Can you dress too young for your age?

I’ve never worn cheap clothes. Nothing I own is fast fashion.
It’s harder to get nice stuff now, it’s much more expensive.
So, I think I’ve always looked nice. I see young ones now in the flesh-coloured leggings & think how well we looked in our jeans. But, my outfits were “young” not sophisticated in any way.

Anyway, I digress. That wasn’t your question! I once saw a woman, from the back, who had an amazing figure. Great legs, she was wearing a micro mini, a sort of surf-chick style. It wasn’t until she turned around, I could see she was my age (mid 40s then). I think they call it Sixteen Sixty-Five? It didn’t add up…

It was as if she was still wearing her clothes from the Noughties. Like Britney does. I remember reading that Trinny sold off her designer wardrobe, as you do need to upgrade your look. I think early to mid 40s is a real time of change as you might have been still girlish enough in your late 30s…

See, this thigh high boot and short skirt and v neck top thing - this is not a 'young' outfit in my mind. You don't see teens or 20 somethings wandering about in thigh high boots and mini skirts

They're all in baggy bottoms with cropped tops (again) round here. It's all about the midrift.

The thigh boot thing and mini skirt thing - when was that actually in fashion?

Yes exactly.

She felt good in it. That trumps whatever the poster thought about it. Their view is irrelevant.

@DancingLions

why were you “horrified” though?
that’s the bit I don’t get

Another dinosaur here

I think it’s harder, when you’re older, to look good in some styles. And fashion in general tends to be aimed at the young. Fashions that show a lot of skin, for instance, tend to look better on people with smoother skin.

So when you’re younger current fashions are more likely to look good and if they don’t people just think you can’t dress well/cant dress for your size/etc. When you’re older and you wear current fashions badly people think you’re dressing too young for age. But there are plenty of older women who wear current fashions well and look good.

@cantthinkofausername26

yeah, what exactly do you think she should have been wearing to look more ‘age appropriate’? Per Una waterfall cardigan and some nice boot cut jeans?

Hmm. I want to say it doesn't matter.
But i always remember, seeing this woman from behind and she had on a very short skirt, blonde hair extensions, thigh high boots etc. I basically expected her to be in her 20s or there abouts. She turned around and oh my gosh the wrinkles! She was at least 60 with either sun damaged and/or smokers skin. It was jarring.

That was actually about 15 years ago! Yet has stuck in my mind all this time. I think because at the time I just thought ok you can be "too old" to wear certain things! I was 40 at the time and still dressed relatively "young" but it made me acutely aware that the clock was ticking!

I mean sure, maybe she didn't care and you could argue she doesn't need to care! But she'd clearly gone to a lot of effort and I don't think "horrified shock" was the impression she was going for.

It’s bollocks.

hth.

What on earth is age inappropriate about leggings an oversized sweatshirt and converse on a 40 something? Loads of middle aged women wear those clothes. Converse are the footwear of choice in my 50 something circle.

I’m all for wear what you want but if I started wearing urban outfitters exclusively like me teen dd and friends I might raise a few eyebrows

For a woman or a man I would say you dress too young when you have the mindset of a teenager "please look at me". It feels and looks insecure, like you need validation.

Maybe, certainly the rubber buttons have "pinged off' my liberty bodice now I have filled out a bit.

Yet when I was younger, once you went grey you got a blue rinse. People have blue hair because they like having blue hair. As asked, why are you assuming motivation and why does it have a age limit?

Well aren’t you just lovely! 🤣

I probably see more 40+ women with blue hair than any other age group. Perhaps it’s the others that are trying too hard.

My gut reaction is: I agree.

But in the spirit of the thread, what is 'suiting your shape'? It's an interesting thought. Is it 'makes you look slimmer'? Makes you look taller, shorter? Makes you look closer to some ideal?

If so - why must we all try to strive towards looking a certain way?

If not, what does make something 'suit' a 'shape' ?

Again i'm not being snippy. I'm the first to worry about how i look! Sometimes it's nice to step back and think about what, exactly, we're all worrying about.

Trying too hard for what?

I go to different festivals and live in a multi cultural city and no-one would look at black men dressed like that and think they look too old to be wearing what they are.
People really need to think what difference does what someone is wearing make, to the person wearing it, or anyone who happens to look at them.

And I always think it's a bit tragic seeing 40 odd year olds with blue hair..., trying too hard!

With a red hat? 🤞🏻
Gosh, there is some judgey, sexist, ageist nonsense on this thread.
To me the only time someone looks like they are dressing too young is if they look specifically like they are trying to look younger. There is a difference between wearing something super trendy because you love the cut, the colour, the style and wearing something because 20 somethings are and you think you'll look 20 something.
Wear the miniskirt, rock the long hair, line your eyes. Life is to short to pay attention to the cats bum mouths from people who think you 'should' be wearing something different because of the number at the start of your age.

I think I'm in denial that I'm starting to look my age. Have always looked younger, but with the stress of 4 family deaths and putting on weight I'm starting to look like a 43 year old. I was out somewhere the other day, a woman was wearing pretty much the same clothes as me, oversized sweatshirt, leggings, converse. But her face gave away her age and I thought to myself wow she needs to dress for her age.... she was probably about my age! I suddenly realised that I'm probably someone people look at in the same way!

I think your teenage son needs to learn better manners.

I think when you’re younger, you can get away with clothes that don’t suit your shape more. When you’re older, maybe less so.