Accomplished cook, bestselling writer, talented broadcaster:Dame Mary Berryhas made her name with an extensive list of achievements. The 91-year-old formerGreat British Bake Offjudge is an undisputed national treasure, and was honoured with a Bafta fellowship atthe 2026 TV Baftas on Sunday. In recent years it’s become clear that she deserves recognition for another skill – her fashion sense.
There was proof of this on the Bafta red carpet as she twirled in a candyfloss pink, full-skirted dress by Holland Cooper, a label she has worked with as a campaign star. What’s more, while many other celebrities at the event were wearing bespoke designs, Dame Mary’s dress is available to buy for £299.
Dame Mary’s first television series,Afternoon Pluswith Judith Chalmers, came out in the early 1970s. She’s been on our screens ever since, and has always dressed in polished, upbeat style.
As if to prove that such style is ageless, she has maintained this winning combination into her 90s. Whether she’s doing country chic at Cheltenham, or casual glamour in her cookery programmes, her approach to dressing has remained as foolproof as her best-loved recipes.She marked her 90th birthdaywith a high-fashion profile inBritish Vogue, and also made the magazine’s 2025 best-dressed list. Then she fronted an “icon series” campaign for British womenswear label Holland Cooper.
So what, exactly, is this rightfully adored nonagenarian getting so right in the sartorial department?
“What makes Mary so stylish in her 90s is that she dresses with joy, confidence and personality,” says Berry’slong-time stylist, Tess Wright. “Nothing feels forced or try-hard, she simply wears clothes beautifully because she genuinely enjoys fashion and loves looking great.”
With that said, here, we decode some of her fashion secrets, which can be adopted at any age.
Embrace bold colour
Dame Mary has clearly rejected the idea that one ought to shy away frombright coloursand become less visible as one ages. “Colour has always played a huge part in Mary’s wardrobe,” says Wright. “She has always stayed true to the silhouettes and colours she genuinely loves (pinks, blues, creams and whites) rather than being influenced by passing trends or fads. These colours really complement her warmth and we love the blues especially as they bring out her eyes.”
Take the paisley-print Lalage Beaumont dress she wore toWimbledonin 2025, which was a vibrant shade of turquoise that uplifted without overpowering. It’s also worth noting the flattering silhouette – the fitted waist flared out into a subtly A-line skirt that fell just below the knee, while the turn-back collar and elbow-length sleeves felt modern yet modest.
Even if you’re not heading to the Royal Box on Centre Court this summer, a similar style would be ideal for garden parties or weddings. Just make sure you play within a colour palette that suits you; Berry certainly does, favouring cool-toned shades of blue andpink - like her Baftas look -as well as neutrals like black and cream, plus a touch of metallic every now and then.
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Try statement jewels
Forget toning things down in the accessories department – Berry often “thinks big” when it comes to jewellery (especially necklaces), and it always pays off. A repeated styling trick is to bring a simple look to life with an oversized necklace and co-ordinating bracelet. This is particularly effective when paired with black dresses, as Dame Mary showed at the 2025 Bafta TV Awards, wearing a simple evening dress with statement jewels (and a fuchsia manicure – another area in which she embraces bold colours).
Remember the power of a re-wear
Like the Princess of Walesand other style-savvy and sustainably minded royals, Dame Mary is not afraid to re-wear key pieces at multiple high-profile events.
Take the soft pink floral dress she wore to the Chelsea Flower Show last year; with a smattering of crystal embellishments and a tie-waist, the dress was perfect for the summer occasion.
So perfect, in fact, that Berry wore it again to the Epsom Derby later in the season, smartened up for the Royal Enclosure with an elegant hat. She also wore the floral piece while filming a British Vogue video accompanying her 2025 profile.
Wright has previously shared that she often re-wears items from television and press appearances long after filming has wrapped. Clearly, her sage “waste not, want not” approach to cookery extends to all things sartorial, too.
Try tonal dressing
Just as bright colours and bold prints can be effective, it sometimes pays to keep things neutral. While attending Cheltenham Festival this year, Dame Mary went for a sporty-chic look in a fedora hat and roll-neck in co-ordinating shades of ivory, pulled together with a timeless double-breasted coat. High-quality tailoring is something of a signature for the event; in 2025, she wore a green and blue tartan coat by Holland Cooper, which tied in beautifully with a navy fedora.
Add texture
As well as colour, Berry appears to pay close attention to texture, particularly when it can add a subtle twist to an otherwise classic piece. Her frequently-worn white blouse with floral appliqué detailing is a case in point – elegance with a little added interest. She has worn it everywhere from photographs on the covers of recipe books to a lunch event in 2025, where she paired it with tailored black trousers and a Hermès belt.
“Mary loves classic tailoring and beautifully cut pieces, but always with a slight twist, whether that’s an unexpected texture, embellishment or print,” says Wright. “In recent years, she has become more daring and adventurous with fashion, which has been wonderful to see, but she never loses sight of what feels authentically ‘Mary’.”
It is this, above all, that has made her style so enduring.
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