Strange ideas about age, ageism on S&B.

[Pangolin44]

A bit of a mangled thread title, but I'm always slightly agog when it comes to age on this board.

So many 'Can I wear X at Y age?' threads. So many comments about 'age-appropriate' attire. Mutton-dressed-as-lamb always rears its head. Granny shoes, frumpy coats, 'I'm 35 am I too old for mini-skirts?'.

And don't get me started on hair! Bejeysus.

And this is women, talking to other women.

It makes me sad more than anything else, people are obviously posting on this board because they're interested in clothes and style, why close off any area of style because of age? The thought that women think they can't express themselves physically due to an imagined arbitrary cut-off.

I would love to free women from this idea, what's the worst that can happen?

I love that @Floisme, I would definitely wear it.

I'm going to a party this afternoon and it would look marvellous with my all black outfit.

I'm letting my giant silver hair do the sartorial head-work today!

Love the sound of giant silver hair !

But she's not modelling looks for most women, or any other women, to wear. She's expressing herself. She's an artist. She takes pleasure in art and style and she designs beautiful outfits from fabulous fabrics. I just like her silhouette and colour palette, and she has a lovely face also. She's 83 now. Most of the photos online are from her mid-70s onwards. I just love her.

I am in my fifties, and for the last few years I have felt more wobbly about my innate dress sense than at any point in my life. The societal expectations of middle aged women are difficult to ignore. It is beautiful to see older women keeping themselves intact and not falling prey to the fear of ridicule.

But being an artist and being a walking advert isn’t most people. It’s ok for her but for the majority, people would laugh if you wore that hat on a train. It’s 100 per cent look at me. It’s not fashion that’s achievable or desirable for most whatever you think of the artist. Any more than older men will copy Gilbert and George. We look big we don’t copy. We see them for what they are: artists.

I think it’s possible to be stylish ehrn more mature but that really doesn’t have to involve dressing up for maximum effect with a nest on your head.

Sure, but it's not as if those pics prevent someone else starting a thread about what to wear for a night out in a local bar. Isn't there room for everyone?

But being an artist and being a walking advert isn’t most people.

Why do you keep saying most people? I am not most people. If you want to dress like most people, then do that. I don't think she wears that hat to the shops, by the way.

I wanted to show someone I consider beautiful, with their own sense of fashion. By all means, post some pictures of women wearing jeans with lycra in them, if that's what you prefer.

I also don't see how having your own sense of style makes someone a 'walking advert'. If anything, a Chanel bag makes you a walking advert, who actually pays for the privilege of advertising a brand.

@milkyaqua Because it’s a majority that buys high street fashion and to whom shops look when buying. The walking advert was specifically referring to an artist. The lady we were discussing. Not anyone else. That was my point.

I don't understand the issue here. No thread is required to represent a majority view. There must be 100,000+ on Style and Beauty - anyone can start one if they so wish and all that is required to keep it going is a handful of interested posters. What's the problem if they don't all focus on what most women wear?

TBH, I don't think first about fashion when I get dressed in the morning, but it is always somewhere on the periphery. On Weds and Sundays, my idea of fun is to read the article in the paper, and work out a version of the look within the colour palette, from the clothes in my wardrobe. I have been buying good clothes for 40 years, and have kept the best of them, and they still fit me. So, I still wear them. I also buy T shirts and jeans and stuff that wears out and is thrown away when it's worn out. But I keep expensive garments forever. I also share them with my DS, who enjoys peacocking; he has a black/red brocade tux that I bought in 1984. It's been to formals, gigs, and just out shopping. It cost about $5 from the Sally Army.

I don't understand the issue here. This thread has morphed into a sort of follow on from the demographics of clothes thread.

There's 100s of threads about high street fashion. What is wrong with one thread referencing Beatrix Ost?

The thread was about aging and clothes. Yes, one person can be interesting, but you cannot really say that’s what huge numbers aspire to when they clearly don’t. As for high street! I wasn’t asking you to comment or indeed think I should not mention high street. No one has said it’s taboo by the way. High street is a fairly wide shopping experience. I don’t obviously want another thread. Why do you think that? Quite a leap! I merely suggested why “most” in my posts referred to women who shop in those shops. Without doubt they do!!

Bonkers @TizerorFizz.

I don't think you get it.

I really don't know what point you're trying to make.

Copying Floisme's post.

I don't understand the issue here. No thread is required to represent a majority view. There must be 100,000+ on Style and Beauty - anyone can start one if they so wish and all that is required to keep it going is a handful of interested posters. What's the problem if they don't all focus on what most women wear?

'but for the majority, people would laugh if you wore that hat on a train'

I disagree.

Who would laugh?

Not the majority.

This is my big nose and big hair.

You were mocking, repeatedly, someone I said I found beautiful. An older, stylish woman who I find inspiring. I thought it would be nice to share on the thread.

Nobody on this thread apart from you is talking about high street fashion or what would suit the masses. Isn't this some of what this thread is about - prescribing strange conformist ideas upon women of whatever age?

I don't dress like Beatrix (well, perhaps I dress more like Beatrix than you do), but I admire her as someone who loves art and beauty and style.

Here she is agin. Beautiful.

*again

And from the OP:

"It makes me sad more than anything else, people are obviously posting on this board because they're interested in clothes and style, why close off any area of style because of age? The thought that women think they can't express themselves physically due to an imagined arbitrary cut-off."

This thread is not about, to my mind: women can express themselves physically at X age, so long as they wear what every other woman of their age on the high street/fashionable part of town/in Vogue magazine/or some other arbitrary measure, is wearing; or so long as they wear the classics.

And while I'm on a roll. Here is another ageless icon of mine - women who dress and express themselves artistically, and inhabit their bodies.

These photos are of Eileen Kramer, at age 101 and 106; she is now 108, and still dancing and expressing herself...

It's jolie laide.

I love it.

I think this is just off topic for me. I thought we were talking about age and maintaining style for everyone in older age. Please don’t tag me again. I’m obviously on the wrong thread.

Thank you for the pictures of Beatrice Ost. She is inspiring. I adore the head dresses, and the final b/w image. Definitely a living work of art.

Isn't she lovely? There are loads more pictures of her if you google her. I just find her presence in the world so inspiring.

I completely understand what you are saying and think there’s some wilful ignorance here in a select few trying to mischaracterise the issue to make themselves feel like victims.

What is actually happening here is that the OP posted a thread criticising women for caring about dressing in what is “appropriate” for their age or caring about what “other people were wearing” and labelling those women as being insecure and lacking confidence.

This is what this thread is.

Then a bunch of women agreed and fell all over themselves to declare that either

1. They have frizzy grey hair, would never get Botox and dress in old rags

OR

2. They don’t care about trends. They treat fashion like art so walk around in antler hats, purple lipstick and orange jumpsuits

Apparently this is all massively morally superior to trying to wear non fancy dress or refusing to dress like a bag lady because you’ve turned -gasp - 35!