Anyone who knows me is probably wondering why I’m writing about fashion. I go around most days wearing my uniform of jeans and a blouse with running shoes. I don’t really care about what the latest trends are or even dressing beyond what’s practical for the day. Yes, I occasionally enjoy dressing up just for the fun of it, but I’m definitely not a fashionista.
So what inspired this post? A startled reaction upon seeing an older woman wearing a very short skirt (some more prudish people may have even classified it under the “mini” category).
When was the last time you saw a fifty-something-or-older-year-old wearing a skirt that showed at least a hands-length of thigh? For me, it was definitely accompanied by lots of rouge and brilliant blue eyeshadow and pleather. The classic denial of age story. That’s the image that’s always said to me, “Dress your age. You can’t wear that anymore.”
But why not? This woman had the body to pull it off and came across relatively classy when I considered the whole ensemble. If, when I’d looked up to her face, I’d seen a twenty-something, I don’t think I would have thought anything of it (perhaps other than my practical mind yelling, “It’s winter! Cold! Cover up!”)
The moral of the story seems to be to reevaluate our concepts of what is “appropriate” wear. A very minor percentage of people actually look like the runway models we so admire as beautiful, meaning none of us are quite up to snuff if we want to pretend to be them.
I’m tired of getting looks for my outfits. I run around the city all day on dirty buses and trains. When I wear nice clothes, they inevitably end up gross by the time I get home. When I wear anything other than boots or sneakers, I’m either cold and wet and have completely ruined a pair of nice shoes, or I’m in amazing amounts of pain and discomfort from being on my feet for hours on end. Not to mention I’ve likely been late for every appointment because I couldn’t just break into an immediate run upon espying a transit vehicle.
If I dress respectfully and cleanly, I’m happy with my appearance. I don’t feel the need to blend in with the crowd or wear the current colours, materials, and cuts. It’s impossible to keep up with fads – check out the definition of that word – and I have no desire to do so. Stick to the classics, I say. The t-shirt will never go out of style. There will always be jeans. A nice suit and a fancy dress come in handy for those elegant occasions. A little black dress fits many an event and is still considered sexy.
And a woman of any age can apparently pull of a mini skirt.
