What are you "too old" for, but do anyway?

[freddiefrog]

I hadn't realised that getting older involved so many rules about what you are supposed to wear/do with your own body

I was told today that now I'm nearly 40 only 37 thank you very much I should 'stop being vain' and cut my hair. No one over 30 should have long hair apparently.

My hair is currently the best it's ever looked, bra-strap length, and thanks to copious amounts of lotions and potions swishy and glossy with lots of oomph and volume

I love my hair right now (shallow) so I'll be damned if I'll cut it off

My outfit was also up for discussion, but I'd fight tooth and nail for my hair

i have long hair, which is cut and highlighted regularly.
i am learning to ride.
i have a tattoo on my foot (and plan on 2 more)
i wear skinny jeans with pride (much more flattering than bootcuts!)
i keep pet rats. (along with my other waifs and strays!)

im 41. hard cheese for anyone who doesnt like it!

I wish I could go clubbing till the small hours, but it takes me about 3 days to recover from a night out as it is. I get stealth hangovers these days, I get up, feel fine, I think I've got away with it, then bang, they hit me about tea time

I also have several tattoos, most of my torso and I have the start of a sleeve from my shoulder to the middle of my upper arm. They've never seen them as they're always covered (it was chilly enough to need long sleeves today), I'm sure they'd have a coronary if they saw them

Actually, sod them, let them live their lives worrying about what they're too old to wear!

Exactly!

My tattoo is shocking! I keep meaning to get it covered....might go for black wings

Short skirts. Doctor Martens. Shorts with tights or leggings. Leather biker jackets with studs.

I'm in as good a shape as I ever was and I'm buggered if I'll dress like my Mum! (I'm a bit, OK a lot, over 40!)

OP maybe your hair is a bit witchy? Too long hair can look shit at any age

i used to think you can wear v short skirt at any age with the right legs and hosiery.

I am now NOT of that opinion. and i could wear any short skirt or short shorts.

It just looks wrong to me.

I am increasingly not liking denim skirts, on anyone really, blue denim.

Rarely looks chic

I think the other way round , I'm 38 and short and young looking with freckles and curly hair . I wear what I like !! I have friends who are sooo frumpy and I think bloody hell why are you wearing that when you are only 35??? Ignore and wear what you like . I will look old one day and then I will wear sensible clothes although I can't see what I will do with my hair as it won't do short !!

Really, Nehru?, witchy at 37? That's pretty unkind and definitely unsupportive.

I'm pushing 38 and my hair looks better than ever - a bit shorter, but lots of layers and loads of volune for first time ever (thank you S&B for the BBH) you'd all probably deem it mum-hair but 'whatevs'.

Agree on blue denim though. Love on my 16yo niece, cord for me.

I'm sure the OP's hair is not witchy, Nehru.

It's just so 'joules'

Im looking at 43 and have past bra strap length thick long blonde (hilighted) hair which I'm giving up for no one! Like you OP, it's bouncy and in great condition, and ABSOLUTELY not witchy!

Over 50 and I wear what I like. Spent too many years at four stone overweight then worked too hard to lose it not to and judging me to my face (how actually very dare they do that to you, OP? ) wouldn't end well.

I love my skinny jeans. Take me right back to the 80's

I am not even going to read the thread At 49 I am not too old for anything.

I was given a pregnancy / parenting book when pregnant with DS, which told the reader to cut her hair now she was to become a mum.

There was a picture too. It looked like a boring men's cut, no style at all.

I charity-shopped the book pretty much on the strength of that! Why tell new mums what to do with their hair?! Does becoming a mum mean you should get rid of your pre-motherhood personality? Not that your hair is your personality of course! But chopping it all off to conform to some idea about being too old / mumsy for long hair is arguable symbolic of suppressing your personality IMO.

I am 47 not witchy at all and have the sort of mates who would say Don't like too much on show tbh but thats just me and some people look ok. And I think neon tie dye etc looks a bit sad and I have a few bits! But picked ds up from carnival party thing last week and all the 18 yr olds in neon looked amazing. Mine is now going to the charity shop apart from one very skinny little bangle!

I don't understand the question.

I think it's mean to suggest the OP might look 'witchy', but also ? I quite like the idea of people thinking I looked witchy and would take it as a compliment! It's always been a word to pejoratively describe women who were independent, probably not married, worked for their living: didn't, basically, fit the narrow parameters of what was considered normal behaviour for women.

I'd like to reclaim 'witchy' as a good and desirable thing. I'd love to have long grey hair, and fuck anyone who didn't like it.

meh - my hair can look witchy sometimes

I can't believe how incredibly rude those ladies were!

I'm 40 very soon, I have longish hair although not as long a it was, but that's because I go to a rubbish hairdresser now who keeps hacking it off.

Apart from that I think I'm pretty dress age aware. I rarely wear very short skirts dresses now and when I do, I do feel a bit mutton. I've always been more smart than casual so don't really wear trainers etc apart from at the gym, although I do have some wedge trainers I wear very occasionally.

I sometimes go without make up, but really shouldn't as I've dreadful teenage skin!

Mini skirts.

I don't care.

It's fine to say it about yourself (although I think always worth thinking about where these words and their connotations come from and what they mean), but it's not a nice thing to say about someone else IMO, not when they're clearly feeling a bit vulnerable as the OP is.

I meant to say, OP, how RUDE those people were to you! I can't believe you took it. 'vain'? How dare they?!

Denim shorts with leggings underneath
Floral prints
Clashing patterns
Hair in pigtails
Silver glitter eyeliner
Bright blue, green or pink eyeliner (with rest of face toned down to compensate )

I'm 33 so I'm sure I'm not 'supposed' to be doing at least some of these things but I get so totally depressed by people who tell you to follow these arbitrary 'rules' when it comes to fashion and style. They are joy suckers, that's what they are. They are just as bad as people who think that everyone over a size 6 is a fat disgusting pig who doesn't deserve fashion (I'm sure there's a bit of overlap between these two groups actually!)

Not everyone gives a fig about looking 'chic' or wearing the latest fashions, but you can still enjoy clothes and accessories and make up in a way that makes you happy. Wear what you like people - if you love it and it makes you feel confident then do it!

Are you supposed to go in and ask for this (although I'd associate it with women my mother's age not 'mums') when you turn 30 then? I must have missed the newsletter.