Do I need to dress for my age?
I’m writing this blog as a middle aged woman. I’m starting to look older on the outside but still feel 25 on the inside. I love keeping up to date with fashion and am often drawn to more youthful brands and designs. Should I care about age-appropriate dressing?
I don’t hesitate to add short shorts, cropped tops, and high cut swimwear to my cart and I wear these styles with confidence. But should I be concerned about dressing my age, or is that an outdated concept?
What is Age-Appropriate Dressing?
When I Googled "What is age-appropriate dressing?", I was bombarded with articles about dressing for your age or defying age-appropriate dressing standards. While these writers had the best of intentions, they still set out to list their rules and expectations for what we should wear at each age.
Not everyone wants to wear classic, tailored pieces that will stand the test of time. Some of us want to embrace colour and unexpected silhouettes whether they are flattering or not.
Fashion is a joyful playground for many of us and we're not ready to get off the ride just because we're getting older.
I only realised this about myself when I became a middle aged woman. Before that, the makeover shows I would devour on tv would have me believe that anyone over 40 needed a crisp white shirt and a classic trench coat to exist "appropriately" in the world.
What Not to Wear?
If you are around my vintage, you’ll probably remember watching the makeover show “What Not to Wear” on pay tv. I was much younger then and would nod along when the stylists suggested their clients choose more “age-appropriate” pieces for their wardrobes.
The term “mutton dressed as lamb” would be thrown around and I vowed then to never dress too young for my age. The horror!
Fast forward about 15 years and I scoff at the thought of limiting myself to age-appropriate clothing that doesn’t reflect my personality or individual style. Even one of the “What Not to Wear” stylists regrets being so focused on dressing for your age.
I rediscovered Stacy London through the Style Like U Instagram account. She was one of the stylists on the American “What Not to Wear” franchise. At 52, she is an advocate for menopause awareness and has started a business that offers products to relieve menopausal concerns.
Her thoughts on ageing, fashion, and age-appropriate dressing have definitely changed since her time on the show. She no longer cares about telling anyone What Not to Wear.
To quote her interview on Style Like U’s What’s Underneath : Defying Ageism, “I’m the person who used to be like, that’s not age-appropriate. And now, I’m like f*ck those rules!”
Do you care about age-appropriate dressing?
Here at Capriosca Swimwear, we often get customers expressing concern about dressing too old or too young in our swimsuits. Our demographic ranges between 25 and 65, with many sitting outside of those parameters.
We offer a wide variety of styles to suit the needs of our customers. Full coverage, supportive, high cut, and more. Our style and size range makes our swimsuits accessible to all, without restrictions on age.
Nothing brings me more joy in my job than knowing women in their 50s and 60s are choosing cheeky cut bikinis and plunging one pieces. Or seeing younger women embrace full coverage retro inspired styles that go against the latest trends.
Consciously rejecting the restrictive notion of age-appropriate dressing allows us to express our true selves. This empowerment encourages creativity and confidence in all areas of lives.
When you let go of society’s expectations of how you should exist in the world, you feel empowered to live the life you want by simply being yourself.
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