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Do you "dress your age"? Exactly what does that actually mean anyway? What does that mean to you? Do people tell you you should be dressing more your age? (This topic probably has been discussed here before; if so, my apologies)

At 47, I dress mostly in jeans or leggings (or yoga pants), t-shirts or tank tops, hoodies, and sneakers. Sometimes I might wear short dresses, short shorts, or short skirts. Heck, I've been known to wear a tutu. I don't own blouses (anything with buttons) or slacks or power suits or blazers. Dog forbid, I should wear pantyhose or nylons (ugh). Sometimes, I might wear my hair in pig tails or braids.

Do we actually need to dress our age? I get that you have to respect dress codes and such and not be inappropriately dressed in certain situations (weddings, funerals, etc.). But what does age have to do with your clothing choices?

graceylou 8 Aug 23
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57 comments

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1

If people are telling you to dress your age . You're hanging with the wrong people . On the other hand , when once told something of a similar nature , I wasn't acting my age , my response was , "Of course I'm acting my age . I am my age , therefore I define what my age acts like . Whatever I do is acting (or dressing) exactly my age , because I am this age , therefore I define how this age acts ( or dresses ) .

9

I just had a breast reduction, and am enjoying backless, strapless, etc for the first time in my 70 years! My "age" is feeling FREE,

Go you!!!!!!

@PalacinkyPDX Such a cliche to say i should have done it 20 years ago....i should have done it 50 years ago, LOL!

more folks should be aware of the insurrection

5

In the summer, I flit around in short, little skirts and dresses. Great legs from hiking and running. Why not show off my best asset?

At 65, I'm still going strong.

Also, I finally learned slender people look best in clothes that follow the lines of our bodies. Instead of wearing a tent. Photos:

  1. September 2018. A summer dress I made.
  2. August 2015
  3. December 2015, ready for New Year's Eve!

You look impossibly good for 65, improbably good for 55, and unlikely good for 45! Apart from the hiking, how are you doing it? Or what are you taking? We should be told! ?.

@KevinTwining

Aww..gee..shucks.. (sound of scraping boot.) Thank you so much!

Since age 21, I have been regularly weightlifting, hiking, backpacking, running, swimming, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and stretching. Endorphins are addictive.

In 2017, I set a personal record by hiking 326 miles with 64,200 feet of elevation gain. Spectacular mountain vistas, high alpine lakes, white glaciers and jagged mountain peaks. Love it.

My Mom was considered an exercise fanatic and a health nut. She fed us low-fat, healthy food. I took it to a new level. Thanks, Mom!

At age 22, my youngest sister got skin cancer. I was 27. That was my wakeup call, and the last year I had a tan. Since then, I have worn sunscreen every day, year-round, on my face and neck, and a wide-brimmed hat while hiking and gardening. That's why my skin looks good.

So, I have never smoked, avoid alcohol and never drink soda pop. Also, don't eat deep fried food, fast food, hamburgers, donuts or pizza: all the high fat, processed, sugary junk foods that Americans love.

My dad died of cancer at age 51. I was 24. Immediately I eliminated from my diet preserved meats with cancer-causing nitrites and nitrates. Bacon, ham, pepperoni, salami, etc.

Instead of buying processed food, I cook from scratch at home. I eat 4-5 small meals per day.

Once a year, I enjoy a rib-eye steak when finding morel mushrooms in May. Sauté the morels with olive oil, butter and garlic: WOW!

Bottom line: a healthy lifestyle gets results. Exercise and enjoy eating healthy, whole foods. Protect your skin from the sun. Drink lots of water. Be optimistic and upbeat. Have fun! It shows.

You remind me of Sally Fields!

@SukiSue

Other people have said I look like Sally Fields. Also, Jackie Onassis.

Thank you!

5

When I pulled into my brothers funeral couple months ago- I found our recent house fire left my rarely used hippie blazer & black silk shirt way too too smokey! So I showed up in my bob Marley t shirt. I couple distant relatives came up & started very interesting conversations about their secret SDS & protest days!! Fascinating! I love them all the more now!
Be your self!!

5

After turning 75 I've reverted to the simplified version of dress up. Blue jeans and t-shirts. Unless it's snowing.

4

I was raised with the saying "dressing well is a sign of good manners". And when I go out in public I'm not fancy but decently attired. As an artist and seamstress, I wear styles and colors I feel benefit me, regardless of any "age appropriate" issue. What is that anyway? A well cut article of clothing can do wonders for your form, as will picking the correct weight of fabric. Too thin of fabric results in every bump and bulge showing. A bit heavier fabric will magically camouflage them! Age be damned! But it seems the older I get, the more I wear skirts and dresses. They're pretty and fun.

4

I still wear cargo shorts.

Nothing wrong with that!

4

I wear what makes me feel good and what fits right. And pig tails are great. I may do that tommorrow.

4

Yep, absolutely! At my age, I should dress comfy and I know that cuz I say it's true

As ken Kesey said at the end of his testimony for Timothy Leary: “ that’s the truth, even if it never happened! “

4

Blue jeans, and a white Oxford shirt, and my Sketchers.
That's pretty much what I've been wearing for decades.

4

I was a suit for years, went back to being a hippie, the universe seems ok with it?

3

I'm 59. I like wearing cute clothes, shoes make up. Almost always. I rock a cute haircut. I think that's appropriate for me. I like nice things, and think I look great and in shape for my age. ♥ I'm tallish, so my everyday outfit consists of skinny jeans, a nice feminine top or blouse, and super cute usually animal print flats or other great flats. Bright pink lips, blush, and lots of mascara. I'll wear a flannel and/or and men's style plaid shirts to work and converse, or cute sneakers. When I work. I do work in construction with almost entirely all men, so it it is a little challenging to pull off cute all the time, but I think I have nailed it.

I would agree.

3

I have no idea what that phrase means. If we attend to "dress our age", we are allowing others to dictate our behavior.

3

I've worn Levis 501s and a Tommy Bahama raw silk shirt for the last 20 years, this was my standard work attire when I was building hotels in the Caribbean. The raw silk wears like iron and the blue jeans plus Blundstones or similar with a green patch are mandatory. I've been retired for 9 years now but I still wear the same outfit most days, it's a lot easier than wearing tailor made suits like I did in my 20's and 30's.

3

perhaps it is more important to dress one's size rather than age ...

Sometimes I can’t find my size and have to go with bigger.

@graceylou my poor daughter (28) still has to buy kids clothes ... she blames me for having transmitted the dwarf gene ... age 28.not 2 8)

@PontifexMarximus I’m not tiny. I wear a regular size small or around size 5/6. But people have complained that stores don’t stock realistic sizes so now they rarely stock my size because apparently I’m not a realistic size because I’m not size 14 or larger.

@graceylou my daughter has the same problem ... often people tell her that she is too slim as if she was anorexic ... she's just small but well proportioned, but is clasdified as "abnormal"

@PontifexMarximus So she knows exactly how I feel. My friend who is larger says that size 14-16 is the average size and therefore normal. I’m not a normal size. They don’t need to stock a lot for us not normal humans.

@graceylou yes ... she does ... there is always some passive aggression ... one of her colkeagues, age 22, weighing in at more than 2.5 times her wieght, frequently mocks her

@PontifexMarximus Where I used to work they worry I might not be able to lift a heavier dog into the tub to get cleaned, because I’m much smaller than my coworkers. They really had no idea how much I can lift. I’m small but I’m strong.

@graceylou they don't realise that you have lug much less body mass

@PontifexMarximus Still I’m not considered within current average range by far so I must not be served the same as average women when it comes to clothing. I tend to be seen as having something wrong with me. And I’m not tiny. I’m over 5’3 and 115 lbs. A friend of mine is 4’11 and 88 lbs. she’s more of an outlier than I am for sure.

@graceylou Try Talbots....things fit in the shoulder & crotch for smaller people, so you don't look like you borrowed your dad's clothes...they are not cheap but have Unbelievable sales! My tiny girlfriend, and others of her stature, swear by Talbots!

@AnneWimsey I would probably not find anything to wear there. Cardigans, blazers, blouses, slacks, dress jeans. I don't wear any of those.

This is more my style and like in the picture (This is my favourite brand):

[rebelspiritclothingstore.com]

3

I dress kinda twenties style.

Coldo Level 8 Aug 24, 2018

That is cool. I have a flapper dress.

@graceylou Excellent. I attend a Twenties dance regularly The Gatsby,strict dress code.Great night.

3

I don't think that should even be a thing. I say dress how you feel like dressing, to express yourself, a d to be comfortable. No other reason matters (although if you do corporate work you might need a couple of suites, which I personally utterly despise and forever happy that I don't have to.)

Nada Level 3 Aug 24, 2018

I am technically the CEO of my corporation (on paper anyway). LOL. My corporate work includes playing with dogs and getting grubby. Jeans and t-shirt are standard office wear.

@graceylou your corporation sounds lovely!

3

Dress the way that makes you feel good, don't worry about what others think. Of course I am going to deviate on one fashion trend "Thongs". YIKES!!!, some people definitely should not wear them. Actually I am just going to say that most people shouldn't wear them, but hey that's just my opinion...... what do I know?

There is a time and place for thongs. They are super uncomfortable. I might wear thong undies when I wear tight body-fitting dresses and don't want panty lines showing through. Or if I wear a skirt for dance with slits way up my thighs.

@graceylou while I was partially joking, what I had in mind was the thongs people wear to the beach with nothing else. Perfectly happy to find a pair of thongs on my girlfriend, if she's cool with it. Please please just don't ask me to wear one........ha ha

@marksam8484 I don't know. I think you would look hot parading in nothing but a hot pink thong.

3

An interesting question. I think it's fine to have one's own style, which may or may not fit other's perception of age-appropriate. Be reasonable: If you don't like suits but it's a formal affair, go with the flow.

Where I see this being charged revolves around the objectification of women when they've internalized it. I cringe. Examples include say a 60-something woman trying to look like a 25-year-old, or a 12-year-old girl tarted up like a little prostitute. It's not OK.

Yes, dressing the way you want is usually fine except in the cases that you mentioned. I can easily pull off a Hello Kitty top and short frilly skirt because I don't look like I'm in my 40s. On the other hand, I can hardly pull off a blouse and a blazer without someone asking me if I'm going to a special event.

@Liberty I agree. I am talking about more-extreme cases. Yes, mature sexuality is....hot.

3

Oh good grief no. I actively avoid trying to dress my age. How boring. 😀

Right. Me too.

@graceylou Great minds think alike. 😀

3

I pretty much wear what i like but, if I think the outfit is borderline, I ask my 33 yr old, brutally honest son, "does this outfit make me look 50 trying to be 15?" He has solid fashion sense. Feck me if i know where he got it.

3

I just wear what's most comfortable for me..always.
I design/make most of my own clothes, so now lean toward Thai designs and wear stretch cotton T-shirts.

Pic taken this Christmas at a local store.

Looks very comfortable.

3

I dress how I want. Never been told to dress my age.

I did get told once. And I tried to dress more “mature” but then I get asked why i was dressing up.

3

I always find it incredibly amusing when anyone thinks it's okay for them to tell anyone else how to dress.

It doesn't matter if you (general you, not you-you) think someone is dressed inappropriately, it really doesn't. Your opinion on the issue is wholly irrelevant.
If you aren't the one purchasing another person's wardrobe, you get absolutely
NO say at all.

I'm going to wear whatever the fuck I please. If you (again, general you) don't like
it, don't fucking look. You don't get to tell me that you don't like it. If you think that
you can do that, be prepared to get an earful.
I don't tell anyone else how to dress. It would make perfect sense that I wouldn't
tolerate anyone telling me how to dress.

I find it incomprehensible that anyone can not grasp and understand this simple logic and reasoning.

@jlynn37 A lot of people are stupid, think their opinions are more important than they really are, and other people are actually going to care what they think. That's the only explanation that makes any sense. At least to me.

2

I am exactly the same size as I was in high school. So it's still jeans and t-shirts.

2

I'm 52 and wear whatever I want and I have purple hair!

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