Dressing Young When You're Getting Older

[Anonymous]

pp, I like it all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 25, in excellent shape, and have been wearing LL bean as long as I can remember. Classic does not equal old/dowdy.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/68125?feat=507743-GN2

whoa! Watch out, men! Killer knees ahead.

And your point is...?

If this is your idea of looking good as you age, you deserve to flaunt those knees!

You go, old gal! You go!

[Anonymous]

I'm 25, in excellent shape, and have been wearing LL bean as long as I can remember. Classic does not equal old/dowdy.

I have worn LLBean since highschool too and I'm 41. I wear Gucci (conservative suits), Armani, and other tailored designers for work. LLBean or Brooks Brothers for home, casual, and outdoor activities. I don't dress dowdy but I also don't dress flashy, ruffly, or sparkly.

[Anonymous]

LL Bean, Brooks Bros, Armani and Gucci -- fine if that's your taste, but I don't think age mandates this style of dress at all. Moreover, for women of any age, there's a pretty wide spectrum of options between this and "sparkly, flashy, ruffly". (And, a little sparkly and ruffly can be fun and flattering -- again, for women of any age.) Madonna may or may not be your fashion icon, but follow her exhortation and "express yourself, baby"!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm 25, in excellent shape, and have been wearing LL bean as long as I can remember. Classic does not equal old/dowdy.

I have worn LLBean since highschool too and I'm 41. I wear Gucci (conservative suits), Armani, and other tailored designers for work. LLBean or Brooks Brothers for home, casual, and outdoor activities. I don't dress dowdy but I also don't dress flashy, ruffly, or sparkly.

Just curious -- what does a gucci suit cost?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does the "no miniskirt" rule apply to short shorts? I am almost 36 and love me some short shorts. Not a$$-cheek hanging out daisy dukes but 3.5" shorts from J. Crew. I like to wear them with a nice platform espadrille as I am short (5'4" and 124 lbs, about a size 2-4) and they make my legs look longer. Is it tacky or tasteful?

Classy if what you're wearing on top is not too revealing or teenage looking, imho. I think these shorts are a fine line for women over thirty precisely because it is more of a teen trend as in I mostly see teens and college age people in them. It's easy to look hookerish in these short, shorts if you're not careful. I wish I had the body to wear them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With your body, you can get away with it.

People like me switched to more conservative clothing for two reasons: weight gain / body changes from pregnancies make the trendy looks pretty gruesome, and I am stuck in the decade in which I grew up, making it difficult to embrace newer looks.

"The rules" don't apply to older women with awesome bodies and faces, necks and hands that don't look too aged. Only if you look like this are you permitted trends but even then only up to a point. It seems if people know exactly how old you are or if you have children they are more critical and want to demand that you "dress your age" whatever in the hell that means precisely. I guess shop at Cold Water Creek, Chicos and Talbots and cover up all your offending parts like flabby arms, droopy knees spotted chests and wrinkly turkey necks.

So it seems like women are usually forced into classics. It would help if designers modified trends to look good on a more mature body that has gone through changes due to pregnancy and age, but they don't. With a few modifications like higher arm holes and spaghetti straps that were wider and skinny jeans designed more like straight legs or cap sleeve styles with more generously sized caps many of us would not have to abandon fun, trendy clothing. Unfortunately there is no cure for cellulite so for many minis and short shorts will be out of the question as will bikinis. This is one reason why taking care of your body starting when you're young and beyond is so vital.