Elizabeth Day Explains She Found Her Style In Her Forties – And The Brand Which Helped Her Do It

If you’re a woman of a certain age, you’ll understand how seminal Cher Horowitz’s closet in Clueless was. A computerised system that swiped through digitised imagery of all your clothing in order to select your perfectly coordinated outfit for the day? Yes, please. And yet, in the 30 years that have elapsed since the movie was released, no Silicon Valley tech genius has ever been able to nail the concept.

I’ve found myself longing for Cher’s automated closet through the years as I’ve been bamboozled by the perennial style question of what goes with what. Some women are born with an ability to know. I am not one of them.

I spent my twenties buffeted by the tides of other people’s taste without ever fully developing a point of view of my own. I embraced trends that didn’t suit me (’90s rara skirts over bootcut jeans was a low point) and spent far too much time wishing to be someone else – someone cooler, better and generally more sorted.

My coming of age coincided with the rise of fast fashion and so, without fully understanding who I was, I kept buying more clothes in the hope I might find out. I felt perpetually on the brink of self discovery every time I entered a fitting room. I told myself that this time, I’d finally discover the jacket (or skirt or jeans or shoes) that would make sense of my entire style persona. Soon, I was overwhelmed by the mismatched choices in my own wardrobe. Sure, I had a lot of clothes but seemingly never the right ones.

In my thirties, my life underwent a radical transformation. I got divorced, tried and failed to have babies, dated various inappropriate men, changed jobs, moved house, left the country (briefly) and then eventually found a husband on Hinge. Because my life was not going according to plan, I felt incipient panic. But there was also a kind of liberation to it. It turns out that not knowing what the future holds is a crash course in getting to know yourself. All of this helped me understand who I was – and my sense of style followed.

So, it was in my forties that I began to know what I wanted to wear. I wanted clothes that helped me feel strong, that elevated individuality rather than disguising it. I wanted clean elegance, without unnecessary elaboration. I wanted pragmatism that empowered. I wanted femininity worn on its own terms rather than viewed through the male gaze. I wanted to look current yet timeless. And most of all, I wanted versatility: a wardrobe of cohesive pieces that went together but could also be worn individually for different moods on different days.

That’s when I started wearing ALIGNE. I began with an oversized, pale grey pinstripe suit that still hangs in my closet, and my passion grew from there. I loved the way the brand combined a commitment to a healthier planet with a luxe yet accessible look, always with a clever design accent, whether it was a reversible trench coat or a pair of chinos with an adjustable buttoned hem. Their clothes filled a gap in my wardrobe and in my life. I felt so good wearing them. I felt, in short, the me-est version of myself.

My relationship with ALIGNE has grown over the years and I’ve got to know the team behind the fashion – they are all women with their own sense of identity. They design thoughtfully. I knew that I wanted to give other people the chance to feel how I did in their clothes. That’s how our ALIGNE x Elizabeth Day collaboration was born.

It’s been so much fun working out how every piece hangs together – my very own version of Cher’s Clueless closet. My goal was to create chic, practical pieces that you don’t need to think about, and which work for a multitude of occasions. The clothes had to be versatile and inclusive, suiting a wide range of body types. And they had to have their own unique twist – that ALIGNE touch.

I’m 46 now and I know that as women navigate the menopausal years, our body confidence can take a knock. There are pieces designed with that in mind. The organic denim we use, for instance, has a lovely stretch to it. The Hope top is nipped in under your chest but flounces out over your stomach and the Skylar jeans have a lengthening central seam.

Instead of a traditional trouser suit, we’ve designed a two-piece with a super flattering neckline because I believe women always look beautiful with an exposed collarbone. I’ve struggled to find the perfect transitional jacket for years, so we designed the Ashton, which is smart but not overdone, structured but also casual and – joy of all joys! – has a detachable cape.

I’m proud of what we’ve created. I hope that the collection removes stress from your life and frees up precious creative energy for the rest of your day. I hope you enjoy the flattering cuts, the elegant design and the practical pockets (I’m borderline obsessive about pockets). But most of all, I hope these clothes make you feel like the you-est version of you.

The ALIGNE x Elizabeth Day collection is available online exclusively at ALIGNE.co from 6th March

Shop: ALIGNE x Elizabeth Day

Photographs: Ellie Hemsley. ALIGNE Creative Director: Bryony Friend. Shoot assistant: Henry Chasles. Lighting: Cassian Gray. Digital: Nathan Perkins. Retouch: Lucy Hutchinson