RSS
Home
Age Inappropriate
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Still, snl.com
It happened last summer. I was preparing to leave for the grocery store, no need to get all dressed up, I reasoned, just threw on some cutoffs and a tank top. As I maneuvered into my rubber flip-flops and grabbed my keys,I caught a glimpse of myself in the full-length mirror by the door.
Holy crap, I thought. I concluded that my present countenance denoted one of two things, and neither were good. I looked like either:
A. An aging exotic dancer, well past her prime, on her day off, on her way to the clinic to get that unseemly rash checked out, or
B. A recently divorced, self-proclaimed "hot mom" whose teenaged daughter is her "best friend" with whom she enjoys "partying", and who flirts with said daughter's boyfriends.
Let me assure you, Reader, that neither of these were images I was interested in projecting. Ever.
It's incredibly startling when one reaches that defining moment. You know the one, when the cold, harsh reality hits that one can no longer pull off the same clothes one wore so effortlessly in one's twenties. Now, as I leave my thirties behind, I am retroactively embarrassed about all the things I'd been wearing during the last decade that were probably, well, not completely age-appropriate. Oops.
Well, I have always been a late bloomer. Better late than never, no?
The last thing you want is to unwittingly portray an image of trying to be something you're not, trying to appear younger by exposing too much skin or following fashion trends too literally. This doesn't mean I had to start wearing Mom Jeans and get a soccer-mom haircut, just that some clothes had to be tweaked and reconfigured, and many were bid a wistful farewell.
Clearly, one's profession and lifestyle have a legitimate impact on one's comfort level when it comes to dressing. Having been in rock bands for half my life, the rules for me were a bit more lenient in my mind, but even I had to accept that there is no plausible situation in which a leopard-print faux-fur mini could be deemed appropriate for a woman my age, onstage or off.
Dressing means something different for me now. There's a lot more thought that goes into what I wear, even if it is just for a quick grocery run. I will probably always live in jeans, except now mine are dark, lean and well-cut, as opposed to ragged, faded and hole-riddled. I still wear tank tops, but now covered with a jacket or sweater and a decent watch and accessories. I'm still figuring out the flip-flop thing, but this I know for sure: Platform rubber flip-flops are unacceptable for women over thirty-five, even at the beach. Also off-limits are extremely furry white boots, or any white boots that project even a tinge of go-go. And getting a professional bra fitting makes a world of difference; as one's body changes, the way to keep it looking good in clothes is great-quality underwear.
There are no absolutes, of course, and rules were made to be broken. But staying ahead of the game can be empowering and confidence-boosting. And there is nothing more beautiful than a confident woman who is comfortable in her skin, at any age.
Related Articles:
Comments
.jpg)
