Ageing disgracefully, or gracefully, or pretending I'm not ageing but it's actually bloody obvious that I am?

[JellySlice]

Is this why women of a Certain Age sometimes dress a bit kookily?

After years of fairly boring dressing due to my total lack of fashion-sense, and fear of Getting It Wrong, I have finally, in my 50s, embraced my love of colour and swishyness.

I have found myself to be one of those women of a Certain Age. And I don't care. I love the freedom of not caring...

Only, I find that I do still care, sort of.

I aim to age both gracefully and disgracefully. After wasting my youth on self-doubt and self-recrimination, I intend to enjoy ageing.

But the habit of worry is too strong. I worry that I will Get It Wrong, that people will think I'm pretending that I'm young and edgy.

This is my kooky. I'm sure it's Marmite: some will love it, some will hate it.

Although kooky's not particularly my thing at the moment - in fact I've just posted on the minimalist thread - I think the best thing about getting older (and by older I mean over 60 not 32-and-a-quarter) is that, in spite of all the faux concern on S&B, nobody really looks at me any more. Which means I dress entirely to please myself. Which suits me just fine.

So I say experiment as much as you like. Fashion is basically very silly and even people who think they dress tastefully and gracefully will find that in 10 or 20 years, their kids and grandkids will look at the photos and laugh at them. It's just a bit of fun and everyone is allowed to enjoy it, not just the young and the thin.

I love all of those. I would wear with Doc martens and velvet blazer. If I saw you, I'd look to admire you OP

It’s all about the giving of zero fucks.

Those clothes look like you’re ageing with Grace, Frankie.

If those clothes look like ageing gracefully, what does disgracefully look like?

I wouldn’t worry what people think. The stuff you posted isn’t to my taste but I love seeing people who own their style and enjoy wearing their clothes, especially if they’re a bit unusual. It doesn’t have to be to everyone’s taste, in fact that’s impossible.

I don’t think you’re ready for this Jelly [shimmy]

I spent my teens and twenties being vv thin (what would now be a size 4) and being 5'7" I was basically a beanpole. It was quite difficult then to get clothes to fit, so often made my own or had to adapt what I could find. So not a great time fashion-wise for me. Then in my thirties I had my babies and gained a bit of weight, looked better however I spent my 30s and 40s in either comfortable casual wear, or fairly corporate for work.

When I reached 50 I thought I'd start looking around for my "style" but found the shops full of synthetic shiny frilly flowery crap; and somehow my weight crept up so now I'm a size 16 so nothing looks great anyway.

But heigh ho, like you OP I intend to enjoy ageing. Your style wouldn't be mine, I'm leaning towards rock chick ie lots of black (which never used to suit me but weirdly does now) and during the hot weather I embraced my inner hippy with floaty tops and dresses. Yes I worry about being judged but then as Floisme says nobodys really looking, and it should be fun.

As the song says, enjoy yourself its later than you think!

Wear what you want OP. It’s no one else’s business. You won’t look like you’re trying to look young - that would be crop tops and a mini skirt surely.
It’s made me a bit nostalgic for my own youth. I wore stuff like that in the 90s. It was nice.
If I saw you dressed like that I’d think you were an artistic type person.

I’m aging disgracefully - recently lost 5 stone and am showing off my figure!
Lots of very fitted classic shapes along with getting my legs out
Subtle body con
Hopefully not too out there but am loving it!

It’s made me a bit nostalgic for my own youth. I wore stuff like that in the 90s. It was nice.

That's another sort of 'trying to look young ' - wearing clothes that hark back to ones own youth.

I just came downstairs wearing this sleeveless hoody over a dark blue long-sleeved T-shirt.

DH said "That's nice. Is it new?"

Teen dc gazed at me for a few seconds with a completely neutral expression, then "It's very....you, Mum."

I don't really 'get' threads on this issue- sorry! Looking back, my style in my 20s was dictated by work, in 30s and even some of my 40s my style was abysmal- worn down with 2 kids in close succession and didn't really know what suited me. Now, I think I dress better than I ever have. I understand my body shape, have more money, and don't feel the need to rebel in any way. I buy clothes from all over- I certainly don't buy anything from the classic shops/ brands for women my age.