Fashion And Age - Appropriate Dressing

[jun3machina]

I'm affraid I am going to have to greatly dissagree with the above!

Like I said, I am 21. I truely hate color unless it is rust, turquoise, or goldenrod. I dont where much color besides those colors and my wardrobe consists mainly of indigo jeans, whites beiges, browns and earthtones. I am not a fan of color, especially when girls my age pile it on. I think it looks tacky.

Just because it is the trend for younger people to wear color, does not mean it neccesarily looks good on them, or it is what they feel comfortable in. I dont think the idea of wearing neutrals ages anyone! I think some of the spring trends with whites and beiges (which are neutrals) are some of the most youthful, beautiful and fresh trends for quite a while. I do not think young wearers of neutrals, like myself, are giving up trends, and aging too fast.

If anything I have more respect for them because they ARE more aware of what suits them, what they are comfortable in, and are not so self conscious of being a trend wh*re, and having the "in" thing or color on all the time. If you merely follow trends, I think that's going to look way tackier and trashy, because then you're just purchasing what the industry tells you is in, and you are giving up your individuality to be young like the rest of them.

So if being "in style" if you are young is going with the trends, then you are equally ignorant thinking that neutrals age someone and you have to be a certian age to enjoy them. When you say "In conclusion, I think not only mature women should dress age apropriately, young people should also dress age appropriately" you are merely showing the imaginary confines you think exist and the style stereotypes that society puts on these age groups. Yes, I dont neccessarily think women in their 40's should try the styles of 20-somethings....but if you know what you are doing, because you know what suits you and makes you feel comfortable and sexy, I think that has a lot more weight than merely dressing on how you "should" because of the current styles and trends.

 

[J'aime_la_mode]

First, I am a teen here~~~

Ok, after reading all the post, I still think age should play a big role towards what a person wears. If a young person wears an extremely trendy yet with a lot of personality outfit, that person would be considered as "cool". If a mature women dresses too extreme, she will not be taken seriously for sure.

I think there is a wider range of clothing options for young people, because they can pull off almost anything that are extremely trendy, colorful, playful etc. But once you have reached a certain age, being extremely trendy, colorful, and too playful will always end up looking tacky and trashy.

I actually hate it when I see a young girl (around 20) who wears a classic and sophisicated outfil with neutural colors. I think she is aging too fast, she is too early to "give up" trends and the playfulness she can have for her age.

In conclusion, I think not only mature women should dress age apropriately, young people should also dress age appropriately. There is really no need to try to look more mature, because you will eventually get there, but you will never ever be young again, so play up with your style when you are still young.

I strongly disagree as well, I think one should dress for themselves, their personality and their body. I am in my late teens and I tend to dress in a lot of dark neutrals. For the most part I ignore trends becaue I know what looks good on me. I wouldn't describe my style as anything near playful but its definetly not too mature for my age and or at all boring. I just think since everyone is different this question of what is age appropriate is impossible to answer.

 

[Trista]

I'm 18 and I have gotten a lot of scorn for dressing provacatively-the way that I see it is in 15 years I won't be able to wear the same things, so it's my opportunity to wear tops that show off my chest area. I don't do some things-super low-rise jeans are a no-no as well as skinny jeans or leggings.

I've pretty much avoided trends for a long time now because I don't like to be pigeonholed into what to wear. When I see the ads for the fashions for people my age, I want to gag because it's just not a good look. I like how the local Fred Meyer has more pieces at regular proportions because long tops simply don't look good on everyone.

And as far as colour goes, I can't stand neutrals either, but it's because I have some olive tones in my skin so I can rock colour. Just like for some people, neutrals suit them, colours suit me to a T. I discovered my personal style early in high school because I didn't have all the trendy things, so I took what I had and worked with it. One thing I always ask myself when I go into stores is "Will this item be able to go for a couple years?" and I buy items based on that. I got through the boho trend, the Ugg's, and I'll get through this 80's silhouette.

 

[BettyCooper]

Age appropriate dress

I don't know if this topic has ever been discussed but I am really having a hard time, as are my peers, in dressing age appropriately.

I have no idea how to wear some of the clothes I have without looking like I'm 15. It also doesn't help that I have a young face, am 5'3'' and am often assumed to be a teenager!

Does anyone else find it hard if you're out of your teens and eary twenties to find an age appropriate style. I'm 28 and I feel like I'm an old lady to be wearing jumpers, yet I see other women older than me pull it off. What should I be wearing?? All fashion seems too young for me these days [in a range of 12-23]! But I know I don't belong in power pantsuits everyday either! My friends have the same problem. What are some tips for dressing as you head into your [UGH] 30s??

 

[snowqueen]

I dont think this is really trend spotting i think youd get a better response in personal style

 

[Curious]

I don't know if this topic has ever been discussed but I am really having a hard time, as are my peers, in dressing age appropriately.

I have no idea how to wear some of the clothes I have without looking like I'm 15. It also doesn't help that I have a young face, am 5'3'' and am often assumed to be a teenager!

Does anyone else find it hard if you're out of your teens and eary twenties to find an age appropriate style. I'm 28 and I feel like I'm an old lady to be wearing jumpers, yet I see other women older than me pull it off. What should I be wearing?? All fashion seems too young for me these days [in a range of 12-23]! But I know I don't belong in power pantsuits everyday either! My friends have the same problem. What are some tips for dressing as you head into your [UGH] 30s??

Oh come on.. the 30s aren't that bad

I think this is a really difficult question to answer generally because it all depends on the person, body type, environment, etc.
I swear this is reminiscent of an earlier conversation, but I can't find it anywhere..

Well, in that earlier conversation ..
I remember someone wise (maybe Susie Bubble) stating that as you age, it really becomes more about the quality of the clothes rather than the type.
Refining the materials and the cuts...

For example, assuming you mean jumper as in a sweater, rather than wearing a cotton one, you may trade in for a luxurious cashmere. Or if you meant jumper as in a bib top dress, you might switch it from a cotton jersey to a nicely cut wool version...

That being said, I think it's safe to say you can ditch any micro-minis or daisy dukes regardless of cut or material...
Not that those are particularly fashionable right now anyway

 

[shoexgal]

I think dressing older looks good on younger girls, but the reverse just isnt true. I hate when I see a mom and she's dressed like her teen age daughter, something about that just makes the mom look sad.

 

[two months off]

Ah, BettyC, I feel the same although the reason I feel most like that is that I want to wear the nicer, more grown up clothes but have nowhere to wear them! I still go to school (I'm a painting major, so I don't ever wear nice stuff in case of a spill or accident), I don't have an 'office' job, and things are extremely casual over here.

I think it's just a matter of fitting what you like to wear into your lifestyle/environment, so that you feel comfortable, rather than it being an age thing.

 

[MulletProof]

I was having a conversation with my aunt the other day, she says women over 40 simply cannot pull off an over-the-knee skirt, and i insisted i had seen great women doing it.
like curious said, there are some important factors that depend on how the person looks. and i still think it's, for all ages, the 'one at a time' rule. you can wear almost anything as long as you keep the rest quiet.

..but i've never been 30, so i dont really know.

 

[miu_miu]

I think what MulletProof says is right; it does depend on certain factors outside of your age. Older women can look great in 'younger' clothes because they've got a great figure, and have more confidence in what looks good on their bodies. Younger women would sometimes do well to follow that rule, rather than follow fashion...for example, opting for more tailored pieces. But of course, most people want to look current, fashion aware, so taking one element of a trend is the best way to approach it if you're afraid of looking like mutton dressed as lamb.

I do agree that sometimes it can be difficult to know how to dress when the current fashion isn't suitable to your lifestyle, and this can be for any number of reasons. Regardless, what's more important is that you're comfortable in what you're wearing. Wear things you like, and go for more luxurious items...like Curious said...you've earned these things, enjoy them!

I would also say that accessories, such as bags, shoes and jewellry can really change the tone of your outfit..so if you're not sure what clothing you can pull off, you'll always be able to change your look with great heels, or a brightly coloured bag.

 

[classic1908]

I'm a big age-approrpriate advocate (just turned 42). In fact, I've been accused of dressing older than I am for years -- I had a friend who'd clown me when I was in my late 20s because I liked neutrals.

My influences were polished, well-put-together older women like my mother and godmother.

As for others, my feeling is to each their own. I like polish, but some don't. I can only control what I wear. Trends don't work for me, so I stick to classics.

 

[Whitelinen]

I feel that the thing is to dress elegantly and have class, not about what age you are. If you know how to be elegant, you will be fine.

I do think that everyone needs to consider what they can pull off at every age, how their body has changed etc. Something you wore at the age of 15 might not look good when you're 30 and vice versa.

 

[loves]

what i liked when i was young i'd never wear now, not because i think it's not age-appropriate but rather it doesn't appeal to me anymore

for example i had good legs when i was younger so i used to be in short skirts and shorts. now my legs are still good but i feel uncomfortable wearing something too short. our tastes change as we age, it's a natural progression so i say don't worry too much! wear whatever you feel like wearing that day because one day you'll find that you don't like that kind of clothing anymore and you'd never do it again.

one thing i don't like seeing is an older woman with a very good body (let's face it, some above 40s have better bodies than a 20yr old!) and the age-appropriate mature face dress too young. neck down she looks great, neck up, she's just a parody. as for younger girls dressing older, to me they're young and therefore experimenting so not as bad or as sad as someone older trying to hold on to her youth (like me

 

[voodoo_mary]

hmm i'm 33 and i'm still buying loads of skinny jeans..
i'm still experimenting with different styles. though i do make sure that the clothes are of better quality. i can't get away with 20 dollar t-shirts..
but neither do i want to get all dolled up in expensive suits.
and the makeup has gotten alot thinner...actually, i dont wear any more

 

[Whitelinen]

What do you think is appropriate way of dressing for younger people? Since it is considered that over 30s shouldn't wear this and that ( not my opinion though, but in general), what shouldn't the youth wear?

 

[BettyCooper]

yes, its true. As we head into our 30's its better to buy quality clothing in more expensive fabrics. No more 20$ cotton shirts and yes, less risk taking over all. Sigh....

 

[winterinjuly]

I think that if women in there twenties were really smart, they would stop buying crappy twenty dollar shirts. They would invest in a wardrobe that develops over time. They would excersise more and they would also find out that the average women does not start to invest in her future until she is in her early thirties. This mean that women still think I don't need an rrsp or any other saving plan because my knight in shining armour will rescue me. Stop buying sh*tty clothes, start buying quality pieces. And please stop worrying about investing in a wardrobe when chances are you aren't investing in your future.

 

[Sheeam]

My first " going out " outfit consisted of blue acid wash jeans, white sneakers, a beige buttondown shirt and a thin red tie.

That's inappropriate dress for any age !

 

[Bluestar07]

^

I feel that the thing is to dress elegantly and have class, not about what age you are. If you know how to be elegant, you will be fine.

I do think that everyone needs to consider what they can pull off at every age, how their body has changed etc. Something you wore at the age of 15 might not look good when you're 30 and vice versa.

Well put WhiteLinen! I'm thinking Nicolette Sheridan as Edie in DH. She's got great legs and a cute butt and all but somehow looking at the entire package when she wears hot pants and a midriff baring cami just isn't right.

Also I think that another major point in considering whether a certain outfit is appropriate is the occasion you're wearing it for. A teen / 20 something may look absolutely gorgeous in something slinky and sexy for a party but imagine wearing that to a formal or worse...church. Yes, I've seen teenage girls in church wearing stuff and globs of makeup that would make Christina Aguilera cringe.

 

[dizzytacks]

i think attitude and fashion are quite synonymous, age is inevitable and completely unrelated.