Let's talk about...
Age appropriate dressing. I actually do have many other things i could talk about besides fashion, but since Q does know me as her stylist i figure it's only fair... and, i can't believe I let Queen Mum beat me to the posting punch!
A few years ago, i told my fabulous friends Queenan and Homeslice and that it was time to retire the going out shirts they most loved and pick up some new finds that accentuate...all the right places. i'm a firm believer that no girl over the age of 25 needs to take herself out to a bar in a backless shirt that is also cut down to there on the front side unless she's taking herself to dance on a pole. (for a living, not just for Saturday night fun at Jack Rabbit Slim's). It took a little fighting, but i think they've come around..or at least when they're going out with me.
Last summer I sent Kitty to Target in search of some of the Luella Bartley line to send up here. (in case you haven't heard, we here in NYC are not blessed with a Target...or a Wal-Mart, and as Q would tell you all good Southern girls deep down somewhere love a little Wal-Mart.) So literally, I was on the phone here in my high fashion office while Kitty was in an aisle in Target, where i made her go get a ruler to measure the waist and length of this little skirt before I let her buy it. When she pulled it out of her suitcase on her next visit I about fell to the floor because it was the shoooooortest little thing I've ever seen. But I have these friends who said "oh, but you have such great legs, you can totally pull it off!" On Monday, I wear it to work and five minutes into the day someone says "Um, don't you think you're a little old to be wearing something that short?" and... ouch. that hurts. Just because I have the legs for it does NOT mean I SHOULD be wearing it. In fact, probably no one should be wearing something that short after the age of oh, say... 12. So, it will sit in the bottom of my drawer until i have the heart to donate it to the local thrift store or my little twelve year old friend in Connecticut.
And then last week a roommate asked me "Is my outfit too young for me?" At first glance, i thought her skirt was the same length as my little Luella skirt. But then again, I am six inches taller than she is. So it's probably still okay for her. and thus age appropriate dressing.
Appropriate for your age is figuring out what fits--tight pants that show off every bulge or wrinkle do not fit. Shirts that accentuate that little bit of love handle do not fit. This could go on and on, but hopefully by the time you're old enough to read this you understand what looks like it fits when you look in the mirror and what looks like maybe you should pass it down to your little sister.
And in case you think i'm telling you to cover it up and start dressing like my grandma (bless her heart, she does love the sweatshirts with all of our names embroidered on it), let me assure you that i am not. In fact, I have only just in the past year or so started wearing things that show I have any sort of figure (or skin:) at all. But I am telling you to figure out what your assets are and to find some clothes that show those off in a nice, flattering way--not in a "look at me, look at me, come to me" kind of way. The point is to show it off and look beautiful, not trashy. and don't confuse the two, because trashy isn't beautiful, no matter how much attention you get.
and if you're really confused when you look in the mirror about whether it's okay for you to wear or not, it's probably not. but just in case, you can send your picture to Q, i'm sure she'd love that.
xoxo,
fashionslave
A few years ago, i told my fabulous friends Queenan and Homeslice and that it was time to retire the going out shirts they most loved and pick up some new finds that accentuate...all the right places. i'm a firm believer that no girl over the age of 25 needs to take herself out to a bar in a backless shirt that is also cut down to there on the front side unless she's taking herself to dance on a pole. (for a living, not just for Saturday night fun at Jack Rabbit Slim's). It took a little fighting, but i think they've come around..or at least when they're going out with me.
Last summer I sent Kitty to Target in search of some of the Luella Bartley line to send up here. (in case you haven't heard, we here in NYC are not blessed with a Target...or a Wal-Mart, and as Q would tell you all good Southern girls deep down somewhere love a little Wal-Mart.) So literally, I was on the phone here in my high fashion office while Kitty was in an aisle in Target, where i made her go get a ruler to measure the waist and length of this little skirt before I let her buy it. When she pulled it out of her suitcase on her next visit I about fell to the floor because it was the shoooooortest little thing I've ever seen. But I have these friends who said "oh, but you have such great legs, you can totally pull it off!" On Monday, I wear it to work and five minutes into the day someone says "Um, don't you think you're a little old to be wearing something that short?" and... ouch. that hurts. Just because I have the legs for it does NOT mean I SHOULD be wearing it. In fact, probably no one should be wearing something that short after the age of oh, say... 12. So, it will sit in the bottom of my drawer until i have the heart to donate it to the local thrift store or my little twelve year old friend in Connecticut.
And then last week a roommate asked me "Is my outfit too young for me?" At first glance, i thought her skirt was the same length as my little Luella skirt. But then again, I am six inches taller than she is. So it's probably still okay for her. and thus age appropriate dressing.
Appropriate for your age is figuring out what fits--tight pants that show off every bulge or wrinkle do not fit. Shirts that accentuate that little bit of love handle do not fit. This could go on and on, but hopefully by the time you're old enough to read this you understand what looks like it fits when you look in the mirror and what looks like maybe you should pass it down to your little sister.
And in case you think i'm telling you to cover it up and start dressing like my grandma (bless her heart, she does love the sweatshirts with all of our names embroidered on it), let me assure you that i am not. In fact, I have only just in the past year or so started wearing things that show I have any sort of figure (or skin:) at all. But I am telling you to figure out what your assets are and to find some clothes that show those off in a nice, flattering way--not in a "look at me, look at me, come to me" kind of way. The point is to show it off and look beautiful, not trashy. and don't confuse the two, because trashy isn't beautiful, no matter how much attention you get.
and if you're really confused when you look in the mirror about whether it's okay for you to wear or not, it's probably not. but just in case, you can send your picture to Q, i'm sure she'd love that.
xoxo,
fashionslave
posted by Queenan at 6:20 AM
4 Comments:
Now my darlin' fashionslave, your advice might be good for the thirty somethings but it's definently time for us fifties to stop going sleeveless!!!!!
This comment has been removed by the author.
agreed. I never said you fifty somethings should be going sleeveless. i said you need to find your best feature (and i believe these features can change as you age) and accentuate that. and yes, there are some general rules. perhaps i should have addressed that as well.... next post perhaps.
oh a name mention, how nice! btw, you never paid me for that skirt, so maybe we can call the slight overage on my cell bill this month even!? meow. love, kitty :)
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