More and more I find myself saying 'I can't wear that'. I find that I am more and more conscious of my age when dressing. I want to look stylish without looking like I am trying to be too young. I am comfortable with my age and I want my clothes to reflect this. My body is not that of a twenty something year old. I am in my early 60's. But I do feel young.
"Nothing makes a woman look so old as trying desperately hard to look young"..Coco Chanel.
I was reading an article from "une femme d'un certain age" .....Susan Blakely....about Aging, Identity and Style. Susan referred to looking in the mirror one day and not recognising herself. She had 'let herself go' while working and raising her child. This is something I could immediately relate to. She discusses the 'outside doesn't correspond to the inside feeling'. This struck a chord with me as my mother, who is now in her eighties, tells me that she still feels like she did in her twenties on the inside but her body tells a different story.
In this article Susan suggests that "the various steps that many women take to maintain a 'youthful' appearance isn't just about vanity, but about trying to align their physical selves and their identity. Our identities don't necessarily keep up with our chronological age". I would agree with this analysis. For my own part I do feel younger inside and would like to reflect and maintain that in the way I dress and care for myself.
Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind , it does not matter......Satchel paige
I have learned over the years....from making many fashion mistakes....that there are some simple rules that work for me. The most important one is that you must dress to flatter your shape. There is no point in following a fashion trend that highlights or accentuates problem areas you may have with your figure. A nicely fitted outfit will always look good, no matter what your shape.
You must be comfortable in what you wear. If you end up pulling and dragging at something you are wearing you will look uncomfortable and awkward.
"Self-confidence is the best outfit, rock it and own it....Cosmopolitan.com
Having simple classic pieces in your wardrobe that you can dress up or down with accessories like scarves, jewellery or belts is a far more useful option than the highly patterned item you wear a few times and tire of wearing.
"Buy less choose well and make it last"......Vivienne Westwood
