My daughter and I have an agreement. I made her promise to tell me if I ever started dressing funny. My maternal grandmother and mother both started to concoct outlandish get-ups in the final months and years of their lives. As they aged, their internal thermostat seemed to breakdown. In response, they started to "layer" their look. My grandmother wore a tiny flowered print housecoat over her street clothes and on truly chilly days...I say chilly because how cold does it really get in Florida... added a knitted hat with a pom pom on top. My mother went the other direction, shedding her traditional conservative dress slacks and top for elastic waisted sweat pants and oversized Jaguars t-shirts. I will admit that as a family, we found humor in their fashion choices.
That of course is why I took my daughter aside and asked her to keep on the look out in case I started to dress funny. Kathryn has a wonderful sense of fashion and an even better ability to kindly deliver an uncomfortable message. She is the logical choice to be my official fashion police representative. I am conservative in dress by nature. I love the whole New York black look. It is easy and doesn't show dirt when I travel. Though I admire and actually secretly long to be the person who knows how to select and put together an outfit using vintage pieces. But that is not me...I just look like I have on old clothes.
I recently had a friend share with me that her daughter said she had to retire her high-top Converses. She was now too "old" to wear them. I don't want to get between a mother and her daughter because a special bond exist between mothers and daughters but I don't think she needs to give up her high-tops. Converse is a classic brand and is a timeless fashion statement. But their exchange has gotten me to thinking about what is age appropriate dress for the over 55 set. You read that hem lines should be longer, stay away from bright colors, wear red lipstick, lighten or darken your hair as well as a myriad of other rules that come at you after each birthday.
What is a "good" look as you age? What fashion rules do you live by? Do you find that your style has changed over time? Is there a fashion role model you try to emulate? So what do you think? Do you think there is an age appropriate look for women over 55?
Hugs,
C