How do you dress...

[ToastedTeacakes]

...in your late 30's / early 40's?

I don't necessarily have a problem with my own 'personal style', but I'm really curious about a few things. I look a fair bit younger than 39, slim with longish hair, and feel ok about how I look, but I keep wondering about skirt length, and how others might perceive it. I don't go by 'rules' and tend not to judge anyone else for how they choose to dress at any age, but at the same time I don't want to come across like I'm trying to look younger - does that make sense?

I prefer skinnies and skirts to dresses, so if I don't want to wear jeans all the time I opt to mix it up with skirts. But I'm having a problem locating skirts that aren't super short. It's like most of them would require tights, and I feel that mini skirts with black tights was how I dressed at 19, and I kind of don't want to do that anymore. I am so sick of opaques!

So how do others negotiate this?
Do you just say to hell with it and wear the mini, tights or no tights?
Try as I might, all of the knee length skirts I see in the stores are really frumpy, boxy and make me look a but odd. If I wear a mini I suddenly look 'pulled together', they suit my legs and my proportions really well. I wold love to find a knee length skirt that was a stylish as the shorter ones but it ain't happening.

Any thoughts on this crazy, overdone topic?
If it helps, people whose style I admire include Isabel Marant, Clemence Poesy, Emmanuelle Alt, Sophia Coppola, etc. Many of them older than me and they don't seem to care about skirt length - but then we have vastly different lifestyles!

Sorry it's so long!

[ToastedTeacakes]

Hah! I actually like those boots, and would never have thought to wear them with a skirt that way. I love how these look, but can't imagine me doing this for day to day wear. I would also feel the urge to wear tights, which might not work?

How do the rest of you deal with the issue of 'when to wear tights'? I can only dare to go bare in summertime, and even then I get a tad paranoid about my legs looking too white (I know, it's sad). Do you just say 'fuck it' and go bare anyway???

[ToastedTeacakes]

And oddly, I am a lot more open to ideas at 39 than I was at 20.
I always dressed to hide myself back then and rarely experimented. I tend to be a lot more at ease with myself these days - for instance, I would never have gone near skinnies or bared my legs in summer when I was younger.

So for any so-called restrictions growing older may entail, I'm certainly having a lot more fun now!

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I'd wear opaques. I don't like boots with bare legs.

[ToastedTeacakes]

bunnymother , that's lovely, if only it had sleeves!

Remus, you know, I like the idea of wearing shoes with socks but would never do it. I'd feel like I was trying to imitate an Asos model ;) I do like boots with bare legs, but would depend heavily on style of skirt.

[Kione]

I am 34, I wear skirts and dresses with tights all the time, with riding type boots or flat shoes. I have a black dress wirh white at the bottom which is quite plain and wear it with patterned tights and flat shoes.
I bare legs in thw summer but always with wedge sandals and put tan lotion, the one that goes when you shower.
A line skirts are my favourite, knee length or shorter and dresses.with 60's vibe.

[scarlet76]

OP- I'm 37 and people tend to assume I'm younger. I think largely cos I am 5ft and size 6/8.
I struggle with finding skirts that fit well. It is getting the right length that's hard. I have a cord above the knee one that I wear with tights. I tend to dress down with heeled ankle boots or brogues.
In summer I wear maxi skirts with low wedge sandals.

[Sleepwhenidie]

Remus those links are lovely, I should try some skirts like that on but still can't see them working for stomping around on school run or taking kids to the park, think I would have to take more ladylike steps than normal and then I'd regularly fail to save DS2 from certain disaster on his scooter be late for everything .

Having said that I'd be much happier to slap on a bit of light fake tan and go bare legged with a below the knee skirt, if it was warm enough.