Can you dress too young for your age?

Of course a person can wear whatever they like but that doesn’t mean they look good in what they’re wearing.

The OP asked whether you can dress too young for your age… in my opinion they can. I used that woman as an example because she really did look ridiculous… her choice but that doesn’t alter my opinion of it.

I’m not a young person, I’m 69.

Sounds like some people are incredibly restrictive with their wardrobe choices to me. Surely if you love wearing something at 20 you are still allowed to love it at 50?

To me dressing too young would translate as dressing like a toddler or child, anything else is fair game IMO!
Personally in my 20s I took zero care of myself and was clinically obese and looked terrible, I finally have the figure I've always wanted now in my 50s and i plan on making the most of it! 😀

I'll still wear an above the knee skirt (with tights) and I'm 72.

Obviously people can wear whatever they want, but I do think that - for myself at least - styles and fabrics that I could wear when I was 20 would look ridiculous on me now (50). I'd feel very silly in tiny body con dresses, strappy tops and low rise jeans.

I also think that as I've grown older I've generally wanted to wear better cut, more structured clothing in good quality fabrics. I can certainly afford much better quality clothes now. And a tiny stretchy mini dress wouldn't be terribly forgiving on my 50 year old self, even though my size has remained fairly consistent.

The difference between this and a lot of the other posts is that you have made your own decision that you no longer feel comfortable and confident In Your clothes of choice.

Whereas a lot of the other posts here involve younger women telling older women they don’t have the right to feel comfortable and confident in their clothes of choice.

Anything trendy/popular with young people would be classified as ‘too young’ IMO. Not that it’s a bad thing, but because certain clothes are mostly worn by certain people, I would naturally make that connection.

It goes both ways though, I’m 23 so young ish and had my son at 20. Living in South West London most of the mums here are 30+, many in my area are 35-40 with the same age child as me. I remember actively trying to buy clothes to look older when I first had my son, because I wanted to fit in with them. Then I go to uni and feel like I’m not fashionable compared to my uni friends😭😂. I will say though the clothes I’ve bought trying to look older are muchhh better quality than the PLT stuff I used to wear.

Fuck off with your ageist shit. Everyone should be free to wear what they want. Who died and made you Fashion Führer?

I was going to post a similar thread the other day. Basically, I’ve always dressed “young”. Think
leggings, sport socks, false eyelashes. Walked past a group of young twenty-somethings dressed identically but looked a million times better and it felt like a lightbulb moment. I’m currently swapping clothes on Vinted because I no longer feel comfortable in my clothes. I’m trying to dress a lot softer if that makes sense.

Mate some people just like colours it’s not that deep

I don't 'get' why women do this when they get to around their mid to late 40s/their 50s. Never had coloured hair before, and just decide to do it pink or blue

How do you know theyve never had coloured hair before? I was a punk back in the 80s. I had my hair all sorts of colours. Then I somewhat grew out of it and went with dying my hair bog standard brown. Did that for years.

I grew it out to grey in lockdown. Got fed up of dying it. The brown didn't really suit my skin anymore and was fed up with grey roots showing within a week or two. So I bit the bullet and went full on grey. It's actually more white than grey. I can't dye it brown anymore after all the effort I put in to get rid of it and it wouldn't look good if I did. I did go blondish for a bit. But I got bored and have used a semi permanent light pink on it at times. Just for some variety. I'm 55, I could live for another 30 years! Sometimes I fancy a change. I wouldn't go full on neon but it's just fancying something different.

^100%

Do people really care that much want other people wear? "Oh no, that woman isn't wearing what I stereotypically associate with what I assume to be her age group". Who gives a fuck, so long as your bits aren't hanging out I don't give a shit!

Wow so much judgement on here. I’m 54 old professional woman on a high income with a DH and young adult kids, work out and watch my diet and health, have a keen interest in fashion but apparently if I wear combats and a sweatshirt I look ridiculous. I’ll book myself into a retirement home now shall I?

I wear what I like. I couldn't care less if strangers passing me in the street don't take me seriously. And anyone I engage with, well they take me seriously the minute I open my mouth.

I assume she liked the dress. Why do we ‘have’ to wear something flattering rather than just wearing clothes we like?

And Levi’s

I know of someone in her mid-late 40s who always has very young outfits on (as in 14 year old teenager young, not 20s young) such as crop tops and short skater skirts and hair in bunches which I do think is very odd.

Perhaps they’ve had a corporate job for years. Got made redundant (because ageism is still alive and well in the workplace and you’ve got that alllll ahead of you (unless your generation changes things) and finally thought fuck it. I am free finally from all the conventions.

Or perhaps she had cancer and lost all her hair before and thinks life is too short to not have a bit of fun.

or perhaps she just always fancied it and finally doesn’t care if people like you judge her any more.

Absolutely!

I think over the years it’s definitely become less obvious with the styles of clothing, more casual clothes can definitely be worn across generations but there are definitely lines not to be crossed.

I look at women who try and compete with their teenage or young adult daughters and it makes me cringe. It’s the same with men but again not as obvious as with women.

I might be old fashioned or even a snob but I think there comes a point that no matter how slim and young you look you need to think about what you wear especially if you have children. You can still look young, fun, show off your figure in a more dignified mature way.

Definitely a certain look and not one that younger people would aspire to it has to be said ...

That's it exactly.
I think revealing clothing is best left to those with a body to show off.

I don't think it's so much a casual clothing thing more an issue with skirts you can't sit down in, very low cut tops.

That said I fancied a pair of kickers, thinking i had a pair years ago and they were dead comfy. But looking at them with fresh eyes they all looked like school shoes, not really office wear.

You can wear what you like but it depends how seriously you want to be taken.

This! ^

I have to admit, I cringe so hard when I see a woman middle aged or older with hair dyed blue, or pink. It just looks so incredibly naff - and a bit sad, and is quite ageing. (IMO.)

A woman I know who is 54 has (had) dark blonde/light brown hair, and she looked 4-5 years younger than her age... Then she dyed it pink. Aged her 10 years. I don't 'get' why women do this when they get to around their mid to late 40s/their 50s. Never had coloured hair before, and just decide to do it pink or blue. Desperate attempt to recapture a youth they never had or something...? Trying to look 'edgy' and 'cool....?' Midlife crisis???

I don't know. And yes I know it's got fuck-all to do with me, and women can jolly well do what they want, but it's an open message forum, and I'm entitled to my view. And my view is that it looks ludicrous. And I agree with @cantthinkofausername26 that it's a bit 'try-hard.'

Yes I know you don't care what I think. You don't need to tell me.

Teens and 20’s people I know wear ultra mini uggs, platform adidas, doc martens and black flared trousers. I wear these too and I’m 57 🤷🏼‍♂️

You can’t speak for everyone, other people think differently to you.