Age appropriate dress for your chosen era?

[AllaboutEve]

I agree totally. I'm 34, the short skirts and shorts are a thing of my past. Skirts that go just below the knee or to the calf are what I like. People think I am in my 20's but I don't want to portray that image. I would feel foolish. Even in modern clothes, it drives me crazy to see women over 40 in the JR's section of Marshall's. A 50 year old in a mini skirt and cleavage top looks ridiculous! Age appropriate clothes make you look younger.

Agreed again! I'm 35 and second everything that Waingirl and Paisley have said.

It's definitely elegance that makes all the difference, that and an earned degree of confidence too I think!

I still get drawn by very girly, fussy prints but I save them for my patchwork projects these days and pass up the puff sleeves so that all you young lovely things can wear them instead!!

 

[Clara Noir]

I love granny style, so with my scarves, cameos and pearls I risk heading towards lamb dressed as mutton...

At 18 I don't want to look younger than I am, but I only wear what I feel comfortable in. Most vintage styles I like were aimed at older wearers I expect because poodle skirts aren't really my bag

That said I would never wear a pleated skirt and flat shoes. That's too old for me hehee.

 

[pennyseranade]

Dead Pan Diva...

Let's see a pic of the patterns you have. I have seen some pinafore dresses that may be too young and others that would most certainly be age appropriate.

At 34, I sometimes feel that I may be too old to pull of some looks (ie. the bobbie sockser), however, I still wear bobbie socks with my skirt, no stockings, and either saddle shoes or penny loafers. When I look at old photos, the women seemed to age much faster.

Think about the family photos that look like the "50 something grandparents" with young children, when it is actually the parents that you are looking at. I think today, we tend to look minimum 10 years younger than our predecessors in the 30s-50s and therefore can dress the age you look, as opposed to the age you are.

 

[Miss Brill]

Nothing is as awful as looking at the "tips for older women" sections in the old beauty books. Lord, it was all about hair being 2" long & plastered against your head, because there is nothing as "matronly" as having hair that touches your collar, or hangs about the face. I am so glad I didn't live back then, if you were old, you were expected to look it. God forbid an older woman should dress as though she were attractive to men, or to herself, or to society! Look at a 35 y/o then, and look at one now. It is light years away.

 

[pennyseranade]

Nothing is as awful as looking at the "tips for older women" sections in the old beauty books. Lord, it was all about hair being 2" long & plastered against your head, because there is nothing as "matronly" as having hair that touches your collar, or hangs about the face. I am so glad I didn't live back then, if you were old, you were expected to look it. God forbid an older woman should dress as though she were attractive to men, or to herself, or to society! Look at a 35 y/o then, and look at one now. It is light years away.

And look what this thinking has created...the 80yr old poodle hair.

lol lol lol

 

[AllaboutEve]

I'm so glad that this thread has resurfaced for the moment.

I turn 36 in a couple of weeks and I am a little anxious as to what I can and can't get away with. For instance I have a lovely bright red below the knee pencil skirt and a tight button up cream sweater that I want to wear with bright red lipstick and fully fashioned stockings. I certainly don't feel too old to wear it, I still have a little waist and everything is in the right place but then I am only 4 years away from 40.

What do you other ladies in your 30's think?

I don't want to abide by a set of rules, which is one of the reasons I love to dress in vintage, and I love to stand out in a crowd but I want it to be for the right reasons.

 

[Rosie]

I just turned 30, not really "in" my 30s but, I kind of wear what I've always worn, maybe a bit more sophisticated, a bit more polished if you know what I mean.

The last guy I dated said he couldn't believe I was 29 (I was 29 at the time). He thought I looked much younger then he says, "but I can tell you are near 30"

"WHY?" I asked, thinking all kinds of awful things.

"Because of your style, the things you add to an outfit, the details, that takes wisdom which comes with age". I thought that was interesting (he was by the way, very stylish and very much into vintage of the 50s - 80s so, he sort of knew his stuff).

So blah, blah blah, I say wear what you want. If you have an eye for fashion, you'll know how to modify an outfit to fit into your age or style.

 

[AllaboutEve]

"Because of your style, the things you add to an outfit, the details, that takes wisdom which comes with age". I thought that was interesting (he was by the way, very stylish and very much into vintage of the 50s - 80s so, he sort of knew his stuff).

So blah, blah blah, I say wear what you want. If you have an eye for fashion, you'll know how to modify an outfit to fit into your age or style.

Thanks Rosie and Happy Belated Birthday!
I think overall I'm pretty good at selecting things that are not too young, and always get told I look younger than I am (thank goodness for a good skin care regime!! )
I suppose I'm just wondering how old is too old, and are we ever too old for fully fashioneds and tight sweaters? (Having said that I did realise that Dita is the same age as me last night and she is known to have a least a pair or two lol )

 

[kamikat]

This is an interesting topic. I'm in my mid-30's, so this is a concern for me. Because of the weightloss, I live in $2 jeans from the thrift store. My church clothes and dressy stuff is all made from vintage patterns, though. I guess because my vintage-inspired outfits are all dressy, think they're more age appropriate. Once I hit my goal weight, I'll need more daily wear. When I look through the Sears books, except for the playsuits and dungarees, all the outfits look too dressy for what we now consider daily wear. I don't quite know what my new wardrobe will be.

 

[AllaboutEve]

When I look through the Sears books, except for the playsuits and dungarees, all the outfits look too dressy for what we now consider daily wear. I don't quite know what my new wardrobe will be.

That's interesting actually as I hadn't really thought of it that way. I suppose women generally dress down these days as opposed to how women would have dressed in the 40's and 50's etc (budget, and rationing permitting!) So in that respect the very act of wearing something more dressy, whatever it might be, sets you apart from the majority of the other women in the 30's right away.

Whereas many of my aunties would have been wearing heels and stockings on a daily basis throughout most of their lives and people wouldn't have batted an eyelid, the general "uniform" of modern women has changed nowadays to something much, much more low key.

It's quite a challenge to be in your 30's because you need to make an effort to avoid dressing too old for your age, but at the same time not overdoing it.

You look great from your avatar Kamikat and I'm sure that you would look lovely in just about anything you chose to wear!

It is really great to talk to some other 30-something ladies as I must admit this age/dresscode issue has been on my mind a lot lately.

 

[deadpandiva]

Let's see a pic of the patterns you have. I have seen some pinafore dresses that may be too young and others that would most certainly be age appropriate.

At 34, I sometimes feel that I may be too old to pull of some looks (ie. the bobbie sockser), however, I still wear bobbie socks with my skirt, no stockings, and either saddle shoes or penny loafers. When I look at old photos, the women seemed to age much faster.

Think about the family photos that look like the "50 something grandparents" with young children, when it is actually the parents that you are looking at. I think today, we tend to look minimum 10 years younger than our predecessors in the 30s-50s and therefore can dress the age you look, as opposed to the age you are.

The pattern is on ebay so I will post it once the auctions over or I will find something similar. I also like the jumpers that were ment to be worn by teenagers. I think I just like the wimsy of some of those styles and think they fit my personality. So maybe I will just take the plunge. I am not even sure I can make a pinafore dress anyway. My sister had one from the 40's once. I wore it when I was 27 to be Rhoda from "The Bad Seed". I honestly wish I had pictures.

 

[BonnieJean]

I'm so glad that this thread has resurfaced for the moment.

I turn 36 in a couple of weeks and I am a little anxious as to what I can and can't get away with. For instance I have a lovely bright red below the knee pencil skirt and a tight button up cream sweater that I want to wear with bright red lipstick and fully fashioned stockings. I certainly don't feel too old to wear it, I still have a little waist and everything is in the right place but then I am only 4 years away from 40.

What do you other ladies in your 30's think?

I don't want to abide by a set of rules, which is one of the reasons I love to dress in vintage, and I love to stand out in a crowd but I want it to be for the right reasons.

Oh, you gals just make me smile. You're ALL still very young and beautiful and you should wear whatever makes you feel good. A confident woman looks good in anything.

I'm a little over a year away from hitting the big 5-0, but I'll never give in to "poodle hair" or wearing what others think is "age appropriate" attire! That photo just cracks me up because she looks very similar to some of my older relatives! lol

 

[MissHannah]

I've just recently started thinking about this. I'm about to turn 35 and I don't look particularly young for my age. I've worn my hair in a high ponytail with either a short fringe or various styles of roll or curls at the front for a long long time (I usually wear it with a chiffon scarf tied around it in a bow), but lately I've started thinking that this looks a bit silly and girly on a woman my age. I've been going a bit more 40's recently (I've always been a fifties gal) as the hairstyles in particular are more grown-up - I can just achieve more of the up do's generally. I've never really mastered a french pleat or chignon and I'm not sure what else I could do with my hair that would look 50's-ish and still grown up. I'm not too clever with hair styling and my hair is thick, unruly, uneven and has kinks in it! If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them.

But back on-topic... my favourite clothes from the 40's and 50's are generally the tailored kind anyway. I love my pencil skirts and blouses and suits and those look suitably elegant for a woman of my age. I am tall and thin and I have a tendency to look like Olive Oyl if I'm not careful! But I think in the modern age we can pull off wearing jeans or a full skirt with a nice blouse or sweater without looking like we are you-know-what-dressed-as-you-know-what!

 

[NoirDame]

I just turned 29, but I look three to four years younger than that. I am actually more concerned about wearing flattering looks for my body since I'm one of those on the quest to lose weight. I know what cuts to look for and what to avoid.

I wear my hair in rolls or pompadours with lots of curly hair hanging down. My hair looks like this today (one the right):

I think that style can make me look 'younger', but it's not in a bad way. Sometimes I put bows in my hair. To me, I'd really only consider wearing my hair up for a formal event. I think the updo can sometimes look way older on me.

If I like it and it looks good, I do it. I don't follow rules. I tell older women shimmery eyeshadow isn't evil. If you like it and it looks nice...wear it.

 

[Paisley]

I'm so glad that this thread has resurfaced for the moment.

I turn 36 in a couple of weeks and I am a little anxious as to what I can and can't get away with. For instance I have a lovely bright red below the knee pencil skirt and a tight button up cream sweater that I want to wear with bright red lipstick and fully fashioned stockings. I certainly don't feel too old to wear it, I still have a little waist and everything is in the right place but then I am only 4 years away from 40.

What do you other ladies in your 30's think?

I don't want to abide by a set of rules, which is one of the reasons I love to dress in vintage, and I love to stand out in a crowd but I want it to be for the right reasons.

I'm 38 and I go with the classics. I've done this for years with my work wardrobe; in fact, today I'm wearing a blazer I've had for close to 15 years. It's a brown plaid woolen blazer that falls at the hip, is tailored, has two buttons and a much-repaired lining.

I think if you wear clothes slightly younger than your age, you'll look younger. But if they're much younger, they'll make you look older by contrast. Even if you have the figure for them, your skin, your voice, and probably your demeanor are all 36.

What's too young to wear? If you look in the mirror and wonder whether something is appropriate or flattering, it probably isn't.

 

[AllaboutEve]

What's too young to wear? If you look in the mirror and wonder whether something is appropriate or flattering, it probably isn't.

That is the bit I am struggling with lol lol lol

No, honestly I think that is a fair point and I suppose we are all different, some of us will look younger in our 30's than others and I suppose it boils down to your own sense of judgement.

I tend to be overly critical of myself and I suppose I am just finding the transition from my early to my mid 30's a bit tricky at the moment. I don't want to look too "mumsy" and I don't want to look like the proverbial mutton either.

So for example I will keep my beautiful red skirt but wear it with low heels and gloves and have an up do, a chignon or something perhaps, but I don't care what happens I am not gonna ditch my MAC lipstick, even if they have to bury me with it.....lol

MissHannah you look lovely on your avatar and your hair looks great, I know what you mean about up do's but if you are happy with you pony tail then I would keep it!

 

[Paisley]

So for example I will keep my beautiful red skirt but wear it with low heels and gloves and have an up do, a chignon or something perhaps, but I don't care what happens I am not gonna ditch my MAC lipstick, even if they have to bury me with it.....lol

That sounds good. I don't see a need to get rid of high heels, though, unless they hurt your feet.

I would start with the premise of a look that is high-end and sophisticated. Very young women can get away with inexpensive clothes, no makeup and wash-and-go hair, but it makes women our age look unkempt. Of course, it's possible to go overboard with the glam. Let people you meet remember you for your brains and personality, not your clothes or body.

As for specifics, when I turned 37, I got rid of my short skirts (more than about 2" above the knee). If I'd had any bare midriff stuff (apart from a bikini), low-slung pants, cheap shoes or handbags, or low-cut blouses, they'd have gone by the wayside as well. Yes, all that stuff can turn heads, but as soon as the woman's back is turned, it can cause a lot of snickers as well.

 

[ShooShooBaby]

my fashion rule:

i think we should wear what makes us happy!

 

[Miss 1929]

At 30 you're worried?

About looking like mutton as lamb? Sheesh. I'm about to turn 48, and boy, do you make me feel old!

As long as you're not dressing as a teenager (like ugly fads and dressing for shock value) you can probably wear anything you like. The red pencil skirt outfit sounds fantastic, picture please.

I never think at all about if something is too young for me, I have enough trouble finding anything that fits me! But you won't catch me in things like poodle skirts and jeans - they're just too unattractive. On any age of woman/girl.

Regarding the hair up as a grownup thing -

Before the 20s, you knew a girl was a girl and a woman was a woman by the way she wore her hair. Putting up your hair was a rite of passage. Madwomen and whores wore it down, and very occasionally, actresses (which polite society mostly lumped in with madwomen and whores anyway).

In the 20s, the bobbed hair became ubiquitous. Suddenly, if your hair was long it made you look old.

And then in one short decade, in 1930, everyone started growing it longer, but so they could do waves with the back put up. You just did not let it hang down below the collar!

Just as suddenly, in about 1933, everyone was doing short curly do's, and if your hair was long, it didn't make you look old so much as terribly dated.

And I am reminded of a very amusing story in a 1936 magazine, in which the wife who fears she is losing her husband to his young secretary decides to stay with her short curly hair as the long pageboy bob (on the secretary) was just too youthful for her. And I think the wife was about 36 herself!

Thank God we are freed from the tyranny of these artificial styles, and can wear anything we like if it looks good to our own eyes!

 

[pennycarrol]

I am 28 years old and I have raised the issue several times. I am still at university and it is true that sometimes I do not pay attention to my age lol. I get dressed in vintage almost every day and I do not feel ridiculous. People around me made me compliment and when I told them that I have 28 years they did not believe me! So it's a good thing! The moral of the story is: Do not distort what really is, so it would be a pity! And ladies I love your different style!!!