Style VS Age
31 March 2018
Before, we were conditioned to dress our age. From smocks as little girls and curduroys for boys (or tomboys like me), to mini-skirts and no bras at 20, smart suits or boyfriend jeans at 30, nice close-fitting but “reasonable” dresses at 40 and no fuss clothes when 60 or 70 years old.
But the thing we women and men need to understand is, don’t dress your age, dress your style and shape! There are no pre-established codes, just what was put into our heads by society and education. Really when we know our colors and shapes that suit us, and have found the style(s) that we feel great in, the rest is peanuts. What we need to do is dress like we love to dress and try new things all the time.
As @InStyle says talking about the actress Julianne Moore is inspiring:
“Arms svelte enough for a sleeveless sheath? Legs toned enough for shorts? Take a note from Julianne Moore and show off what you've got-while you've still got it.”
We all have parts of our bodies we are more proud of than others, and this is a work in progress, we sometimes discover unknown qualities later in life.
Talking about shorts, I really started wearing them in all kinds of materials (cotton, satin, leather…) and for all kinds of occasions (dinners with stilettos, tights in winter), at 38 years old. More comfortable than a tight dress, less formal, perfect for a night out. Sexy but not too much. It corresponds to a time of my life when the little black dress began to bore me, and I wanted to have a new, more fun style, and perhaps remember my tomboy days.
The advantage we have when we have more experience with fashion is just that….experience. We know ourselves, we know what’s good for us, we know when we feel good or comfortable or not, we also usually have a higher self-esteem.
See this video about men embracing “flare and panache” in advanced style by @nowness.
What’s the rule? To enjoy style we must embrace age, not be intimidated. Style makes us look younger and makes us feel better and happier.
Also, Ari Seth Cohen’s TEDxAmsterdam conference explains the importance of style at every age. He began with his grandmother and then made a book of the most stylish women above 50 years old and until 100 plus.
Iris Apfel is a star. She began as a White House interior decorator (from Truman to Clinton). She then became a style reference, has launched her own licenses in glasses, jewelry and handbags and a documentary was made by Albert Maysles to tell her story. The message? “Style has no age limit”. See the trailer here:
So what do you think. Are you inspired by these people? Don’t they look happy with all this creativity and color?
©I-DYLIC. Article by Eleonore Vadon
