(Sharon Stone: Age 50)
When did it become a rule that you have to dress your age? What does this even mean?
As long as I can remember, shopping with my mom involved the inevitable dressing room question, "Are you sure if I buy this I don't look I'm not dressing too young?"
I always shut it down, and she would buy the "cute outfit", but with a nagging worry that others might think she was...that's right...dressing too young.
If it's a cute outfit, who cares? Who was the person that came up with the idea that you had to wear certain clothes at certain ages anyway? Even In Style magazine sells this message of dressing your age, as every issue contains a section with outfits you can wear in your 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's. I'm in my 30's and I'll wear whichever decade I want and don't appreciate someone dictating what it should be.
Why am I thinking about this? I had my first encounter with this issue when I started a Root Learning. And the man who made me start looking at myself was in town this week with a client.
His name rhymes with Gary, and in fact IS Gary. He started telling me that I needed to start "dressing my age." I fully accept that I may dress young -for my age- but I'm not sure I even know exactly how. And, frankly, I'm not sure I care.
If I see something I like, and it's fun, and maybe it even makes me feel young...well, why should I care?
Now I'll flip it around.
Everyone has seen THIS woman. Well not her literally, but you know, this kind of woman.
The woman who is a platinum blonde at 60 with really tight clothes and super tanned, leathery skin. I admit--when I see HER, I make a judgment call and say, hey--sister, the time has passed.
Now I have to pause and take stock. Why should I judge her? My theory should still hold. Why can't she dress the way she wants, and in a style that makes her happy, comfortable and so she feels attractive.
Here's what I've come to--it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, but every woman should ask this question when you put something on in the morning and stand in front of your mirror. "Am I wearing this for me and how it makes me feel or because I'm trying to project something that I want everyone else to buy in on?"
If you can answer that you are dressing for you and how it makes you feel..then I say, wear it proud sister and never again ask, "Am I dressing too young for my age?"
Word.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Dress Your Age?
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10 comments:
I hate to disagree, but I'm gonna. People definitely need to dress their age. Homegirl with the hair and the zebra print looks terrible.
shaurs. good point. i'm with you. but what happens when you start dressing like a mom because you don't have time or the cash flow to keep up on a current wardrobe? i dress "young" only because all my clothes are at least 10 years old. :)
Amen to both Kristin AND Julie.
I have to say that I think there is a definite line that can be crossed...take for example the 60 + year old woman that thinks she looks good in a belly t and daisy dukes. Honestly, that woman is doing everyone around her a disservice - nobody wants to see that, even if they're in good shape. Let it go...the glory days are over.
I certainly think that everyone has a right to follow trends when they'd like to within reason. There's nothing wrong with looking trendy if you do it with class (i.e. I suppose, somewhat age appropriate - you know what that means). I wouldn't say that you dress too young Shauri, when you start to - I'll be the first to mention it in my blog. ( :
As for you Julie - dress like a mom with pride...you wear it all well.
Julie- you raise a good question that I didn't even think to address--is dressing 10 years out of date actually dressing young or dressing old? Look, hold on to those outfits for 10 more years and you'll be retro-hip. :)
Kristin - I don't think you REALLY hate to disagree, but that debate aside, I think your issue is more with fashion sense and looking like a hoochie rather than dressing your age right? If I had posted a picture of mom (who is in her 60's) wearing the same outfit you or I would wear---would she look bad?
This is good stuff. Kris--to play devil's advocate to your comment, again it's not an age issue. It's a weight and attractiveness issue. YOu would think a 20 year old with a big belly should wear a belly shirt, right?
So then, by not thinking they should wear these things at any age we're really buying in to society's standard of beauty and being appearance-ist. (this is my invented word for prejudiced against unattractive people.) ;)
Exactly. Belly shirts are made for big bellies - hence the name. Clearly I don't buy into society's standards of beauty, I like big butts and I cannot lie...
I'll weigh in on ONE thing only. Those "mom jeans" don't look right on anyone, young or old. And if I weren't writing this on my blackberry I'd do a YouTube search for SNL's mom jeans skit and insert that video right HERE.
Kristin, if homegirl with the hair and zebra print was 19, she would still look like an idiot, just saying. I think this is more an issue of taste than age. I know crazy catsuits have size tags but to my knowledge they don't have age tags.
If dressing your age means being stylish and not wearing gawdy, ridiculous over-the-top stuff, I can't disagree. But to tell women of a certain age that they can't wear a mini skirt, or a baby doll, or leggings, or pointy boots with jeans, or anything else that is in style at the moment is crazy. That's the kind of advice a lot of women are getting.
Most normal clothing can be worn in good taste. Take the tank and parachute pants Sharon Stone is wearing. I don't see why she can't wear that. She could throw on a classy accessory like a chunky bangle, lose the military print on the pants, get them in a solid khaki or black and wear a strappy 2 1/2 inch sandal and throw in a Hermes bag. I'm 43 and I would wear that outfit.
If I was another 43 year old with no waistline, 80-inch hips, flabby arms and kankles, I would probably want to think twice about such an outfit. If I was 20 with belly overhang, flabby arms and kankles, I would probably also want to pass on such an outfit.
The issues are not age. The issues are your body type, your lifestyle, and of course the occasion.
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