tell me my obsession is healthy!

[babymooner]

Apologies if this is a bit rambling. Long time lurker and reader of all posts style and beauty. The essence of my question is how okay is it to care deeply about clothes and general appearance?
Let me explain. I am a fifty year old woman. Three children (in or approaching teenage years), a very happy marriage and a very fulfilling career. i am also border line obsessed with clothes and my appearance. I've kibbed myself, done my colours, created style boards, cleared out and replenished my wardrobe, photographed good outfits, and spent a small fortune on clothes (new, ebay, charity shops, the whole works). All (most) of which I love, and I earn good money so it's okay. But is it okay? Every so often I do wonder... to whatend? Who is this for? i don't have a sparkling social life (see: three children and full time big job). I don't have anyone I'm trying to 'keep up with'. It's all just me and my head. It's not a confidence thing either - I'm very comfortable in my skin, etc etc. And yet the time and effortI put into buyingclothes, organising clothes(because I have so many), planning outfits etc you'd think I was in the public eye or running a fashion business.
Is this normal? is this okay? More to the point, does anyone else do this? To be clear, I get joy from it. I have always loved fashion and clothes and I'm a creative, so use clothes to express myself. But sometimes I am literally expressing myself to the dog, and I do worry that I should get over myself. Then again, when I see someone in the street who looks fantastic, it makes me smile and I always compliment them. My worry is that sometimes I'll accept an invitation and the main thing I'm thinking about is that it gives me an opportunity to wear a particular dress/item of clothing that I've bought and which has been sitting in my wardrobe waiting for an opportunity. Am I dressing for my life, or living for my clothes? Does it matter either way? Sometimes I think I should live in Rome where dressing up is a thing in itself:) But I don't... I live in suburban, leafy London. So... thoughts? Please don't be too mean...

Choose seperates, @PetitePiggy, high waisted will emphasize your waistline. No embellishments. Shame about the yellow top, also horrible fabric .
You need to set aside time for a lot of trying on, you'll find shapes and styles to suit. If you go to Whistles, Jigsaw and Massimo Dutti, the assistants (in my experience) will help and advise with shape and style.
Don't go to Next unless you have a time machine you can set to 1985.

Maireas - the top fitted therefore it tricked me. I was so excited that I overlooked the fact it made me look like Bumblebee. I thought colleague meant I looked like a bumblebee which I initially accepted happily then someone pointed me in the direction of a Transformer. I will try harder.

Time machine .

Bumble Bee is fine! I'd struggle to style a Transformers top, though . OP?

Just posted on Instagram [emoticon with very big teeth] 50 and still dressing up is the name… anyone else on there come and find me and we can share pics of lovely lovely clothes :)

Ooh I found you! It's great! Especially love the hot pink coat and the cream faux fur coat.

I can't find you! Can you provide a link?

Link?? That sounds complicated:) um… bear with me…

Nope, can’t work out how to do it. But look for 50-and-still-dressing-up ??

I've found you!

Can't find it. If anyone else could post a link that would be brilliant.

I completely overhauled my wardrobe a couple of years ago and made mistakes in the process (round necks and linen are awful for me) so I feel bad about those purchases, but this is my hobby too and I can afford it. I pay for the items immediately, no debt, etc. I love it!

https://instagram.com/50anddstilldressinggup?utmmedium=copyy_link

I hope this works!

:)

Got you x

petitepiggy I’m not much over 5ft2 (although act 5ft6!!!!) it’s a matter of perseverance but agree it’s hard to find decent petite stuff

@AlwaysReadyForABlether

[[https://instagram.com/50]]anddstilldressinggup?utmmedium=copyy_link

I hope this works!

Thank you! That works.

I’ve followed you @babymooner - I’ve long thought about doing outfit shots but feel a bit self conscious!

@VanCleefArpels I feel SO self conscious! But am really enjoying just the idea of doing it.. let’s see if it lasts but this could be fun…

And if anyone else wanted to join in there would be strength in numbers??;)

What a lovely thread. I adore clothes. My taste isn’t for everyone, but I like it, and I realised during lockdown that clothes made me happy and living in joggers was making me sad. I’m completely bald - a permanent condition - and while I’m at peace with it, it has removed one aspect of beauty and self care that’s important and fairly accessible to a lot of women so I think that sometimes makes clothes more important for me. My choices also have to be driven by what I can wear on my feet (limited because of an accident and major surgery to one leg), but I love dressing the bits between ankles and forehead . Opening my wardrobes doors and just running my hands over my clothes, or lifting stuff out to try outfits in different ways just gives me a happy feeling, and if everyone ever fecks off back to work then I shall spend days just trying things on without having people interrupting me to ask what I’m doing. Interestingly though I did stylist and colour analysis training a few years ago, and decided all the rules weren’t for me at all.

What a lovely thread!
I also love my clothes, but feel overwhelmed if I have too many so put out of season items away and give away things that haven't been worn for a long time. I got back into sewing a few years ago and make some of my clothes with the aim of producing something that no one would know I've made. I'm also borderline obsessed with the Stylebook app and have recorded my daily outfit for the last 1785 days

I've followed you on Instagram, a daily fashion fix would be lovely. As someone else said I miss the fashion bloggers from a few years ago before it was all about money

That sounds lovely, @ilovecherries, you can get such pleasure from clothing and style. I so agree about joggers, a good outfit can bring so much pleasure. I also really agree about the colours thing, I always think that sort of advice can be limiting and it's worthwhile trying out all sorts of stuff.

So true, @BensonBunny about fashion bloggers, it's a shame it's gone that way. I gave up when I saw three promote the same handbag they'd all clearly been given. Ghastly thing it was too! Anyway, I look forward to following the OP.

I love this thread.
My username is ironic - I most definitely was not popular in the 80s. I watched the beautiful, stylish girls with envy - style came to them as naturally as breathing. Was often mocked for my lack of style (as teenage girls do). Also, officially, the worst sewer in the textiles class (though I would love to try sewing). It didn't help that I didn't have the 80s beautiful (frequently underfed) body.
It's taken me a long time to realise that I actually love clothes, though I still have much to learn about what suits me (rather than what's in fashion).

I have learnt that dressing well is a creative act - generating a sense of atmosphere, back story. Who will I be today? I'm still struggling between 'work out how other 50 year olds are dressing, and copy them to be safe' and 'what I do I want to convey today'?
Very rarely post photos on MN as school memories die hard. But I'd love to join your gang and see any photos. Even if it's not my style, I find the sight of other women expressing themselves hugely inspiring.

You're so right, @popularinthe80s, dressing is a creative act. So many women have such a hard time with it, something that should be so pleasurable. We have so many pressures to look a certain way, never mind childbirth, the menopause or whatever, there are loads of threads on here about women feeling frumpy and fearing looking older.
You've put it all very succinctly!