"Dressing your age"...?

[Magpie]

I agree with wearing classic clothes. No one, no matter the age should be wearing polyester pants! Trendy clothes, which go out of style after a season should be avoided.

I want to age gracefully and not look desperate.

For the PP who seems to be a smaller size, petites departments are there for women so they do not have to shop in juniors.

Petites usually don't fit me - they're too short in the leg.

I'm 130 lbs, 5'7'', with long legs (longer than my husband's, who is 5'10''!), small chest and small waist. And hips - which is why I wear low cut jeans.

Due to my shoulders and chest, clothes for juniors generally fit me better as women's clothing seems to be cut for people with broader shoulders and something noticeable up top.

On the other hand, my personal tastes run more toward "eclectic" than "trashy". Today I'm wearing a broomstick peasant skirt with a black tank top and sandals. Tomorrow, if the weather's cooled down (ha!), I might wear my favorite jeans with the rips and embroidery, along with a fun t-shirt (like the one with Nathan Fillion that I bought from Doctor Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, or maybe my Red Dawn souvenir shirt...) and some high-top sneakers.

I don't want to give up my Dr. Horrible tee!

 

[golfgal]

You can be fashionable without dressing like a 14 year old. You certainly don't need to buy the Lee mom jeans because you are older but I agree, the low riders, thong hanging out the back is not attractive on ANYONE and most certainly anyone over the age of 23-24 when they are out of college and in a career.

I think grown women look silly in shirts with Abercrombie across their chest. It just screams "I can't grow up" to me. That style of tighter shirts with tiny sleeves looks fine on the right person but buy it in the grown up department, not the junior department.

No, I don't think people in the career world should be shopping at "teen" stores.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

You can be fashionable without dressing like a 14 year old. You certainly don't need to buy the Lee mom jeans because you are older but I agree, the low riders, thong hanging out the back is not attractive on ANYONE and most certainly anyone over the age of 23-24 when they are out of college and in a career.

I think grown women look silly in shirts with Abercrombie across their chest. It just screams "I can't grow up" to me. That style of tighter shirts with tiny sleeves looks fine on the right person but buy it in the grown up department, not the junior department.

No, I don't think people in the career world should be shopping at "teen" stores.

Even for the stuff they'll be wearing after work, or on weekends?

 

[Arielle22]

Petites usually don't fit me - they're too short in the leg.

I'm 130 lbs, 5'7'', with long legs (longer than my husband's, who is 5'10''!), small chest and small waist. And hips - which is why I wear low cut jeans.

Due to my shoulders and chest, clothes for juniors generally fit me better as women's clothing seems to be cut for people with broader shoulders and something noticeable up top.

On the other hand, my personal tastes run more toward "eclectic" than "trashy". Today I'm wearing a broomstick peasant skirt with a black tank top and sandals. Tomorrow, if the weather's cooled down (ha!), I might wear my favorite jeans with the rips and embroidery, along with a fun t-shirt (like the one with Nathan Fillion that I bought from Doctor Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, or maybe my Red Dawn souvenir shirt...) and some high-top sneakers.

I don't want to give up my Dr. Horrible tee!

Then my advice (taken from "What Not to Wear") is to find a tailor who can do expert alterations (as opposed to merely sewing a hem). Then buy clothes that fit the biggest part of you and have the other sections altered.

I started to follow this advice and found that I enjoy my clothes more when they fit correctly.

 

[golfgal]

Even for the stuff they'll be wearing after work, or on weekends?

No. It just isn't appropriate. What if you run into your boss while wearing your tiny shorts with "sexy" splashed in the rear and your bare midriff top with your chest hanging out the top? DO you REALLY think that is going to make a good impression and that your boss may think twice about that next promotion. Again, you can be fashionable without dressing like a 14 year old. You are out of college and it is time to grow up.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Petites usually don't fit me - they're too short in the leg.

I'm 130 lbs, 5'7'', with long legs (longer than my husband's, who is 5'10''!), small chest and small waist. And hips - which is why I wear low cut jeans.

Due to my shoulders and chest, clothes for juniors generally fit me better as women's clothing seems to be cut for people with broader shoulders and something noticeable up top.

On the other hand, my personal tastes run more toward "eclectic" than "trashy". Today I'm wearing a broomstick peasant skirt with a black tank top and sandals. Tomorrow, if the weather's cooled down (ha!), I might wear my favorite jeans with the rips and embroidery, along with a fun t-shirt (like the one with Nathan Fillion that I bought from Doctor Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, or maybe my Red Dawn souvenir shirt...) and some high-top sneakers.

I don't want to give up my Dr. Horrible tee!

Don't ever...EVER...let someone tell you that you must part with these T-Shirts. It would be a crime against humanity!

A PP mentioned "What Not to Wear." Those are the type of shows I cannot stand, as they would be the ones telling you that you need to toss the "fan" tees. It's disgusting that an entire industry has been created to basically insult people.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

No. It just isn't appropriate. What if you run into your boss while wearing your tiny shorts with "sexy" splashed in the rear and your bare midriff top with your chest hanging out the top? DO you REALLY think that is going to make a good impression and that your boss may think twice about that next promotion. Again, you can be fashionable without dressing like a 14 year old. You are out of college and it is time to grow up.

If my boss was truly concerned about what I do, or look like during MY time, than I would seriously consider a different job.

Of course since I've been "grown up" I've had bosses with whom I went on bar crawls with, among other events, where we certainly weren't dressed as we were for work.

 

[KristaTX]

ETA: Only on the community board would the word s k i n n y be considered a bad word that needs filtered

Okay I HAVE to test that. . .

s****y

fat

 

[KristaTX]

I could type "fat" but not "s****y". Does s****y mean something bad in current slang or something ?

 

[luvmy3]

Is it because of the word skin?

Guess not.

How about fatty and fat.

Interesting.

 

[MushyMushy]

I think there are some styles that women over a certain age (say 25) should stay away from because it just makes them look like they're trying too hard to hold on to their youth. I agree with the pp's who say anything with writing on the butt or trying to pull off the Catholic school girl look, or the anime look.

But for the rest I think it depends on the general appearance of the woman. I know a lot of women in their 40s who have GREAT bodies and can wear mini skirts, short shorts, midriff bearing shirts, holey jeans, etc. That's not to say they can pull it off just because they're thin, but because they're also in excellent shape. If you're in your 40s, have had 4 kids, and weigh 180 pounds, maybe it's best to skip the mini skirts and tops without bras. I'm just sayin.... not that anybody I know dresses like that.

 

[FireDancer]

I could type "fat" but not "s****y". Does s****y mean something bad in current slang or something ?

Nothing I've ever heard of.

Is it because of the word skin?

Guess not.

How about fatty and fat.

Interesting.

Discrimination of the thin I tell you.

 

[Arielle22]

A PP mentioned "What Not to Wear." Those are the type of shows I cannot stand, as they would be the ones telling you that you need to toss the "fan" tees. It's disgusting that an entire industry has been created to basically insult people.

I mentioned the show. Personally I do have fan tees and wear them. However there are some good tips on the show that you look can incorporate with your personal style.

I really don't find a suggesting a tailor to be an outrageous suggestion.

 

[Magpie]

You can be fashionable without dressing like a 14 year old. You certainly don't need to buy the Lee mom jeans because you are older but I agree, the low riders, thong hanging out the back is not attractive on ANYONE and most certainly anyone over the age of 23-24 when they are out of college and in a career.

I think grown women look silly in shirts with Abercrombie across their chest. It just screams "I can't grow up" to me. That style of tighter shirts with tiny sleeves looks fine on the right person but buy it in the grown up department, not the junior department.

No, I don't think people in the career world should be shopping at "teen" stores.

What if you're not in the "career world"?

 

[NotUrsula]

The honest truth is that I think that on someone over 25, ripped jeans are only appropriate for doing household chores or visiting the hardware store. (Embroidery is fine, though.) IMO, the "deliberately ripped" look is strictly for the very young -- if you are not a student anymore then you're past it.

I think that once you're over 30, big-print slogans and brand logos on tees are still fine if they are meant to be very casual, but not if you are wearing them to go out to any kind of occasion, other than wearing a sports logo tee to a sporting event. For instance, I wouldn't wear one to a happy hour at a trendy bar.

I'm personally very conservative in my clothes, but I no longer have a good figure; if I did I'd dress with a lot more flash in terms of color and cut. However, I assure you that I don't wear polyester pants. Department stores normally have two sections of Misses' sizing, one meant for younger women and one meant for older ladies. Generally speaking, the things meant for older ladies are going to be lower-priced and loose-fitting. The polyester pants and the shirts with the sequined sunflowers and fruit embroidery are in the older ladies' area. (Also, I think those shirts are ridiculous and dowdy even if you're 80.)

 

[grafxgirl]

I'd feel more visually assaulted but the 20 year old that squeezes into s****y jeans and spills out all over them like some kind of meat volcano eruption than a 40 year old who still had a great body and wanted to show it off.

ETA: Only on the community board would the word s k i n n y be considered a bad word that needs filtered

I say if you have the body for it and feel comfortable wearing "younger" clothes, then go for it! The thing I can't stand is when people try to squeeze themselves into clothes that clearly don't fit. For instance, "muffin top".

 

[lil mermaid]

See, this is exactly my question!

Which styles are these? What do you think makes a woman look "desperate"?

Me, I shop in the Juniors department, because that's where I can find clothes that fit. Also, I get depressed whenever I look at what they've got to offer over in the "Ladies" department (elastic waists, polyester prints, ick!)

On the other hand, if I was going to dress like my 14yo daughter, I'd be wearing black leggings with a black-and-silver oversize top with an open back. Basically, I'd look like a refugee from 1985. You couldn't pay me to dress like my teenager (okay, actually you could - but it'd be a reasonably good sum of money!).

There is a whole world of fashion in between the juniors' department and the elastic waist, polyester print department.

I am a firm believer in dressing age-appropriately. You can wear nicely fitting clothes to show off a good figure without dressing like a kid. I tend to wear classic clothes from stores like J Crew, Banana Republic, and Ann Taylor.

Those Mom jeans don't look good on ANYONE and nobody should wear them IMO.

Add me to the list of those who can't believe we are not allowed to use the word s****y!

 

[Magpie]

The honest truth is that I think that on someone over 25, ripped jeans are only appropriate for doing household chores or visiting the hardware store. (Embroidery is fine, though.) IMO, the "deliberately ripped" look is strictly for the very young -- if you are not a student anymore then you're past it.

I think that once you're over 30, big-print slogans and brand logos on tees are still fine if they are meant to be very casual, but not if you are wearing them to go out to any kind of occasion, other than wearing a sports logo tee to a sporting event. For instance, I wouldn't wear one to a happy hour at a trendy bar.

I'm personally very conservative in my clothes, but I no longer have a good figure; if I did I'd dress with a bit more flash in terms of color and cut. However, I assure you that I don't wear polyester pants. Department stores normally have two sections of Misses' sizing, one meant for younger women and one meant for older ladies. Generally speaking, the things meant for older ladies are going to be lower-priced and loose-fitting. The polyester pants and the shirts with the sequined sunflowers and fruit embroidery are in the older ladies' area. (Also, I think those shirts are ridiculous and dowdy even if you're 80.)

That works for me! My life consists of mainly professional writing, household chores, cooking and yes - trips to the hardware store. I did wear my "deliberately ripped" jeans to a convention recently - but the con was for sci-fi and fantasy writers so it seemed appropriate. I would certainly not wear them to dinner!

I have a couple black-tie type outfits for big events, and I have some conservative dark jeans and plain-but-dressy tops that are appropriate for media interviews (like on a local access channel, or something). Whether I wear my ripped jeans and fan-tee's to a school interview really depends on why I'm being called in. If I'm feeling cranky, I might. If I want to make a good impression, I won't.

 

[GeorgeG]

I'm very happy with "retired casual."

 

[~disneydiva~]

I wear "deliberately ripped" jeans. I shop at "teen" stores (I think...what makes it a teen store?). I also shop at uh..I guess "grown up" stores.


Oh and when I go to Disney....I wear DISNEY shirts.