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, often in plaits. I want to dye my hair bright pink but I've tried a wig and it didn't suit me. I wear clothes that some 20 year olds would wear, with some bright colours, mismatched sometimes and often a bit tight. I mostly say whatever I think. I eat whatever I like. I play with dolls and other silly games. I ride a bike everywhere. I laugh lots. I've never taken my life too seriously and I'm not going to start now. I'm 40.

I've never really cared much about what other people think I should do. I'm not harming anyone. Live life the way you want to live it.

Surely long hair and nice clothes should be the preserve of those who no longer have to worry a bout snot/marmalade/poo disasters!

Bah! As we speak I have nearly shoulder length hair (which I wear up because it suits me more).
I have a white cotton sweatshirt from River Island
Gap skinny black jeans with zips.

I wouldn't wear certain things on the basis they've never suited me - bikinis, wrap dresses, skirts above knee. I've stopped with the ripped jeans and anything with writing/pictures on, because I feel they would look a bit odd on me now.

I think attitudes have changed so much over the years that as long as you feel good in something you can and should wear it.

I feel more attractive now than I've ever felt. Am pushing 53 :)

Those women sound like something out of early Madmen, or Stepford Wives. Hard to believe anyone thinks like that nowadays! Don't think I'd have been able to contain myself if I'd been you.

I suspect our generation will wear skinny jeans (comfy elastic waisted jeggins), long and ankle boots, Breton jumpers and giletes in our 80's.

I can't conceive of suddenly finding the kind of polyester trousers, embroidered cardigans beloved of my WI friends attractive.

Most of all I long to take them shopping for plain dark long socks and longer trousers. I realise they need comfy shoes, but I don't need two inches of bare leg where their socks end.

Lots of bikers on this thread.

I really think it all depends on attitude. If you have confidence to wear what you are wearing, then anything goes. Who am I to say you shouldn't wear this or that, unless it's an asked for opinion? Personally, I have many hang-ups about the way I look so I do restrict myself about wearing certain things (skinny jeans look hideous on me as would hot pants ) but that's my own personal decision and I wouldn't judge (out loud) what anyone else was wearing.

I wear everything I like, including shortish skirts, sleeveless dresses, shorts in the summer, skinny jeans. I am 56 and get lots of compliments on my clothes. I've had my hair cut to just above shoulder length as that way I can get more body into it ( thick but very straight and heavy) and have it coloured with lots of fine high and lowlights. The one thing I would love to wear and I know would suit me but I'm just too old for is shorts and tights.

I'm not sure, I'm 33 so not ancient but I do wear teeny denim shorts with flip flops in the summer when it's really hot - I think I look good in them but I'm most likely deluded. DH told me it was inappropriate for visiting his parents it was pushing 28 degrees FFS! Cheered his dad right up anyway.

I wear playsuits and very short dresses and shorts despite being over 18. The horror...

higgle if you'd love to wear it and you know you'd suit it, why not shorts & tights? You may need to go for smart, more formal shorts and opaques but you could do it!

happy bubblebrain
how crazee you sound, who said only plait wearing bike riders can laugh

I think 'witchy' hair is great btw. Long and wild and sexy - I've just seen a girl in her early 20s with really long, thick, wavy wild hair, dark brown with loads of grey in the front and it looked amazing on her. Kind of shocking and subversive seeing proper grey hair on a very young face. I now want a grey stripe.

by witchy I mean grown out with bad split ends, pointed ends and too thin.

Maybe y'all like that too.

Hmm, I guess I'm thinking of witches who condition their hair and get regular trims Nehru By witchy I'm thinking of rather long and wild.

mine goes all pointy bird a pointy pointy when it needs a trim

PLUS alwful over dyed hair.. normally blonde, so ti goes green

No, I don't have witchy hair. It's currently looking the best it's ever looked, great condition, all swishy, glossy and lots of volume. It's not blonde either.

I'd get it cut if it was witchy whatever my age. I'm not getting it cut because someone has dictated that at 37, I'm too old to have longer hair.

I just thought the whole thing rather sad and faintly ridiculous

watch Nickelodeon...embarrassing when DD tells people 'Thats mummys favourite channel'

Oh, I o make it 'witchy' deliberately sometimes.

I've discovered salt spray, and love the tousled, slightly wavy look it gives my hair.

OP you know that the person who told you you can't have long hair is just jealous (probably regrets cutting their own).

Every time, I let the hairdresser approach a Mum bob on mine, I let it grow again.

Yes, it might be *slightly tidier and more appropriate short, but it's not me and I hate it.

*I have naturally untidy and very disobedient hair.

oooh, thank you , 50shades, I might try.

Golly, I can't believe any gathering where other women felt the need to comment on your appearance so much when you're only 37.

However, I'm 40 and there are certain things I won't wear any more, amongst them are denim mini skirts. Fine for the garden but not going into town etc - I just feel too old for them.

I do wear skinnies but thought pretty much everyone wears them - hardly cutting edge.

I am more careful about what I wear now as I don't want to look mutton but neither do I want to look as though I've given up.

freddie were they young and gorgeous themselves, with fantastic clothes and hair?
It's easy to judge.

No, they weren't all young and gorgeous. All around the same age, some a bit younger, some gorgeous, some not.

I wasn't hurt by it, I thought it sad that some women are so rigid about what's appropriate for another woman of a certain age. I mean, I don't wear hot pants these days, I don't have the legs for one, but I feel too old for them, but if another 37 year old wore a pair, then that's up to them

I'm 48 and I don't suit short hair so will be keeping it long. It's currently shoulder length, until February it was half way down my back but I had it cut when I started a new job.

I still live in jeans and t shirts with Converse a lot of the time.