To change people’s stereotype impression of the elderly people, Taichung City Government presented the “Retro Fashion Week.” With the dialogs among elders, street snap of fashion, photo exhibition, catwalk of retro fashion, and the way when we were young film festival, and more, it educated the society to think positively about the appearance and charm of “aging” people. Deputy Mayor Lin Yi-ying expressed that each generation has its own unique fashion and lifestyle. It is hoped that by sponsoring these activities it will be helpful to change the stereotype impression of the elderly people by the society, winning back the self-confidence and energy of the matured generation.

On October 1, the Social Affairs Bureau held the press conference of the “Retro Fashion Week.” Deputy Mayor Lin expressed that in order to cope with the coming of the aging society Taichung City Government launched the “streamline elderly care” policy, providing diverse and continuous services to healthy, sub-healthy, to disabled elderly people. Especially, in the aspect of elderly’s healthcare, it is important to stretch the healthy time and conditions of the elderly people, and their psychological situation is the key issue. Therefore, Taichung City Government sponsored the “Retro Fashion Week” to allow the elderly people improve their self-consciousness by joining activities and social participation. Likewise, they will feel healthy and active.

The “Retro Fashion Week” activities series included the dialogs among elders, street photo shooting sessions of fashion, photo exhibition, catwalk of retro fashion, and the way when we were young film festival. It is hoped that by sharing their concepts and sponsoring creative activities, it can change people’s stereotype impression of aging and old age, and to reshape the image of elders, who can be fashionable and beautiful. For example, in the “dialogs among elders,” elderly people with exciting life stories were invited to share their experiences in speeches so that they could pass on their attitudes of life to more people.

Deputy Mayor Lin also said that many elders lack confidence because of their old age. Likewise, they interact less with people. Therefore, the Social Affairs Bureau collaborates with the Health Bureau to sponsor the “Delay Aging and Prevent Dementia” courses to provide trainings in deportment, make-up, performance, and more to guide the elders to know, like, and express themselves more. As to “street snap of fashion,” it displays the unique charm and style of these elders. And the photos are gathered together and displayed in the “old school photo exhibition” to present their different postures and lifestyles. In the “old school catwalk,” there will be many elders catwalking on the runway in the mini-egg beside Taichung International Baseball Stadium to demonstrate the results of their lengthy training.