Can you dress fun when you're older?

[ChloeFrancoise]

Isn't the idea that older people shouldn't bother kind of ageist? And why shouldn't a person of any age be able to enjoy wearing things they love wearing? Also it's not a competition. I can't speak for anyone else but I feel no need to compete with anyone while I'm still in my 20s or when I'm older. I just like the idea of having a collection of clothing to wear that I'm happy to be in, and I don't mean an unnecessarily large amount of clothing. I'm not into the mentality that older people should just be pushed aside for younger (more inexperienced) people whether we're talking about fashion or anything in general. I like the site Style Like U. There's a variety of people both younger people and older. And yes, fashion isn't the most important thing in the world, but there's nothing wrong with someone getting enjoyment out of what they wear. Why should someone else have the right to make a person feel bad about that? Even a person who says they don't care about fashion (or personal style) chooses specific clothing out of all the clothing they could have chosen instead when they go to a store to shop.

 

[carmen_kass]

YES! I hate old people (especially the over 30 crowd), we need some sort of a nationwide culling to ensure they don't end up in a high end boutique.

 

[Fewormany]

Young people should stop caring about how they look.
Your grades won't go up by buying a new pair of UGGs or trying to look **** in leather leggings. The older you get the wiser you get so the things you wear are more well thought out, plus you give an example to the young who should focus on important things.

Besides every time you think of fashion a brain cell dies, older people can handle that.

 

[papa_levante]

I see where applejammy is coming from.

What I'm trying to say is that... after a certain point, doesn't fashion just seem really frivolous?

When you're young, wanting to get attention at the prime of your life makes sense. You want to find yourself a mate. You want to look hot, whatever. You wear your age proudly. But as you get older and you start to age, shouldn't priorities change? Shouldn't you have become wiser?

You are looking at it from an evolutionary point-of-view: trying to appear desirable to the opposite sex to essential live on into future generations.

I can see your point, yet nature doesn't care about the clothes you are wearing. But, I do agree on some level about "older and wiser" people that shouldn't care about their looks as much, but I don't have a concrete stand on that particularly.

Ultimately, I think lots of fashion is more catered towards the young. For example, using young faces to sell clothing versus older ones. There will always be nice clothing for people to buy at whatever age, but in terms of where one's "priorities" are, I think it's not up to us to decide.

You do what makes you feel good.

 

[ScarlettLover]

In some ways I can see where applejammy is coming from. I do think the young drive fashion, and certainly dominate it....they always have. But I don't think fashion is only for the young, quite the contrary. I do think it's more acceptable for the young to be 'slaves' to the trends, with the young having the extra time to follow them. But fashion will never be just for the young. I hope I never lose interest in it. I think it'll keep me younger and more imaginative. Fashion is such a beautiful thing, and there shouldn't be an age limit on it.

 

[loladonna]

I think it is ridiculous when an older woman tries to dress inappropriately youthful for her age but I have no problem with an older woman simply being stylish. In fact it's my biggest fear that as I get older I will stop caring and become one of those women at the mall or grocery store wearing sweats or mom jeans. I respect people who maintain a sense of style as they age.

 

[Hebden]

I disagree so much with this post that I do not even Know where to start.

Agreed. That this question would even be asked, in this day and age, is mind-boggling.

Oh...and if I ever reach an age when I can no longer enjoy things that are "frivolous"...shoot me. To suggest that such a thing would occur at 30 is ridiculous. To quote Mark Twain, "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter"...or, perhaps even more pertinently in relation to this thread, Samuel Davies "Intolerance has been the curse of every age and state".

 

[liny]

Let's be honest: fashion and the desire to look good are two sides of the same coin. The purpose of fashion is to express yourself through your wardrobe, on the one hand, but also to seek attention. When you're young, wanting to get attention at the prime of your life makes sense. You want to find yourself a mate. You want to look hot, whatever. You wear your age proudly. But as you get older and you start to age, shouldn't priorities change? Shouldn't you have become wiser? I look at the pictures on the satorialist website and there are lots of people who are 30+ being featured. And yes they all look good, but I can't help but judge them for being at an age when they should KNOW better than to waste their time dressing up, looking fashionable for the camera especially when they're competing against much younger better looking people.

I am unable to identify with the whole post in any way, and the above line of reasoning as especially whack. I never dressed to "find a mate". Neither do my friends. At least, it never seems the case when we go shopping or get dressed together.

Neither is dressing well about being competitive. That's an aspect of fashion only some people care about, and it's hardly an accurate reflection of the richness design and style has to offer.

I think it belittles fashion, style, and design to describe it as some kind of special effect to get attention.

Finally, what does age have to do with this? Fashion may market clothing to the young, erroneously, but people with style of all ages and sizes wouldn't let something like that stop them from enjoying fashion and developing their personal style. I don't it's about young or old - there's a kind of confidence that only comes with experience.

And to quote the fantastic Susan Sarandon - "If you're upset at how you look at 25, life's going to be tough."

 

[silk skin paws]

Our society is youth obsessed that's for sure and fashion love to portray the young and glamorous actresses, models, and street style. But no, fashion isn't only for the young and transcends age. It's for all and someone really into fashion for pleasure or even career wise the love for it won't change with age. Someone is their mid 30's isn't old and fairly young if you ask me. Something I wore as a teenager or a few years ago I won't wear now. As I get older my style change or evolved a bit. That's the wonderful thing about getting older.

 

[Lapin de Lune]

Some might say that as you grow older, you learn to enjoy fashion primarily for the self, as opposed to using it to impress other people.

This won't be the same for everyone, of course.

Perhaps this is the difference between utilizing fashion as a form of pleasure and self expression, as opposed to using it to define one's self worth.

I am always surprised when women below the age of 26 express such a terror of growing older. You think it will hurt, but it doesn't

 

[tigerrouge]

We live in a world that’s saturated with marketing, where the psychological make-up of the human mind is deliberately exploited for profit, so that some faceless person sitting at a desk can extract money from you, through a process of first making you feel inadequate and then selling you a solution that’ll make you feel better for five minutes.

It’s almost impossible not to be touched by that process, which makes it imperative that we never lose sight of how our strings are being pulled, and how easily we can allow our basic values - like self-respect and acceptance - to be replaced by an instability where we’re forever looking outside of ourselves for fulfilment.

Fashion naturally targets young people, because they’re still in search of their own identities, trying on everything for size - mindsets and miniskirts - so it’s almost a mutual exploitation. But we shouldn’t look at this commercial focus on an easily exploited age group and mistake it as a meaningful depiction of life, no matter how pervasive the message is.

It’s important not to let the illusions get the upper hand. We’re sold the idea that beauty is the most important attribute we can possess, but if we stop to examine it, the gilded life of being the prettiest girl in the room is another one of those fantasies where all the problems have been airbrushed out. All beauty (and youth) does is bring a person more opportunities - there’s absolutely no guarantee of a happy ending. You have to work to get one of those, and you can do that regardless of how your facial features are arranged.

 

[tigerrouge]

Personally, I can’t remember being young as something that was that great, I felt it was a time where I received professional disrespect simply on account of my age, and meaningless attention from men that had nothing to do with the person I am. I was still forming my experience of relationships through painful mistakes, and I had an incomplete view of how to react to events, and what battles are worth fighting.

Not that I know the whole story now, but enough to keep me on a more even keel, for which I am thankful.

My inner yearning was always "to be taken seriously", so wearing Hello Kitty hair slides was never going to be part of my visual identity, and that whole aspect of femininity that’s based around remaining childish leaves me cold. So I don’t think I felt the loss of much, when I left those years behind.

And I am now officially old, in terms of the definitions in this thread, and so far, no body parts have dropped off and the meaningless attention from men persists. If I’m supposed to be wandering around in the unhappy wasteland of a woman’s twilight years, I must have missed the sign, because I’m not there yet. I probably ran in the opposite direction when I saw the word "twilight".

 

[Lapin de Lune]

My inner yearning was always "to be taken seriously", so wearing Hello Kitty hair slides was never going to be part of my visual identity, and that whole aspect of femininity that’s based around remaining childish leaves me cold. So I don’t think I felt the loss of much, when I left those years behind.

Thankyou Tigerrouge! The bolded part of your quote is something which I have despaired of for most of my life. I am equally mystified and disturbed by it. This particular aspect of female 'identity' quite possibly deserves an entire thread to itself.

You have (as always) managed to articulate so many of my own thoughts so perfectly.

 

[Zarina]

Fashion is not about age but personality.

 

[McClaire]

^ I agree 100% but doesn't some elements of fashion prey on the insecure and usually they are young? 'Wear this and be beautiful' or 'get this and guys/girls will want to be/with you'. I can see where applejammy is coming from, ie when you get older priorities change but I think as long as someone has personality and wants to express it, they will always be interested in fashion.

 

[Zarina]

^Of course some designs are made for young people, but it doesn't mean that older people can't wear them. It depends on their shape, how they style etc.

 

[Les_Sucettes]

fashion prey on the insecure and usually they are young? 'Wear this and be beautiful' or 'get this and guys/girls will want to be/with you'.

But that's exactly why i strongly disagree with Apple's post. It's based in my view in two totally incorrect premisses.

1- That the young are very interested in fashion.
2-That the interest in fashion is directly connected to the desire to look attractive.

Fashion is indeed obsessed with youth, and that fact alone proves that the ones doing the obsessing have to be old enough to try to capture something that they were unaware when you were actually young.
"Youth is wasted on the young" and all of that...

 

[LeBonChic]

Since your opinion is not going to bother anyone and anyone here can debunk your opinion. I feel unnecessary to comment

 

[McClaire]

But that's exactly why i strongly disagree with Apple's post. It's based in my view in two totally incorrect premisses.

1- That the young are very interested in fashion.
2-That the interest in fashion is directly connected to the desire to look attractive.

Fashion is indeed obsessed with youth, and that fact alone proves that the ones doing the obsessing have to be old enough to try to capture something that they were unaware when you were actually young.
"Youth is wasted on the young" and all of that...

Just wanted to say I really agree with you on this. I also think that maybe the young interpret fashion wrong for the reasons you mention and more.

 

[William_St_Girl]

Only have to add that cant even believe this thread is a discussion topic... fashion is simply not about age but an expression of individual style and taste that grows with you through life till the day you die and even beyond for those that pic out an outfit to be burried in...

What I would say is that it is the younger generations and im not old BTW... that will be more influenced by the marketing and buzz of fashion... but then the older ones here will all probably admit to a certain degree that they where too when they where younger... I know I was...

It's just part off life transition that the young are more influenced by marketing and media and the buzz than older people! It's not new any more to us!