Very short skirts when pushing 40 - do you...?

[MyKingdomForAUserName]

Is this a definite no? I think it suits me (only in winter - denim or corduroy with v thick tights and chunky boots). But if I'm nearly 40 am I deluded? I've read that I'm breaking a golden rule of S&B and don't want to be prancing around like a fool...

No reason why you SHOULD give them up FFS!

Obviously everyone over 30 and over a size 6 should cover up our entire bodies in case we scare the horses. What a load of fucking shite. Personally I think the older woman in the short skirt has amazing legs and the younger woman looks fab and well put together. We're not ornaments to be assessed purely on how well we fit this century's beauty standards. Don't be handmaids who parrot this rubbish. So what if a person wears something that you consider isn't her best colour or is inappropriate or unflattering. It's fashion, it's suppose to be fun. I'd rather be the fat old woman enjoying what she wears than the bitch who slags her off. I know which I think is the less attractive.

The photos were from a national newspaper that the whole country can see. I wouldn’t post someone’s personal photos. Big difference.

Yes jojo , no one is saying this early pics aren't available for anyone to see. The point being made is that it's not fair to then use them to criticise those people's bodies, that's just mean.

Big difference?

Woman who is not a model goes out in public.

Woman is photographed and put in a newspaper.

Other woman thinks it's funny to use that photo to make out she looks crap.

Wow.

If it looks good on you Go for it! I wouldn't worry about what other people think. So you should wear what you like to wear.

I'm 45 and 5'10". I love my short skirts. I usually wear them with thick tights but I do wear sheer tights in the summer. My 51 year old friend rocks miniskirts.

Thanks everyone for the "wear what you like" inspiration. It's so true.
I will think twice before worrying about any "rule" I read online (or hear from in-laws...) again.

Yes histiny. I would be completely mortified if for some reason my photo was in the public domain and then women on here were posting it as an example of fat legs that look crap in a shirt skirt. It's just a nasty thing to do

My Mum is like this, unhappy with her body and cannot bare anyone else to be happy either. She is firmly in the 'everyone over 30 and over a size 6 should cover up our entire bodies in case we scare the horses' camp. She is both over 30 (obviously) and over a size 6, I cannot ever remember a time when she was happy with her body and relaxed about her clothes, such a shame. I wonder if he had been happier herself if she would have felt less critical of others?

I also wonder if people who used to be big but are now thin can be even more unkind, it's like they feel that they have 'worked hard' and have now joined some elite club that allows them, and only them to look good in certain clothes. These people need to get over themselves.

Posting fat shaming pictures is nasty and does not come from a happy place IMO.

Today 13:40 JoJoSM2

The photos were from a national newspaper that the whole country can see. I wouldn’t post someone’s personal photos. Big difference.

Yes there is a difference. Each of the women in the photographs should have - at the very least - sized up. Most people would judge the photos as unflattering.

Yeah, some women judge other women, it's a fucking awful behaviour that can only be forgiven if done silently but it's still something we should be working on.

Tabloids can publish any photo taken in public. Many of them will then attach sneering judgements about those annomous women who haven't been paid or had their permission obtained to be published. Aping that kind of snide nastiness isn't something that any decent person should aspire to.

I'm 47 and regularly wear short skirts & dresses,with thick tights and docs. I've also got purple hair.
If you feel comfortable wear what you like and what makes you happy.

Yes, bodyshaming of the older woman obviously not OK either!

I am not overweight but have carrot shaped legs - heavy thighs. And a lot of cellulite. Just my bodyshape. I don’t usually wear short skirts but have done so on occasion. And shorts on holiday etc. It’s a normal female body shape.

My DD has inherited the same leg shape. Should I show her that as a younger woman I worried a lot what people thought of my legs? tell her that she shouldn’t wear shorts when it’s hot? Wear short things if she wants to?

No.

This is in the Style and Beauty section so it’s meant to be about what people will consider to look attractive and not ‘wear whatever even if it doesn’t suit you/makes you look comical’.

Here’s a couple of women of similar size as the ones above but looking attractive as the clothes are better for them. So it’s not about the size.

I’m a short skirt, thick tights and chunky flat boots person all the time or leggings and short dresses and flats. I’m 43.

It was body/age shaming, pure and simple. Nothing to do with style, or beauty.

JoJoSM2

Are you saying that ripped jeans are attractive?

Funny that you chose only those who covered up (appart from the rips on the jeans).

How about this?
www.asos.com/asos-curve/asos-curve-check-mini-skirt-with-pearl-trim/prd/8408515?clr=multi&cid=12359&pgesize=36&pge=0&totalstyles=72&gridsize=3&gridrow=2&gridcolumn=1
It fits, it's the right size, but legs are on show.

I'm very envious of those of you with nice legs; no matter how old you are. I'm 40 and short with legs like tree trunks covered in blancmange. Really. They are not my best feature.

This is in the Style and Beauty section so it’s meant to be about what people will consider to look attractive and not ‘wear whatever even if it doesn’t suit you/makes you look comical’.

I think it's split actually between fashion and what's 'flattering' and people will be on one side of the line or other actually. Personally I'm getting more and more of the opinion that the suggestion that women should wear appropriate or flattering clothes is a far worse stick to beat women with than fashion is.

Fashion is straightforward: e.g. burgundy is in fashion, you can either chose to wear it or not. You can either drag out an old piece of clothing that fits the fashion, you can buy something new, or you can choose to ignore it. No-one will criticise you for wearing black instead of burgundy. If you decide to wear head to toe any colour you want if you do it with enough confidence you will look stylish. You won't care what people think and you'll be having fun.

'Flattering' is oppressive. Mean people will post pictures of you in outfits they consider unflattering on the internet and suggest you should have covered up or shown off your body more. Other people will charge you a fortune to tell you what colours and styles suit you, this will no doubt entail throwing out large numbers of clothes and buying new ones in certain colours and styles. They will tell you you are doing it wrong if you wear a certain shade or the wrong length of skirt. Other people will tell you a different set of rules for clothing, this will also involve throwing out lots of clothes and buying a few, very expensive clothes in neutral colours, they will judge you if you choose to wear orange. You will live in fear of breaking the rules.

I'd say a colour can be flattering or unflattering.
Clothes that are too tight or too loose, or the cut doesn't match your body shape, are unflattering.

But showing body parts shouldn't depend on how ideal they look or not. Wearing a short or longer skirt, or sleeves or not, shouldn't depend on our legs or our arms.

Hell, otherwise some of us would have to wear burkas to cover our less than perfect faces.

Ime it's the people who are the most anti a woman wearing whatever she likes (regardless of age or size) who are also the most anti burkha.
Which is quite funny when you think about it.

It's so subjective though...I'd never shame anyone for wearing the first 2 outfits that you put up jojo, but my goodness they are as dull as dishwater. I'd rather see the girl in picture 3, she looked good IMO, she has style and beauty!

JoJo, what if I don't actually like the clothes that you, or anyone, think are suitable. What if I would look "good" in them but feel really, really bad? What matters most? How everyone else feels about what I wear, or how I feel?

My mum is 78 and is slim with great legs. I have insisted that she starts wearing short skirts this winter as she looks amazing in them, so much better than in her usual choice of midi skirts. Her younger sister is 76 and also looks great in short skirts.

Wear what suits you OP