Should there be a wardrobe age limit?
In this month’s issue, we have a debate where we ask: Should there be a wardrobe age limit?
So far the votes in our poll are very even – almost even numbers for Yes and No.
I recently saw the above picture on The Huffington Post. The Duchess of Alba, 86-year-old Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart and her husband, 61-year-old Alfonso Diez, have been enjoying the sun in Formentera, Spain. She apparently donned her floral bikini every day. How amazing?
I think she looks incredibly fabulous. To go out and don a bikini at the age of 86 is no small feat. And it is something that is not done often enough. The thing about age-appropriate really irks me; it is a very difficult subject to deal with. But I think it all boils down to what we regard as beautiful and how we’ve been trained to judge.
On the one hand we’ll find women like Donatella Versace, 57, who often struts her stuff on the beach in a bikini, showing off her super-tanned body. Most people would consider this to be a bit too much (and I’m not talking about her tan). I can already hear people saying: Shouldn’t she be covering up at her age?
On the other hand, we have beauties like Kim Cattrall, 56, who poses here with teen-star Miley Cyrus in Sex and The City. When her character, Samantha, bought this dress in the store, the sales lady commented: ‘Isn’t this a bit too young?’ Samantha nearly bit her head off for that, of course.
So, both of these women are scrutinized for wearing outfits which are considered to be ‘too young’. Yet, I really think Kim Cattrell looks fabulous. So on which basis do we scrutinize? Is it just based on their age?
Michelle Obama, 48, with her daughter – notice the below-the-knee skirt for her, and above-the-knee skirt for her daughter. Most people would classify Michelle Obama as dressing appropriately for her age.
Rihanna, 24, in a crop top and short skirt. If Michelle Obama wore this, would you take her seriously? Probably not.
I think that society as a whole has become very, very ageist, especially when it comes to women of course. I think the main thing is that we are judging in the first place. Are we not allowed to wear skinnie jeans and midriff tops at age 50? Even if, say, we look better at 50 than we did when we were 20?
Basing everything on age I think is ridiculous. It’s more about how the person wears the outfit, and how it makes them feel. We’ve been indoctrinated to think: short, tight, and revealing = inappropriate for those over 40-years of age. I say, not so.
I think we must seriously disconnect age from clothing; it’s all about how you strut your stuff, with class.
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interesting!
It doesnt bother me that Donatella Versace is wearing a bikini. Its just that she is so gross! There was a great picture of Helen Mirren in a bikini a while ago and I thought she looked great.
Its your life, and wear whatever you want because people will never be satisfied. EVER!
Another thing though, the 1st lady looks classy in that skirt #justsayin
In China I don’t find people to be so ‘ageist’. Chinese ladies seem to age really well and many of them, women in their 40s and 50s, you wouldn’t think of them to be that age when you see them coming at a distance. Short skirts and hot pants are abound with ‘ladies of age’.
Hairstyles too. Very often I’m standing in line at the bank with this short teenage girl standing in front of me, only to be shocked when she turns around and I find that she is really a middle-aged woman.
Each to their own. If you feel good in it,wear it. Men and Women must stop being so critical about other Women.
Thanks for a great article – well said!
I think the days of “dressing age-appropriately” is long gone. People are no longer conforming to what society deems appropriate (hence the saying “way-out clothing”).
In fact, it’s about how you feel in your clothes (or skin). For example – I am slim (my friends call me skinny), but I will NEVER wear a bikini in public (or even a full costume for that matter). I can’t remember the last time I was at the beach. I break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it.
It’s about how YOU feel about your body and what you THINK other people think about you. It’s our perception – we’re so used to people criticizing that we would rather avoid a wardrobe disaster than chance it. Silly me, really! I have so many items in my cupboard that I would love to wear, but don’t because I wonder what people will say – how sad is that?! The only time I really felt free to wear whatever I wanted, was while I lived in London. There “anything goes” and it’s a wonderful (liberating) feeling knowing that no matter how you dress, you can never be as weird as the gloriously tattooed, pierced or spiked ones that frequent the street and no-one really notices anymore. I think Cyndi Lauper was on to a good thing – “She’s so unusual”