Should women really dress for their age? 

It’s a question we all ask ourselves as we get older, should we dress our age. If we ask the pundits and the internet, we will see overwhelming comments that we need to dress our age. Sticking to polite language, though we really don’t want to, this is …untrue. Style transcends age. People that tell you that you have to dress for your age are the same ones that used to burn people at the stake for whatever imagined reason in the past. They just repeat ignorance that they have heard. They have no clue. We apologize if we seem to have a strong opinion on this subject but it is truly bothersome sometimes. Look around you at some of the mature women on stage and screen and you will see women that are in their 50’s to their 90’s that dress amazingly. They are not dressing like a little old lady with frumpy dress and cardigan. 

Style rules still apply

If it didn’t look good on a 20-year-old, it won’t look good on a 50-year-old. Style still matters. You might love wearing the same outfits you have worn for 30 years, but, fashion and style don’t stand still. If you wear the same things as you always did, it’s not that you need to wear for your age; you need to wear for the modern times. If you are wearing something that just came back in style, and you have been wearing it since it was last in style years ago, then you probably should have updated your wardrobe ages ago. When you start buying new styles, don’t ask if it is age appropriate; ask if it looks good on you.

Wear what you want

Wear what you want, and enjoy it. Part of the joy of style is enjoying wearing it. I don’t know too many people that enjoy wearing a frumpy dress. Ok, that’s not true; I should say I don’t know too many STYLISH people that enjoy wearing a frumpy dress. There is a big difference. Have fun, be stylish, feel good and enjoy what you wear, it will make you happier. 

Body not age

We believe that it’s not age appropriate, its body appropriate. Let’s be honest, most of us that are getting on in years, don’t have the body we once did. Some of us work hard at trying to get it back, but some just sort of let it go. You have to take that into consideration for the style. Just as if you are 18 years old, a muffin top pair of pants is not going to work then, and will look even worse now. If you have the legs at 60, we see nothing wrong with showing them off. Wear what makes you look good and what is stylish. 

Dress like an adult

We are not 18 anymore. We are adults, so we need to dress like them. This is the closest we will come to saying dress your age. It doesn’t mean frumpy and wearing a Mumu, it means wearing things in style and enjoying the classic looks. Whether you are 30 or 80, it is the same. The classics are classics as they accentuate your best features and tend to hide your worst ones. We might have a little more hiding as we get older, but we deal with that on a case by case basis. 

Get advice (but take it with a grain of salt)

If you aren’t sure, hire a personal stylist for an hour, or you can go to one of the larger stores and they will often have personal shoppers to help you. It is worth the money to hire a stylist though. They will help you break the mold and mindset that you might be stuck in, whether it is wearing the same things you always have or forgetting that you are a sexy and mature woman, they will help you get back on track. 

Experiment

Just like when you were younger and experimented with different styles, you can still do the same now. See what works for you. We don’t mean suddenly going Goth but if you always wear pants, maybe it is time to start rocking some dresses, break out of the mold. Start having fun again. Not all experiments will work, but until you do it, you don’t know where it will go and what wonderful new things you might discover. Try on that dress that you like but are sure is just not you, you might be surprised.

Ignore the haters

Anyone that tells you to act your age, just tell them you are. They are just jealous of you. Enjoy your life. There is an old saying, be the sun not the planets. Meaning let others revolve around what you do, and don’t always revolve around their opinions.

Should women dress their age? No, they shouldn’t, they should dress in the way that brings the best of who they are out. They should dress in a way that makes them happy, and makes others compliment them. If you dress with style and taste, the world is your oyster. As you get older you sometimes forget how much fun life can be, so wake up and remember. Get out there and have some fun. Throw down with some style and show people who you are.