Dressing Young (Part 1)

<p>I look forward to it! Want to borrow some silver shoes?</p>

<p>OK, now I have ordered 6 pairs of pants! I am convalescing from some minor surgery, so this beats hitting the stores again. Here’s hoping one of them works! Thanks, everyone.</p>

<p>Too bad we can’t post photos. You could take pictures and we could tell you which one looks best on you!</p>

<p>I’m still working on setting up a Facebook page :o</p>

<p>“A person who lives a frugal lifestyle but stays fashionable and healthy
 a recession warrior”</p>

<p>Apparently, this is from the NYT. Stay fashionable and healthy my dear CC friends!</p>

<p>I found some great pants at Chicos: black silk shantung, narrow, just to the ankle, with a little split in the hem at the side. I would post a link, except that on me they don’t look anything like they do in the photo. The photo makes them look sprayed on. (I’m told that the chicos models are all well over 6 ft tall
)</p>

<p>So now I have 6 more pairs coming in the mail! Oh well
if you see that consumer spending is up for the month, it just means I haven’t returned all those pants yet.</p>

<p>Today I spent an hour at the mall looking for a necklace for a holiday party dress
 then I went to a store that I had previously deemed too “tacky”
 they had dozens of what I wanted, plus evening purses and all that “glitz” in prices well below malls. The chain is called Charming Charlie - I won’t post a link but they have stores in several states. I even found a nice evening wrap for $10.</p>

<p>My personal “Santa” asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I sent him an e-mail with a link to a very beautiful pair of boots. “Santa” needs to get his rear off of that couch and move fast because they just went on sale, and 8 1/2 seems to be the size that sells out first!</p>

<p>DD and I were at the mall yesterday, and I solicited her opinion about older women dressing youthfully. DD said, “As long as the skirts are not too short, it is OK. Too much glitter doesn’t look good on older women. Also, there should be no underwear or bare bellies showing 'cause it is tacky, and pants that have muffin tops are inappropriate. Skinny pants on fat people - ewww
” Guess what? It sounded like she was reciting her Jr HS dress code -LOL!</p>

<p>I don’t know if this has been mentioned already - just stumbled across this thread - but my opinion is that if your daughter is wearing it, you should think twice before you do too. At least modify whatever “it” is to look age-appropriate.</p>

<p>My pet peeve is women over 45 or so who wear shorts - I mean real shorts, not walking shorts. I don’t care how good your legs are, it just doesn’t look right to me.</p>

<p>One of my managers wears incredibly youthful skirts, shirts, hairdos, etc. to work. </p>

<p>I was surprised to learn she was the mother of several teenagers rather than being in her mid-20s.</p>

<p>But maybe it fits because she’s incredibly cheery compared to many mid-life adults, I find. And her language is youthful too. She (as a working single mother!) also goes to parties. How appropriate it is may have to do with how everything else fits – i.e. more than just the clothes.</p>

<p>Maybe it’s also because she’s black. I dunno how much race has to do with it, but it prolly has some say in social image.</p>

<p>My general rule is that you are only allowed to participate in a fad once in your lifetime
so that goes for tie-dye, leggings, go-go boots, frosted lipstick, ‘Dynasty’ shoulder pads, bell bottoms
you get the idea. MInd you, I am guilty of hanging on to some things in the hopes of whatever it is to come back into style, but save closet space and get rid of them because even if the style DOES return, it’s always a little different and fresher and your hold-over just looks old. And ‘dressing young’ is the name of this thread!</p>

<p>elizabethh- I don’t follow your logic wrt the shorts. What are you SUPPOSED to wear on a hot summer day or at the beach? I wear shorts all the time- they aren’t Daisy Dukes but they sure aren’t Bermudas, either. As long as most of the thigh is covered, I don’t see a problem with old legs in shorts. It’s like everything else, I guess, it works for some but not for others.</p>

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<p>My D is more conservative than I am so I can definitely wear her clothes without worry. Anyway, this whole age-appropriate thing is more about having some common sense than any rules about what a 50 year old can wear. Most things that I deem inappropriate for me to wear now, I wouldn’t have worn 30 years ago either because of general tackiness.</p>

<p>Fit. I think it often comes down to fit. I am fine wearing some of the styles that younger women wear, I just have no business wearing them as tight as they can! No matter how thin I am, my body will never be as taut as it was when I was 16!</p>

<p>DD and I saw a show off Broadway this week called ‘Love, Loss and What I wore.’ We ladies should/could have written it instead of Nora Ephron! Went through stages and events of life and how clothes helped define them. There was a line that says you’ve given up when you start buying Eileen Fisher!</p>

<p>Even brought in college dress memories–what was worn to the Dartmouth Winter Carnival and the Yale Club.</p>

<p>Currently stars Rhea Perlman, her daughter, Rita Wilson and a actress from Glee. Really wonderful for anyone near NYC.</p>

<p>^^^^^when I was in my early 30s I wore Eileen FIsher & Laura Ashley
now I wear Anthropologie & Free People 20 years later ( mixed in with my faves from REI)
;)</p>

<p>“elizabethh- I don’t follow your logic wrt the shorts. What are you SUPPOSED to wear on a hot summer day or at the beach? I wear shorts all the time- they aren’t Daisy Dukes but they sure aren’t Bermudas, either. As long as most of the thigh is covered, I don’t see a problem with old legs in shorts. It’s like everything else, I guess, it works for some but not for others.” </p>

<p>MomofWildChild: I don’t know why it doesn’t sit well with me when middle-age women wear shorts - just a pet peave. I live in Southern Cal and most of my friends, many of whom are in excellent shape, feel the same way - bermudas and capris are our hot weather pants of choice. Also, lots of dresses. Having said that, I have no problem with tank tops on middle age women - though I really don’t like tank tops on men of any age!</p>

<p>I guess we all have our sartorial preferences - I didn’t mean to offend you in any way.</p>

<p>And I too wear Anthropologie and Free People, but only when it fits properly!</p>

<p>I live in the South and wear shorts in the summer (over 45, good legs). I would have heat stroke if I didn’t.</p>

<p>I haven’t worn shorts in over 10 years, only because they are not very flattery on me. I tend to wear a sundress when it’s hot out, or wide linen pants.</p>

<p>Coastal Ca- most of my 40 and 50 yr old friends still wear shorts. I don’t have a problem unless they are too tight or too short.
I agree about men in tank tops. Yuck. My youngest had a young man come over. She asked when he left what I thought. I told her he seemed nice but the tank top needed to go! She agreed.
I was at a party this summer and the men all had an issue with capri pants. They just didn’t get them.</p>