Jennifer Aniston's masterclass in how to dress up (and down) in your 50s

Dungarees, slip dresses, high-waisted jeans, sweater-vests, checked flannel shirts and that haircut… Rachel and Monica from Friends, aka Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox, have been giving us wardrobe inspiration for nearly three decades. And at last night’s Emmys, they showed the world just how easy it is to look great in your 50s, whether you're in black-tie, jeans and a jumper or even just your dressing gown.

In uncertain times we can always be sure of one thing: that Jennifer Aniston knows how to look good in a little black dress. For the socially distant awards show where everyone stayed home, A-listers were invited to wear anything from formal gowns to their pyjamas. At first, Aniston fell firmly into the former camp, opening the ceremony alongside Jimmy Kimmel in a sleek, slim-cut black gown with a tiered hem by John Galliano for Christian Dior.

The dress, being vintage Dior, was beautifully cut on the waist and hips and emphasised Aniston’s gym-honed body without being too tight. Women who don’t have access to a slew of Hollywood fitness instructors (i.e. all of us) might not feel as comfortable in a sleeveless gown as she does; instead see it as an invitation to try one of the many gorgeous cardigans that have filled the stores season, either worn properly or draped over the shoulders.

The Morning Show star’s personal style has always been sleek and relatively unfussy, an aesthetic that translates particularly well into middle age and beyond. A fan of simplicity, Aniston accessorised with a silver statement necklace and a matching bracelet by Neil Lane and slim strappy Dior sandals. Her hair was parted down the middle in loose waves, and earlier in the day she posted a picture of herself on Instagram in a face mask (of the beauty rather than virus variety), which is a surefire way to get the glow we all hanker for after 30.

Aniston – like many stylish women in their 50s – now knows exactly what suits her and isn’t afraid to re-wear it. Her relationship with slim-cut black dresses is enduring: at the 2020 Golden Globes in January, she wore a black strapless Christian Dior Haute Couture gown, and at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2017, a similarly cut Atelier Versace number with a hip-high slit.

But yesterday evening, we would also see the star in a splash of colour. By the time the Lead Actress in a Drama series award was announced – a category Aniston was nominated in for The Morning Show – she had dashed home, taken off her Spanx and changed into a pink floral robe to hang out with her friends (with a capital F).

Aniston was joined in her house by Courteney Cox, 56, and Lisa Kudrow, 57, who sat on the sofa eating popcorn and pretending they all still lived together, in a skit that felt wonderfully familiar to anyone born before 1990.

Cox herself had enlisted some styling help earlier in the day courtesy of of Tan France of Queer Eye, who took over the actress's Instagram Stories to ask what she should wear to the event. The two options were both denim based, one with a pale pink angora wool jumper and boots, the other with a beige top and heels. Cox opted for the latter – and her jeans are worth noting for the shape: straight cut, ending just above the ankle and sitting on the slimmest part of the hips.

Aniston ultimately lost out on her award to Zendaya of Euphoria – who at 24 was the youngest-ever winner in the category. But with the Friends reunion show finally slated to start filming next May, there are a slew of ageless style tips coming our way from three women who have always known how to look good on the small screen.

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