Women over 50 are creating new fashion trends just like when they were younger.

I don't remember the year I became a crow.

This must have happened over time, because I never thought there was anything missing in my closet filled with black dresses, pants and tops, with a few oversized white shirts breaking up the monotony.

I remember at a certain age my mother's wardrobe consisted entirely of white shirts and black pants.

She didn't really have a choice.

The fashion world, obsessed with youth, had for a time relegated seniors to fuzzy dresses and slippers.

Nothing says you're old like a muumuu dress or a closet full of funeral-worthy dresses.

Fortunately, the trend of depression seems to be changing.

Older women are appearing on runways as role models for women who have the resources to dress in the latest styles, from head to handbag.

I'm also starting to see older women looking equally chic on the street.

One day last summer, I was walking down Michigan Avenue and this elegantly dressed woman was walking towards me.

She wore a loose linen or cotton garment (I'm not an expert), but the garment was flowy.

Everything from her silver hair to Mary Janes said: I'm here, and I'm doing this.

As she walked past me, I resisted the urge to whisper: You're wearing that outfit.

Melanie Whaley, owner of Essential Elements, a popular South Side boutique founded in 1987, has a loyal clientele that attracts such women.

Women over 50 are wealthier, healthier and more active than any previous generation, according to experts who track their spending habits.

My older clients are retiring and redistributing their money to a sleeker look, Whaley said. These are women who loved fashion. We thought dressing up meant wearing a suit or skirt and jacket and that your handbag should match your shoes.

Whaley added: We stopped them from feeling like they had to dress in corporate attire. [style] with costumes and brought them to a more artistic style of dress.

Once customers received so many compliments on their individuality, they realized they had a more individual look than they could get at a department store, Whaley said.

She's right about that.

After shopping at Essential Elements, I had to rethink my entire wardrobe.

Barbara Bates, famous fashion designer and philanthropist, agrees that designers take note of older people. It defines elderly people as people aged 55 and over.

Many of my clients are elderly, she said. I agree with the last cliché that 50 is the new 30 because of the products and procedures that have been developed.

Bates added that her mother did not have the same lifestyle as her.

My mother and her mother didn't talk about going to exercise classes, she said. They allegedly kicked a coach out of their home.

Bates said his generation is better informed about ways to stay healthy.

We always want to be in contention and have a seat at the table, Bates said. We also have more money. My clients are mature women and they have kept me relevant. They are still shopping. We will not go down without a fight.

So don't exclude us.

We are done being crows.