Churchill and Nuffield and the MBE was for her work with minority groups.

Margaret, of Wroxton, always thinks ‘outfit’ and waits until she has gathered the entire ensemble – including shoes and, importantly, accessories – she’s big on accessories and has an impressive collection bought as she comes across them.

Good fabrics and well-cut, modern styles is what Margaret goes for. She is not fond of patterns and never wears things that clash in colour, which she attributes to her mother’s good eye for clothes.

Margaret enjoys nothing better than a trip with her friend Liz to their favourite shop in Burford. She explains: “I’m not spending money on things for the home – I’ve got all the furniture I need. I’m not against large shops but smaller one-off shops have more to offer me.”

I spoke to Caryn Franklin MBE, former presenter of BBC’s Clothes Show, and co-founder of the All Walks Beyond the Catwalk campaign (allwalks.org). Caryn wants to influence the fashion industry to celebrate a broader range of body and beauty ideals.

She says: “Our campaign has featured women in their 60s and 80s and we have changed the way some universities teach fashion, widening training and thinking around pattern cutting, design and language to incorporate curvier and older women.”

So, given many of us never lose interest in clothes and style and often have more disposable money than our younger sisters, why do so few designers and shops cater for older women?

Caryn explains: “Designers have traditionally believed that youth is the only sector interested in design, so the market place is currently very limited in its thinking. As more women in their 60s, 70s and upwards are now fashion literate and they have the funds, things will change. It just takes a bit of attitude on our part. Don’t settle for less. Get vocal.”

Margaret, Beryl and Bee have attitude and style. Let’s hope the fashion industry sees and hears them – and is inspired.

s Mary’s book Ageing with Attitude, a guide for baby boomers not ready to hang up their boots is available on Amazon.