best age

English translation: mature 40+

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

German term or phrase:	best age
English translation:	mature 40+
Entered by:	Nicole Tata

20:30 Jun 17, 2003

German to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Textiles / Clothing / Fashion / fashion

German term or phrase: best age

Best Age Women legen Wert auf Qualität und Passform. Die Kollektion xxx setzt auf konfektionierte Hosen, die allen Figuren eine optimale Passform ermöglicht.

I know that 'best age' refers to mature, 45-60ish year olds. My problem is that this seems to be one of those anglicisms that isn't actually used in English but appears to have been coined by German marketeers!
Can anyone with a knowledge of the fashion industry confirm or disprove my suspicions? And what would you use instead of 'best age' to best describe this age group?
Thanks for your help.

Nicole Tata KudoZ activity Questions: 225 (none open) (1 without valid answers) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 1335 United Kingdom
Local time: 05:00

Forty-something women

Explanation:
I gather you are looking for an English equivalent?

Found a neat definition indicating that this is indeed German socio-speak:

Verglichen mit früheren Generationen sind Frauen zwischen Anfang 40 und Ende 50 heute aktiver und attraktiver als je zuvor. Sie haben Erfahrungen gesammelt, die sie tagtäglich weitergeben. Welchen Einfluss nehmen Frauen dieser Altersgruppe - die Best Ager - auf ihre Umwelt? Welche Kompetenzfelder besetzen sie? Und wie werden sie von der nachfolgenden Frauen-Generation gesehen? (Selbstbild/Fremdbild).

http://www.bauermedia.com/studien/zielgruppen/best_age/best_...

Forty-something women seems to be used in health and also fashion contexts:

Inspite of the image thirty and forty-something women are embracing
this lifestyle without much worry of how others perceive them. ...
leatherspinsters.com/november.html

Forty Something and Beyond Midlife and beyond is a time of renewal for many women. Steady and strong, this ...
www.waukeshamemorial.org/cgi-bin/ home.pl?coeWomensHealth

As he watched the joyous scene unfold on the television screen of his family room late Monday night, the forty-something sports columnist felt mixed emotions. ...
enquirer.com/editions/2003/04/09/spt_wwwncaa1e9.html

Selected response from:

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 21:00

Grading comment

Thanks for all your help. I ended up using 'mature women over 40' so the points should really be split between Johanna and Ron! Johanna's reference clinched it for her.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +3

Forty-something women

Johanna Timm, PhD

4 +3

mature women

Ron Stelter

3 +3

Women in the prime of life

Kim Metzger

3 +1

reife Frauen

danilingua

Damen im besten Alter

swisstell

Elegant Age / Age of Elegance

Maureen Holm, J.D., LL.M.

4 -1

heyday

jerrie

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

7 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

reife Frauen

Explanation:
oder Frauen im besten Alter, ist durchaus eine Formulierung, die wir gebrauchen. Frage doch einmal bei Brigitte oder anderen Zeitschriften für Frauen nach...

danilingua
Germany
Local time: 06:00
Native speaker of:

German

10 mins confidence:

Damen im besten Alter

Explanation:
as anything else is not very complimentary. "Reif" and "Golden Age" implies age - and I do not many ladies that like to be reminded of the years ...

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 06:00
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 48

20 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

Forty-something women

Johanna Timm, PhD
Canada
Local time: 21:00
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 242

Grading comment

Thanks for all your help. I ended up using 'mature women over 40' so the points should really be split between Johanna and Ron! Johanna's reference clinched it for her.

23 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

mature women

Explanation:
That's what I would say. Things like "golden age" remind me of the television show "Golden Girls" and may be overdoing the age thing.

I would NOT say "best age."

Alice B Silver Size: fashion for mature women
Professor David Demko, PhD
AgeVenture News Service

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After 16 exciting years in the fashion industry, Ellen Hanley (photo), a native New Yorker, decided it was time to realize her vision to revolutionize women's wear. The result was an entire redefinition of standard garment industry sizing in order to precisely tailor a fit for the maturing woman's form. It all started a long time ago. As a young woman, Ellen made specially tailored clothes for her grandmother, Alice Boylan. Alice found that the styles in the stores no longer fit her form the way they once did. So grand-daughter Ellen developed garments with special features that fit her grandmother's body, were easy to put on, and were stylish.

From that earlier experience, Ellen became aware of a lack of correct sizing in the industry. As a result, she redefined the sizing system which addresses the shifts that take place in a mature woman's figure. This classification is now called "Silver Size". Alice B, the line created in honor of her grandmother, was developed based on well-researched needs of mature women which address three principles of design: fit, fashion, and function.

First of all, the fit of the Alice B line reflects the spinal curvature, height, and weight relocation associated with later maturity. Secondly, it is the goal of the Alice B line to provide high quality garments for the mature woman who is active and fashion conscious. Third, attention is given to function, or ease of wear. For example, hard-to-reach back zippers were eliminated along with tiny buttons that are often hard-to-manipulate.

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Note added at 2003-06-18 14:46:39 (GMT)
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This link may be a little better in explaining my point. The use of \"mature\" here clearly refers to \"age,\" not to shape. It also refers to the general age range Nicole indicated.

Part 1: Fashion over 50

More of this Feature
• Part 2: Do\'s and Don\'ts

Join the Discussion
\"Fashion has been evolving in many ways... It has mostly put the focus of fashion on the younger generations, also it has made the older want to become younger.\"
JESIEGIRL

Related Resources
• Mom gets a makeover
• Shop for classic clothes
• Shop for casual clothes

From Other Guides
• Clothes for Seniors
• Aging and maturing skin

Elsewhere on the Web
• Senior-Spirit

Think you need to dress your age? Or do you think that\'s an outdated notion? Find out in this new series \"Fashion at any age.\" We\'ll take a look at tips and trends for every age group over the next few weeks.

The problem isn\'t being comfortable in your over-50 skin: wisdom, maturity and fulfillment boost your sense of well-being.

Instead, the challenge is simply finding wearable, modern clothes to fit your lifestyle, budget and figure.

Pros may tout fashion now as being ageless, but that\'s no consolation when you have to pick through racks of miniskirts and low-rise jeans to find styles you love.

Keeping up with trends can be even more difficult because many fashion magazines ignore women over a certain age.

And even when the glossies try to address the issue, they tend to forget that mature women can be just as fashionable as young girls.

http://fashion.about.com/library/weekly/aa080301a.htm

Reference: http://www.demko.com/cs990505.htm

Ron Stelter
Local time: 23:00
Native speaker of:

English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Beth Kantus: see http://wearablesbusiness.com/ar/apparel_boomer_generation_dr...

1 hr

-> thanks

neutral

Johanna Timm, PhD: I would associate "mature" with a certain silhouette/size( the website you quoted confirms this) However,there are some slim fifty-year-olds out there!

1 hr

-> Johanna, I don't think it's a bad answer. I think you can use it in a nice way to refer to women who are a little older. I don't think that it necessarily has to imply that women are overweight, voluptuous, "pleasingly plump," etc.

agree

Chris Rowson (X): I think "mature woman/women" is good for 45 - 60.

7 hrs

-> thanks

neutral

sylvie malich (X): yikes! I'm with Johanna Timm. Let's get away with grouping women in their 40s with retirees.

10 hrs

-> I don't see what you're talking about, Sylvie. I don't see where I'm lumping 40-somethings or whomever with retirees

neutral

Harald Moelzer (medical-translator): mature sounds very old...

17 hrs

-> I certainly don't see where "mature" implies very old. In fact, I think it's a good word for the age group intended. In fact, Nicole uses the very word herself (which I just noticed)

agree

Stultitia Au (X): "mature" is a nice, neutral term

1 day 16 hrs

-> danke

51 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

Women in the prime of life

Explanation:
One more idea.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-06-17 21:27:24 (GMT)
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Or: women in their prime

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 22:00
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 174

16 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

heyday

Explanation:
maybe something with heyday

Women/ladies in their heyday

Women enjoying the best years of their life

Women at their peak

Ladies of a certain age (!)

Ladies in their autumn years (actually that sounds pensionable!)

The sophisticated / elegant lady/woman

(maybe combination of sophisticated and lady indicates a certain age/experience?)

hth

jerrie
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:00
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 236

22 hrs confidence:

Elegant Age / Age of Elegance

Explanation:
As in "Elegant Age" women are timeless. You also buy a secondary meaning.

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Note added at 2003-06-18 19:32:23 (GMT)
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Women in their sixties don\'t need to be forty anymore. They are quite adventuresome, to the point, I would say, even of \'costuming\' in its broadest sense.

Maureen Holm, J.D., LL.M.
United States
Local time: 00:00
Native speaker of:

English

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