I had to look up a Columbia Freezer dress! Never heard of those!
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I wear them on light hikes and other outdoor activities as often as with wedge sandles for going out. I guess y’all will have to tell me if that’s a fashion mistake! Lol
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I like this! No fashion faux pas to me!
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I have a black v neck one I came across years ago and have always found it comfy and versatile for beach weekends, etc.
But until this thread I didn’t realize it was a specific part of Columbia sportswear. Now I can purchase additional ones as needed. Many thanks @DramaMama2021.
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You’re welcome. (I have the black one too) 
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I remember around 40 going to an end of year sports team BBQ, it had been a busy season and for the first time I noticed all the skunk stripes down people’s part lines. I had been so obtuse, I had no clue they were dying their hair.
My family does tend to go gray late and I actually like the effect, I used to pay for highlights to add some movement to my very dark brown hair. Now I use a semi-permanent color every couple of weeks and have the most gloriously naturally distributed highlights in a reddish/brownish shade. I suppose when I have more gray than brown, i will have to decide as it’s too intense a color for all my hair to be.
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Totally agree! I am 59 and have never colored my hair. It’s long too. Why should men with gray hair be considered distinguished and attractive, but women old and dowdy? It’s all conditioning, as you say. I think if women would stop coloring their hair and be confident about it, the perception would change.
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I have never colored my hair, but I have gotten perms a few times a year for over 40 years. Perhaps that does make me look old, since it is difficult to find stylists who still does them and I assume no young gals get them. But with my flat and fine hair and my lazy nature, that is what works best. I don’t do them as curly as I used to.
I probably make plenty of fashion mistakes since it’s not a high priority thing for me. But the bra discussions i this thread was a good reminder how having a pear shaped figure (sometimes a challenge for dress shopping) can have some advantages.
After a certain age, it’s time to stay out of the junior section (even if you CAN still fit in the clothes). I know a few people 45+ who shop exclusively in the junior section and you can tell. Wearing cropped tops and low cut dresses comes off differently on a 50-year old body, than it does a 20 year-old body (even a toned 50-year old body). Designers who design for the more mature woman, take into consideration that the midsection and decolletage have sagged/aged, and they design their clothes accordingly. Also, step away from the low cut jeans (or at least, never bend over in them!)
I will die on the hill of wearing athleisure. I buy from the higher-end lines, with thicker quality fabrics and would never wear leggings without something on top that fully covers my derriere (and usally part way down my thigh). I also only wear darker colors - no crazy prints or flesh-colors. No sloppy sweatpants for me but I do love the Vuori daily joggers, which are a light material, non-baggy jogger.
I also have my eyebrows tinted (agree - game changer).
I agree with the too much make-up. No one needs a smoky-eye at 10am.
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Athleisure- which is not your fav university sweatpants- has infiltrated many of our closets in a very big way and has allowed many of us to have comfort and some style in the form of clothes we grab over and over again.
I guess like any piece of clothing, knowing how to build an outfit can lead to success or a “mistake”!!
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There are many articles about how to embrace athleisure… Of course, there’s a difference in what’s appropriate for a 20-something vs a 50-something IMO (regardless of fitness).
Do’s and Don’ts of Wearing Athleisure
- Do mix sports pieces into your regular fashion wardrobe for a balanced look.
- Do get creative, especially when it comes to mixing pieces and layering.
- Do follow seasonal activewear trends.
- Do mix fashion fabrics, like denim and leather, with high-performance, sports fabrics.
- Do make sure all your athleisure pieces are clean and in good condition.
- Don’t throw on any old thing you’d wear to the gym.
- Don’t overlook the addition of accessories and jewelry.
- Don’t forget about your signature style and look, just reinterpret it.
- Don’t go overboard with bright colours and prints.
How to Wear Athleisure
- Layer sports pieces under regular fashion items, such as leggings under a chic coat.
- Use sneakers and slides as your go-to footwear.
- Make leggings more streetwear appropriate by pairing them with longer tops or tying a shirt around your waist.
- Wear athleisure to work by replacing your blazer with a bomber jacket or by mixing a sporty T-shirt with tailored pieces.
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Perms are popular with the young crowd. My hair stylist commented on doing lots of them on teens recently.
Yes - and I think there’s definitely a difference between what one wears to actually “work out”, whether it’s at a gym or in the home, and what one wears to a PTA meeting or Target. My work out stuff has seen better days - but I work out at home, so I don’t care if I look cute 
Also, if “fast fashion” refers to Amazon & the like, be careful with that. The influencers make it look very chic & fashionable (I’ve fallen victim to it more times than I’ll admit) but the poor quality of many of the items can make us look like we spent $25 on the whole outfit.
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Love that Columbia dress. And looking up the eyebrow tint–I’ve been wondering about that.
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Raises hand! Actually I can’t find the only bra I liked after Target stopped selling them, so most of my bras are really ancient!
I’m pretty sure I don’t belong in this thread, I like to look neat and tidy, but I also put a premium on comfort. I’m fascinated by the rules. No mascara on your lower lashes? No pastels? I love @Alumother 's blog. As I recall she’d discontinued it for a while and I did not realize it was back. I never read it regularly because I’m not a fashionista.
Edited to add: That said, I think fashion in interesting, so I often read the fashion threads.
I see myself in some of these mistakes. Wearing clothes that are out of style? Check. No visible eyebrows? That is me, too. I hope to learn from the eyebrow advice. I might not color them every day, but I should for special occasions and pictures.
I don’t wear ratty work out clothes so much as stuff that brands me as an old lady. The young women are in Lululemon tights and form fitting tanks, and I am in shorts and loose tops. They are in 2022 and I am in 1999!
Yes, I wear bike shorts. Prevents chafing better than Body Glide and I can go from a bike to a run to a swim without changing clothes. (trishorts) They do make me look nerdy.
I do care about how I look and it has made me think I should update my work out clothes at least when I go to group exercise classes. But let me share this: I did a hard boot camp type work out in which I was the oldest person by a good ten years. I kept up and at times was a leader. At the end of the class, the instructor came over to talk to me. I was expecting her to tell me how well I had done. She did say that, but added “you are so inspiring! A woman your age still taking this class.” I was deflated. Maybe a different outfit would help!
For those that don’t want the hassle of tinting eyebrows, Benefit makes a tinted eyebrow gel that is great! You brush it on like mascara. Super easy and it really does work. Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel | Benefit Cosmetics!
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OK, super dumb question here . . . but what does tinting your eyebrows actually do? Or, put another way, why tint them? Is it to cover up gray, make them look thicker or fuller, or make them darker? Or all of the above? I guess I’m trying to figure out if I should be doing this, since so many people say it’s a game changer. I have dark eyebrows already, no gray and they aren’t super thin (but perhaps they could be thicker/fuller).
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I like @abasket’s comment about knowing how to build an outfit. Knowing what work for your body helps a lot. I have a friend who will be 55 and she just seems to get fashion and wears the right thing to the right event and has it pulled together naturally without making it look like she is trying too hard. She is fit, plays golf/tennis, rides bike and keeps an active lifestyle. I don’t think she is trying to fool anyone that she is younger, but she has the ability to put fresh, stylish youthful pieces in her wardrobe age appropriately. She wears cute hats, and knows how to accessorize. She seems to value quality and invests in clothing that does not look cheap.She has confidence in her fashion style. She is a fashion inspiration!
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As a guy I’m going to say that women totally have all the luck with athleisure leggings. Tons of cool styles and I think women of all ages look great (and comfortable) in them.
By contrast any kind of athleisure bottoms on guys in public just looks lame, like they couldn’t bother putting on a pair of pants. Guys get to wear athleisure tops, but we’re kinda stuck with jeans for bottoms.
Oh and for the folks that think jeans are terribly uncomfortable- there are modern denim blends that are just about as comfortable as sweatpants. Super soft and stretchy; there’s a bit of a downside with shape retention (they stretch out over the course of the day) but that’s a small price to pay for the comfort factor. And of course women always have the jeggings option, which are prohibited for guys in the man code.