What To Wear When You're 30-Something...

[baddabling]

not terribly helpful, but interesting all the same
thanks for sharing!

 

[quimby]

nice article.

i think she is just reflecting on her old wardrobe and style in light of a new lifestyle. kind of sentimental.

agreed.

seems like she was at a loss once she was out of her familiar environment. i can see how that can happen to anybody, Vogue editor or no. i often think of style as camouflage, to help you blend into your environment.

I think being a Vogue editor made her even more a person of her environment. Where personal style is trend-driven, not personal.

I really liked her second point of being in her 30s and not finding clear direction. considering the several threads i've encountered on how to dress in your 30s, or what length skirt is appropriate at x age, i think that's something that many of us could relate to. i thought she had a good point.

 

[jazspin]

I liked this article, and I agree with the others who said that her fashion choices were a product of her surroundings - and it can be very disconcerting when those surroundings are drastically changed.

I do wish she had offered an answer besides reverting to tried-and-true classics. There is nothing wrong with them, of course, but they can get boring. Just because you have reached your thirties doesn't mean you have to stick with the classics if that isn't your style. Although I do agree that one's personal style tends to get more refined as they get older - but again, refined doesn't mean boring.

 

[fashionista-ta]

you hit the nail on the head.

i disagree with her that interesting clothing is so terribly hard to find for 30-somethings. and i also do not understand why, to her, getting older or moving to the country MUST involve converting your wardrobe to staid classics only...

what, really, is the point of this article?

I think it is about her own personal identity crisis ... talk about a personal essay with applicability to exactly one person I always thought the human experience was universal, and here she goes proving me wrong

 

[As You Like It]

I have found that as I approached and subsequently passed 30, my fashion world has opened up in many ways because I finally have the confidence to wear the tailored and more soignee styles I'd always admired, but felt too conspicuous in as a younger woman.

I have had to re-tool my wardrobe pretty significantly in the last five years or so, it's true, but I have still retained quite a bit of my signature funkiness with bright colors and interesting tights, I just wear longer skirts and tops which show much less flesh. Technically, I have a good enough figure for more revealing clothing, but dressing all skimpy feels very "incorrect," both in regards to my age and to my lifestyle. I don't need to flaunt it all anyway. Decently fitted clothes will hint at what's going on beneath in a way that might be more sexy in its subtlety.

I love being able to mix up "classics" with some of the sillier elements of my old wardrobe. I think that because I have had a strong personal style for many years, and have a good understanding of what works for my figure and complexion, letting my personal style evolve with my age and lifestyle changes has been a gradual, painless, and even kind of fun process. Getting a more "professional" job last year gave me an excuse to have a thrift-store shopping spree and lay in a supply of tailored jackets, cute little suits, and lovely cashmere sweaters. I always feel nicely put together, but I always incorporate a little unconventionality in my outfits. Unusual tights, costume jewelry, or hair accessories help me keep "business-casual" interesting and fun.

 

[aquamarine]

My mum is 48, never worked in fashion and right now dresses better than she ever has before...

But that's just because she never let herself be dictated by fashion but rather learned to choose what suited her. By now, she has enough knowledge to be well dressed at any age, I believe.

 

[smashingv]

Thanks for the article, it was very interesting.

I haven't been here long, and I skip over magazine articles about what to wear in your 30s (I'm in my 20s), so I have no idea how the rest of you feel about fashion when you hit mid 30s. The thought always crosses my mind though - will I really be wearing outrageous and girlish pieces when I'm older? It scares me sometimes, but I guess I really won't know what my opinion will be on fashion until I hit that time. I would like to think I'll screw over ageism and wear whatever the hell I like, but who knows? I'll just have fun for now and worry later.

 

[snowqueen]

I am going to use my mum as an example but shes more kind of 40's .. well anyways we will wear the same pieces .. like simular jackets or tops etc. or like the same things.. or wear same key trends etc. but its how we were them.. we can make them look totaly different .. like its the cut of things really .. the older u are the less flesh u show, the less fitted ur clothes are etc. imo .. its not so much an age thing imo its more of a body things, oviously age n babies etc. have an impact on your figure so there are things you wont get away with when your older .. i think thats a main crusual reason for dressing different.

Am i the only one who thinks the title of this thread is a bit premature ?? 30 something is not old .. 30 is still very much young imo.

Were i come from the 30 somethings dont dress much different then the teenagers, n 20 somethings.. its more at around 40 there is a noticable change really.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ In your late 30s is when you start preparing for turning 40 We could also have a 40-something thread if anyone's interested ...

 

[quimby]

okay, i think i figured it out.
(my problem with transitioning into a style more suitable to older women.)

my personal style has always been kind of cutesy and whimsical.
little cat prints, clunky shoes, short skirts, and that sort of thing.
and my body hasn't really changed, so i can get away with wearing them still.

obviously, some of that has to go, but i don't know exactly what. i've always liked seeing elderly people in something idiosyncratic like converse sneakers, something typically associated with a younger style.

and then there is the old rule about no mini skirts after 35. but lots of women look amazing in mini skirts after 35. carine roitfield being a prime example. and legs are supposedly the last thing to "go." so this rule doesn't really make sense to me.

i guess i don't know what to edit about my style and what to keep. from what i have read, women in their 30s are supposed to have already experimented and then it's all a matter of editing. or just getting the same kinds of items in better quality? idk.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ If you're still feeling comfortable, maybe you don't need to change a thing

As I approached 40, I found myself wanting to change a few things ...

 

[quimby]

^ that's true. but i just have this fear of looking silly. like being one of those women who are the last to know they don't look good wearing the same old things anymore.

 

[*Happiness*]

I do think there are some criteria that change once you hit various ages.
I am tending to desire and purchase more quality items (pieces).
things that will last me the next 10+ years...not necessarily running after some cute, at the moment item.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ that's true. but i just have this fear of looking silly. like being one of those women who are the last to know they don't look good wearing the same old things anymore.

I think you're right though ... a 60 yo (or 80 yo) woman wearing Converse is cool ... as long as she has the right attitude. It's all about the attitude baby B)

 

[maiden voyage]

okay, i think i figured it out.
(my problem with transitioning into a style more suitable to older women.)

my personal style has always been kind of cutesy and whimsical.
little cat prints, clunky shoes, short skirts, and that sort of thing.
and my body hasn't really changed, so i can get away with wearing them still.

obviously, some of that has to go, but i don't know exactly what. i've always liked seeing elderly people in something idiosyncratic like converse sneakers, something typically associated with a younger style.

and then there is the old rule about no mini skirts after 35. but lots of women look amazing in mini skirts after 35. carine roitfield being a prime example. and legs are supposedly the last thing to "go." so this rule doesn't really make sense to me.

i guess i don't know what to edit about my style and what to keep. from what i have read, women in their 30s are supposed to have already experimented and then it's all a matter of editing. or just getting the same kinds of items in better quality? idk.

yes, i totally relate to this!

i'm the same way, having a kind of 'youthful' frame and face ...and personality too, i guess. and i still like wearing short skirts, clunky shoes and so on! so now, i've almost used up my 30's... they went by really fast!!! almost so fast that i didn't take note, and had to kind of nudge myself to reassess what i was wearing.

i think it's being mia farrow as opposed to angelica huston... i think it'd be pretty natural for angelica to gravitate towards a more 'mature' kind of style at a younger age, because it just suits her more, so she could dress the same at 30 and 60, no problem. but if mia farrow were to keep wearing babydoll dresses at age 60, it would be odd - she would look like a very ancient 12 year old. so in a way, if you have that type of 'young' frame and face, you have to be more careful to adjust, in some way or other. i think it's more in subtle adjustments rather than just making a dramatic change. i still wear short skirts, and converse and hoodies, etc. but not all the time.

and talking about older people wearing converse etc, i recently saw anna halprin, a famous modern dancer who's now in her mid 80's i think... she was wearing a totally cute outfit, topped off with a newsboy cap, looking quite trendy and totally herself. i loved it.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ There is no better way to be a beautiful older woman than to be a dancer

"ancient 12 year old" gave me the shudders

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Always a good idea to put off worrying until later

 

[MahaK]

AAhhh...I had hoped there would be more insight with her interview as well.
Oh well, I suppose us ladies in our 30's just find the niche.
I, like you as-you-like-it have had to re-vamp my wardrobe for my change in taste. But like to keep trying new things regardless. I do know that I am more clear now on what works for my body then when I was younger.

 

[stella-mayfair]

it is hard to believe that the author's a VOGUE editor. shouldn't she have gained more confidence and a somewhat profound knowledge what works for her during her career in fashion? honestly, i don't get her. i am 36 myself and am happy to say that i don't dress in a navy nightmare. she might consider taking a look at fabulous carine roitfeld. yes, she's 50+, but how utterly gorgeous that woman is!

 

[Les_Sucettes]

That's a strange article! The only thing I do not wear that i used to are hot pants. And I make sure my belly is always well covered, for the rest i wear exactly the same things.