Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I hope that this post comes back to haunt a lot of you when you age.
I'm in my 80s and I wear all those clothes from years ago because Social Security goes only so far and those old out-dated clothes in my closet are paid for. The shoes are the ones that fit regardless of how swollen my feet are or how achy from arthritis my toes are.
The hair will stay gray because I also have seen how ridiculous some of those dye jobs turn out with the wrinkles and such.
Those slacks and jeans fit badly because no one makes pants that are larger in the waist than they are around the butt. Mother Nature will see to it than your belly gets bigger. She's a b****.
And those terrible looking LOUD shirts? you can almost bet than they were cheap gifts from kin. For some reason, they think we like loud colors. We wear them because we have them and we don't want to hurt someone's feelings by using them for dust rags.
Seriously, I saw a display of "stylish" clothes for the elderly on the Internet. They gave me a laugh. I think the elderly models had been recruited from a local dementia ward. The "Style" was dreadful. Loud. Tons of scarfs, etc. and enough doo-dads and gee-gaw accessories to sink a battleship. I suspect that those that lived their lives trying to be the height of fashion would think it was a great show.
Building off the recent delightful thread "my mom is so funny" - what does the typical 50-70 year old woman wear that makes her look like an "Old Lady"? In other words, what should we avoid & what should we embrace? I'm talking beyond the obvious things like pull-on polyester pants and tops with adorable scenes or animals on them!
What screams "Frumpy" & "Old Woman Walking" in a loud voice?
100% polyester pants with a stretchy waist band, two sizes too large.
Running shoes with velcro instead of laces.
Carrying a tissue in one hand constantly.
Short grey hair in no perceptible style.
Mels mentions Chico's clothes, particularly bold flowing pattern shirts, which surprises me (although I do agree with the bedazzled comment) - does anyone else agree?
Can anyone describe "art patterns"? I live in fear I may have some of these! I also have some polyester/rayon/spandex tops that are contemporary prints and I use them for layering - I like the way they fit, wear, and travel. No "bedazzeling", but are probably Chico's.
Curmudgeon - "How about the obvious? I think they call it "Age!"" - priceless, but what we are trying to minimize here!
Gray hair. So many women I've seen would look soooo much better if they would color their hair. Tight bodies, smooth complexion, nice teeth and smile, ......and gray hair.
I began going gray in my late thirties, and I colored my hair for over twenty years. As time went on, it got to be a chore. At the end, my roots had become so silver, I was coloring my hair every three weeks. I decided to stop coloring my hair when I retired and had less reason to pretend to be younger.
Rather than enduring two toned hair, I became gray quickly by bleaching all the dye out of my hair and using a silver rinse until my own natural hair grew out.
Once in a while, I think of coloring my hair again, but when I remember what a hassle it was, I decide I am happy with my hair. I've gotten many compliments on my silver hair. Nobody ever commented on my hair when it was a more youthful color.
Too much makeup, especially colored eye shadow. Matching your eye shadow to your outfit. A magenta sweater does not call for magenta eye shadow.
Too much jewelry. Really, my mom is now 66 and wears way too much jewelry. She always used to wear a few understated pieces at a time, but now she's all "blinged" out. All her girlfriends have adopted this habit too.
Sweat-suits (as mentioned by others). I don't care if they are super-athletic or glitzy-J-Lo style. they say I'm old and trying (and failing) to look young.
Anything low-cut that reveals wrinkled or speckled cleavage. I think with a lot of women, their neck and upper chest ages before the rest of their body (If they've spent portions of their life lying in the sun).
I hate to say it, but capri pants. I have lots of capris, and women of all ages--teens, 20s, 30s, 40s (maybe) look fine in them. But there is something about a 50+ woman in capris that screams "old." Maybe it's wearing them with sneakers instead of ballet flats or heels. This year (I'm 43) I started to look at my capris and started worrying that I would look like one of these older women. I still wore them in the summer, but only in a stylish, work-appropriate way. I see too many women in their 50s and 60s LIVING in capris all year round. Unless you are thin, they shorten your body and make you look stocky. And if the capris are tapered-leg, they make you look way older!
Animal prints. Young women can maybe pull them off. But when you're older, they just look old & tacky.
Metallic or shimmering fabric, unless you're at a New Year's party or charity ball.
OMG I am fifty and I sure hope I don't dress like an old lady.
I do take exception to the comment though that Chico's clothes scream "old lady." One reason why Chico's is so popular with women over forty is because they are cut to fit imperfect bodies that may have gone through menopause and the changes that menopause brings. The quality is excellent and I've never considered the styles to look "old lady" (though I guess someone could buy the separates and mess ANY look up with stupid pants or shoes or accessories. But honestly - this is Chico's look:
And this:
And this:
I'm jumping on this bandwagon and defending Chicos because to me Chicos PERSONIFIES a line that is based on style, quality, and comfort for women over 40 who want to dress attractively and stylishly without looking like they are trying to look twenty - and without looking like they shop at Sears in the polyester department.
There's nothing wrong with dressing appropriately for your age. If that look AGES you, then it's not appropriate for your age. But take, for instance, the fact that I'm fifty years old. I am not ashamed of that fact -in fact, I love telling people my age because I have terrific skin and hair and I'm fit and energetic and very comfortable in my skin and at my age. I don't want to look 30. I want to look like a very healthy, happy, attractive fifty year old woman.
And I wear capris or cropped pants - with ballet flats. When it's warm outside. I'm tall. I've got long legs. Trust me, I can pull that look off!
This thread makes me wish… Well, almost wish… But I was going to be around about 40 years from now. Thankfully, at my age (ah, that dirty word) another 20 years might even be a stretch. But if I could outlast the probability it would be kind of fun to look at today's 20-30-somethings when they are in their 60s and 70s. With all the comments they made about "old ladies," primarily related to their styles and attire, I can just see them now. Not only will they likely be clad in today's clothing, or at least nothing more recent than 20 years, but their bodies will have changed, their tattoos stretched and faded and many will not gracefully accept the alterations which for most of us are inevitable. I think it's called get-back!
100% polyester pants with a stretchy waist band, two sizes too large.
Running shoes with velcro instead of laces.
Carrying a tissue in one hand constantly.
Short grey hair in no perceptible style.
20yrsinBranson
Thought I saw you in the mall the other day
We must do lunch someday----wherever has a senior citizen discount!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.