Fashion Has No Cut-Off Age

I have always been blessed with a fashion-forward mom. My mom works at a small boutique in my hometown that sells antiques, home decor, jewelry and clothing. On so many occasions when the two of us chat about her work day, I hear the same story over and over again. “A woman about my age came into the store, tried some things on and said she thinks she’s too old to wear something like this.” Mind you, the clothing at this store is aimed at a target audience for adult women. Ladies, please stop using the phrase, “I’m too old to wear something like that.”

Fashion should not have an expiration date. Just because you are getting older, does not mean you have to dress more simple or conservative. I feel like it’s a stereotype that moms love shopping out of the clearance section at Kohl’s. Don’t get me wrong, Kohl’s is great—especially a trip to Kohl’s with Kohl’s Cash to spend. My point is, why does it seem like clothing marketed towards older women can sometimes feel generic?  ‘Mom style’ could be copy and pasted from one woman to the next.

Yes, fashion trends are aimed at youth culture, but there are ways to spin a trend to accommodate any age. Most women’s complaints are that they don’t want to wear a revival fashion trend and look like they are trying to relive their glory days. Why can’t your glory days be now? Do I think every woman should run out and start shopping at Forever 21? No, but if that floats your boat, go for it.  My mom may not like to show off her legs in a short romper, but she can rock the hell out of a longer jumper. My best advice is just to find what works best for you. No woman should limit herself based on her age.

Chances are, at an older age you are going to have more money to splurge on fashion pieces than you did in your twenties, too. So go ahead, buy that luxury leather jacket if you can afford it.

At the end of the day, I’m an advocate for wearing whatever you feel confident in. If you want to dye your hair lilac at the age of 65, just do it. I’ll give you some advice my mom gave me after I asked her if a pair of glasses looked too big for my face, “It doesn’t matter, just own it.” That goes for any person at any age. Wear whatever you want, be confident, unapologetic, and just own it.